NY Liberty - Play by Play Broadcaster


		Broadcaster Video
		Commentator Video

One of the most exciting jobs in sports is that of a Play-By-Play Broadcaster announcing the action on the court for the fans watching or listening at home. If you've ever turned the volume down on the TV or sat in the stands and pretended to broadcast a basketball game, you know how hard it is to keep up with the fast-paced action, particularly for a radio announcer whose audience doesn't have the benefit of seeing the plays.

To prepare for a game, a broadcaster needs to study hard so that he or she will know all the players on both teams. It's also important to have all of the significant statistics handy and to be on top of everything that is going on around the game and the sport in general. This knowledge comes from reading various sports publications, checking the Internet, talking with players, coaches, statisticians and working with the crew who help present the game

Kenny Albert does the play-by-play for the Liberty for MSG Networks. He has announced NFL football for Fox, major league baseball for FSN/FX and Rangers hockey for WFAN radio. He began his career as the Sports Editor for his high school newspaper, then worked as a broadcaster on his college radio station, WNYU at New York University. "I also practiced a lot into a tape recorder," adds Albert, whose two uncles and father are also professional sportscasters. He worked his way up through the minor leagues, broadcasting minor league hockey games in Baltimore before hitting the major league circuit. Albert, who says he loves everything about his job, suggests that budding young sportscasters work hard, be dedicated to their craft and learn as much as possible about the broadcasting business and about sports.

For anyone looking for a career in broadcasting, it's never too soon to begin practicing. Listening to the style of other announcers and honing your own skills in front of the tape recorder are ways to get started. Getting involved in sports for a college radio station is the next step, even if at first it's not in front of the microphone.