CHICAGO (CBS) — CBS 2 is launching a contest for residents to become the station’s new morning traffic reporter.
The “CBS 2 Traffic Tryouts” began Monday and will end May 18, when one winner is awarded the job of on-air traffic reporter for the CBS 2 Morning News.
Applications for the CBS 2 Traffic Tryouts will be accepted online at www.TrafficTryouts.com. Contestants must be over age 21 and legal residents who live within the CBS 2 viewing area.
Initially, the winner will receive a three-month contract that pays $25,000. At the end of three months, CBS 2 may offer up to three, three-month extensions, each paying an additional $25,000, for a total of $100,000 over the course of 12 months.
The new morning traffic reporter will work alongside anchors Steve Bartelstein and Susan Carlson and meteorologist Megan Glaros on the station’s early morning newscast, which airs weekdays from 4:30 a.m. to 7:00 a.m.
Contestants will submit a 30-second video explaining why they should be the next CBS 2 traffic reporter.
The top 75 contestants will become CBS 2 Traffic Tryouts semifinalists and advance to the next phase of the contest – an on-screen audition at the CBS 2 Broadcast Center.
The Traffic Tryouts semifinalists will be invited to the Broadcast Center by the CBS 2 Morning News team for on-screen auditions on April 16. These 75 contestants will present an actual traffic report on camera and take a written test about Chicago commuter routes.
Ten contestants will become finalists for the position and advance to the final round of the contest.
The in-studio auditions for the 10 finalists will be posted online at http://www.TrafficTryouts.com. Beginning April 21, viewers will be able to vote for their favorite contestant using a virtual stoplight to indicate their preference. Vote totals will be a factor in the final judging.
From May 2 to May 16, each of the 10 finalists will be featured on separate morning show newscasts and tryout for the position of traffic reporter. In this final round, contestants will participate in an actual CBS 2 newscast, providing information on morning traffic conditions during the live broadcast.
The final judging will take place on May 16 and 17 when viewer online vote totals are combined with the evaluations of the CBS 2 Morning News team – anchors, reporters, producers and management.
On May 18, the winner of the contest will be announced during the CBS 2 Morning News.
The new reporter will be expected to start regular reporting duties on Monday, May 23.
The CBS 2 Traffic Tryouts is being sponsored by Walter E. Smithe, a local 60 year-old, four-generation, family owned-and-operated furniture business.
