Meet the team that brings MSU sports to your screen.

Montana PBS began broadcasting in 1984 and has reliably brought local television to its viewers ever since, including coverage of MSU Athletics. Montana PBS is known for bringing Bobcat Sports to those who can’t physically make every game, match or competition.

It takes a staff of considerable size to put such productions on the air, and Montana PBS draws staff from the student body itself. 

Micah Arnott is a film major in his second year working for the station. 

“I’m a cameraman. I can also fill in on other roles. Sometimes I’m the guy who helps out with camera wires, sometimes I’m the guy in the studio, where every stream gets sent out.”

It takes a fair amount of effort in order to get everything ready for a broadcast, with the complicated equipment and set ups needed. “We usually get there three to four hours ahead of time to get everything set up. More times often than not, there’s something we need to fix,” Arnott said. 

In terms of the number of staff needed to broadcast an event, Arnott said it varies depending on the sport. “For football games, we usually have five camera people. Basketball, it’s usually five, since we added a wireless camera that allows for more freedom, and then a couple less for other sports. There’s also usually five to six people in the studio, where they do the graphics and replays,” Arnott said. 

An overwhelming portion of camera operators and support staff are students, about 80-90%, Arnott estimated. 

The environment that students get to work in at Montana PBS provides them with a glimpse of what sports broadcasting looks and feels like as a profession. 

“This is pretty much a professional setting, but we’re still students. It definitely helps us get real experience, if we want to keep doing this sort of thing. It also gets your feet in doors and looks good on a resume, so it’s very good for career building.” 

A small grin pulled at the corner of Arnott’s lip as he recounted his experiences with PBS. “I’ve just enjoyed working for PBS since I got to learn new things. I went to my first rodeo last year, and I’d never been to a rodeo before. If I hadn’t found this [job] I never would have gained this really enjoyable experience that I’ve had. It just always feels good when you get a shot that makes you think ‘this looks good’.” 

It’s easy to take watching the Bobcats compete for granted. The hard work put in so their games can be put on your screen is amazing. Perhaps the next time you catch a game, keep an eye out for those who make it possible to cheer on the Cats from your couch.