Great Lakes Broadcast and Sports Media Academy

The Michigan Association of Broadcasters (MAB) and the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) partnered to help students launch careers in media at the Great Lakes Broadcast & Sports Media Academy on December 7th at Ford Field in Detroit.

The full-day event allowed those interested in a career in media to connect with Michigan TV and Radio stations during a career fair, network with peers, and learn from some of the industry's leading talent in every aspect of media - on-air, engineering, sales, programming, and production. The Academy allowed future broadcasters to connect, engage, and have some fun at one of Michigan's marquee venues.

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Sessions and Speakers

Keynote Address: A Conversation with the Detroit Tigers' Dan Dickerson

Dan Dickerson, Detroit Tigers Play-by-Play

Veteran Michigan sports announcer Dan Dickerson returned for his 21st season in the booth and his 18th season as the lead play-by-play voice of the Tigers. Dan made his Tigers debut in 2000, working alongside Hall of Fame broadcaster, Ernie Harwell.

• Dickerson does play-by-play for Bally Sports Detroit in the offseason, covering the MHSAA High School Football Championships and Big Ten Hockey.

• Dan also teaches a short course on play-by-play at Michigan State University each winter. Dan’s wife, Lori Anne, is a Journalism Professor at MSU.

• Dan is co-host, along with Pat Caputo, of “Tiger Talk,” a weekly offseason talk show on WXYT that focuses on Tigers news and baseball hot stove topics.

• Dickerson previously worked five years with former Tigers flagship radio station WJR, where he did a little bit of everything: play-by-play for University of Michigan football and basketball, sideline reporter for UM football, sports reporter, and co-host of “Sportswrap,” with the talented Steve Courtney.

• Spent six-and-a-half years with Detroit’s WWJ-AM from 1988-95, hosting a post-game call-in show following Detroit Lions broadcasts and serving as a sideline reporter for University of Michigan football...also anchored WWJ’s news and sports on the weekends and served as a general assignment news reporter.

• Dan began his sports broadcasting career at WCUZ Radio in Grand Rapids, MI, working at the station from 1982-88 in both news and sports.

• Started in radio in 1980 with WMAX radio in Grand Rapids, covering general assignment news and anchoring afternoon newscasts.

• Named the 2016 Ernie Harwell Lifetime Achievement Award winner by Detroit Sports Media.

• Won the 2008 Ty Tyson Excellence in Sports Broadcasting Award, named after the Tigers pioneer broadcaster, Ty Tyson, and is awarded annually by Detroit Sports Media.

• Named Michigan Sportscaster of the Year in 2005, 2006 and 2014 by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.

• Earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1980.

• Resides in Clarkston, MI with wife, Lori, and children, Rachel and Justin.

• Dickerson is available on Twitter @Dan_Dickerson.

Live Broadcast from Detroit's Karsh and Anderson on 97.1 The Ticket

Karsch & Anderson of 97.1 The Ticket in Detroit will broadcast live from Ford Field to give attendees exclusive access to see what goes into producing and airing a live broadcast.

Doug Karsch, 97.1 The Ticket

Doug Karsch has been working in radio since he was a student at Michigan State. Even though he originally planned to study engineering in East Lansing, he changed his mind and eventually began working in radio. His first job was at AM 1050 in Ann Arbor as in intern while still at school at Michigan State.

Karsch was hired in 2000, when AM 1270 started as a sports talk radio station. In 2007, Karsch began working with Scott “Gator” Anderson, and the Karsch and Anderson show was born. Karsch and Anderson can be heard weekdays from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm on 97.1 The Ticket. Karsh is the play-by-play announcer for the University of Michigan’s football team.

Growing up in Ann Arbor, Karsch was a Detroit sports fan while also cheering for the San Diego Padres. He has worked on the radio doing play-by-play for Michigan State sports and for Wolverine Sports Magazine. In addition, he co-hosted ESPN’s College Tailgate for a few years.

Scott "Gator" Anderson, 97.1 The Ticket

Scott “Gator” Anderson teams up with Doug Karsch to form the midday 97.1 The Ticket duo that can be heard from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM every weekday. Called “Gator” by his peers, the nickname actually originated when he was in high school and a professional wrestling fan. As a tag team, he and a friend were ready to take on the professional wrestling circuit; the “Gator” was half of that duo.

Gator grew up in West Bloomfield. He began his radio career in high school, and graduated from Michigan State University.

As a college upperclassman, Gator worked as an intern for WJR and then began working full-time at WXYT. He began his on-air work doing commercials and working pre-game and halftime shows for both the Detroit Lions and Michigan State Spartans. The Karsch and Anderson show on The Ticket began in 2007.

Speed Networking

9:45 am & 10:45 am, pre-registration required

You have five minutes to ask questions to some of the best broadcasters in the industry... GO! This popular session allows emerging professionals a unique opportunity to meet with Michigan broadcast professionals in a personal, one-on-one style setting. Come prepared with great questions and ready to make a good impression. Pre-registration is required for this opportunity. Reserve your spot when you register online.

Be Your Own Streamer

10:45 am & 11:45 am, Sponsored by Michigan Digital

Streaming allows you to connect your content to audiences anywhere on almost any device. But what makes a successful streamer? In this session, you will learn about the equipment and skills that can take your stream to the next level and stand out whether you are a broadcaster taking your content to different platforms or a podcaster, YouTuber, or e-sports correspondent.

Michael Stevens, Meteorologist & Esports Correspondent

Northern Michigan born and raised! Meteorologist Michael Stevens was born in Reed City and lived in Evart for the first 5 years of his life. He then moved to Cadillac where he grew up.

Michael graduated from Cadillac High School in 2004 and then ventured to Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin where he played NCAA Hockey and Baseball. Michael graduated with a degree in Meteorology from Northland in 2008. He then packed up and moved to Minot, North Dakota where he took his first on air job. After 2 years out West, Michael returned home to Cadillac and became the Meteorologist for MTM in February of 2010!

Michael lives in Cadillac with his wonderful wife Kiel (Kyle), 2 dogs (Bowser and Koopa) and 10 fish!

Michael is also has many hobbies! He loves to hunt, fish, camp, golf and play video games in his spare time. He thinks the best thing about Northern Michigan is deer camp with his family in the fall.

Dave Scott, Owner, Michigan Digital

Longtime Michigan Broadcaster Dave Scott comes from a broadcast family. His mother Agnes was a executive at Detroit’s Public TV outlet, WTVS. His brother was a brilliant broadcast engineer working for several Detroit area radio and tv stations. As a result, Dave found his way on the air at 17 with a regular weekend shift on WDRQ, making him one of the youngest professional broadcasters in Detroit radio history. His Detroit on air resume includes WLLZ, WCSX, WDRQ, WMJC, and even a few shifts on WJR. Dave’s radio stops also included mornings on News Talk WJIM in Lansing, WGRD in Grand Rapids, and WKHQ in Charlevoix.

Most recently Dave has been involved in business startups including Freeway Internet, The Michigan Talk Radio Network, and his current enterprise, Michigan Digital, a leading provider of live event technology, streaming media, and website technology. Dave also recently started a statewide streaming channel called “My Michigan TV”.

An avid sports fan, Dave has participated in live sports broadcasts at Central Michigan University, Petoskey High School, and currently is the play by play voice of the West Bloomfield High School Lakers.

When not “On The Air” Dave can be found “In The Air” as a private pilot.

On-Air and Online: Effective Writing for all Platforms

9:45 am

Any great on-air talent knows how to write and write well. Writing for on-air and online platforms is different, but having those skills is necessary for connecting with and growing your audience. Join this session to learn what makes effective writing and what you can do to improve your skills and make you more attractive to employers.

Colin Jackson, Capitol Bureau Reporter

Colin Jackson joined the Michigan Public Radio Network as a Capitol bureau reporter in September of 2021. Prior to MPRN, he was a reporter and Morning Edition host at WKYU in Bowling Green, KY. Colin grew up in nearby Okemos, graduated from Michigan State University and interned for a while at WDET in Detroit. He also has experience as a host and producer with Townsquare Media in Lansing, Michigan and Impact 89FM in East Lansing.

Colin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Relations & Policy and Spanish from MSU.

Elevating Storytellers: Adding drone capabilities to your storytelling playbook may be easier than you think

9:45 am

Zach Huffman, Founder and CEO of Hyvion, will lead a discussion on FAA regulations and telling your story from above.

Zach Huffman, Hyvion

Zach is a journalist by education and an aviation enthusiast at heart; reporting live from the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games, flying cross country in his Cessna 172 and flying drones for media companies such as ESPN, The NFL Network and Gray Television. He's a certificated pilot, Part 107 drone operator and a licensed airport administrator. His work has been recognized by the Associated Press, Society of Professional Journalists, and National Association of Broadcasters.

Piecing it All Together: Enhance Your Video Editing

9:45 am

The footage is shot, the script is written, but how does a story come together in a way that is concise, engaging, and gets the message across? In this session, learn key tips to editing video specifically using Premiere Pro that will help you work faster and make a video piece more dynamic.

Ian Rhodes, News Operations Manager (WDIV-TV Detroit)

Ian Rhodes is the News Technical Operations Manager at WDIV, the NBC affiliate in Detroit, MI. He has been in that position since 2014. This is his second stop at WDIV. In between he spent 5 years at WSMV the NBC affiliate in Nashville, TN. Ian graduated with a broadcasting degree from Central Michigan University. As News Operations Manager he has led the remote productions such as the Detroit Grand Prix, Amercia’s Thanksgiving Parade, the Detroit Autoshow, Aretha Franklin’s funeral, Presidential debate coverage and most recently this year’s State of the State.

Connecting and Growing your Audience: What Makes an Elite On-Air Program

9:45 am & 10:45 am

There is so much competition in media, it is often challenging to stand out or connect with a large audience. Hear from broadcasters who are creating innovative content to connect with viewers and listeners in unique ways. Learn what you can do to get your creativity flowing and how you can position your ideas to get the attention of station leadership and investors/sponsors.

Jamal Spencer, Sports Director (WZZM-TV Grand Rapids)

When I was a kid, I was convinced I'd be the next Cecil Fielder. But as Little League turned to JV and then Varsity, I quickly realized my future in sports would be describing the action, not participating in it.

I was born and raised in Detroit, MI on the city's northwest side. After attending Communications and Media Arts High School, I moved on to Michigan State, where my admiration for broadcast news grew thanks to so many great professors.

After college, I accepted a job at Fox Sports Detroit as a sideline reporter for college hockey and high school sports, working with some of the finest sports journalists in the country.

When my time at FSD had reached its end, I moved to Fargo, North Dakota to work at KVLY, where I eventually became Sports Director. After three years in Fargo (and some of the harshest winters around), I'm elated to return to my home state and the Sports Director job here at WZZM.

I know how much passion West Michigan has for high school sports, especially football, and to be able to be a part of "13 On Your Sidelines" is an honor. The show won "Best Sportscast" in the 2021 Broadcast Excellent Awards, presented by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters. I'm very excited to be able to cover all of Michigan's teams and bring you the sports stories you care about each night at 6 pm and 11 pm.

When I'm not working I'm either spending time with my family, watching a game or enjoying the performing arts. I enjoy all genres but I really have a soft spot for comedies and classics.

If you have a great sports idea, or just want to reach out and say hi, I'd love to hear from you at jamalspencer@13OnYourSide.com or on twitter at @JamalSpencerTV

Mark Skol Jr., Weekend Sports Anchor/MSJ (WZZM-TV Grand Rapids)

Mark Skol, Jr. is the Weekend Sports Anchor/MSJ at WZZM and could not be more thrilled to call Grand Rapids home. Mark comes to Beer City USA from South Bend, Indiana where he spent 3.5 years at the NBC affiliate WNDU-TV.

Initially, Mark started at WNDU as editor/photographer but worked his way up to the Weekend Sports Anchor and then to Sports Director in one year in South Bend. Since Mark worked at the NBC affiliate in South Bend, he was given the opportunity to host a pregame show before every home Notre Dame football game. In 2019, Mark and the WNDU sports team were given the Indiana Broadcasters Association’s “Best Sports Coverage” award for their coverage of Fighting Irish football.

Mark grew up in Houston, Texas and lived just down the road from NASA’s Johnson Space Center. While Mark is from the South and is a proud graduate of the University of Texas at Austin (Hook ‘Em!), he loves the Midwest and is still getting used to the winters up North.

In his free time, Mark likes playing pickup basketball, talking trash about his friend’s fantasy football teams (not just during football season) and watching his beloved Chicago sports teams. Mark is the oldest of three siblings. His sister Claire is a nurse in North Carolina, while his little brother Pete is studying at the University of Texas at Austin.

Mark loves telling stories that are more than just what happened in the box score. If you ever have any story ideas, feel free to send Mark an email at Mskol@13OnYourSide.com.

Brian Belesky, Studio Producer (Salem Media Group, Detroit)

Beyond the Dial: Engaging Social Media

10:45 am & 11:45 am

It’s no secret that a strong presence on social media is key to any company’s success. But, what makes it effective? Learn how to best engage with your audience and if done correctly how your social media can enhance your career.

Hailey Hunter, NBC Sports

Born and raised in Muskegon Michigan, Hailey Hunter is a sports broadcaster who currently works for various networks including NBC Sports, Golf Channel, and PGA Tour Entertainment. She is a 2017’ graduate of the Ohio University Scripps School of Journalism where she was also the captain of the Ohio University women’s golf team.

Hailey turned professional in golf after graduating college and spent time grinding it out on the mini tours before soon realizing her true passion was to work toward a career in sports broadcasting. She got her start working as a content producer for the LPGA Tour in Florida and went on to spend the next few years as a sports anchor for WJTV-12 in Jackson MS and team reporter for the New York Islanders.

Most recently, Hailey covered the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics for NBC Sports and has spent this past summer working various golf tournaments including the PGA Tour’s RBC Canadian Open and the LPGA Tour’s U.S. Women’s Open. Hailey is passionate about helping others break into the sports industry and understands first-hand the dedication and work it takes to do so.

Step Your Game Up: Selling Your Talent

10:45 am

No matter what you do in media, you need to know how to sell. You have to sell your talent on-air, find sponsors for shows, and sell the value of your station and programming. Join this session to better understand how sales and programming work together, what each side needs to know about the other, and the keys to successful sales efforts to stand out from the competition.

Zena Burns, Futuri

Detroit native Zena Burns is SVP, Content and Special Projects, at Futuri, whose audience engagement and sales intelligence technology is relied on by thousands of the top broadcasters and digital publishers worldwide. She's spent more than two decades at the forefront of developing iconic brands in the media, entertainment, and technology spaces. Before Futuri, Burns was SVP, Programming Partnerships, at iHeartMedia, having started at then-Clear Channel NYC in 2006 as the radio industry's first Digital Program Director. She was on the team that created and launched the iHeartRadio brand and app. She's also a proud alumnus of Teen People Magazine, where, as Entertainment Director and Music Editor, she played a key role in driving pop culture and giving early looks to several of today's superstars, including Beyoncé, Katy Perry, The Killers, Kanye West, Rihanna, and many more.

Creating Dynamic Play-by-Play: A Panel Discussion

11:45 am

Play-by-Play is so much more than just putting on a headset and talking about sports. The best of the best are students of the game who are writers, thinkers, and observers. Breaking into the industry is challenging, but it can be a rewarding, fun career with access to some of the biggest events in the world. Hear tips from professional sports broadcasters on what skills to learn and develop and what you can do now to break into the industry. Panelists will share their career paths and provide tips and advice for honing your skills and standing out from the crowd.

Scott Moore, Hockey and Baseball Play-by-Play Spartan Sports Network

In his 31^st year with the Spartan Media Network, and 26^th season as the “Voice of Spartan Hockey", Scott Moore is the Network's "Jack of all Trades". He’s worked both on-air and behind the scenes on more than 2,000 Football, Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Baseball, Softball and Volleyball games including over 900 MSU Hockey games since the 1997-98 season.

An original member of the Spartan Sports Network, He first served as the broadcast host for football and men's basketball broadcasts starting in 1992. Then in 1997 he added the play-by-play duties for MSU Hockey, and in 2014 he became the play-by-play voice for MSU Baseball. As part of the Spartan Network family, Scott has helped broadcast some of the highest profile athletic events in MSU history. “The Cold War" and "The Big Chill at the Big House" hockey games against Michigan and “The Basket Bowl" men's basketball game versus Kentucky from Ford Field all set world records for attendance. He also called the 2007 NCAA Men's Ice Hockey National Championship Game win over Boston College.

Scott has broadcast a wide variety of sports at the amateur, high school, collegiate and professional levels on both television and radio. Between 2000 and 2002 he was the radio voice of the Lansing Lugnuts minor league baseball team, and he has served as the voice of the MHSAA Softball and Lacrosse Championship games for years.

In 2021, Scott was recognized by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters for the fifth time as the “Best In Category” Play by Play announcer for Media Market 2.

Jeremy Otto, On-Air Talent

Evan Stockton, Bally Sports Detroit

Evan Stockton is a rising star in play-by-play broadcasting. He currently is the play-by-play voice of Michigan High School athletics on Bally Sports Detroit, the cable home of Detroit sports. He also serves as the television voice of Western Michigan athletics on the ESPN family of networks and was the youngest play-by-play broadcaster in Triple-A baseball this past summer as the voice of the Syracuse Mets. Stockton also has experience calling games for the ACC Network, Big Ten Network, Detroit Pistons and Chicago Blackhawks organizations. A graduate of Detroit Catholic Central High School and Syracuse University, Stockton has been named one of the top 30 Sportscasters Under the Age of 30.

Hear and Now: Career Opportunities in Broadcast Engineering

11:45 am

Music and audio recording are multi-faceted with a plethora of career paths available to those interested in the field. Whether you want to host or produce your own radio show or podcast, are an aspiring DJ, or a future music producer, you’ll need to first learn the basics of audio engineering concepts and how to position yourself as an expert.

Robin Kinnie, Audio Engineers of Detroit

Robin Kinnie serves as President of Motor City Woman Studios, an audio post-production company and Audio Engineers of Detroit, an audio engineering trade school and recording studio. Her service for others extends to volunteering as an Advisory Board Member for Y Arts, the arts and humanities branch of the YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit, Detroit PAL and Soundgirls.org. Robin is dedicated to creating a platform for underrepresented voices in broadcasting and podcasting. She has contributed to the Podcast Business Journal and published “The Top 10 Mistakes New Podcasters Make” and “The Motor City Woman Planner for New Podcasters” both available on motorcitywoman.com

She holds an undergraduate degree from the Eli Broad College of Business and a Masters’ degree in higher, adult, lifelong education from Michigan State University. Robin has been recognized by Walker’s Legacy as part of the ‘Top 25 Women Leading In the Detroit Community’, the Association for Women in Communications, a Diversity Business Leader by Corp! Magazine and was honored to be selected to be part of Pandora’s “Pass the Mic”, a campaign that celebrates women within the audio industry.

Seth Resler, Jacobs Media Strategies

Seth Resler is a 25-year broadcasting and podcasting veteran who worked on the mic and behind the programming desk at radio stations in New York City (WXRK), Boston (WBCN), Seattle (KNDD), St. Louis (KPNT), Providence (WBRU), and Silicon Valley (KEZR) before crossing into online marketing. As the digital strategist at Jacobs Media, Seth works with radio stations across the U.S., helping them design and implement action plans that combine websites, social media, email marketing, search engine optimization, content marketing, lead generation, and other online tools. Seth is currently the Vice-Chair of the Michigan Association of Broadcasters Foundation. He is also the founder of Community Marketing Revolution.

Albert Dale, Sports Broadcast Engineer

Albert Dale is an audio engineer for professional and college sports broadcasts. He has worked sports event broadcasts throughout the country for over 25 years. His clients include Westwood One, Compass Media Networks, ESPN and Sirius XM.

Dale coordinates and schedules all visiting radio broadcasts for NBA, NHL and MLB teams in Detroit. He also works as a broadcast engineer for Beasley Media, Salem, Michigan Sports Network, Educational Media Foundation and CINA FM.

Robert Spiers, WDIV-TV (Detroit)

Robert Spiers graduated with a degree in Electroacoustics, then a Masters degree in Business Administration. He spent many years as a freelance broadcast engineer focusing on audio engineering with a specialty in engineering live music for broadcast.

Spiers was a senior audio engineer for the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and other live stadium-based sporting events. He designed the referee comms system for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, and toured around the world as a broadcast manager for international cricket matches.

Mark Wittkoski, WGVU Public Media (Grand Rapids)

Mark earned his Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Electronics Engineering Technology from Ferris State University in 1995 and received a Master of Science degree from Grand Valley State University in 2009. He began his career in Broadcasting as an on-air talent for WPZX in 1993 while attending Ferris State University and later became their engineer. In the Summer of 1995, he joined the WGVU Engineering Department as an intern and accepted a full time position in December of 1995. At the Age of 29, he designed a new studio facility for WYBR in Big Rapids and completed the move. At WGVU, Mark was Instrumental in the design and installation of Livewire IP audio for their four radio studios, two television audio booths and IP STL’s. Among other duties he provides support to WGVU’s Radio, Television and Satellite services.

In 2006, Mark founded AMEKO Group, LLC. Mark has provided technical consulting and engineering contract services for Mentor Partners, Inc in Big Rapids, Cumulus Media radio studio and transmitter locations throughout West Michigan. Additionally, Mark has developed the RDS Express application which provides interface to satellite PAD data, message insertion and near real-time sports scores. In 2007 Mark put translator W299BE on the air which is believed to be Michigan’s first translator to be used to rebroadcast an AM Station.

Mark volunteers his engineering services to Grand Valley State University Internet stations WCKS The Whale and WLSX Radio. Mark has been serving on the MAB Engineering committee since September 2012 and remains an active member of the SBE Chapter 102 of West Michigan, currently serving as its Chair.