SMG Profile: Ken Reid

At the Shold Media Group we like to interview up and comers as well as broadcasting veterans to help give advice to those new in their media career. This week, we chatted with Sportsnet's Ken Reid.

Taylor Shold: Who are you and what do you do?
Ken Reid: My name is Ken Reid. I anchor the weeknight prime time edition of Sportsnet Central alongside Evanka Osmak. I’m also one of the co-hosts of Prime Time Sports with Bob McCown. I also dabble in writing, I have one book out on the market – “Hockey Card Stories” – and I have a couple of other projects in the works as well.

Taylor: How has networking helped your career?
Ken: It is hard to put into words how much networking has helped me. Let’s put it this way, I’ve worked at several different stations across Canada and I didn’t get one of my jobs from a job posting. Everything for me has started with an introduction or a cold call to a News Director. When I first got out of school I called several sportscasters in the Halifax area, they were kind enough to just let me come in and hang out. One of those intros got me an audition (I didn’t get the job) and another one helped me land a job a few years down the road. (shout-out Doug Vaessen and Bruce Rainnie)

And you never know who can help you out. My Mom was living in Calgary once upon a time and ran into a great broadcaster named Kurt Stoodley. She introduced herself to him and told him about her young broadcaster son. I eventually got in contact with Kurt because of that meeting. Long story short, Kurt was a huge help in getting me a job at A-Channel Calgary and we are still friends to this day (at one point we were even roommates) So yes, it is all about networking.

Taylor: What would you consider your 1st ‘big break’ in broadcasting…how did you land it?
Ken: My first real break came in the fall of 1996 – I just got out of school and was looking to get into the business some how. I called a local cable station in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, looking for anything. Turns out the guy who did play by play for the Junior “A” team on the station was going across the harbour to do Halifax Mooseheads games. So within a few weeks I was doing play by play on Tuesday nights for the Dartmouth Oland Exports. I was only a year or so older than a lot of guys on the team. We did the games on Tuesdays and they aired the games on Saturday nights. Within a few months the station started a weekly newscast on Sunday night. Since I was volunteering on the games I had an in. I was hired as one of three reporters. I did news, anchored sports, play by play, shot my own stuff in a lot of cases, edited my own stuff and whatever else was asked of me. I was there a little over two years. I didn’t get rich, didn’t win any Emmys, but I got some great experience and met some great people. One of the guys who was a reporter there has now been working at CPAC for years, and our behind the scenes go to guy moved on as well, and is now a Live Eye Op at CTV Toronto.

Taylor: How can a young broadcaster get noticed by a large network? (ie. Sportsnet)
Ken: First things first, work hard and do your job. Once you feel you’ve honed your chops, then see question one. It is highly unlikely that one day you will just get a magical call from a large network begging you to work for them. In some cases it does happen, and it if does happen to you then consider yourself one of the lucky ones.

The best thing you can do is work hard, put a good tape together and then start meeting people. When you are at a news conference, introduce yourself to your fellow reporters. Network. And if you are a behind the scenes person at a place like Sportsnet, let your intentions be known. Tell your bosses what you would like to do one day. Meet with the bosses. It does not pay to be shy. One of the hardest things to do for people is to toot their own horn, but in this business you have to be able to promote yourself. But as my Mom would say, when you’re doing that, don’t be cocky, be confident.

Taylor: How important is chemistry with you on-air partner? How can you build it?
Ken: I think it is very important. I also think viewers will know when you are faking it. Evanka and I are lucky, we just kind of hit it off. We were very comfortable with each other from the start and I think that has grown over the years. We like to poke fun of ourselves and one another. You won’t see us having a lot of “Anchor” talk on the air – we just kind of talk. So I guess that is a very broad way of saying just be yourself, that is how you build chemistry. And get to know the person you are working with, if you don’t talk off air, chances are you’re not going to produce a lot of magic on air. Evanka and I hang out off camera. When we can get together my wife and I will go out for dinner with Evanka and her husband. In fact Evanka and her husband Adam even made a road trip to my hometown last year and stayed at my Mom’s house. Mom, of course was very hospitable.

Taylor: What’s the best advice you have for someone trying to make it on-air?
Ken: I know you’ve heard it before a thousand times but the best advice I can give is be yourself. But here’s the thing, it is harder than it sounds. I think we all have a vision of what we think a sportscaster is. The problem for a lot of people starting in the business is they try to be that person when they get on air. You have to learn to be yourself on air. That comes experience. Once you feel a little more comfy on air, then your natural self will come out. It may take 6 months, it may take 6 years, but once it happens you will know it.

But when you are first trying to break in to the business there are a few more things you should do:
1. Never say no, if someone asks you to do even the smallest thing do it to the best of your ability.
2. Write and read as much as possible.
3. Dress for the job you want, not the job you have – I love my Expos hats, but I try not to wear them to work (unless I’m on Tim and Sid)
4. if you’re lucky enough to be asked to hold a mic at practice, ask the shooter to help you do a few stand ups once everything is wrapped up (it’s free practice)
5. Perhaps most importantly, just smile and be nice. Happy is a good thing.

Make sure to give Ken a follow on Twitter @SNKenReid

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