Herkimer Grad Now Award-Winning Sportscaster

Lane Casadonte

Alumni / Sports Director at WTVR-TV, the CBS affiliate in Richmond, Virginia

Are you a current student or alumni? 
Class of 1989, AAS Radio and TV Broadcasting

Tell us a little about yourself.
I am the Sports Director at WTVR-TV and the CBS affiliate in Richmond, Virginia. I have been in this position since 1998, and have worked here at WTVR since April of 1994. Our primary focus is the entire state of Virginia since we are in the state capitol, but we also cover NASCAR and the Washington Redskins.

Why did you choose Herkimer College?
Because I’m a native of Herkimer and graduated in the top 20% of my high school class, I earned free tuition to Herkimer College. Plus, the Radio-TV curriculum was something I was extremely interested in, and going for free while living at home seemed like a pretty good deal!

What are your greatest career and/or personal successes to date?
I have been honored as Sportscaster of the Year for the state of Virginia three times, and our department has earned numerous awards from the Virginia Associated Press and the Virginia Association of Broadcasters. I have also earned awards for reporting and since I’ve been here so long, the lifetime achievement honors are starting to trickle in. *winks*

How has Herkimer College helped you to succeed?
I tell this to anyone who will listen or who is considering Herkimer College: I have worked with people who have graduated from some of the best broadcasting schools in the country – Columbia at Missouri, Newhouse at Syracuse, you name them. I’ve worked with people who have gone to Northwestern, the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, schools all over the nation. What we did at Herkimer College 25+ years ago was already superior to anything that any of my peers were able to do at that time. And what I was able to do at Herkimer College prepared me for my Bachelor’s degree studies at Plattsburgh State. What I was able to do at each of those schools had me so far ahead on the learning curve of professional broadcasting compared to my peers at the time. Even now, students don’t quite get the practical experience that I got way back when.

What were some of your favorite things about attending Herkimer?
I liked the fact that we could work with real equipment as true freshmen, which isn’t the case at a lot of schools. Being in my hometown helped out a lot, too! I met some of my best friends at Herkimer College, and some great people in the business that I still keep in touch with today.

Did you compete in a sport at Herkimer College?
I did not, but I did cover lacrosse and men’s basketball and doing that helped me professionally in the future.

What advice would you give to future Herkimer College students?
Don’t take anything for granted. There is tremendous opportunity at each step of your education. And what you choose to do (or not do) at Herkimer College can help or hurt you down the road. And never think that what you do in school doesn’t count and can’t help you land a job. I thought that too, but I was hired multiple times based on work I did in college. If you can do the job, employers will know, and how you present your work and yourself will go a long way toward achieving professional goals.

 

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