Today’s guest on the Mitlin Money Mindset™ is Bill Pidto, Studio Host for MSG Networks. Bill Pidto joined MSG Networks in 2009 and currently serves as a Studio Host for Knick’s games and the New York Emmy award-winning MSG 150 that airs during Knick’s and Ranger’s games. This past summer Bill also hosted the popular expanded version of the MSG 150, which featured engaging conversation and nightly analysis of the latest news and sports.
Prior to his work with MSG, Bill was an anchor at ESPN where he hosted Sports Smash in the inaugural year of ESPN 2. In addition, he’s anchored NHL Tonight, NFL PrimeTime, Baseball Tonight, and Sports Center during his tenure there. Listen in and hear about Bill’s journey to MSG Networks and the launch of the MSG 150, the fastest 150 seconds in sports, and a Sprung household favorite.
You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in…
- Bill’s path to becoming a studio host for MSG Networks [2:39]
- Where does Bill’s passion for sports come from? [5:48]
- Radio vs Television: Which does Bill prefer? [7:35]
- Bill’s favorite sport [9:44]
- What is the MSG 150 and who’s idea was it? [14:35]
- What it takes behind the scenes to get MSG 150 together for each show [18:13]
- Bill’s favorite clips from MSG 150 over the years [21:44]
- What’s up next for Bill Pidto? [24:35]
- What is the mindset needed for Bill to be “on” in the studio? [27:05]
- What Bill did today that put him in the right mindset for success? [29:18]
Bill Pidto’s path to MSG Studio Host
Bill says for anybody that chooses an on-air career in television, it’s a long and windy road. He started off in Binghamton, New York, graduating from Cornell in 1987. Bill’s first salary was $6 an hour and he says he thinks that job still pays $6 an hour. Bill went to Syracuse, was in Boston at New England Cable News in the early 90s, and then got an audition for Sports Center at ESPN in February 93. Bill says he didn’t get the job at the time, Karl Ravech, beat him out for the spot but they hired Bill for ESPN 2 later that year. He was at ESPN doing all kinds of things on all kinds of networks from 93-08 but has been at MSG since 2009.
Bill is a native New Yorker, he moved West when he was 7, but his formative years as a sports fan revolved around the Knick’s Championship Basketball team. Working at MSG as a huge Knick’s fan and getting to be the Studio Host is a dream come true. Given his background and initial exposure to sports, Bill believes he belongs exactly where he is right now.
What is the MSG 150?
The MSG 150 is a culmination of a bunch of different highlights, whether it be from the NHL, minor leagues, or even just youth hockey. Creating 150 seconds worth of content to keep the watcher watching between each period.
Years ago, Bill tells us, management came up with the idea to try to hold people through halftime and intermissions, particularly in hockey because it’s 17 minutes long. They needed to come up with a content segment to try and hold the audience. The magic number was two and a half minutes, or 150 seconds, for the segment. Bill credits the real genius behind the segment to producer Geoff Ostella. Geoff is online all day long coming up with these clips, his creativity on a nightly basis is what makes it interesting. They’re not just generic highlights. They’re interesting things from real-life people and families like my own.
How are the MSG 150 segments put together?
What does it take to put MSG 150 together? Do they do it all the same day, the day before? Is it being finalized minutes before it’s going on air or is it something that’s prepackaged in advance of the show that night?
Bill explains that when Geoff comes in he has an idea of the creative clips that he wants to put on the segment. He compiles that, which is about half of the 150 seconds, and this part is already edited before the night begins and is ready to go. The games of that night happen in real-time. There are a bunch of college kids that come in and log the games. If there are five games, they will have five sets of eyes on the games helping Geoff compile the highlights. That makes up the other half of the 150 seconds and the show we all get to enjoy.
Resources & People Mentioned
Connect with Bill Pidto
Bio
Bill Pidto joined MSG Networks in 2009 and currently serves as a studio host for Knicks games, as well as the host of the New York Emmy Award-winning “MSG 150” sportscast that airs during Knicks and Rangers games. This past summer, Pidto also hosted the popular, expanded version of the “MSG 150,” which featured engaging conversation and nightly analysis of the latest news in sports.
Prior to his work with MSG Networks, Pidto was an anchor at ESPN from 1993 to 2008 where he hosted “SportsSmash” in the inaugural year of ESPN2 and anchored “NHL 2Night,” “NFL Primetime,” “Baseball Tonight” and “SportsCenter” during his tenure. Pidto began his broadcasting career as a sports anchor and reporter for WVBR radio in Ithaca, New York. After graduating from Cornell in 1987, Pidto worked as a sports director in Binghamton, NY and as a sports anchor in Syracuse, NY.
Guests on the Mitlin Money Mindset Show are not affiliated with CWM, LLC, and opinions expressed herein may not be representative of CWM, LLC. CWM, LLC is not responsible for the guest’s content linked on this site.
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