Radio a tool for other projects?

Over the past couple of months at TSN 690 with Matthew Ross, I've come to notice that radio isn't just a way to host a show. It can lead to other things and it can be used to also get your name out there and become involved with other projects. Matthew has helped launch the site, exposnation.com and I think the fact that he has his voice out there and talks about baseball and the Expos often on his show helped land him this role, giving him a link to the Montreal Baseball Project. It's just something interesting to consider at how the radio still is effective, but in other ways. It's good to see that radio still has its place.

I've also learned that you have to do different things today in radio to make sure the medium doesn't become obsolete. I think Matthew does a good job in doing that, as he keeps a blog of his show and posts his strongest segments to get his show out there. Getting as much on the internet as possible keeps  your audience strong and also can rack in younger listeners, which is what more radio hosts should be doing. You can't rely on older listeners forever, as your product will soon go with the generation. It's good to see a radio host understand that and I feel it's been a valuable lesson for me.

I'm also excited about a new task I'm undertaking on April 3rd. Matthew got me passes for an advanced screening of '42' The True Story of an American Legend' which is of course the new movie about Jackie Robinson. I will be covering it for the show's blog which will be a lot of fun, as I've never gotten to cover a movie, much less a sneak peek movie premiere. I'm super excited about that, as I will be able to quote Warren Cromartie, who's hosting the event, and he'll also be discussing the newest developments about the Montreal Baseball Project, so I'll also be able to report on that as part of my piece. When I started this internship, I didn't think covering a movie premiere would be part of it. Nonetheless, I'm excited about the opportunity. It's a new challenge for me.

NHL Rapid Fire News

Habs vs Pens Postgame Notes March 26

Familiarizing Yourself with a topic

This past week at the station was pretty interesting. Yes, there was the usual work of cutting clips and preparing Habs stats and news, but a pretty noteworthy event took place in Montreal last week. That was UFC 158 in which Georges St. Pierre took on Nick Diaz at the Bell Centre. Normally I don't follow MMA that much, but when GSP is fighting, it's usually the talk of the town, so I found myself following the sport a lot more, because I wanted to be able to competently talk about it and follow along with the coverage the station was giving it.

 I think every sportscaster has to be familiar with multiple sports and has to be aware of what fans care about and not just their own preferences. Too many sportscasters don't know much beyond one sport, whether it's hockey, football, soccer, etc... That usually leads to over-saturation of one sport that's given too much coverage. MMA is one of the world's most popular sports and it keeps growing, so this week served as a reminder that branching out is important as a broadcaster. It applies to every domain of journalism, but it hits home for me in sports. I have to keep trying to learn more every day to become, a 'master of my domain.' It's all about being versatile. I feel comfortable talking about multiple sports, but that job is never done. You can always learn more, and I felt this week served as a great reminder for that.

This coming week, it's back to more Habs stuff, but I will also be familiarizing myself with the Impact more, as they have had a great start to their season and that's a topic worth exploring on the show. As well, on April 3rd, there is a screening of the new movie, '42: The True Story of an American Legend', which is of course a new film about Jackie Robinson. I'm going to cover it, as I think it would be a nice change of pace for my work at 690. Warren Cromartie, founder of the Montreal Baseball Project will also be there, so I could speak with him about the movie and see if I can get any information on the progress on his project.

Post-Production Work

Last night's show going into today was all about pre and post production work. My usual responsibilities were in full effect, looking up Habs stats and storylines for the show as well as keeping up to date on all NFL free agency news. I was happy to do that, because I was going nuts all day looking at all free agency news anyway. Most of my responsibilities though, were to record multiple segments, cut clips from them and post them on the show's blog. The idea is to do everything possible to get the show out there, and I think it's important for those in radio today to be able to market themselves and find new avenue in which to connect with their audience. I think it's smart of Matthew to have a blog, because it's rare today that someone will just tune up their radio at home and listen. Listeners will usually pick up a live stream online and by having a blog, it's something available to a lot of people as they're listening to the show. They can go on the blog, listen to any segments they missed, and check out the articles and comment on them. As I said, it's all about finding new ways to connect with the listeners. My participation included my top 10 list. I was able to incorporate a news story and bring it into sports, so I was excited about that possibility. This Sunday, I hope to be more involved on the show in terms of talking and getting my own opinions out there.

Tweet 10 ways Sports can help elect a new Pope

Change of Pace

My work the past couple of shifts has felt a little different, primarily because my shifts have come at different times of the day. On Sunday, the show was moved up to the afternoon, due to the Habs game in the evening. My workload included helping preview the Habs/Bruins game, and also recording, cutting clips and posting Matthew's interview with Cliff Floyd, formerly of the Montreal Expos. My clips were played throughout Monday on various shows, so I had to make sure the audio was at a good level, that the clips were concise enough and that I took the best clips from the interview. Matthew also posted it on a website he's launching soon called exposnation.com . The site isn't active yet, but he showed me what it will look like. As well, Matthew also invited me to a trip to Toronto he's organizing in the summer. That may lead to me submitting an article to TSN.ca if I go along on the trip. He would be writing for the Gazette and would allow me to submit to TSN which is an exciting opportunity. Last night, was a late show, from around 11:30 to 1:30 and it was more of a continuation to the Habs postgame show. I learned that whenever the Habs lose, almost no prep work is required. The callers easily fill up segments for you. One aspect I did enjoy was being able to interact with the callers. Matthew Ross wasn't in on Tuesday, so I got to interact with callers with Moe Khan and it was a new challenge. You have to remain respectful to callers' opinions, but if you think they're wrong, you have to make a strong case for why you think you're right. It gives you an idea of how truly obsessed Habs fans are. I had prepared topics and information last night, but of course, callers dominated most of the show, so understandably, I had to save my topics for a future date.

Tweet 10 Claude Julien Accusations of the Habs

Handling Breaking News and Audio Quality

The show was dealt a boost when the Montreal Canadiens made their first trade of the season. Obviously whenever the Habs make a move, it makes a call-in show all the more interesting. So given the news, my responsibilities were to compare Michael Ryder's and Erik Cole's stats in every category and to go through the media conference call with Marc Bergevin. Unfortunately, the audio quality was not up to par for a radio station to air. Obviously it's important to have reaction and clips to play for news like that, but a professional radio station has to understand the importance of audio quality. Clips had been aired where you could barely comprehend what was being said, and I don't feel they should've been aired. If there were 10 commandments of radio, I'm sure one of them would be to ensure your clips are always of broadcast quality. Whoever uploaded the clip's on the station's server clearly was very careless. Other than that, I clipped some of the show's audio and posted it to the show's blog and I did the usual of providing scoring updates on request and researched Habs news. Matthew also encouraged me to start posting articles on the show's blog, so now I will be able to work on both my broadcasting skills and my writing skills for the remainder of the semester. This Sunday, the show is moved to mid-afternoon due to the Habs game at night, so we'll have our own pre-game show of sorts. It will be a new dynamic for me and I'm sure my research will include digging up stats and stories surrounding the Habs vs the Bruins. That shouldn't be too difficult. I will likely have to grab audio clips from the two teams and play them on air. Needless to say, I will ensure they're of broadcast quality.

Tweet 10 Signs You Already Miss Football

Strengthening a Segment

When you're throwing out a trade possibility for the Montreal Canadiens on live air, you have to be prepared for a lot of different opinions from fans coming at you. That is why if you want to state your case for something, you have to have the information to back it up. Matthew Ross threw out an idea of Lars Eller being traded and asked me to get Eller's stats, compare him to other players around the league and find a few realistic players that could be traded for Eller. I named Ryane Clowe and Steve Ott and gave information to back it up. I shared Matthew's opinion on the subject and this show taught me that it's important to make a strong case if you're going to give an idea on a hot topic. You can't just say something for the sake of being bold. You should be able to back up what you're saying and I feel I was able to help in that regard, which was very positive. Matthew also asked me to look up NFL Combine news and bring it up to Moe Khan, who appeared on the show via phone this week. I went to air with reports saying that Alex Smith is on his way out of San Francisco with the 49ers having a deal in place, with the rumored team appearing to be the Kansas City Chiefs. Matthew steered the ship for the segment, but he gave me a lot of responsibility in following the biggest stories of the NFL Combine and I feel my story selection was appropriate. I went with Manti Te'o's news conference and quarterback updates. Te'o's offseason story has been one of the most bizarre in sports history, so I felt it was important to follow the Heisman finalist. It was a really solid show overall and featured a lot of participation from the listeners, which always makes for better radio. I find in Montreal if you come up with a strong idea for a Habs topic that no one's approached yet, it's a good idea because you're bound to get a strong reaction, negative or positive. Just make sure you can back up what you're saying, or you'll sound like a hack.

Exploring a Lars Eller Trade

Moe Khan on NFL Combine and other News

Editing Interviews

This shift was more based around production work. I had to edit an interview down to 10 minutes, which was originally about 13 minutes. Matthew Ross had Marc-Olivier Brouillette on the show to talk about the Alouettes offseason news, and to upload one clip to youtube for the show's blog, I had to cut the interview down. Matthew told me that the CFL on TSN twitter feed will post the interview, so it was important for me to make sure the edited version of the interview sounded good. The edited version is available to listen to on the show's blog. It reminded me a little of JOUR 330 when we would have to edit down an interview we'd conducted to about two minutes. The challenge here was to edit someone else's, which is a little more difficult, because I wouldn't know what his preferences to be. I've posted it and Matthew told me I did a great job with it, not cutting out anything important and maintaining the integrity of the interview despite cutting out three minutes. It provides some satisfaction that I was able to do the job well that he asked of me. On my latest shift, I had to do the usual, scouring sports sites for breaking news, score updates and researched recent Habs stats, which I provided on air at Matthew's request. I also helped him in his research for the Brouillette interview, looking through what he's done recently, and things of that nature. This coming Tuesday, I will be in studio a little earlier to cut clips from the Habs game that day and have them ready for the show.

Overcoming Problems during a show

Last night's shift involved some obstacles that the host had to overcome. We had lined up Alouettes linebacker Shea Emry as a guest on the show, but he cancelled last minute. So in a rapid fashion, we had to go to Plan B for a segment and search NFL topics, which I was able to do. We got through the segment pretty well, as we were able to finish the show smoothly. As for the rest of the show, my work mostly involved researching interesting Habs stats from their season. I even brought up to Matthew before the show that the Jacksonville Jaguars had unveiled their new logo this week, and we wound up talking about the logo for an entire segment, as listeners responded to our tweets and called in to talk about the new logo. It actually turned out to be one of our better, and probably our most fun segment of the show. I never thought we'd be talking about the Jaguars for more than a couple of minutes. It felt good to know that I brought the topic up and it was able to contribute to the show. I guess it just shows you in radio that you sometimes have to be flexible with your outline. If you're not able to roll with the punches on a show, it can become stale, dull and sound too rigid for a listener's pleasure. If you're able to adapt to what's gaining momentum on your show, I believe you have to roll with it. I commend Matthew Ross for doing that, as I felt it made for great radio, because it was a chance for listeners to have fun with it, and for us, to have fun with it. Of course, we still had some of the usual guests on the show, and we got into hockey, but all in all, I think the lesson from this show I learned was you have to stay on your toes and realize that no matter how great you plan out a show, things can change, and you have to be ready to adjust if and when that time comes.

Production Work

My responsibilities this week were mostly on the production side of things. Besides doing my Tweet 10 list (Reasons there was a Blackout at the SuperDome), I put together an audio montage of the Ravens and 49ers runs to the Super Bowl with the clips that were provided for me by the station and set to the Unforgiven by Metallica. It was a fun little project to work on yesterday and I feel like some of my training in Advanced Radio (JOUR 330) helped me out when putting together the montage. Since I was using a new software at the station, I hadn't quite mastered it, so in my opinion it could've sounded better. I feel a little more comfortable with the station's software now, so I feel if I had to do another one in the near future, I'd be better at it and the whole thing would sound better. We had hockey writers in studio from the Fourth Period Magazine, so I had to take a backseat in terms of active participation on the show. I basically provided the host and guests updates when necessary and researched some stats they needed. Today I learned how much great audio can enhance a broadcast. I haven't heard of too many interns who were trusted with putting together a 9-minute audio montage, so I feel very grateful that I was given the opportunity. For the next few shifts, I'm anticipating more and more hockey talk, given the fact that the NFL season is over. I'll be prepared to help in any way I can and with my midterm break coming up, I've informed them that I'll have extra availability to work on anything else they need from me, so I look forward to that.

Ravens and 49ers Runs to the Super Bowl

Tweet 10 Reasons for SuperDome Blackout + Alouettes News

Logging Extra Hours and Work

This week, the show was pushed back to midnight, due to the Habs game and post-game coverage. The regular host Matthew Ross wasn't in this week, so with Moe Khan filling in for him, I got to play an even bigger role in the show. I was heavily involved in prep work and putting together a run-sheet for the two-hour show. As the Habs game was going on, I was cutting clips from the game to be sure they were ready for use during the show. I also looked at a lot of Super Bowl news. As we were covering media day of the Super Bowl, there was a lot of stories to follow. There were allegations against Ray Lewis for taking a form of performance enhancing drugs, so I had to be quite diligent in my research to ensure I didn't get any facts wrong, or make him out to be guilty of that. I went by what a report from Sports Illustrated said, but I made sure to attribute anything they had on the story. I also got to do my weekly top 10 list, as well as looking up interesting prop bets for the Super Bowl. Given the station's affiliation with mise-o-jeu and other sports gambling sites, we had to come at the Super Bowl in that way for a little while. That was probably the most fun part of the show, as I got to do some lighter research for that. The main challenge of this show was helping assemble the run-sheet and ensuring that the producer was up to date on all scoring changes in hockey and basketball games, as well as keeping an eye on injuries from any of the games. The fact that we were one less than usual put a little more responsibility on me, which I was happy to take on and help out. I feel like I'm getting some valuable experience and am very appreciative of being given airtime. It's one thing to just be an intern, but it feels especially good to feel I'm a part of the show and can contribute in my own way. This Sunday will be a Super Bowl post game show, so I'm very much looking forward to that show.

Tweet 10 Reasons PK Subban Signed

First Taste of Habs Postgame Coverage

With a new NHL season having started, there is a lot more work to be done at the station. It requires more production work, which I assisted in yesterday. I had to grab clips from the game and from the news conference following the game with Michel Therrien. We needed some clips for the show, so I had to help out in preparing for the show in that way. I'm getting a little more responsibility in the production department, so that will be something I'll have to prepare for in the coming weeks. As for my creative aspect, I did my weekly Top 10 list, which was the top 10 PK Subban contract demands. Again, this is just a chance for me to test my creative side and get some practice on air and show my sense of humor. It's a great quality to have in radio and connect with the listeners. On the program, we had a sports journalist named John Hoven from Los Angeles. In Matthew's interview with him on air, he went into his coverage of the Kings and how he earned his name in LA. He had him on the program in the past, but he did a good job in giving the listeners some background on him and letting them appreciate his expertise. As for me, I had my usual research work to do, looking up stats, and cutting clips for the show's website. I also got to give live in-game updates for scores around the NHL and the NBA. The real challenge is to give score after score, changing the way you give the score to keep the update interesting. It tests your way with words and how you project to the listeners. It requires some thinking on the fly as well, to throw in a comment or two for each score. This Sunday, there is no show, due to the Habs game taking place during the show's usual slot time. I will be there on an extended shift Tuesday to help with the Habs game after that. I look forward to it.

Tweet 10 PK Subban Contract Demands

Tricks in Radio

Last night, I had to do some of the less glamorous tasks of an intern. As the show had many callers, I had to help with answering the phones. It was understandable, as it was a very busy show. One thing I did pick up on and which I quite liked was Matthew letting two callers with very different opinions get on the line at the same time. I thought it made for interesting radio, as both callers had strong opinions. We even got compliments from other listeners who liked the fact that the host and producer did that. It's a good learning experience for me to see that, because in this age of radio, you have to be really creative and look for ways to make your show stand out. There isn't much room for error with the jobs in radio being reduced. I also had to do a little more research on the fly, as there were so many debates/arguments over certain facts throughout the show, so I had to be really quick in looking up the facts and figures that were needed. I also got to break a story, as the Sacramento Kings were sold to a Seattle-based group with intention to relocate. Obviously, I took it from the internet, but it felt good to get to the story first and break it myself to the host, Matthew. It shows that I'm constantly working throughout the show, no matter what my role in a segment is. The main segment I got to participate in was when we recapped the pair of NFL games yesterday and started to give an early forecast of the Super Bowl, i.e which story lines to watch, the lines and an early prediction. I usually help in the NFL segments the most, as Habs segments are usually filled with callers. All in all, it was a solid shift and I look forward to the next one.

NFL Preview to Super Bowl XLVII

Chasing a Scoop

Last night at TSN Radio 690 provided a good example of looking for a break in a big story. Throughout the show last night, myself, Matthew and Moe Khan were scouring the internet, while Matthew and Moe were in contact with their sources to see if Marc Trestman was indeed leaving for the NFL. Some reports were tweeted and pulled. I found that they showed great restraint from reporting something that wasn't yet confirmed. In fact the news wasn't confirmed until 2 am, but unfortunately the show was already over. Still, it's a good example of seeing someone look for a development in a big story, while still doing their job and hosting. Once again, I found they showed responsibility in not reporting it until it had some merit. Too often, sportscasters just throw any report out there, without trying to verify it, in sacrifice for 'the scoop', but I'm glad I learned that there's a way to look for a story while being responsible. I feel it was a valuable lesson for me. As for myself, my job was to look for reports throughout the net about Marc Trestman and do my part in searching for news with the story. I also helped in the sports updates, informing the producer of news and scores throughout the night. I got to do my Tweet 10 list again. It was a lot of fun and challenging for me. Following the show, I posted the segments from the show on the show's website and cut clips from interviews and uploaded them to the station's server for the next day. We had Scott Cullen from TSN.ca on as well as John Hoven from 'Mayor's Manor' in L.A who covers the Kings. It's something I'll be doing every show for them.

Tweet 10 Ways Marc Bergevin kept busy during the Lockout

NFL Picks for Championship Weekend

2nd Entry - Football Frenzy

This shift was a bit of a challenging one. I was battling a cold and sore throat for the show, so I didn't speak on the air as much as I would've liked. However, I felt I was still an important part of the show, as I did a lot of research work. Given that there were four NFL games from the weekend to talk about, I was excited going in, although given the condition I was in, it didn't reflect in my voice. I loved that I got the chance to throw in my own observations from the games. I'm happy to help out the show in which ever way is needed, but it's always a nice bonus when I get to chime in. Matthew Ross, host of GamePoints with Matthew Ross, doesn't have a co-host on Sundays, unlike Tuesdays, so it looks like I'll have a substantial role on the show every Sunday. With hockey back and Habs fever already starting to take over the Montreal sports scene, things will only get busier at the station, so I'm looking forward to that. My pop culture knowledge and creativity got a chance to shine today, as I threw in a Seinfeld clip in relation to the news that Scott Gomez will be bought out by the Habs. I suggested to put in a clip where George Costanza gets a severance package from the Yankees and he describes it as, "The Yankees are giving me three months, full pay, for doing nothing." To which Jerry replies, "They did it for three years, what's another few months?". It's a fun little piece and while it's not much, it's fun to get some creative input on the show, and it's good to know that my opinion is respected. I look forward to the next shift on Tuesday, where I'll have a Tweet 10 List, (see last week's post), this time the list will be, Tweet 10 Things Marc Bergevin did during the NHL Lockout Overall, I'm really enjoying my time at TSN 690 so far and I feel like I'm getting a chance to develop my radio personality, rather than perform menial tasks that have nothing to do with growing as a broadcaster. I'm in deep appreciation for what the station and what Matthew Ross is doing for me.

NFL Report Divisional Round Playoffs

Stefano Habs Notes

First Shift

My first shift as an intern at TSN 690 (January 8) was a lot of fun and kept me busy. Matthew Ross let me take over a Letterman-esque Top-10 list. It turns out the guy that normally does the list is in England for a few months, and in that time, I'll be able to take over the list. It helps me test my sports knowledge and my sense of humor. It's important to come across as knowledgeable on a sports program and being able to make listeners laugh is always a huge bonus. I look forward to the challenge of being able to do this every week. I have posted my first list in the video below, which is officially known as the Tweet 10 list. Also on this show I edited clips from the show from guests Dave Pagnotta of thefourthperiod.com Scott Cullen of TSN and Mike C. Wright of ESPN Chicago. Full segments were posted by me in the form of youtube videos on the show's website, http://gamepointsradio.blogspot.ca/ I also assisted with the show's prep work. This included looking up stats for the NFL match-ups this weekend, as well as determining the top Montreal Canadiens storylines to follow going into the season. Obviously with the NHL back, the station is thrilled as it holds the broadcasting rights. Hopefully this leads to more tasks for me on the show every week. Overall, I'm very pleased with the workload I was given and I felt like I was a real part of the show, and not just the token intern. I was promised a vital role on the show, and I feel like that promise is being kept. Sundays will be even better, as there are less people in studio, which means an important role for me. We will have NFL coverage on Sunday, so that's music to my ears. I'll be ready to go and I'll obviously be following all the NFL playoff games this weekend closely. I look forward to the next 13 weeks in getting more and more responsibilities and growing as a broadcaster.

Stefano Mocella Tweet 10 Excuses from NFL Teams that Missed the Playoffs