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The NHL is looking for those with the talent to transition from the hockey game to the TV game, and are bringing many current and former players to see what it's like to be in front of the camera.
For many, it's an unsettling experience, as they ponder a career off the ice, according to current broadcaster and former Maple Leaf Ed Olczyk.
"It's not the conversation itself, it's what do I do with my hands?" he said. "Where am I sitting? Should I have notes in front of me or not have notes in front of me? Where do I look? Do I look at the camera?
"This aspect is two very different things. There's hockey, and then there's the broadcast aspect. And in our case, the broadcast is probably more important than the hockey. They already know the hockey, so we're trying to help them out with the broadcast end. You really need to be good at both to make for a good show."
NHL Broadcast Training Camp gives players glimpse into on-air production
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Interesting this topic comes up just before the Olympics. Both CBC and NBC will have many former athletes covering and commenting on the various sports that they once competed in years ago. Some of these events are very specialized and rare to see on television. Explaining a sport like this would be challenging for anyone. Especially to millions of viewers who may be unfamiliar about any of the rules or what to look out for.
I am always interested in this because these people have no broadcast background. Most of them are usually good on camera with the commentary, and some of them are excellent. These new sportscasters know the atheletes and coaches, often are funny, but all understand the sport they are covering inside and out.
So they must get training from the networks or some olympic broadcast organization to help them become passable in broadcasting. There must be weeks or months of training and practicing on camera, in studio or in the field prior to the Olympics. Often many of these people won't be seen again for four years until the next games, especially for the more obscure events.
Last edited by paterson1 (July 25, 2024 9:56 am)