Photo courtesy of Comcast Sports Net.
“The coolest thing in the world you can be is yourself. I’m me and I’m good with that.”
Ivan Carter, host of Comcast Sports Net’s “Washington Post Live” is nothing if not genuine. He’s a reporter turned broadcast television host and has worked his way to the top…without forgetting his reporter’s fundamentals along the way.
Carter began his career with a stop in DC and came full circle when he returned to the area five years ago as a beat reporter covering the Wizards at The Washington Post.
“I came here the summer of 1998 for the National Association of Black Journalists’ convention,” explained Carter. “I was doing an internship at the St. Paul Pioneer Press and didn’t have a job lined up so I was looking to get a gig.”
After the convention, Carter went back to St. Paul until his friend Troy Wilson, whom Carter played football with at St. Olaf College, led him to his first job at the Kansas City Star. Carter worked at the Kansas City Star as a sports reporter from 1998 until 2005, when he joined the staff at The Washington Post.
“I sort of had a plan, but then it’s just weird how I would up where I started,” said Carter.
If Carter could prove he deserved his spot at The Washington Post, he could make it anywhere. He began by covering college hoops until he was moved to the Wizards beat, then ran with that for four years.
“People forget that three years ago, they were a hot team,” Carter said. “Gilbert was hitting game-winning shots. I was traveling the country and it wasn’t a bad gig — it was awesome.”
Being assigned the Wizards beat certainly was no easy task though. Carter was constantly on the move, traveling to chronicle a team of 12 men and their coaching staff who weren’t always the easiest to maintain a relationship with.
However, managing a story, developing sources and contacts and learning how and when to ask the right questions did Carter well. He could file huge stories within minutes of a game ending, just in time to make press. He emulated what a beat reporter should be: he followed his team and provided readers with information they couldn’t otherwise attain. But after years, the job started to take a toll on him.
“I remember being in Detroit in February and going, ‘This sucks!’ Then once I was scraping my windshield in Indianapolis with no gloves, in the freezing weather and broke my scraper, cut my hand, then drove down the road bleeding in the rental on a Friday night. I thought, ‘What the hell am I doing?’ It was a moment of epiphany. I was ready for a more stable life.”
As it turned out, opportunity was just around the corner. After being a regular guest on “Washington Post Live,” Carter was asked if he would ever consider hosting the show.
“The Washington Post is a great paper, but where else are you going to go? I saw the print journalism industry [contracting], then saw broadcast expanding. I can always write, but this toolbox expands my horizon,” said Carter.
With his first full-time on-air job ahead of him, Carter sought out his colleagues for guidance and advice on how to approach the new opportunity. The best advice he received, he says, was to be himself. So Carter went into the position with open eyes and eager to learn, and a year later, it’s safe to say it’s working out for him.
Having a producer in his ear during a show is a bit of a change, but given Carter’s prior experience working under deadline pressure, it was no sweat.
“Every day is different on live television,” he explained. “There’s no do-over. You can’t hit delete. People know when you’re faking and when you’re sincere, so I just try to be me.”
“Washington Post Live,” is a topical show that shifts focus depending on the sports season. Right now, Carter is discussing the Capitals, Wizards and DC United. However, according to Carter, the Redskins are a hot topic year round. During the summer when there isn’t as much going on in the sports world, the show focuses on DC life, including comedians, musicians and general events in our area.
Carter is part of a team of four that has a general idea of what they’re going to discuss, but adjusts to the sports world and whatever story develops next. And no matter what the season, their primary focus is appealing to sports fans.
After all of Carter’s success, he still remains humble because he knows you’re only as good as your last show. And he still enjoys hearing about how he’s doing from fans.
“When I’m walking to work and it’s the guy driving the school bus, or the police officer on the job and they say, ‘I really like your show,’ that means the most to me. Real people who truly appreciate what you’re doing is awesome…It crosses out the emails telling you what a jackass you are!” [Laughs].
Five years later, Carter still appreciates what he’s doing, where he’s living and the friends that support him.
“At the end of the day, I owe it all to my mentor, Patrick Rien. He made me what I am today; I hope he comes back to DC soon. It’s such a great city to be in. Where else can you walk by the White House, grab a beer on U Street, hit a Caps game then hear a great band play all on a $5 cab ride?
“At the end of the day, we all make mistakes, but it’s all good man. I can’t complain, I’m living a good life.”
Tune into Ivan Carter on Comcast Sports Net’s “Washington Post Live” Monday through Friday at 5 or 11:30 p.m.
