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In-Depth

Young guns of broadcasting

Kaylee Hartung
It’s easy to see why an executive said Hartung’s “star is rising.” In recent months, ESPN used her on the Spelling Bee, had her appear on “SportsCenter” more frequently and assigned her to SEC Network’s prime-time game.

Age: 30

Photo by: ESPN

Current role: Reporter, ESPN
Agent: Evan Dick, CAA
First broadcasting job: “I reached out to several alumni of my university, Washington & Lee, when I was on the hunt for an internship the summer before my senior year. Among those I connected with was the deputy bureau chief for CBS News’ Washington bureau. After I graduated I asked if he would meet with me to share his perspective on the landscape of the industry. At the conclusion of the meeting he said he would keep my résumé on file. To my surprise he called a month later saying he had passed my résumé along to Bob Schieffer, CBS News’ chief Washington correspondent and moderator of ‘Face the Nation.’ I called Bob immediately, interviewed the following day and worked for him for the next five years as his assistant, researcher and associate producer for ‘Face the Nation.’”
Most memorable event covered/person interviewed: “Reporting from the Invictus Games this summer was an incredible opportunity to share the complex stories of men and women who are true heroes. Covering the death of Vanderbilt baseball player Donny Everett this summer presented me with emotional challenges I’ve never before had to confront as a reporter.”
Dream job: “Correspondent for ‘60 Minutes.’”



Graham Bensinger
An entrepreneurial talent, Bensinger has found success from selling his interview show to local broadcast stations throughout the country.

Age: 29

Photo by: In Depth with Graham Bensinger

Current role: Entrepreneur and creator/host, “In Depth with Graham Bensinger”
Agent: None
First broadcasting job: “Started an internet radio show in 8th grade.”
Most memorable event covered/person interviewed: “International tapings have been some of the best experiences — Manny Pacquiao in the Philippines, Alex Ovechkin in Russia, Lewis Hamilton in England, Yao Ming in China.”
Dream job: “The show is a long way from achieving my goals. My current priority is continuing to build the platform to help in making my show as relevant as possible.”



Dallas Braden
A former pitcher for the Oakland A’s, Braden’s on-air responsibilities keep growing. This year, he replaced Curt Schilling in the booth on “Monday Night Baseball.”

Photo by: ESPN
Age: 32
Current role: ESPN MLB analyst
Agent: Josh Goldberg, MVP Sports Group
First broadcasting job: “I received a phone call gauging interest in a possible audition for ‘Baseball Tonight.’ After meeting with seemingly everyone at ESPN and going through an audition, I was fortunate enough to receive the opportunity to join the Disney group and the family at ESPN.”
Most memorable event covered/person interviewed: “The Little League World Series Super Regionals in San Bernardino, Calif. That right there is baseball, how it’s meant to be played.”
Dream job: “Being a big leaguer. That’s what every kid wants to be, right?”




Kristen Balboni
A good on-air presence, Balboni parlayed a role on ESPN’s popular “Mike & Mike” radio show to become one of Fox’s most influential digital voices.

Age: 27

Photo by: Fox

Current role: Host of “@TheBuzzer” on Fox Sports
Agent: Mark Lepselter, Maxx Sports and
Entertainment
First broadcasting job: “I was a stats and info intern at ESPN during college, and that turned into a full-time job after I graduated.”
Most memorable event covered/person interviewed: “Covering Super Bowl Week on location is unlike anything else I’ve ever experienced — the energy is contagious. As far as a person goes, interviewing Snoop Dogg — someone who’s been an icon since I was a little girl — was definitely a career highlight.”
Dream job: “This question is much tougher for me to answer now than it was a few years ago because of the sweeping changes happening in our industry — I used to think traditional TV roles were the next logical step, but I don’t think so anymore.”



Joy Taylor
Quick witted with a big personality, Taylor fits into Fox Sports’ new “Embrace Debate” programming strategy.

Photo by: Fox
Age: 29
Current role: FS1 and Fox Sports Radio host
Agent: Daniel O’Connor, WME-IMG
First broadcasting job: “I started as an intern for 560 WQAM in Miami and got my first job as a producer/on-air contributor for the Sid Rosenberg show at 560.”
Most memorable event covered/person interviewed: “I had the opportunity to cover the Miami Heat from 2010-15 from the LeBron decision to his departure back to Cleveland. It was a great experience covering the four straight NBA Finals and back-to-back championships.”
Dream job: “Hosting my own simulcast television and radio show.”



Paige Mackenzie
Under the tutelage of executive producer Molly Solomon, Mackenzie has become a favorite of NBC executives. She proved to be equally adept at breaking down both the men’s and women’s golf game.

Age: 33

Photo by: Golf Channel

Current role: Golf Channel’s “Morning Drive” co-host; “Golf Central” analyst
Agent: None
First job in broadcasting: “I missed qualifying for the LPGA Tour Championship in 2012 and was asked by Golf Channel to work as a studio analyst. I was still playing full time and thought it would be fun to try TV out for a week since my season was over.”
Most memorable event covered/person interviewed: “The 2016 Women’s NCAA Tournament by far. The quality of golf was impressive and led to one of the most dramatic finishes in golf in some time. … And it was personally memorable because my coach and alma mater, the University of Washington, won that national championship.”
Dream job: “My passion outside of golf is finance. My dream job is to work on CNBC in the morning. I love the dynamic pace in the mornings and how covering the markets is more than just reporting on business, it also requires communicating global conditions and policies.”



Kristen Ledlow
Turner Sports executives have their eye on Ledlow, who has no problem hosting and reporting alongside the big NBA personalities on TNT and NBA TV.

Photo by: Turner
Age: 28
Current role: Host on NBA TV and sideline reporter on TNT
Agent: Matt Kramer, CAA
First job in broadcasting: “After double majoring in broadcast and communication at Southeastern University (and interning twice), I landed my first job at ABC 27 News in my hometown of Tallahassee.”
Most memorable event covered/person interviewed: “Just weeks after the conclusion of his legendary 20-year career in the NBA, I had the opportunity to sit down with Kobe Bryant and a room full of his fans in Los Angeles. It was an honor to be a part of such a special event as we reflected on his two decades of excellence, including a surprise appearance by his former teammates Rick Fox and Robert Horry.”
Dream job: “Ernie Johnson is not only my mentor but also a role model in the industry. He hosts a personality-driven show with some of the biggest personalities on the planet … and every single week, those guys have a blast. Clearly he’s worked hard to get where he is.”




Carolyn Manno
NBC executives are high on Manno, who moved to the group’s national networks after working for CSN Boston for several years.

Photo by: NBC
Age: 32
Current role: Host and reporter, NBC Sports Group
Agent: Nick Khan, CAA
First broadcasting job: “I sent out 50 or 60 VHS tapes to news directors across the country and cold called them until they would see me.”
Most memorable event covered/person interviewed: “American Pharoah’s Triple Crown win in the 2015 Belmont Stakes and reporting from the finish line of the Tour de France are among the most thrilling and memorable professional experiences I’ve had. I interviewed Jack Nicklaus shortly after taking my very first job in the industry. I remember how big that felt at the time.”
Dream job: “The one I have right now with NBC Sports is a dream realized. Hosting the Olympics is a such a privilege.”




Scott Braun
A regular face on MLB Network, Braun was the youngest on-air person ever hired by the channel’s former boss, Tony Petitti.

Age: 27

Photo by: MLB Network

Current roles: MLB Network host, play-by-play and reporter; NHL Network host; SNY play-by-play; SiriusXM talk show host
Agents: Reed Bergman, Kristin Bredes LaFemina, Playbook Inc.
First job in broadcasting: “I built a foundation of on-air experience in college that went beyond campus options, including calling games in the Cape Cod Baseball League during the summer and hosting/reporting for CBS Sports during the school year. Reporting for ESPNU Campus Connection began my relationship with ESPN, which led to play-by-play college basketball work and online hosting for ESPN.com.”
Most memorable event covered/person interviewed: “Joe Maddon is one of my favorite interviews for his blend of entertainment and insight. I was the first reporter to speak with Joe on the field after the Cubs’ series-clinching victory over the Cardinals in Game 4 of the NLDS this past October. I relish the raucous clubhouse celebration interviews, so battling through champagne showers in the tight quarters of Wrigley was the most memorable one for me.”
Dream job: “I want to cover more of the most prestigious events in sports. I love the way the responsibility of a host is shifting to having your own voice and I look forward to continuing to mix my commentary into the appropriate spots on a show. In addition, I aspire to keep incorporating more health/fitness/nutrition content into my menu of roles.”



Joe Davis
At the ripe old age of 28, Davis has been called the likely successor to Vin Scully when the legendary Dodgers broadcaster signs off for the last time at the end of the season.

Age: 28

Photo by: Getty Images

Current role: Play-by-play, Fox Sports and Los Angeles Dodgers
Agent: Josh Santry and Steve Herz, IF Management
First broadcasting job: “During my final semester of college, I decided to apply for a broadcasting job I probably wasn’t yet qualified for with the Tampa Bay Rays’ double-A affiliate, the Montgomery (Ala.) Biscuits. After a few rounds of interviews, I did my best to leave a lasting impression by writing a thank you note on a baseball, and having a mentor of mine, Cubs broadcaster Len Kasper, call the team’s owners to vouch for me. I lucked out in that they happened to be an organization that was willing to take a chance, making me the youngest double-A broadcaster in the country at 22.”
Most memorable event covered/person interviewed: “Two stand out, both during the 2015 college football season. Arizona State beat USC on a Hail Mary in my first game at the Coliseum. Special by itself, but extra memorable because most of my family happened to be in the booth with me. … And calling the 2015 Bedlam game, one of the sport’s great rivalries between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, was awesome. Oklahoma State won in overtime in Norman, returning a punt 95 yards for the OT-forcing touchdown with less than a minute left.”
Dream job: “Calling a World Series Game 7.”



Allie LaForce
One network executive described LaForce as “a star in the making. Her on-air poise is well beyond her years and experience.” Don’t be surprised if the former Ohio University hoopster calls men’s basketball games at some point.

Age: 27

Photo by: CBS

Current role: Lead sideline reporter for college football’s SEC on CBS; sideline reporter for college basketball and the NCAA tournament on CBS; contributing reporter for CBS’s national morning news show “CBS This Morning;” co-host for “We Need to Talk,” on CBS Sports Network and CBS; color analyst for CBS Sports Network’s coverage of women’s basketball; and sideline reporter for the NBA regular season and NBA playoffs on TNT.
Agent: Nick Khan, CAA
First broadcasting job: “SportsTime Ohio, Ohio’s regional sports station. I had interned with them over the summer briefly while I was still playing college basketball at Ohio University. After I was done playing basketball they let me work a few high school women’s basketball games for them. That escalated to color commentator and then to sideline for men’s hoops and studio work.”
Most memorable event covered/person interviewed: “Being from Cleveland, covering the recent NBA Finals Game 7 where Cleveland made history by bringing the city its first championship in any sport in 52 years was an absolute dream come true. Favorite person comes down to two: Our Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter live before the Army-Navy game on CBS, and Becky Hammon … [the] first-ever female head coach for an NBA summer league team after she won the championship.”
Dream job: “I love what I’m doing now with the combination of basketball, football, news and hosting. It keeps me challenged and enthusiastic.”



Samantha Ponder
A mainstay on ESPN’s college football coverage, Ponder has combined an authoritative on-air presence with a funny and smart social media profile.

Photo by: Getty Images
Age: 30
Current role: Broadcaster on “College GameDay” on ESPN; reporter on “Saturday Night Football” on ABC
Agent: Nick Khan, CAA
First job in broadcasting: “I interned at ABC Sports in New York City from age 18-20 (yes, that is a very long internship), so Craig James and Doug Flutie kindly helped me make a demo tape during a commercial break of their halftime show. I sent that out and got an offer from a cable network in a town where I could finish school at the same time.”
Most memorable event covered/person interviewed: “My first interview ever was at age 19 with Dennis Rodman. In comparison, everything has been boring since then. The most memorable game I covered was my first for ESPN: TCU @ Baylor. It was the game that put Robert Griffin on the map and gave me a glimpse of how crazy my life was about to be.”
Dream job: “An international travel/home improvement show with my husband and daughter where we remodel homes in remote parts of the world and learn about how they play sports, worship, eat and raise their children. Either that, or my original childhood dream of being a Wal-Mart greeter.”




Sebastian Salazar
A high-energy, versatile broadcaster, Salazar has been comfortable whether he’s doing play-by-play, sideline reporting or studio hosting.

Photo by: NBC
Age: 32
Current role: Anchor and reporter, CSN Mid-Atlantic/NBC Sports Group
Agent: Seth Mayeri, Evolution Media Talent
First broadcasting job: “I sent my terrible college tape everywhere from Anchorage to Bangor. Two months after graduation, I got a call from a small station in Dalton, Ga., (WDNN, thank you Calvin Means!) and the rest is history.”
Most memorable event covered/person interviewed: “I can’t wait to cover the Olympics this summer, but serving as host for nationally televised Major League Soccer games on NBC Sports was a dream come true on so many levels. MLS is the league I grew up with, so to do that job on that stage meant a lot.”
Dream job: “I most enjoy calling games, so doing play-by-play for any soccer league would really be something special for me. I’d also love to host a regular studio show about American soccer, something that covers all leagues, teams and players in the United States.”



Andrew Catalon
Catalon is a little older than we’re looking for, but it’s hard to find young play-by-play voices. A network executive describes his style as being like Ian Eagle, meaning understated with the ability to set up his analysts well.

Age: 36

Photo by: CBS

Current role: Play-by- play announcer for CBS Sports (NFL, NCAA basketball, golf)
Agent: Brian Jacobs, Headline Media Management
First broadcasting job: “When I graduated from Syracuse, an SU professor connected me with the news director at WVNY-TV, the ABC affiliate in Burlington, Vt. My first job was as weekend sports anchor.”
Most memorable event covered/person interviewed: “Calling the R.J. Hunter game-winning three-pointer in the NCAA tournament as his father and Georgia State head coach Ron Hunter fell off his stool.”
Dream job: “I love what I’m doing now and hope to do it for a long time.”

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