When David Lanys founded the College of Sports Media (CSM) in 2008, he wasn’t trying to reinvent broadcasting education; he was trying to fix it.
After a decade in front of the camera at The Score, Lanys noticed something troubling: too many graduating interns simply weren’t ready for the professional newsroom.
“They could talk sports,” he recalls, “but they couldn’t tell a story, manage a camera, or edit a clip. I wanted to change that.”
That realization became the foundation of a college unlike any other in Canada—one designed entirely around hands-on, practical, real-world broadcast training. And at the heart of that learning environment is Burli Newsroom System, the same software used by newsrooms and stations nationwide.
A Classroom That Works Like a Newsroom
From day one, CSM was built to mirror a working broadcast operation.
Students don’t just learn about news gathering – they live it, producing radio and television segments, writing stories to deadline, and editing audio and video daily.
“Our philosophy is simple,” says Lanys. “Make all your mistakes here, not when you get your first job.”
The college keeps enrollment small at just 40 students per year, divided into two cohorts of 20, to ensure every student gets personal feedback and newsroom-level expectations. The program runs over four semesters with a mandatory internship that places students directly into the industry.
Lanys credits Burli with helping replicate that newsroom intensity.
“When students sit down at Burli, they’re learning the same workflow they’ll use at Sportsnet, Bell Media, or Corus. It’s not simulation, it’s reality. We have changed everything in our facility since day one, from studios, control rooms to chairs and desks; however, we have never deviated from Burli. It has been a constant since day one.”
The Burli Connection
Burli’s relationship with the College of Sports Media extends beyond software licensing. The partnership includes ongoing mentorship, newsroom workflow support, and student scholarships that recognize outstanding performance and commitment to storytelling.
The Burli Scholarship has become one of the college’s most coveted awards, offered annually to students who demonstrate editorial excellence and a passion for news production.
“The scholarship is more than financial help,” says Lanys. “It signals that you’re operating at a professional level, that you’re ready for the industry.”
Burli’s investment in education reflects the company’s broader philosophy: empowering the next generation of journalists by giving them the same professional tools used in top newsrooms across North America.
Preparing Students for an Evolving Media Landscape
As anyone in broadcasting knows, the definition of a “reporter” has changed. Today’s graduates must be multimedia producers, able to research, interview, shoot, edit, and publish across platforms.
At CSM, that expectation is built into the curriculum. Students rotate through every aspect of production; radio, television, digital content, and social media, gaining fluency in tools like Burli for newsroom writing and story management, and Adobe Premiere Pro for video editing.
“If you want to be a reporter,” Lanys tells his students, “You also have to be good at camera, editing, and producing because you’re creating every piece from start to finish.”
The result is a graduate who’s not only employable but adaptable, something the industry increasingly demands. CSM alumni are now working in every major market across Canada — from Vancouver to Halifax — including national platforms like Sportsnet and TSN. They can be found both on-air and behind the scenes, holding roles across all areas of production, from studio shows and live events to digital content creation.
From the Classroom to the Control Room
The partnership between Burli and the College of Sports Media is a living case study in how technology, education, and industry collaboration can prepare young journalists for real-world success.
Students use Burli to write, edit, and manage scripts; to import and trim audio; to build rundowns; and to produce newscasts under deadline, mirroring the professional workflow used in stations from Vancouver to Halifax.
Lanys says the impact is immediate:
“You can see the confidence when they realize they’re working on the same platform as the pros. It gives them credibility from day one of their internship.”
That confidence often translates directly into employment. Industry partners report that CSM graduates arrive already familiar with newsroom systems and ready to contribute without weeks of onboarding.
A Shared Commitment to Innovation and Education
For Burli, supporting institutions like the College of Sports Media isn’t just community outreach, it’s part of a long-term vision to keep Canadian broadcasting strong by ensuring the next generation enters the field fluent in newsroom technology.
The partnership also reflects Burli’s own evolution. As the platform expands into digital publishing, cloud collaboration, and AI-assisted workflows, the educational component becomes even more critical. Students learn both traditional newsgathering and the next wave of newsroom innovation.
Real Tools. Real Deadlines. Real Stories.
Inside CSM’s radio studios, first-year students can often be seen proudly wearing Burli t-shirts, teaching classmates how to file stories and organize rundowns. It’s a small but telling symbol of the school’s culture – collaborative, fast-paced, and rooted in professional standards.
Results That Speak for Themselves
After nearly two decades, CSM’s approach is proving itself. With an 85% success rate and nearly 700 graduates, its alumni are now employed across Canada’s major networks, and its reputation for hands-on, job-ready education continues to grow.
For Burli, it’s validation that investing in education drives tangible results for the industry as a whole.
Looking Ahead
The partnership continues to evolve. Discussions are underway to expand Burli’s footprint within the college’s digital journalism and sports-podcasting courses, reflecting how audio storytelling is expanding beyond traditional radio.
Whether it’s a newscast, a highlight reel, or a podcast, storytelling fundamentals don’t change and Burli remains the backbone of that workflow.
Burli and the College of Sports Media share a common belief that great storytelling begins with great preparation. By merging professional-grade newsroom tools with a practical, mentorship-driven program, they’ve created a model that’s helping shape the future of Canadian broadcasting.
For students, it’s the opportunity to graduate job-ready.
For the industry, it’s a steady stream of talent fluent in the tools that make modern journalism possible.
And for Burli, it’s a reminder that its technology isn’t just powering newsrooms, it’s building the broadcasters of tomorrow.
Burli – News Software
Burli’s newsroom systems help electronic journalists gather, edit, broadcast and publish the news. It’s great software, created for journalists, by journalists.
College of Sports Media
The College of Sports Media is now accepting applications for SEPTEMBER 2026 enrollment.
