Finding Canada’s next great sportscaster isn’t an easy job — even for an expert.
“There’s no formula to it,” says Derek Snider, sportscaster for The Score and executive producer of its new contest/reality series Drafted: The Search For Canada’s Next Sportscaster. “I’ve personally made some great hires over the years. And some great blunders.”
The contest — which begins holding cross-country tryouts in Halifax on Monday — hopes to eliminate that guessing game with a rigorous national audition process.
It all leads to the “final five” contestants, who will duke it out on The Score in a series of “real world” sportcasting challenges. The winner of Drafted will get a one-year contract with The Score.
“We’re only hiring one person, but the other final four will hopefully walk away with a great experience they can use in their own careers,” says Snider, who has worked at The Score since 1997.
But to begin with, would-be sportscasters across Canada need only fill out a short application via Drafted’s website (drafted.ca). Snider says the response so far has been overwhelming.
“It’s created quite a buzz. In the first three days, I think we got 550 applicants.”
Experience is not a prerequisite for Drafted. Snider says on-air journalists will be considered equally alongside participants with nothing more than a passion for sports of all kinds.
“We have a different way of doing things at The Score. There are those who went the regular channels of school experience and working your way up the ladder. And those who had no education in broadcasting whatsoever, but who live and breath sports,” he says.
“We’re looking for somebody. But we’re not sure who that is yet.”
