nbcsports.com

Date posted: 8/24/2006
Organization: NBCSports.com
Job listing: Sports Web Producer
Information: Responsibilities:

• Position located in Stamford, Conn.

• Produce high-level content for a large-scale sports web site project.

• Write original news copy, text callouts, athlete features and photo captions, etc.

• Produce interactive content elements utilizing photos, video, audio, and graphics.

• Maintain understanding of sports content on the web and contribute new content ideas.

Qualifications/Requirements:

• Minimum 3 years experience working in an online environment; including minimum 1 year working with online sports content.

• Experience with HTML and/or web authoring tools and software.

• Experience with AP style and the ability to create clean copy.

Desired:

• Knowledge and expertise in specific sports and at least a working knowledge of all sports.

• Proficient at generating original and creative content ideas, and discerning storylines.

• Ability to work efficiently, function well under deadlines, and multi-task.

TO APPLY: Apply online at www.nbcunicareers.com, Job #541134.




BACK TO APSE JOB BOARD

 

They're ramping up their online coverage to coincide with the new NFL exposure. Anybody hear about any hires?

 

They hired a I worked with in Sacramento. He was doing little stuff in sports there and doing some stuff for us online there. Good guy. Good, young hire. They paid more than a similar job offered to him in Sac.

 

Tom Curran, the Patriots beat writer for the Providence Journal, is their lead NFL writer.

This sounds like a great opportunity, with two caveats:

1.) Will the NFL allow you to do anything other than brain-washing bullshit? Yes, it's an NBC site, but when the NFL didn't like Playmakers, ESPN couldn't cancel it fast enough.
2.) What happens to you if the NFL gets a better bid for its Sunday night package next time around? You think nbcsports.com will still exist? Doubtful.

Of course, a very good case could be made that you'll be safer the next four years at nbcsports.com than at your newspaper. But it's something to consider.

 

You just go to the Web site of the next network that lands the Sunday night package.

 

That's a good point, Wicked.

I am really surprised that people are still clinging to newspapers as the "safe" option for employment.

The only thing I can see that possibly drives it, is that people have been living wherever they are for a certain amount of time, and family or personal considerations prohibit them from moving. In that case, great. Take your chances that the next publisher won't just come in and whack you. If you're over 50, hang in and you might land a decent buyout from the next paper that slices to the bone and beyond.

Layoffs in Akron. Knight Ridder gone. Layoffs at Dallas Morning News. Layoffs everywhere.

Meantime, the web sites are hiring, but every thread that crops up about opportunities on the web invariably includes the "who knows how safe it is" caveat.

Like Wicked said, jump to the next site that gets the NFL deal. Or parlay it into a gig at one of the other sites and move up the ladder that way.

I see threads on "what's better: working at a 10,000 weekly or swabbing toilets at an 80,000 daily?" and wonder if anyone is really paying attention.

Do you think between ESPN, Fox, Yahoo, Sportsline, SI, AOL, and NBC that there's not going to be any opportunity for a young editor with a few years under his or her belt? Shoot, in some cases, all it takes it a little gumption and a willingness to move. You could be working there already.

Sure, it's a safer bet for deskers than it is for writers. So if you want to cover a local college, hopping to a web site is probably not for you. But if you're a good rim editor, or a good slot editor, there is untold opportunity at the major web sites. And a heck of a lot more upside.

And please spare me the "back in 2000" stories about layoffs. I'm talking about moving forward. I'm talking about what the landscape could look like 10 years from now.

Any desker under 40 who's hoping that newspapers will provide them with another 20 quality years of career is dreaming.

 

I think I saw the Curran mention in Peter King's last column. Look at it this way - when people are watching the NFL, they will be innundated with plugs for the site, and eventually, you'll see this, "Check out Tom Curran's latest on xxxx over at NBCsports.com"

It'll be like what the plugs Seth Davis gets during the NCAA tournament.

As a writer, you will get MASSIVE exposure with this gig.

 

This isn't really a writing gig, though, is it?

 

It has some writing, but not all writing, if it's the same kind of gig the guy I know got. A lot of it is working on multimedia stuff, but he loves it so far

 

I'm sure it must be good, but any idea what money range this gig would pay? If it's multimedia, will they be looking for the right look on camera? Another words, are fat guys out?

 

the guy I know isn't on-air at all as of yet. and I know they were offering him low scale in Sac, so that's like $40K, and it's more than that. OK, I'm all out of info on this one.

 

How long is the NFL on NBC package anyway? I believe they have Super Bowl XLIII and XLVI (that's the 2008 and 2011 seasons, if my counting works). Seems pretty darn stable to me!

That's pretty much what I've resigned myself to.