Sports Broadcaster: Career Outlook for the Sports Broadcasting Professions
Those who want to enter the field of sports broadcasting must be prepared for a cut-throat atmosphere with intense competition for employment opportunities. Sports broadcasters can work either on air or behind the scenes as producers or writers.
Sports Broadcaster Career Overview
Sports announcers deliver play-by-play coverage of sporting events over radio, television and the Internet. They may also provide commentary or completed events. They are responsible for understanding the nuances of the sports they discuss, as well as teams and individual players in each game. Outside of the games they may announce, sports broadcasters conduct off-the-field interviews with players and may even write columns for newspapers, magazines and websites.
Sports Broadcaster Career Outlook
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov), there is intense competition for sports broadcasting jobs, especially in metropolitan areas, as a large number of jobseekers are attracted by the glamor and prestige of the industry. Job prospects are greatest for applicants with a college degree in journalism, broadcasting or a related field, with relevant work or internship experience. Employment of all broadcasting positions is expected to increase by about ten percent over the 2008-2018 period, which is slower than most industries. This is mostly due to the introduction of new technologies, industry consolidation and media outlet competition.
Sports Broadcasting Producer Overview
Producers plan and develop both taped and live programming that accompanies television and radio broadcasts, deciding how a broadcast will look and/or sound. When scripts are used, they are selected by the producers. Producers also decide on the on-air personalities, lighting, props, sets and other production elements. Sports broadcasting producers coordinate the activities of on-air announcers, choose camera angles and highlights and help make televised sporting events entertaining viewers.
Sports Broadcasting Producer Career Outlook
Like on-air announcing, producer positions require at least an undergraduate degree. Also, like on-air announcing, competition for the limited number of positions is often fierce. Almost three-fourths of all broadcasting jobs are offered by the largest 15% of companies in the industry. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov), producers' median hourly income was about $25, as of May 2008.