NY Liberty - Producer - Paula McHale


		Game Opener Video
		Camera Cuts Video
		Commercial Break Video
		Halftime Highlights Video
		Broadcast Schedule
		The Producer

The highlight of watching a basketball game on television is of course the game itself, but there is a lot more that goes around the presentation of the game that makes it exciting and entertaining to watch. From the opening of the broadcast to the post-game interviews, wrap-up and closing, a number of elements have to fall into place around the court action.

Producing a basketball game for television means putting all the pieces together so that the viewer gets the full game experience, including game information, highlights and more. The producer assembles the game intro, the interview segments, highlights from the previous game or games and any special features that will air into one smooth-running program. This means gathering a lot of material on tape and making sure all the facts, names and numbers are included. A producer arranges many segments in advance so the broadcast will go smoothly.

Paula McHale has been producing Liberty basketball games for television since 1997. She prepares for each game by reading Internet articles about the team and talking with the announcers and directors to coordinate the broadcast. During the game, she works from the control room, sitting next to the director and communicating through headsets with the on-air announcers. "I also watch the tape machines for replays to help the director."

McHale began her career by majoring in Broadcasting at CW Post University. She then interned at Sportschannel on Long Island. In 1992, she took a job as a Production Assistant where she worked long hours learning the business of broadcasting and television production.

"I think having a high energy level and being able to deal with people are my strengths at this job," says McHale, who especially enjoys doing the player interviews. She highly recommends the hands-on experience of interning to get an idea of how much is involved in producing a sporting event. This type of experience, coupled with studying broadcasting in school put McHale in the exciting position of Sports Producer.