Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame Induction To Be Live-Streamed

The Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame will be live-streaming tonight’s (Dec. 16) induction ceremony, which begins at 7 p.m. ET at the New York Hilton Hotel. For the first time, the event is sold out but is available to unregistered “attendees” who link to the event’s online video player at www.sportsvideo.org/halloffame/live-stream/.

Now in its eighth year, the Hall of Fame honors those from across the entire spectrum of sports broadcasting who affected, directly or indirectly, the way sports television is produced. The emcees for tonight’s Hall of Fame induction, which will take place before a live audience of more than 350 industry professionals, are CBS Radio personalities Boomer (Esiason) & Craig (Carton).

Here is the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame Class of 2014:

Ken Aagaard: In a career that began at WMAQ-TV Chicago nearly 45 years ago, Aagaard has had an impact on nearly every major national and global sports event as part of NBC Sports and, currently, CBS Sports, where is EVP of engineering, operations, and production services.

Steve Bornstein: Former NFL Network President/CEO and NFL EVP of Media Bornstein helped guide arguably the nation’s most powerful sports brand. And, previously, as chairman of ESPN and president of ABC he did the same for those two networks as well.

Bob Dixon: Dixon inspired a generation of TV audio professionals during a career that was highlighted by his work on 12 Olympic broadcasts for ABC, CBS, and NBC and saw him help HBO Sports transition from mono to stereo sound. He also designed and implemented the first stereo broadcast of the Olympics (1998) and the first discrete 5.1 surround broadcast (2008). He retired in 2010 following the London Summer Games.

David Hill: Hill has made an indelible mark on the industry, as his work as creator and president of Fox Sports, beginning in 1993, put technology innovation at the forefront. He currently is senior executive VP of 21st Century Fox. In addition, he serves as chairman of National Geographic Channels U.S. and executive producer of American Idol.

George Orgera: Founding CEO/President of F&F Productions Orgera is a pioneer in remote production and remains the driving force behind a company rooted in a commitment to excellence in engineering.

Chris Schenkel: For more than five decades, Schenkel’s unique voice was at the center of many of the world’s biggest sports events. He was the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award.

David Stern: As commissioner of the National Basketball Association from 1984 to 2014, Stern oversaw an era that saw the sport grow in popularity decade after decade. His vision included the launch of NBA TV as well as ensuring that all NBA arenas are designed with TV productions in mind.

“The Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame once again demonstrates a range and diversity of inductees who truly represent the many facets of our unique business,” says Tom Sahara, chairman of the Sports Video Group, which produces the Hall of Fame annual event. “No other industry is so interdependent as one that goes live to air and crafts stories, legends, and dramas in real time before hundreds of millions of people.”

Says Geoff Mason, senior production specialist, ESPN, and a member of the Hall of Fame Class of 2010, “The collective impact this year’s inductees have had on our industry extends well beyond their own organizations. Having worked closely with four of them over the past 45 years, I can personally attest to their unique qualities of leadership and creative accomplishment. Their inductions in December will elevate the entire Hall of Fame enterprise.”

The event will begin with a networking reception at 5:30 p.m. followed by the ceremony at 7 p.m. in the Trianon Ballroom at the New York Hilton Hotel, 1335 Avenue of the Americas.

All proceeds from table sales for the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame are donated to the Sports Broadcasting Fund and help sports-production professionals and their families who find themselves in financial difficulty due to illness, injury, or loss of life.