Artie Kempner is the lead director for both the NFL and
NASCAR on Fox. He joined Fox Sports in the fall of 1994 for its inaugural
season covering the National Football League. Along with producer Richie
Zyontz, Kempner worked on Fox’s #2 team with broadcasters Dick Stockton and
Matt Millen from 1994-2000. In 2001, he, Zyontz and Stockton, teamed with
new analysts Troy Aikman and Daryl Johnston. The following season,
Kempner and Zyontz were promoted to the number one team at Fox with Aikman, Cris
Collinsworth and Joe Buck. The group worked three campaigns together,
culminating with Super Bowl XXXIX in
Jacksonville.
In 2005, Collinsworth left for the NBC studio, and Kempner & Zyontz
continued their A-Team work with Aikman and Buck. The group with televise
Super Bowl XLII this season.
Kempner is also the coordinating director of NASCAR on Fox,
and directs the Nextel Cup telecasts. Fox took over NASCAR in 2001, and
garnered an Outstanding Series Emmy in that first season. The coverage
was honored once again with the Outstanding Series Emmy in 2005.
From 1995-1999, Kempner directed Fox’s NHL coverage,
including the NHL All-Star games and Stanley Cup playoffs. As a former
Junior hockey player and a diehard NY Rangers’ fan, the hockey years at Fox
were very enjoyable for the
Long Island
native.
Kempner began his television production career at CBS Sports
in 1982 working as a researcher and production assistand on the NFL Today and
NCAA Today studio shows. He was hired as a Broadcast Associate in 1983
and moved to associate director in 1986. From 1987-91, Kempner directed
the US Open Tennis for the USA Network, while working for CBS on its NFL,
College Football, PGA Tour, and NCAA Basketball Tournament coverage. He
was promoted to a full-time director in 1990 at CBS, working both college and
NFL packages, the Masters and PGA Championship and Alpine skiing at both the
1992 and 1994 Winter Olympic games. He also directed hockey for CBS at
the 1998 Games in
Nagano.
An 8-time sports Emmy winner, Kempner is very active in
fundraising efforts for autism research and the Autism Speaks
organization. He is the founding and past president of the Autism Society
of Delaware and a former board member of the Autism Society of America.
His passion to help advocate for the autism community was motivated when his
middle son Ethan was diagnosed with the disorder in 1998.
Kempner played football at the
University of
Florida
and graduated in 1981 with a degree in Journalism and Communications. He
lives in
Wilmington,
Delaware with his wife Marcy (a 7-time
sports Emmy winner in her own right), and their three sons, Matt, Ethan and
Jack.