After all, as senior manager of broadcast operations for Rogers Sportsnet, he manages the NHL contract from the technical side – from the regular season, to the heritage and outdoor classics, to the playoffs.
Instead, the games have been cancelled, and his Toronto office has been empty for weeks. Like many adjusting to abrupt changes in the industry after COVID-19 brought the world to an abrupt screeching halt, Raymond has been working from home since mid-March. That’s where NC Broadcasting students had a chance to meet with him, virtually, on April 9.
Raymond, who graduated from the College’s Broadcasting – Radio and Television program in 1997, volunteered to speak with current Broadcasting students about his experience and to respond to their questions. Through a webinar held via Zoom, he offered students a glimpse of what it’s like to be in the centre of the broadcasting action at some of the most-watched televised events in the world.
Students got an inside look at the various challenges faced by those who live and breathe the fast-paced, ever-changing world of broadcast television. Raymond relayed stories about how he got started in the industry – from his early immersion into working in television at the age of 15 while he was growing up in Newfoundland, to his experience as a student at NC, and his more than 20 years of experience working in the industry.
“I learned a lot sitting in those old mobiles,” he said, reflecting back on his days as a NC student travelling to Gravenhurst in a Winnebago mobile to broadcast a live rotary auction. “Events like that, my love for doing remote production came in.”
While, these days, most of his time is spent in a studio – at least, prior to COVID-19 – Raymond said he still enjoys getting on the road where he has the opportunity to explore different methods and solutions for each location’s unique challenges.
‘I think what you learn on the remote side is a huge advantage,’ he said, speaking to students about learning about the need to troubleshoot for each remote broadcast. “Every remote, you literally build that show every time you go out … that’s the whole fun of it. Everyone working together to solve things.”
In addition to Rogers Sportsnet, Raymond spoke about his time at CTV where he worked as senior manager of technical training – on events including the Olympics (Vancouver and London), the Royal Wedding (2011), the Academy Awards and the Super Bowl – and as technical director for the CTV News Channel.
“I’ve never seen a TV compound like the Royal Wedding,” he said, recalling the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011, which drew major broadcasters from across the world – when every square inch of the compound of a park was slotted by TV trucks, complete with a massive broadcast tower. “We had a lot of technical issues. On air, you didn’t see anything but it was all happening behind the scenes.”
While there are no remote or live productions for him to work on during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the NHL games cancelled along with other major sports, he has been busy editing content for viewers, such as previous NHL games they have been airing.
Raymond spoke about how the need for physical distancing has led broadcasters to explore new adaptive ways to share and produce content, such as TV hosts like Jimmy Fallon airing from their homes.
“Content is truly king,” he said, noting how many shows are now being shot from home. “TV content is so real right now. There’s no production value, no sets, or lights. When this is all over, I think it will change the way we look at content.”
Raymond offered valuable advice to students looking to get their foot into the door: to have the right attitude, a willingness to learn and want to do better, and no ego.
“Once you find good people in this industry, you don’t want to let them go,” he said, mentioning several recent NC Broadcasting grads who have come to work for him.
BRTF program coordinator Dutch VandenBerg noted that Raymond has been a tremendous supporter of NC and a champion of the College’s graduates.
“Today’s webinar was an incredible opportunity for the students to hear from a great grad that is literally at the bleeding edge of broadcast technologies and process,” said VandenBerg. “Peter has a vast amount of experience and always takes time to champion our grads. I was able to loop a few of those grads into the conversation today – an endearing quality of Peter is his desire to spotlight those around him.”
Raymond is among a series of special guests to participate in webinars for Broadcasting students. Previous webinars included:
- Letterkenny producer and NC alumnus Mark Montefiore on March 31;
- Professional AI mixer Andrew Stoakley (lead mixer for Toronto Blue Jays) on April 7; and
- A group panel of on-air radio/TV talent who are recent alumni, including Sarah Christie, Lucas Chittick Rodriguez, Shannon Burns and Josie Balka on April 10.
Raymond was featured in the Spring 2012 issue of NC’s Encore magazine (pages 6-7). View it here.
