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Steven Noble
Editor, Internal Publications
p. 403.440.5692
e-mail: snoble@mtroyal.ca

Fred Cheney
Media Relations Officer
p. 403.440.5195
e-mail: fcheney@mtroyal.ca

 

For the 12th year in a row, a broadcasting student from Mount Royal University is participating in the TSN Broadcast Education and Skills Training (B.E.S.T.) Program.

Devan Gifford, who entered the Broadcast Diploma program in 2008, says, “I am on the B.E.S.T. internship in Toronto right now.”

Gifford is the most recent broadcasting student to be selected to represent Mount Royal at Canada’s premier sports news network.

Broadcasting student Devan Gifford is working with TSN in Toronto.

The TSN B.E.S.T. Program is a 16-week work term designed to provide work experience and financial support, through an Education Bursary Fund, to students with a career interest in sports television who are enrolled in accredited Canadian broadcast educational programs.

Busy schedule

On a typical day, Gifford compiles and produces the “daily,” which consists of the day’s NHL and NBA standings, point leaders, and a list of sports events for the day.

After distributing about 40 copies of the daily in the newsroom, Gifford is assigned a game to cover for the day. He conducts some research on the game and prepares to watch it and clip all the plays for his highlight pack.

“I watch the game in full and along the way I am constantly clipping every play and shots of players,” Gifford says.

“After the game is over I then choose which plays I would like to put into the highlights. I write a script to my video clips and then print out my voice-over and hand it to an editor,” adds Gifford.

Once the editor makes changes, the pack goes to the highlight manager. If the highlight manager is satisfied with the pack, Gifford’s script is read on-air by an anchor. If changes are required, Gifford makes edits before it goes live.

Real world experience

Though Gifford is applying what he has been learning at Mount Royal during his time with the B.E.S.T. Program, he is also reaping many benefits of being in Toronto.

“I am gaining great work experience and I am networking and getting a lot of good contacts,” Gifford says.

“I have a chance to get a job here at TSN after I am done the internship. If I don't get a job here, it will have opened the door for me at many other sports journalism jobs and careers — and it looks great on a resume,” he adds.

Sending students to the B.E.S.T. Program for 12 years in a row is a testament to Mount Royal’s Broadcasting program.

Mount Royal advantage

When asked why he thinks Mount Royal students are so eagerly accepted to B.E.S.T., Gifford says, “I think Mount Royal offers so many great opportunities to be able to gain experience that it looks good on the TSN B.E.S.T. application.

“We have a chance to run our own radio shows, we are able to commentate on our very own Mount Royal Cougars, and we have a great working relationship with the AJHL (Alberta Junior Hockey League) Calgary Canucks webcast crew. All these things and more put Mount Royal Broadcasting students ahead of the pack.”

Of course it’s nice to have tremendous instruction and advice at your disposal as well.

“I received great advice from my instructors at Mount Royal. They told me what to basically expect in the Program at TSN and gave me the confidence needed to go and do a great job,” Gifford says.

Gifford also sought the advice of previous participants in B.E.S.T. Their suggestions: be as helpful as possible and just do your best.

Wanting to pay it forward, Gifford has some advice for any broadcasting students who wish to keep the streak alive next year.

He tells students to take advantage of the TSN opportunity while they can.

“It is a great program that Mount Royal offers its students and for anyone looking to get into the sports journalism workforce, what better place to start than at TSN.”

For those looking for immediate glory and fame he does warn, “Don’t expect to be doing everything you want to do right away.”

Gifford instead offers the suggestion of absorbing as much as the experience offers: “Take your time and learn as much as you can from the Program.”

— Fred Cheney, Feb. 25, 2010