Sports Writer: ETSN.fm - Tyler, Texas

Sports Writer: ETSN.fm - Tyler, Texas

ETSN.fm (East Texas Sports Network) is the best source for high school sports information in East Texas. Despite being live for just five years, ETSN.fm has grown to become the most trafficked source for local sports in the region. We are an online-only operation that is part of an even bigger digital operation for one of the fastest-growing companies in the nation -- and we’re hiring.

ETSN.fm is looking for a full-time, passionate workaholic to join our staff as a sports writer.

This job is based in Tyler, Texas, where you will be responsible for covering all high school sports in East Texas, and you will do so working for a site that in a short amount of time has built itself to become the strongest local sports brand in our region.

You don’t have to be told – high school football is the Mack-daddy here. Our area has produced (and our staff has covered many of these) names such as Adrian Peterson, Dez Bryant, Jermichael Finley, Brandon Pettigrew, Patrick Mahomes II, Aaron Ross, Chris Ivory, Denarius Moore, Kendall Hunter, Kendall Wright, Trent Williams and old school names such as Earl Campbell, Y.A. Tittle, Don Meredith, Billy Sims, David Overstreet, Lovie Smith, Forrest Gregg and Bobby Taylor.

The greatest high school football game of all-time – John Tyler vs. Plano East in 1994 – involved one of our schools (JT). Schools in our coverage area have won a combined 33 state titles since 2000.

While football is king, we also take the same approach to all sports we cover, be it volleyball, baseball, soccer, whatever. We are an outlet that is constantly regarded as the premier example of a local sports website, and we want to continue to build on our reputation.

So, what’s the deal with this job? Here are some questions we can answer now and not later.

Who are you? ETSN.fm is an online-only high school sports website owned by parent company Townsquare Media. Townsquare Media is the third-largest radio company in America, owning 312 radio stations in 77 small and medium-sized markets. ETSN.fm is based in Townsquare Media’s Tyler-Longview market, which is home to four of the top-rated radio stations in the region.

What does radio have to do with this site? We don’t even have a sports radio station in our cluster in Tyler, but we saw a need for strictly an online-only local sports outlet in Tyler and all over East Texas. We are a group of former newspaper folks who have a passion for community sports, and we are the best at it in East Texas. We also use our four radio stations as powerful marketing resources to promote ETSN.fm and as a vehicle for our advertisers.

Is this place like a newspaper sports department without the paper? Nope. We’re not jaded. We don’t come to work every day wondering if we’re going to have a job by the time the execs go home at 4:45 p.m. We don’t have deadlines. We don’t compete with the local newspapers and couldn’t care less about what they think of us. We work for a strong, viable digital-first company that is making big waves with its digital endeavors. Our job is to work our hardest at what we do. We’ve had a great five years, but we no longer care about that. We want to be bigger, faster and stronger for years to come. You would be the second guy to work here who wasn’t here when this site launched, so you’ll be a part of something that’s very important to a group of people that has put a lot of their lives into this product. Taking on that kind of mentality is crucial, and it’s an opportunity not provided in today’s world of newspapers.

What all does this job involve? Everything. Writing, stats, standings, blogging, social media, agate-clerking … anything you can imagine.

What does this job not involve? Designing, paginating, hitting a press deadline, makeovers, furloughs, huge health insurance deductibles, etc.

How many schools do you cover? 128.

How big is the staff? You’ll be one of two writers and an editor.

How do you cover that many schools with that small of a staff? Not gonna lie – we work our asses off. But ETSN.fm is something we’re extremely proud of. We also have a large network of freelancers. It’s tough to cover that big of an area, but we work hard to be the best at it. It helps when all of your focus is on your coverage and not editing, hitting a press deadline and figuring out when your next furlough is going to be.

If this place is so great, why did someone leave? We can’t speak for him, but what we can say is the work he did at ETSN.fm got him sought-after by his current employer.

What does this job pay? It pays $32,000. Sure, we’d like it to be more, but that’s what it is. If you ask later, that’s still what it pays. If you’re offered the job and you tell us you’ll take it for more money, that’s still what it pays (for now).

How can you prove you’re not like a newspaper? Thought you’d never ask.
o If you do a great job and our sales folks continue to sell ETSN.fm, we give raises around here.
o They’re not Facebook-good, but we have good benefits. We have health, dental and vision, and it won’t kill your bank account. If you’re single with no kids, health, dental and vision runs about $160/month for a $1,750 health deductible. If you are married, and you’d pay $265/month for health, dental and vision for both.
o Said it before, but we don’t come to work every day wondering if it’s the end. We’re a rapidly growing national company, and ETSN.fm is one of its proudest products. This model could be expanded to other markets in our company. Townsquare Media isn’t in the business of slashing and burning like other “radio” companies. Mostly because we’re not just a radio company.
o We have a good time. We’re family. We go to parties at each other’s house, come up with our best ideas over a beer, play Madden together and have company events that are pretty sweet, too.

What’s Tyler like? We voted in beer and wine in Nov. 2012, so it’s better than it used to be.

Cost of living? Let’s just say you won’t need a roommate, unless you really want one. A decent one-bedroom apartment will be in the $550-750 range, depending on where you live. There’s also no state income tax here.

Will you cover relocation? At this point, I honestly cannot answer that question. We’ll go down that road if/when it arises.

What is required of me for this job?
o Don’t have a newspaper mentality, and don’t come in thinking we operate like one. We don’t.
o Have a sense of humor for God’s sake. You may not think this job posting is funny, but at least pretend like it if you’re interviewed for this job.
o Have a passion for storytelling, but don’t be afraid to do a ton of busy work, too. We don’t have agate clerks.
o Experience covering recruiting, especially football, will help you move to the front of the line.
o Be a great writer, but aspire to be greater. Being content is not something we aspire to here.
o Be all about social media. ETSN.fm is not only enormously popular with mom, dad, Mimi and Papa, but just as much with the kids and athletes. We’re all about the social media life, be it Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.
o Be comfortable being on-air, be it radio or TV. We do a weekly podcast and have partnered with a local TV station in the past.

What CMS do you use? Wordpress. It’s highly customized, and we love it. Most of the time.

How much experience do I need? Don’t care if you’re 22 or 72. If you fit in all that up there, we want you.

What if I have more questions? Email clintbuckley@etsn.fm. Please do not call.

How do I apply? Email a cover letter, resume and a few writing samples to clintbuckley@etsn.fm.

 

THE POSITION HAS BEEN FILLED. Thanks for your interest. Best of luck!

 

Another pretty quick hire. Good on them. This seems like it's a pretty nice gig.

 

Congrats on getting the position hired so quickly.