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Since 1977, Marc Zumoff estimates he has been live, on the air, about 5,000 times. His formative years were spent in news as an anchor, reporter and writer. Eventually, he crossed over into sports, announcing basketball, football, hockey and sports such as bicycle racing, horse jumping and crew. Marc also has extensive experience in producing and editing on both television and radio.
Though Marc is currently performing in his ultimate role as the television voice for his hometown Philadelphia 76ers, the road to that goal was circuitous and challenging. Shortly after leaving Temple University in 1977 (Marc did not officially graduate until 1992, but that’s another story), he was working in—of all places—a scrap iron and steelyard. Between stints driving a truck, heavy equipment and sorting grades of iron, steal and metal, Marc would send tapes to radio stations in and around the Philadelphia area. He landed his first job in broadcasting in July, 1977 at a small radio station in Trenton New Jersey. The station purported to be all-news, but in fact, was merely a “rip-and-read” outlet, where news anchors simply read wire copy, while the rest of the operation was run on a shoestring. It seemed the station was off the air more than it was on the air, but it was a start. At $110-a-week, Marc was proud to say he was getting paid to perform live, on the radio.
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During this time, Marc was about a year into a two-day-a-week position as a bottom-rung production assistant at KYW Newsradio in Philadelphia. Those two days were Saturday and Sunday, leaving this 22-year old to work seven days a week. But, his hustle would produce dividends. Simultaneously being a big fish in a small pond at the Trenton station while at the same time being a small fish in a big pond at the larger Philadelphia station would prove to be a valuable formula for career success down the road.
Gradually, Marc moved up, working at better stations as a newscaster, while maintaining his low-level production assistant job at KYW Newsradio. His break into sportscasting came while working at a station in Princeton, New Jersey in 1979. The play-by-play announcer for Princeton University football and basketball was relieved of his duties. Already a member of the station’s news team and ‘on the inside,’ Marc Zumoff was able to learn of the opening before anyone else. He informed station management of his play-by-play abilities and, because they were strapped and needed a replacement right away, Marc quickly moved into the booth.
About a year later, KYW Newsradio promoted Marc to a freelance anchor/reporter position. Again, this was an opportunity he could take advantage of because he was already ‘on the inside,’ working at KYW as a production assistant. Simultaneously, he had been getting his practical, on-air experience at the smaller station that was within driving distance
Coincidentally, a contact Marc had developed at KYW provided a huge break into Philadelphia sportscasting. That contact left KYW to become the public relations director of the local, indoor soccer team. That team needed a television announcer and his friend informed him of the opening. Marc auditioned and got the position—his first job as a television sportscaster--proving the value of making a keeping in touch with key associates.
The indoor soccer team televised its games on two outlets, including a regional cable channel called PRISM. After the indoor soccer team folded in 1982, PRISM hired Marc Zumoff as a part-time staff announcer. Shortly thereafter, he was hired fulltime to anchor its pre-game, halftime and post-game coverage of Philadelphia 76ers basketball. This again, reinforced the value of ‘being on the inside,’ even if you’re not employed in your ideal position.
Marc held this post until August 17, 1994 at precisely 1:34pm when he got the telephone call he had long-imagined getting. It was the call that informed him he was to become the television voice of the Philadelphia 76ers, the job he had longed for ever since he was a youngster growing up in the Northeast section of the city.
Entering his 14th year as the Sixers TV voice, Marc Zumoff is grateful for what has happened, though it didn’t happen without a lot of hard work, a lot of learning and of course, a little luck. But that luck, as Brooklyn Dodgers GM Branch Rickey once said, “is the residue of design.”
Marc Zumoff is the founder and President of YourAirtime®, the premier, broadcast coaching service in the country.
Click on the appropriate link now to explore how high school, college and post graduates can get YourAirtime®
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