Meet the 2019 Award Winners: Louisiana Sportscaster Ken Trahan
12.12.2020
Today’s award spotlight is on NSMA 2019 Louisiana Sportscaster of the Year, Ken Trahan. Trahan has been working at CrescentCitySports.com for the past 12 years, serving as owner and chief Contributor as well as the and Sports Director at Cumulus Radio-New Orleans. Throughout his career, Trahan has done play-by-play for four decades, having coved schools such as Delgado Junior College, Loyola University, Tulane University, and the University of New Orleans to name a few. He’s also the host of Ken Trahan’s Original Prep Football Report and The Three Tailgaters Show with Ed Daniels on 106.1 FM NASH ICON. Trahan also founded NewOrleans.com/Sports with Bill Hammack and Don Jones in 2008 before it became SportsNOLA.com.
This will be Trahan's first time accepting Louisiana Sportscaster of the Year. He has also been inducted into the Hall of Fame Archbishop Rummel High School in Metairie, De La Salle High School Hall of Fame in New Orleans, and the Greater New Orleans Prep Sports Hall of Fame.
Trahan briefly spoke with NSMA on his career and other thoughts regarding the industry.
NSMA: What was your career path like on the way to your current position?
Ken Trahan: The first job I had was in college while majoring in communications at Loyola University. Have not spent a day out of the industry since. Have served as a sports director, program director, public service director, general manager, sports reporter, play-by-play voice, president, owner.
NSMA: What is your favorite thing about your job?
KT: Covering games, calling games, telling the positive, good news stories of athletes and coaches.
NSMA: What has been the biggest highlight of your career so far?
KT: Serving as the Play-by-Play voice of the New Orleans Zephyrs winning the inaugural Triple-A World Series calling the clinching game in 1998.
Covering the 2009 New Orleans Saints winning Super Bowl XLIV.
NSMA: What is the best piece of advice you have for people pursuing a career in sports media?
KT: You must love it. The business has changed quite significantly. Opportunities in the industry have dwindled significantly. Learn every aspect of the business, from speaking to writing to asking proper questions. Learn how to sell, study the work of other professionals at the highest level. Glean the best qualities of those, whether in broadcast or print and adopt basic principles of what you have observed. Do not get into the business for attention or to gain free access to games. Expect to work long hours for short pay and understand that you will miss many key holidays and times in family life. Most importantly, maintain integrity throughout, making sure that you are fair and present stories correctly, injecting opinion based on fact, on knowledge, not in any fashion to simply gain attention.
Story by NSMA intern, Brian Cohen