SPORTSCASTER

A 'sportscaster', (also 'sports announcer', 'sport commentator' or 'sport presenter') is a type of journalist on radio and/or television who specializes in reporting or commentating on sporting events. Sportscasting is often done live, "in real-time". In British English the terms sportscaster and sports announcer are not used; the usual terms are sport commentator, presenter or broadcaster.
Sportscaster is also a primarily American English term for 'sportsreader' — someone who reads sports news.

Contents

Roles of sportscasters

See also

External links

Roles of sportscasters

Sportscasters can be defined into two narrow categories. Play-by-play announcers are the primary speakers, valued for their articulateness and ability to quickly describe the events of the game. Color commentators are valued for experience and insight into the game, and are often asked questions by the play-by-play announcer to give them a topic for analysis. The latter most often have gained their experience in the sport as a player or coach, while the former is more likely to be a broadcasting professional than a participant in the sport, although there are many exceptions to this general trend.
The most common format for a television broadcast is to have one of each type. An example is NBC Sunday Night Football, which is called by John Madden, a former head coach, and Al Michaels, a professional announcer.
Another difference between the two types is that color commentators will almost always announce only the sport they come from, while play-by-play announcers - such as Michaels, Howard David, and Mike Patrick - may have careers in which they call several different sports at one time or another.
Although the combination of a play-by-play announcer and one or more color commentators is standard today, in the past it was much more common for a play-by-play announcer to work alone. Vin Scully is one example of this practice still existing today.

See also

★ List of sports announcers

External links

★ Sportscasters.info - An internet database of (mostly) American sportscasters.

★ [1] - An internet radio show that interviews America's top sports announcers. Hosted by writer and sports broadcasting historian John Lewis.