Phillies announcer: There’s never been a better time to enter broadcasting

There’s never been a better time to enter the field of broadcasting, Philadelphia Phillies television play-by-play announcer Tom McCarthy told a group of Rider University students Nov. 18.

The same forces that wrought the digital revolution, causing considerable churn in the media industry, are beginning to create new jobs and empower people through social media, McCarthy said. To illustrate his point, he said that five years ago the Phillies employed not a single person to manager their social media accounts. A team of three now oversees the Phillies’ Facebook, Twitter, Snaphchat and several other official accounts.

“There are so many opportunities out there, and it’s going to grow exponentially,” said McCarthy. “I wouldn’t have said that 10 years ago, but there are jobs out there for all you if you’re interested in doing them.”

A.J. Moore, associate professor of journalism and director of Rider's internship program, has seen many recent Rider graduates take jobs in sports media at ESPN, Comcast SportsNet, NBC and other companies. “In a fragmented marketplace, there is increasing growth in sports media,” he says. “Sports is one topic that continues to get people interested and remains a big consumer draw. People are creating businesses in sports out of blogs, social media, video and other digital technologies.”

Rider offers a new Bachelor of Arts in sports media, as well as a minor in sports studies and a Bachelor of Science in business administration with a major in sport management. The new sports media program prepares students to join the next generation of sports media professionals by building skills in multimedia production, writing/storytelling, social media and sports communication — the very skills McCarthy lauded in his talk. 

One of the keys to success is for students to embrace opportunity, even when it is not a one-to-one match with their ambition. “Don’t sell yourself short when it comes to opportunities,” McCarthy said. “They will lead you where you want to go.”

McCarthy’s career is a case in point. He started off as a biology major at Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey) and took his first steps into the industry as a reporter for The Trenton Times, and by the time he switched his major to communications, he was broadcasting college football games. “I got bit by the bug of being behind the microphone,” he said.

After college, he joined the minor league Trenton Thunder in 1994 and served as the team’s radio voice, as well as its public relations manager. He was eventually offered a job as general manager of the Lakewood BlueClaws, and though the high-paying job would have precluded him from broadcasting, he initially accepted. “I did it for my family more than anything, but at the last minute I decided not to take it,” he said. “I couldn’t give up broadcasting.”

Although he had no way of knowing it at the time, it turned out to be the right decision. The Phillies hired him as its radio play-by-play announcer in 2001, and after a brief stint with the New York Mets, he replaced Harry Kalas, the legendary voice of Phillies baseball, in 2009. In addition to baseball, McCarthy has called games for college basketball and football and the NFL.

“I’ve built my career on not having an off season,” McCarthy said of his rigorous schedule. “Right now the opportunities are there for helping me to get better, and the more games I do, the better I feel.”

As he’s seen his career flourish, McCarthy has had to adapt to changes in digital media. Early in his career, when he began to make the transition from print to broadcasting, he edited tape with a razor blade. “I have had to work my tail off to understand the next generation of graphics and statistics that you understand in a blink of an eye,” he told the students.

On Twitter, where he has almost 13,000 followers, he receives instant feedback on his job. It often requires a thick skin. “It’s hard to be funny in 140 characters; it’s easy to be a smart aleck,” he said, using a different phrase. “I’m not phased by (the negative comments). The worst thing to do is to fight back. I will rarely respond with a comment that’s confrontational.”

Despite all the changes, McCarthy, 47, advised that some bedrock fundamentals have not changed. For example, he said that becoming a good writer is one of the most important skills young people should learn if they want to succeed in this field. “The fact that I was a writer before I was broadcaster helped me be a better broadcaster,” he said.

A class of about 30 students listened to McCarthy’s stories and advice. "I found it very interesting that someone as successful in his field as Tom McCarthy didn't start off as a communications major and how many other opportunities broadcasting opened up for him,” said Salman Khalid '17, a double major in political science and economics with a minor in sports studies.

McCarthy is the second guest speaker this month to lend inside stories and expertise to Moore’s class just this semester. Amy Fadool, one of the lead anchors on Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, recently talked about her career trajectory in the field of sports media, including the challenges she faced as a female reporter trying to break into an extremely competitive (and largely male) industry.

On Nov. 19 at 11:30 a.m., former executive sports editor of the Philadelphia Daily News Charles Bausman will discuss breaking into sport media relations in an hour-long talk to Rider students. His appearance, presented by the University’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America, is open to all majors.