Los Angeles Radio Sports Anchor Shares Career Insights
For my money, Randy Kerdoon is one of the more unique persons you’ll ever meet. If you follow his tweets (https://twitter.com/#!/knxrandykerdoon), you’ll see he’s got a great sense of humor, which can be misleading.
He’s so light-hearted at times – he doesn’t appear to take life too seriously – you’d be pleasantly surprised to learn that he’s a deep thinker with terrific analytical skills.
His career? He has a rich background in broadcasting. As an award-winner many times over, Mr. Kerdoon does the weekday sports twice an hour from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the CBS-owned KNX 1070 Newsradio in Los Angeles.
He grew up in southern California. Later, to the north, he graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
He’s worked at KNX since 2004. Before then, he did weekend sports on the Fox TV station in Los Angeles.
He was once the play-by-play voice of the Salt Lake Golden Eagle Hockey squad and the Salt Lake Trappers baseball team. He’s in the team picture at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown after the Trappers won a record 29 consecutive games in 1987.
He was also the football announcer for Weber State on television, and did pre-game shows for the Utah Jazz basketball team. He returned to California and worked at a small valley radio station before getting a sports gig at KFWB radio.
Before he got into sportscasting, I worked with him at two Salt Lake City radio stations, KSL and KDYL, in the 1980s. That was before I became a business-performance consultant and Biz Coach. (Full disclosure: I was also once a freelance contributor to KNX.)
After connecting with him on Facebook, I e-mailed him a list of interview questions.
Here’s an excerpt of his answers:
Q: What’s your family situation now?
A: Single Dad….one teen aged daughter.
Q: Why did broadcasting appeal to you?
A: It looked like fun, and challenging, something that combined things I was interested in….storytelling, action and creativity.
Q: What are your favorite experiences in broadcasting?
A: Play-by-play of several minor league teams including Salt Lake Trappers and their 29 game win streak in 1987; doing TV in LA.
Q: How did you make the transition from radio to TV and back to radio?
A: I did some TV work in Salt Lake City, and local cable in LA, and noticed the weekend guy at Fox was working 14 straight days, prompting me to talk to their news director and got a tryout for anchor, which led to me getting the weekend job. Eight+ years later when my contract was not renewed…family matters led me back to radio where the hours were more family friendly.
Q: How do you evaluate risk taking for your career? (I recall you weren’t afraid to take a risk at KSL.)
A: You always have to go past your comfort zone, and be true to who you are….when going for jobs or just challenging yourself, and learn to play softball and start a team….I believe that background landed me the morning job at KFWB, altho’ I never did play for their team.
Q: What advice would you give a young person hoping for a broadcasting career?
A: It’s a different beast now than when I was just starting, but the bottom line remains the same. If you want it enough and are willing to work hard enough (sometimes for little or no pay) at the beginning….and are willing to relocate….then you will likely have a good shot at this!!
Q: In hindsight, what, if anything, would you do differently?
A: I’ve often thought of getting an agent, but heard so much from my LA brethren about them not being trustworthy, I balked. Got my LA TV job without one…
Q: What else would you like to add?
A: Love what you do….and network…a lot. Contrary to what you hear…it IS a who-you-know business….
From the Coach’s Corner,here are helpful career and business tips from Chris Roberts, UCLA’s longtime broadcaster.
“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
-Michael Jordan
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Author Terry Corbell has written innumerable online business-enhancement articles, and is a business-performance consultant and profit professional. Click here to see his management services. For a complimentary chat about your business situation or to schedule him as a speaker, consultant or author, please contact Terry.
Football Lessons For Growth – 9 Steps For Strategic Alliance Success
En route to the first two Super Bowl wins in the 1960s, I recall three factors about Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers – they were intense, skilled and balanced.
A fourth factor – they kept it simple. Even as a kid watching them on TV, I could almost anticipate most of their plays depending on the situations they faced.
Those days for me, they were the most exciting team to watch on TV. That was also thanks to the few words of minimalist sportscaster Ray Scott: “Hornung…touchdown…Green Bay!”
Paul Hornung was a complete player – a star halfback who also kicked field goals and passed for touchdowns.
Called the “Golden Boy,” he was a source for great metaphors in business. He was called to duty in the U.S. Army in the 1961 season. But somehow he was able to play on Sunday. In the NFL championship game vs. the New York Giants, he was named the game’s MVP.
Later, we learned why he was allowed Army leave on Sunday to play football. Coach Lombardi knew President John F. Kennedy. The legendary coach never seemed to overlook an opportunity in order to win.
Two years later, the flamboyant star was suspended indefinitely for gambling on games. But Coach Lombardi’s influence in the league and a contrite Hornung made his return possible the next season. Again, it was a lesson in networking for businesspeople.
As often is the case, sports offers lessons on strategic management and planning.
The NFL provides great metaphors for business success. Many businesspeople also know the importance of becoming stronger by teaming with others. By combining resources, companies succeed in meeting the needs of customers.
All such traits – passion, best practices, simplicity and strategic partnerships – contribute to winning in business. That’s why success stems from what you know – and whom you know – helps a business to be stronger in taking advantage of opportunities for growth via management, marketing and stability.
Naturally, to attract strategic partners, it’s important to be an attraction.
Here are nine steps:
- Take an inventory. Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, which have to be improved upon. You should demonstrate positive financials, stability, and vision.
- Analyze your potential partner’s and alliance opportunities and threats.
- Develop benchmarks. Determine in advance how you will measure success.
- Be cautious and detached. Take baby steps – get engaged – don’t get married right away. As in marketing, remember this tenet about your prospective relationship, “test…test…test.”
- Consider it an investment of your time and resources. Remember the Golden Rule. Take it seriously if your partner is to take you seriously.
- Create a paper trail. Both parties must know what’s expected, how they’ll benefit, and if they do.
- Leverage expertise of outside participants. That includes a mentor and professionals who understand the industries of both partners.
- Make communication a key component of the relationship. Not via e-mail or telephone, but in-person visits.
- Seek constant, ongoing improvement. Fine-tune as you go.
Oh, and make sure your strategic partner adheres to the nine standards.
From the Coach’s Corner, here are related resource links:
- Planning – Need a Game Changer? Ford, Seahawks Are Good Case Studies
- Helpful Career, Biz Tips from UCLA’s Longtime Broadcaster
Winners don’t wait for chances, they take them.
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Author Terry Corbell has written innumerable online business-enhancement articles, and is a business-performance consultant and profit professional. Click here to see his management services. For a complimentary chat about your business situation or to schedule him as a speaker, consultant or author, please contact Terry.