Stepping Stones: Sky Sports' Elisha Cunningham on getting her dream job as a sports sound operator By Heather McLean, Editor
Thursday, September 22, 2022 - 12:55
Print This Story
Elisha Cunningham hard at work on Sky Sports' NFL Show
Elisha Cunningham, sound operator at Sky Sports, is the subject of SVG Europe's latest article in the Stepping Stones series. Stepping Stones looks at how people have entered the sports broadcasting industry, where they want to take their careers, and their top tips for others.
What is your job role today and what do you love about it?
I'm a sound operator. This is the dream job that I never knew about. I genuinely love that sound operators cover quite a lot of ground, which means we contribute to the creation of productions in a number of ways.
It's very fast paced, and anything can change in a second. An audio feed might drop out or a guests' microphone might fall off and suddenly their voice isn't going to air. You really have to be on your toes!
Not only do I get to focus on two of my biggest passions every day sound and sport but occasionally I'm working with bands too, so it's essentially all my dreams thrown into one.
I love meeting new people which is a huge part of the role, and the work is so varied so it's always exciting to see what's next!
What does your current job entail on a day to day basis?
Every day is different. Some are spent rigging the studio floors for shows, which includes running cables, patching the speakers and testing microphones. Once we're prepared, we await the arrival of the talent, so we can mic them up and fit their earpiece which allows them to converse with the directors and producers without leaving the set.
Other days are focused on communicating with different departments and crew at other locations and ensuring everyone is receiving the correct audio output. It's very fast paced, and anything can change in a second. An audio feed might drop out or a guests' microphone might fall off and suddenly their voice isn't going to air. You really have to be on your toes!
Sound operator Elisha Cunningham micing up talent on the NFL Show at Sky Sports
Can you talk us through your relevant education that helped you break into the sports broadcasting industry?
I studied Music Technology for my A-Levels and went on to study a BSc in Music Technology and Sonic Arts at Queen's University Belfast.
During my degree, I decided to switch from production and followed the path to post production. My final year focused on Sound Design for Film. Whilst it's a completely different area, I had still familiarised myself with a mixing environment and had the knowledge of a live production setting.
It's not always about formal education though; sometimes it's about what you learn on your journey and how passionate you are. I was playing football from the age of four and knew I wanted to work in sound from the age of 12, and that determination has driven me to where I am now.
How did you get your first job in sports broadcasting, what was the role, and when?
This is my first role in sports broadcasting. Before joining Sky in February this year, I was an audio engineer at a recording studio, where I worked with a range of clients to record and produce their audio content. I also freelanced as a sound designer and had mixed sound for films and adverts.
I loved what I was doing but after a few years balancing both roles, I decided I wanted to step it up and go for a bigger challenge.
When I saw the sound operator role advertised by Sky Sports, I just went for it. It was exactly what I was looking for. I really didn't think I would get anywhere as I had never set foot in a TV studio and I didn't have a specific degree in broadcasting, but transferable skills are more valuable than you know and about a week after applying, I was called for an interview.
What happened next to get you where you are today?
Sky immediately offered to train me in the areas I had never focused on before. This was a massive surprise as many companies will ask you to have all the relevant knowledge before starting, so it was a huge relief and gave me the confidence boost I needed.
It's great working with all different departments as everyone is happy to impart their knowledge but for me, it's amazing to have such a strong sound crew who are always supportive of each other. I'm constantly learning and stepping more into my role as I go.
Where job would you like to be in in five or 10 years time? What are your career goals?
There're a lot of opportunities out there! This role can lead you down so many paths, but I've always enjoyed being behind a mixing desk, so I aim to become a sound supervisor mixing the sports broadcast output. I'm also really interested in going out on OB's and working on locations so that's another goal!
Can you give us some top tips that really helped you get where you are today?
Get outside your comfort zone. The bigger the challenge, the more you'll learn.
Keep learning in your spare time. There're hundreds of YouTube channels and forums that are great for getting started.
Freelance in your spare time. All experience is valuable experience.
Don't give up. Being new to the industry, it can feel like everyone is speaking a different language, but you will pick it up as you go.
Can you give us some tips on things not to do or to avoid when trying to get a role you really want?
One of the most important things I would say to avoid doing is discrediting your education. When you're skilled in a certain area, it's very easy to think of it as easy' but others may see your education as vital.
What would you say are the barriers to getting a job in the broadcast industry?
There are
North America Stories
29/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/01/2026
Boston Conservatory Orchestra Presents East Coast Premiere of Peter and Leonardo...
28/01/2026
Top L-R: The Liars, Jazz Infernal, Living with a Visionary
Second Row L-R: Paper Trail, The Baddest Speechwriter of All, Crisis Actor
Third Row: The Boys and ...
28/01/2026
Airlines, cruise and tour operators double down on ad spend as Australians' prioritise travel
Sydney January 28, 2026 - New Nielsen Ad Intel data shows a...
28/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/01/2026
Marshall Electronics launches the CV420-27X, its next-generation ultra-high-definition (UHD) IP camera, at ISE 2026 (Stand 4N900). Engineered for modern IP-base...
28/01/2026
Grass Valley has announced that Television Mobiles Ltd. (TVM), one of Europe's leading independent outside broadcast providers, has carried out a major refu...
28/01/2026
AI, graphics and virtual software power new production capabilities
FOR-A is bringing remarkable new technologies to FOMEX, the Future of Media Exhibition (ex...
28/01/2026
Continuing a longstanding collaboration, Riedel Communications and Nordic media technology company Media Tailor have once again joined forces to deliver a state...
28/01/2026
Pebble has appointed Paul Nagle-Smith as vice president for customer fulfilment, strengthening its senior leadership focus on customer delivery and operational ...
28/01/2026
Cloud playout solutions provider, Veset has announced that leading Mexican broadcaster, TV Azteca is using Veset Nimbus on AWS as a disaster recovery (DR) playo...
28/01/2026
Ensuring it can keep pace with a rapidly evolving live sports market, Balkan broadcast facility provider MVP Most Valuable Production has upgraded its flags...
28/01/2026
Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM), the cloud solutions provider that powers and protects life online, and Yospace, the leader in dynamic ad insertion tec...
28/01/2026
The renowned Reykjavik City Theatre (RCT) recently underwent a major intercom system upgrade using Clear-Com solutions. This milestone project utilizes Clear-C...
28/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/01/2026
Boston Conservatory Orchestra Premieres a New Piano Concerto by Peter and Leonar...
28/01/2026
Quantum technologies are rapidly emerging as foundational capabilities for economic competitiveness, national security and scientific leadership in the 21st cen...
28/01/2026
Back to All News
The Wait Is Over: Teaser Trailer Drops for Jo Nesbo's Dete...
28/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Announces a Fictional Miniseries Inspired by the Marta del Castillo Case
Entertainment
28 January 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to ...
28/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Announces Santiago Mitres New Film Starring Ver nica L...
28/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils the Teaser Trailer for Berlin and the Lady wit...
27/01/2026
L-R: Jonathan Cuchacovich, Sonia Kennebeck, Alan Fischer, Daeil Kim, Andrew Sta...
27/01/2026
Nielsen will continue to drive growth and provide local audience measurement
in...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Amagi Media Labs Limited, the only cloud-native SaaS provider offering end-to-end solutions across live production, content preparation, distribution, and monet...
27/01/2026
Miri Technologies Inc. today unveiled its V410 live 4K video encoder/decoder for streaming, IP-based production workflows and AV-over-IP distribution. Designed ...
27/01/2026
The Paul E. Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell in Massachusetts has chosen Ikegami cameras for incorporation into its broadcast-quality television production facili...
27/01/2026
SipRadius, specialists in secure, low latency media transport, will show the pro AV community its end-to-end solution for high quality content distribution and ...
27/01/2026
Hiltron will highlight the fruits of its 45-plus years of experience in satellite communications system integration and product development at the annual GovSat...
27/01/2026
Klvr will demonstrate how its Charger Pro solution is delivering cost reduction and performance benefits for live entertainment and pro AV markets at ISE 2026 (...
27/01/2026
Amino, a global media technology leader in enterprise video and digital signage, today announced that its Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2026 booth (4N700) wil...
27/01/2026
ANI, India's leading news agency and a major content provider across the Asia Pacific region, today announced a significant expansion of its long standing p...
27/01/2026
Independent analysis confirms faster encoding, lower CPU usage, and improved perceptual quality compared to CBR and CRF
VisualOn, a leader in multimedia playba...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Back to All News
That Night Premiering on Netflix March 13
Entertainment
27 January 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
DOWNLOAD THE KEY ART
DOWNLO...
27/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Kicks Off 15-Year Anniversary Celebrations in Brazil W...
27/01/2026
Back to All News
When It Feels Real, Is It Still a Lie? The Art of Sarah' ...
Stepping Stones: Sky Sports' Elisha Cunningham on getting her dream job as a sports sound operator By Heather McLean, Editor 
