Here’s what your local “sports media personality” needs to know in 2012

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Duties, Responsibilities and Position Requirements
•    Solicits, retains and understands sponsors & their needs for WNST.
•    Prepare and deliver on-air programming that represents WNST objectives.
•    Select program content, in conjunction with General Manager, producers and assistants, based on factors such as WNST goals, audience tastes, or requests from the public.
•    Study background information in order to prepare for programs or interviews.
•    Keep daily program logs to provide information on all elements aired during broadcast, such as advertisers, guests and WNST promotions.
•    Record commercials for later broadcast.
•    Locate guests to appear on talk shows, participate in blogs, and wnsTV interviews.
•    Discuss various topics on-air and WNST.net with listeners and online users.
•    Coordinate games, contests, or other on-air and wnst.net competitions, performing such duties as asking questions and awarding prizes.
•    Attend press conferences in order to gather information for broadcast and WNST.net.
•    Execute plan for WNST.net presence, based on management priorities, policy directions, and goals.
•    Regularly create, modify, tag and categorize blogs.
•    Promote all content via personal social media to grow brand and create awareness.
•    Respond promptly to on-air and blog comments and email.
•    Act as liaison between blog readers and WNST.
•    Interface collaboratively with web design and best practices team to insure cohesiveness between blogs and corporate web site.
•    Collaborate with internal departments to enhance on-air and blog features and presence.
•    Participate in WNST promotional events – including promotional appearances at public or private events in order to achieve company objectives.
•    Act as ambassador and liaison for company with the WNST community.
•    Attempt to troubleshoot problems with management assistance.
•    Perform other duties, as assigned.

Required Skills, Knowledge and Abilities
•    High school diploma or GED with related experience in achieving company objectives.
•    Must be computer and definitely Internet/search engine savvy to perform online research.
•    Completed degrees from accredited institutions may be substituted for experience on a year-for-year basis, provided courses were taken in writing, media, communications, marketing, business and psychology/sociology.
•    Writing, proofreading and editing skills.
•    Knowledge and understanding of current editing, authoring tools, and related blog technologies.
•    Complete and ongoing knowledge of social media & its evolving status.
•    Possess engaging “conversational” writing skills with a professional posture.
•    Ability to utilize computerized word processing, blogging and internet software.
•    Ability to work independently and as a member of a team.
•    Ability to include corporate objectives throughout on-air and blog presentation.
•    Assist management in identifying opportunities, based on new developments in  technology and business affairs.
•    Maintain high ethics with on-air and blog presentation, content and daily work.
•    Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community.

Here are some more basic “production skills” for radio and web content that make all facets of local sports media and conversation better:

Topics – Thought provoking topics for host to talk about and attract intelligent phone callers.  Finding stories that are not dated that can be used when there isn’t much to talk about.

Reading/Watching – It’s so important to be “well-read” every day.  The internet and sports world are loaded with information coming 24-hours a day on Twitter. Attend events. By reading and watching you will be able to come up with more than just the obvious topic.

Looking ahead – Know what events, storylines, games are coming up so you’re prepared.  Know that breaking news can happen anytime. Have something to say when a legendary athlete dies. Have some insight into why a trade did – or didn’t — happen. Know when the big pitching match-up is. Know contracts. Know the salary cap like you know your own personal monthly budget.

Getting Prepared for the Show – Make sure you have checked all websites & social media links for different up-to-date stories as well as checking all pertinent websites throughout the show.  Have all contacts necessary for specific show shared with your team.

Guests – Try to plan guests around the topics of your show.  Prioritize guest list.  Make a list of A list, B list, C list.  Obviously start with the guests who made the story, then move to the B list players, coaches, GM’s that are affected by the story, then the guy who wrote the story.  Prepare your host for big names that might appear on Show that don’t revolve around the topic for the day.  Make sure he transitions as smoothly as possible – don’t book a British Open guest during a baseball show.

In-Show Responsibilities – Most important – help your team in every way possible.  Prepare for a guest or callers not to be there.  Always have a back-up plan.  Whether it’s something on topic or actualities relating to the topics.  Make sure host is resetting during interviews and reading commercials/plugs.  Host needs to say his name out of the breaks and do everything possible to keep the listeners informed and entertained.  Listen for promos or comments from guests that might be newsmakers or nice recorded plus for WNST.

Post Show – Meet with your team and talk about the good and bad of the show.  What things went well and what things you need to work on.  What things you should have done and what things didn’t work that you will eliminate.

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