Brad Blanks
ABOUT
BRAD BLANKS
I would describe myself as a guy who enjoys having a chat with all sorts of people. From movie stars, to sports heroes, to a family that grows giant pumpkins — I attempt to find out what makes these people do what they do by having a laugh and helping them tell a funny story about their life and endeavors.
What I Do
From a small town down under to the big city.
An Aussie based in New York City, on a daily basis I interview people providing commentary around stories in the entertainment and sports worlds. Between chatting with the biggest stars to man-on-the-street interviews I always manage to find a different take on what is unfolding in the news.
Who is Brad Blanks?
Founder & Content Creator of Shooting Blanks
Brad Blanks AKA “Blanksie”
Since 2000, I have been interviewing famous and not-so-famous people at the world’s largest events. I continually cover the Olympics, Super Bowl, World Series, Oscars, Sundance Film Festival and the Kentucky Derby.
I received a Sports Emmy for my work at the Vancouver Olympics with NBC. I covered many different angles of that year’s Games with stories as crazy as chasing Arnold Schwarzenegger as he carried the Olympic flame, to spending the day with snowboarder Shaun White as he won Gold on the half-pipe pulling off the McTwist.
I love to find people who are passionate about their quest to be the best at their chosen pastime. I have made documentaries about wrestlers in Mongolia, a man that loves rattlesnakes, a community that celebrates diving into freezing cold water, and the aforementioned family that grows giant pumpkins. I recently made a documentary for ESPN about Spring Training Baseball, highlighting the fans’ excitement around their favorite sports teams.
Currently, I’m on the air with Scott Shannon in the Morning with Patty Steele, on WCBS FM 101.1 New York’s Greatest Hits, the #1 radio station in New York City. I can also be heard weekly on the KQRS Morning Show with Tom Bernard in Minneapolis.
This wild and wonderful broadcasting journey began at WPLJ/ABC New York. With no radio experience, I walked into the PLJ studios above Madison Square Garden and onto the very popular Scott and Todd Show, asking them if they needed a Sydney Olympics reporter. Luckily for me, they thought it would be funny to put an Aussie with no experience on their radio show! I returned to Sydney and called in live to the radio station every day during the 2000 Olympics. With no press credentials and no access I managed to create three weeks of entertaining radio reports live from the Sydney Olympics. The following year I was living in New York City and on the radio every day.
Since then I’ve been on the Hamish and Andy Show around Australia every week for 8 years and the KQRS Morning Show in Minneapolis since 2002. My videos can be seen on YouTube, the Entercom streaming platform RADIO.COM as well as WCBSFM.com, and I often appear on ESPN.
I’m also often seen on television around the world. It’s usually the video of me getting my chest autographed by Lindsay Lohan, or another video where I scare Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler on the red carpet. Yes she freaks out!
It’s been an interesting ride!
Drop me a line. I’d love to chat with you. If you need someone to hold a microphone and weave a funny story together, I’m your guy.