If you told Benjamin Kinch that he was investing his time in an outdated medium, he’d tell you that you’re wrong.

 

            As a communications major with a minor in business and passion for sports radio, Kinch knows that if he wants to be an ESPN announcer one day, he has to take any job he can get. Kinch is the sports director for the University of Rhode Island’s radio station, WRIU.

 

            His role is vital to the URI sports community, because not everyone can always be at the games or watch them on TV. It’s up to Kinch to train and assign the right broadcasters to the right games, because without them, WRIU radio listeners would be left with an incomplete broadcast of the game.

 

            Kinch started his radio career back in his junior year of high school at Saint Ray’s, when he began doing the morning announcements. From there he made a St. Rays basketball twitter account that kept followers up with a play by play at every game he could get to. His role model, sports commentator Al Michaels, is evident in his speaking style, as Kinch is able to communicate both artistically and professionally.

 

            Sports broadcasters cannot be picky about what sort of work they cover. Kinch believes that to make it in this field, a broadcaster has to be willing to apply themselves 150 percent in every opportunity to broadcast that they get. Taking any opportunity to broadcast not only furthers their own experience, but also shows employers that they can cover whatever they are assigned. Kinch sees himself reporting in the college basketball circuit for the next five to ten years before really breaking through into the professional world.

 

            Besides being influenced by career broadcasters, Kinch’s father has also inspired him to do what he does. Broadcasting sports brings him back to his childhood when he used to watch games with his father. Interestingly enough, Kinch is a Rhode Islander born and bred but he is a diehard New York Giants fan, thanks to his dad. Players like Odell Beckham and Eli Manning helped turn him onto sports, and broadcasting, and he wants to cover the Giants once he gets into pro coverage.  

 

            When asked what kind of advice he would give to incoming freshmen, Kinch said first and foremost to get involved. He then said that the second most important thing is to think. His father told him growing up to “think”, because it seems to be more often the case nowadays that people don’t think about their actions. Kinch believes that lack of forethought before action is what can ruin a person before they even have a real career.

 

            As a senior, Kinch’s legacy as a URI sports broadcaster will be over soon, but not forgotten. The time he has invested in the WRIU program has helped it expand its network, improve the quality of its broadcasting, and improve the overall WRIU experience for the community.