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Campbell Riverite Kyle Bukauskas works rink-side with the Montreal Canadiens

As a 15-year-old, Kyle Bukauskas worked at 99.7 The River, it was his first taste of the broadcasting industry.
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Kyle Bukauskas, 2011 Carihi graduate, interviews Max Pacioretty, captain of the Montreal Canadians, for Rogers Sportsnet.

As a 15-year-old, Kyle Bukauskas worked at 99.7 The River, it was his first taste of the broadcasting industry.

Warren Andrews, the afternoon host at the station at the time, took Bukauskas under his wing.

“He helped me write my first sportscast, he helped me get comfortable on the microphone and how to handle different jock breaks when hosting a show on the radio during the day,” Bukauskas said.

Now, at 23 years old, Bukauskas is in his third year with a full-time, permanent position at Rogers Sportsnet. He spent this last hockey season rink-side with the Montreal Canadiens.

“When I originally got into this business I was really, really wanting to be an anchor and to read highlights in the studio every night and to do the late night shift and be part of that morning loop that everyone wakes up to the next morning,” Bukauskas said. “After getting a taste of reporting and being able to travel and actually be there at the events and witness what is going on and take in the atmosphere and being able to tell those kinds of stories as a first hand witness to it all, it’s really, really really cool and I really enjoy doing it all.”

This year Bukauskas will be the master of ceremonies for the Rod Brind’Amour Golf Cycstic Fibrosis Golf Classic dinner and auction.

After high school, Bukauskas went to the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology to study broadcasting. At the time he was disappointed, Ryerson University, in Toronto, was his first choice, but he hadn’t been accepted.

“It was honestly a blessing in disguise,” he said. “At the time I thought it was a bit of a setback because I’d been told that Ryerson was the school to get in to and it was a four year program and it was a whole degree and everything that came along with it…but (SAIT) was absolutely the best option for me.”

The two year diploma started with theory work in the first semester, but the rest of the program was hands on learning. Bukauskas got involved with the athletics department doing coverage of the varsity teams. He also had the chance to try out news and weather reporting both in video and radio formats.

“I really do believe that that school sets a standard for getting students prepared for wanting to pursue a career in radio or television or any kind of journalism career under those mediums,” he said, admitting that as a graduate from the institution he is a bit biased.

It was his boss in the athletics department that ultimately connected him with the right people to get the job at Sportsnet.

“Had I not said yes to doing all of those extra-curricular things outside of school and doing stuff with the varsity teams and getting involved in doing the broadcast for the web and the radio and stuff like that I never would have met her, she never would have ever known who I was and therefor this opportunity never would have happened,” he said.

Turns out his boss was daughter of the then news director at Sportsnet. While at home during reading break she mentioned Bukauskas to her dad. He asked that Bukauskas send him a demo reel.

“He said ‘you know you are doing a lot of good things and you’ve got good energy and you seem confident on camera’ and all of these things,” Bukauskas said. “And he gave me all this really, really good constructive feedback.”

The next thing he knew, Scott Moore, the then president of Rogers Broadcasting, invited Bukauskas to fly to Toronto for a job interview and an audition.

“I was still six months away from being done school at this point and here I’ve got this executive from Toronto wanting me to come out and interview with a national network,” Bukauskas said. “What do you do at that point, what do you say? It wasn’t anything that I expected. At no point did any of my instructors say that this is how your career path is going to go. So, from that point on, I was in touch with them.”

October 1, 2013 was Bukauskas’ first day with Rogers Sportsnet. He moved from Calgary to Toronto for the job.

“After being there for four or five months they finally gave me a shot to be an on air reporter with them,” Bukauskas said. “Things started to pick up work wise and assignment wise from there.”

All Bukauskas wanted to do when he first started studying was cover hockey, but when he got the job at Sportsnet he covered everything. And the more he learned, the more he appreciated covering sports that don’t take place on ice.

“You just see a different perspective from the way certain athletes view, how they prepare, how they approach each game or whatever they are doing,” he said. “It’s just neat to be able to get a whole smörgåsbord, if you will, of how they go about doing things.”

Though Bukauskas credits much of his success to being in the right place at the right time, he also had some advice for those thinking about sports reporting.

“The one thing that I’ve learned is just being someone that people enjoy working with because you are respectful, you are kind, you are a good person, you’re someone who works hard who people know they can rely on you to do your job,” he said.

He added that putting in the time to practice, networking with people and making a good first impression are all important parts of finding a job in the ever changing broadcasting industry.

We would like to continue this series on successful Campbell Riverites. If you know anyone raised in the area who has gone on to do great and interesting things email jocelyn.doll@campbellrivermirror.com.


 

@CRmirror_JDoll
jocelyn.doll@campbellrivermirror.com

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