When CTV Montreal gave sports anchor André Corbeil the option of having his workload scaled back to only the weekend broadcasts, he chose instead to move on with his life. He is now the territory manager for Robinson Bioproducts. Chantal Desjardins had previously done weekend shifts, as did Eric Thomas. Both are now with Rogers Sportsnet. Veteran Paul Graif, the morning show co-host at K103 FM, was also in the mix the last few years.
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| Sean Coleman |
Jed Kahane, the news director for Bell Media in Quebec, conducted a comprehensive talent hunt the last few months and the winning candidate is Sean Coleman – late of City’s Sportsnet Central Montreal and a contributor for TSN 690 Radio. The timing could not have been better for last week Sportsnet Central laid off Coleman, producer George Athans and Kelly Greig. Check out Greig’s blog here for a typically sad story in the world of journalism.
“I am very fortunate for the timing,” Coleman told me. “I’m incredibly lucky and grateful for this opportunity. There were whispers of layoffs at City for a while, but the decision to lay off the entire crew caught us blindsided. On Wednesday the show’s staff was told ‘Congratulations for two great years but that’s it.’ It was the first time I was ever laid off, so it was a mix of shock and indignation. Lots of people offered advice on what to do next. Of course, you often hear ’As one door closes, another opens.' In the moment it’s tough to believe, but literally five days later CTV offered me the new position. I couldn’t be happier.”
Coleman, 23, says the opportunity to work for CTV is a dream come true. For the past five years he has also worked at TSN 690 Radio as a sports anchor, delivering Sportscentre updates every half-hour - primarily on the weekend with The Habs This Week and the Canadiens Saturday pre-game shows as well as for Alouettes and Impact broadcasts. In addition, he had the opportunity to host a late show on Friday nights called GameNight OT and now host another called the Sunday Sermon. At City, he was a sports reporter and producer for local professional and amateur sport stories. “I would have to take a story from start to finish: - locate it, research it, book it, produce the shoot, report and script,” he said. “Both jobs have left me well-prepared for the duties at CTV.”
Born and raised in LaSalle, Coleman still lives near Riverside Park. He attended Loyola High School where he was a three-sport varsity captain, then went to Phillips Exeter Academy – a prep school in New Hampshire – for two years before returning to McGill to study economics and political science. “I worked for TSN every Saturday and Sunday through my degree at McGill,” he says. “My last year at McGill I was also working full-time for City, taking early classes before work or online ones. It’s safe to say I’m accustomed to juggling.”
Coleman says that given the fact he has been doing sports updates since the age of 18, he does not see a big learning curve with his new CTV duties. “The toughest part of the transition is just the nature of live television,” he says. “On radio you’re solely focused on your voice. On TV there’s your voice and fifty other things to worry about as well. But it’s all part of what makes television so amazing. I’m blessed to work alongside two of the industry’s best in Randy Tieman and Brian Wilde. The best way I can improve is through practice, practice, practice and soak up as much knowledge as possible from both of them.:
During the summer months Coleman expects to be busier than usual at both TSN and CTV, filling in for vacationers. Ultimately he will be in the market for regular weekday work. “For the last five years I’ve grown accustomed to working and studying six, often seven days a week,” he said. “While this time off is a nice little break, I still have the itch to work more. I’m also a golf fanatic, so I’ll have a little more time to work on my game.”
You can follow Sean on Twitter @colemanmtl
Solid hire. Good on TSN. enjoyed his Sportsnets work.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like another case of it's not what you know but who you know. Not a surprise. This is Montréal after all. Did you know his prep school in the U.S. costs 45k per year?U.S. not Canadian.
ReplyDeleteNeither Tieman or Wilde said a word about the hire on social media. When Eric Thomas was working Wilde was so public on Twitter with how solid he thought it was. Their silence speaks volumes.
ReplyDeleteJust another entitled prep school kid cashing in.
I think Greig would have been a better hire.