94/50 Podcast Cameron Belcher interview on broadcasting

In the 94/50 Podcast Cameron Belcher interview, host Ilyas Kurbanov explained why he is making the show more consistently, how he reached the UBC Thunderbirds broadcast booth and why authentic stories matter more to him than listener totals. He also discussed his Portland Trail Blazers fandom and his view of a disputed Michigan football finish.

How did Ilyas Kurbanov create the 94/50 Podcast and choose its content?

Ilyas Kurbanov started the 94/50 Podcast during COVID after studying journalism and doing university broadcasting work. The show now combines live discussions of sports news and events with interviews designed to let athletes, coaches and trainers explain their own paths into sport, rather than simply answer a fixed list of questions.

Live sports talk with Brandon Graham

Brandon Graham co-hosts the live talk shows. Graham also hosts the First in Ten Podcast. Their conversations cover different sports events and news, giving Kurbanov a format for analysis alongside the longer personal interviews he conducts.

Finding the reason behind a guest’s passion

In those interviews, Kurbanov looks for the part of a familiar story that a guest has not fully explained. If someone has described becoming passionate about a sport but not what sparked that passion, he wants to give them room to answer in their own way. He described the approach as a feature-style conversation.

Work, life and playing basketball made the podcast an on-and-off project for a time. Kurbanov said he has been podcasting since 2020, though he would count about two years of substantial content. He is now producing it more consistently. He connected that effort to his belief that people who have not had a platform may have stories worth hearing. Kurbanov put his central conviction this way:

I strongly believe all of us have a story

How did Ilyas Kurbanov build his sports broadcasting career?

Ilyas Kurbanov began sports commentary in 2019 after writing about basketball and receiving opportunities around Dalhousie University games. He later broadcast for the schools connected to his playing years, moved to Canada’s west coast and is entering his fourth season calling games for the UBC Thunderbirds.

From University of King’s College to the Dalhousie microphone

Kurbanov attended the University of King’s College, a small school he described as having about 1,200 students on campus and a sister-school relationship with Dalhousie University. Someone running Dalhousie’s student newspaper noticed his basketball posts on Twitter and offered him a chance to write. He produced features and then covered games connected to Atlantic University Sport, part of U Sports.

A local commentator encouraged him to get on the microphone. Kurbanov contacted Dalhousie’s communications team in 2019, wrote a preseason-game recap and stayed in touch. Two days before a home opener, he received an email asking him to call the games. With no commentary experience, he handled both play-by-play and color commentary by himself for the women’s and men’s contests.

Continuing through a basketball break and a move west

During the 2019–20 period, Kurbanov stepped back from playing basketball as a new coaching staff took the team in a different personnel direction. Broadcasting remained a way to stay close to the game: he continued working around Dalhousie and University of King’s College, including games for the school where he had played.

After moving west, he began broadcasting basketball and volleyball for the UBC Thunderbirds’ men’s and women’s programs. He said he has also called games at a national tournament hosted in British Columbia. His ambition is to call games on television, but he emphasized the value of getting more repetitions and enjoying the work whether or not that opportunity arrives.

What did Ilyas Kurbanov say about the Trail Blazers and Texans?

Ilyas Kurbanov remains a Portland Trail Blazers fan whose attachment began with watching Brandon Roy as a teenager. His relationship with the Houston Texans is less settled: he still follows the NFL team, but said past management decisions drove him away from calling himself a committed fan.

Brandon Roy and Portland

Kurbanov said he started watching the Trail Blazers when he was about 13. Roy was the player who drew him in, and Kurbanov said Roy’s retirement was the only player retirement that made him cry. He urged people who know Portland mainly through the Damian Lillard era to watch Roy’s highlights.

Why the Texans lost his support

In the NFL, Kurbanov used to follow Houston. He objected to the trade that sent DeAndre Hopkins away for David Johnson and was disheartened when J. J. Watt left. Those moves, he said, made it difficult to keep investing emotionally in the team.

He still pays attention to the Texans and mentioned C. J. Stroud and the defense when discussing their more recent play. That interest has not yet restored his old allegiance; he said the team might eventually win him back.

What did Ilyas Kurbanov think of the Michigan football finish?

Ilyas Kurbanov supports Michigan, but he did not think Michigan deserved to win the close game against Western Michigan that he discussed with Cameron Belcher. He questioned whether a disputed extra second could be judged reliably from a television replay and argued that Michigan’s performance should have kept the game from being close.

Kurbanov had discussed the clock controversy with Brandon Graham on their show. He raised the possibility that a broadcast delay could affect what viewers think they see on a replay, while people at the field have a direct view of the live clock. He did not present that possibility as a settled ruling.

Setting aside his loyalty, Kurbanov’s criticism was about the game itself. He said Michigan had scored only one touchdown before the late Hail Mary and should not have conceded two touchdowns to an opponent it sees regularly on its non-conference schedule.

Looking ahead, he identified Michigan’s passing game as the question for its quarterback. Kurbanov said the quarterback could make plays on the ground, but wanted to see that ability accompanied by more effective passing.

What are Ilyas Kurbanov’s goals for the 94/50 Podcast?

Ilyas Kurbanov wants the 94/50 Podcast to reach more platforms, publish consistently and become known for quality, authentic storytelling. He said a large audience would be welcome, but whether an episode draws 500 listens or 100,000 matters less to him than making something people can enjoy and relate to.

Growth without a listener target

Kurbanov described seeing his audience move from about 8,700 to 9,000 after recent interviews. He appreciated people clicking through or watching, while acknowledging that not every story will interest everyone. For him, the longer-term task is to keep making the work and give the right audience a chance to find it.

Adidas, coffee and possible sponsors

Asked what brands he would like to work with, Kurbanov named adidas, which he said he has worn for at least a decade. He played in Damian Lillard’s signature shoes for most of his basketball career, apart from one version he found uncomfortable. He also favored the idea of a local coffee-shop partnership over naming a large chain, singling out United Strangers in North Vancouver for its quiet, community feel.

How is Ilyas Kurbanov using MILLIONS for the 94/50 Podcast?

Ilyas Kurbanov uses MILLIONS to stream interviews and share 94/50 Podcast content, and he wants to remain on the platform. He values being able to turn a streamed conversation into posts without spending hours finding moments, noting timestamps and cutting clips by hand.

Kurbanov recalled reviewing full episodes for strong answers, writing down where they occurred and editing clips himself. He said a quicker route from a conversation to shareable content frees him to work on other parts of an interview. He also pointed to the platform’s tools for content and merchandise.

The podcast is on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and MILLIONS. Kurbanov said he wants to work out how to publish its content on audio platforms such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Hoodies and T-shirts are planned, though he was still considering what people would be willing to pay for them.

Who is Ilyas Kurbanov?

Ilyas Kurbanov is a former basketball player and journalism student with experience in sports marketing and sports journalism. He created the 94/50 Podcast to give athletes, coaches and others involved in sport a place to tell stories from within and beyond the playing field.