There was a time when broadcasting decisions had to travel through numerous channels at a network. There was a time when television transmission was done over phone lines. There was a time the Olympics were a just modest program offering. Then came Jack Weir, whose 40-year career at NBC changed all that. “From an operations [...]
During more than four decades at NBC, Cory Leible revolutionized the use of the handheld camera on everything from NFL sidelines to U.S. Open putting greens to presidential inaugurations. He elevated the role of the handheld operator to an art form, offering viewers a new perspective for watching live sports. “For over 30 years, Cory [...]
By now, we recall great games from the way we saw them on television, and, to a large extent, the way those sports events looked is because of the imagination of Ed Goren. The former vice chairman of Fox Sports Media Group assembled a sports life that is more like a highlight reel of great [...]
In the sports industry, it is rare to find an executive who is both brilliant at business and an exceptional marketer. Dick Ebersol is both, plus an outstanding producer. A legendary storyteller known for his passion, creativity, and execution, he is a superstar in not one field but three. “In this business, you never really [...]
Pro-football legend and pioneer George Halas once called NFL Films the “keepers of the flame,” entrusted with preserving the game’s history as well as preaching the NFL gospel to future generations. Today, thanks largely to the luminous creative force of Steve Sabol, that flame shines brighter than ever nearly half a century after his father [...]
It was in the early 1980s when Ron Scalise joined ESPN as an A2, helping the then-fledgling network cover events at the Hartford (CT) Civic Center. Over the next 25 years, his impact on the industry followed the same trajectory as that of the network, and Scalise not only redefined the sports-audio experience for viewers [...]
Perhaps the only director to don protective elbow pads before his broadcasts, Teddy Nathanson was a study in contrasts. Absent-minded and forgetful outside the production truck, he was laser-sharp inside it, directing 21 Wimbledon championships and 13 Super Bowls during his 37 years at NBC. With intensity tempered by a penchant for practical jokes, Nathanson’s [...]
Before Ed Sabol turned a bird’s-eye view of the NFL into an all-access backstage tour, his cinematic experience consisted of home movies. The immensely creative overcoat salesman envisioned a new way to tell stories and, as the founder of NFL Films, taught himself everything he needed to know to revolutionize the way Americans watch sports. [...]
Anyone who has ever watched a World Series game is familiar with the work of Harry Coyle. A director who spent 42 years creating the on-air look of baseball games, he was the thread connecting the first 35 televised World Series, and his innovations changed productions throughout the sports world. “Harry was one of those [...]
Frank Chirkinian is best described in his own words: “I was probably the most innovative and brilliant son of a bitch that ever worked in television. I’ve done so damn many things I can’t remember half of them.” The father of televised golf, Chirkinian produced 38 consecutive Masters Tournament telecasts, making golf a mainstay in [...]