Steve Rosenberg, Sinclair Broadcast Group, President of Local Sports

Steve Rosenberg has over 25 years of executive experience in the Entertainment and Broadcast Media space. He joined Sinclair Broadcast Group in July 2020 as president of local sports. In this role, Rosenberg oversees 19 regional sports networks (RSNs) – collaborating with 42 team partners – and Stadium, Sinclair’s multi-screen streaming sports network. Prior to his position with Sinclair, Rosenberg worked at Universal Studios for over 20 years.

A native of New York City, Rosenberg began his career in media at Universal Studios working in sales and was promoted to vice president of eastern sales and national sales manager. In the following years, he became executive vice president of sales responsible for all domestic television revenue, for both programming and advertising sales. In 1997, Rosenberg was named president of Universal Domestic Television and in 2001, added co-president of Universal Television and World-Wide Distribution, where he was responsible for all programming, production, distribution, legal and business affairs, content development, promotion, marketing, and all new media activities across all markets globally. He oversaw an extensive library of Universal content and products that were distributed worldwide, including more than 5,000 feature films and over 40,000 hours of series television.

Jim Armintrout, Seattle Mariners, Television Director

Gabriel Baños, Flowics, CEO and Founder

Gabriel Baños is the CEO and founder of Flowics, the most comprehensive cloud based platform powering in-studio and remote production of live graphics and interactive for linear and digital broadcasters.

Baños holds a degree in systems engineering and has been a tech entrepreneur for more than 12 years, being involved in the launch of several startups in both the B2C and B2B verticals. He was elected an endeavor entrepreneur in 2015.

Jared Boshnack, YES Network, Senior Coordinating Producer

Jared Boshnack is the 27-time Emmy Award-winning senior coordinating producer for the YES Network. He joined YES as graphics coordinator on its March 19, 2002 launch date.

The YES Network, the most-watched regional sports network in the country 16 of the last 18 years, is the exclusive regional television home of the 27-time World Champion New York Yankees, the Brooklyn Nets, MLS’ New York City FC, and WNBA’s New York Liberty. The network has won 126 New York Emmy Awards since its 2002 launch.

Over the course of his career at YES, Boshnack has tackled all aspects of production, picking up 26 New York Emmy Awards and two Promax/BDA Awards along the way. In 2002 and again in 2005, he oversaw the creation and launch of Emmy Award-winning graphics packages for YES that helped visually define and brand the network.

Boshnack later produced YES’ innovative Yankees pre- and post-game shows, Yankees Batting Practice Today, Yankees Hot Stove, The Joe Girardi Show, This Week In Football, and programming specials such as press conferences and season previews.

In 2012, Boshnack was named coordinating producer, studio, overseeing all studio programming as well as graphics, research, editors, and features. He was promoted to coordinating producer in 2017 and senior coordinating producer the next year. He currently oversees all YES production efforts in tandem with John J. Filippelli, YES’ president of production & programming, and plays a lead role in programming development, as well.

Boshnack has also been the YES production department’s point person in working with the company’s digital media team, coordinating production and promotion efforts. This includes YES’ Facebook Live telecasts of its Yankees and Nets pre-game show production meetings which launched in 2016 and which Boshnack originally hosted.

In response to the pandemic’s shutting down live sports last year, Boshnack headed all of YES’ critically acclaimed programming, including its YES We’re Here and Yankees Summer Camp original series.

Before arriving at YES, Boshnack was a production assistant, graphics coordinator, feature producer, and field producer for live events (Wide World of Sports, Indy Racing League, NFL, Figure Skating, and College Football) at various times at ABC Sports, where he won one National Emmy Award.  Prior to ABC Sports, he was a broadcast operations assistant at CBS Sports.

Boshnack is a 1998 graduate of Queens College.

Jon Bradford, ROOT SPORTS, Vice President and Executive Producer

Jon Bradford has worked in the sports broadcast industry since his graduation from Western Washington University in 1984. Starting as a sports department intern for a local TV station, then a graphics coordinator and segment producer for live broadcasts, Bradford eventually took over the Seattle SuperSonics producer role in 1995.

In addition to his basketball duties, Bradford has also produced pro and college football, MLB, college basketball, MLS, golf, horse racing, and hydroplane racing. He became the vice president and executive producer of then FSN NW, now ROOT SPORTS in 2009.

Bob Carzoli, Program Productions, Chairman and CEO

For over two full decades, Robert Carzoli has overseen the astronomical growth of Program Productions, XLT Management Services, and ProCrewz. Today, these entities make up the industry’s largest labor management group.

A consecutive thirteen year run on Inc. Magazine’s “500/5000 List of the Fastest Growing Privately-Held Companies” put Program Productions in rarified air as only 12 other companies in the history of the list have had similar track records. In 2022, when XLT Management Services becomes eligible for the list, it’s certain that it will begin a run of its own. This a testament to the outstanding customer service, technology platforms, and employer-of-choice status that these companies have enjoyed under Carzoli’s leadership.

Carzoli brings over 30 years of diverse labor management experience to his companies and their customers. His expertise in managing union relationships, developing employer-side liability and risk-management platforms, and extensive knowledge of navigating complex federal and state labor laws has helped his organizations become unique in the history of sports broadcasting.  Under his leadership, the companies reach across North America and are actively building an international platform that will service Europe and Asia.

Carzoli’s foresight and understanding of the industry led him to develop and launch the ProCrewz technology platform. By combining a cutting-edge, client-facing technology with the industry’s premier employee-based mobile application, ProCrewz has rewritten how events are managed in an ever-changing production environment. Now, over 10,000 field technicians and their supervisors rely on ProCrewz to deliver real-time information and capture on-location data every day.

Carzoli continuously seeks out and retains the best and brightest personnel in the industry. The companies’ management, accounting, crewing, client support, and legal units are universally acknowledged for their excellence, dedication to client satisfaction, and the passion they bring to their jobs.

Carzoli is active in a number of national and local charities including the Sports Broadcasting Fund, Merging Vets and Players, and most recently, has worked with industry Hall-of-Famers Geoffery Mason and Jerry Steinberg to lead the efforts of the Sports Video Group’s Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation initiative to ensure that broadcast technicians and their families have access to today’s most-trusted addiction and mental health care  resources.

Today, Carzolii and his wife split their time between their homes in Scottsdale, AZ and the Chicagoland area.

Mike Connelly, Bally Sports, SVP and Executive Producer

Mike Connelly is senior vice president and executive producer of Bally Sports Regional Networks, responsible for the day-to-day production of Bally Sports’ 22 regional sports networks. He oversaw the launch of the new network on March 31, 2021. Connelly also manages partnerships with the NHL, NBA, and MLB with more than 7,800 productions that include 12 NHL teams, 17 NBA teams, and 16 MLB teams.

Connelly previously oversaw production for Fox Sports Networks and led the transition of the regional networks to the Fox Sports brand and FS1, overhauling studios, staging, and sets in more than 54 arenas and studios across the country. He also has integrated new graphics systems, on-air talent, producers, directors, executives, and content to grow the Fox Sports brand in each of the 22 markets. Connelly oversaw the launch of Fox Sports San Diego, STO, and the acquisition of YES Network productions into the Fox Sports family.

A 32-year veteran of the sports television profession, Connelly worked with five different regional sports networks and five national sports networks during his time in the industry. Prior to his current position at Bally Sports and Fox Sports, he spent six years as SVP and General Manager of Fox Sports Arizona, which marked a homecoming for him. As from 1997-2001, he served as Fox Sports Arizona’s first-ever executive producer and spearheaded efforts to launch the network’s production department in the summer of 1997. He oversaw the launch of Fox Sports North and Wisconsin in 2001, and production head for Fox Sports West and West 2 and national sports programming from 2003 to 2006.

Connelly previously worked as a producer and director for 15 years for FSN, CBS, NBC, ABC, ESPN, The Baseball Network, and WCCO Television/Midwest Sports Channel. Local team productions include the Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota North Stars, Minnesota Wild, Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Coyotes, Minnesota Wild, and the Big Ten Conference. He received his first of 45 Regional Emmy Awards in 1996 and 1997 for his work producing coverage of University of Minnesota hockey and received multiple Emmy nominations for his work on Twins and Timberwolves telecasts.

Born and raised in Minneapolis, MN, Connelly attended the University of Minnesota’s School of Mass Communications and Brown College of Broadcasting and Engineering. He currently resides in Palos Verdes Estates, CA.

Brandon Costa, SVG, Director of Digital

Brandon Costa covers the sports video production industry with a focus on live streaming, over-the-top (OTT), social media, and other digital distribution technologies and platforms. He also directs SVG’s internal digital strategies launching the company’s video outfit, ‘SVG On Demand,’ designing and overseeing its mobile application, ‘SVG Mobile,’ and serving as executive producer and host of The SVG Podcast. Costa serves as program director of networking events serving the SVG College and SVG Digital communities. Prior to his time at SVG, Costa spent five years producing digital content for MLB Advanced Media.

Kevin Cross, NBCUniversal Local Chicago, President

Kevin Cross serves as president of NBCUniversal Local Chicago, overseeing NBC 5 (WMAQ) Telemundo Chicago (WSNS), and NBC Sports Chicago. He was elevated to his current position on June 1, 2021 after serving as senior vice president and general manager of NBC Sports Chicago since 2019.

In his newly expanded role, Cross manages the stations’ news, digital, sales, finance, marketing, community, and tech/ops departments while continuing to oversee NBC Sports Chicago’s day-to-day operations and relationship with its key stakeholders.

A veteran of the regional sports network industry, Cross has worked in the Chicago area in a range of roles that expand management, syndication for national sports programming, news management, production for live pre/post shows, and remote field work, among others.

In 2020, NBC Sports Chicago ranked in the top five of the most watched regional sports networks in the country. Cross was also instrumental in bringing on numerous former Chicago professional athletes over the years as network analysts. From 2012 to 2017, he was senior director of news and original content at NBC Sports Chicago (formerly CSN Chicago). Before that, he was the network’s assistant news director, producing and staffing a variety of studio shows and orchestrating remote field reports.

Cross began his sports TV career at SportsChannel Chicago in 1993 as a producer. During the network’s transition to Fox Sports Chicago in 1998, he was promoted to senior producer and orchestrated the network’s live pre/post-game shows for Bulls and White Sox telecasts.

In 2000, Cross became president/executive producer of Timeline Productions, where he created syndicated sports programming for national distribution (including Fox Sports) in 65 million households. In 2003, Cross joined CLTV as executive producer of their sports department, where he oversaw all editorial content and helped create the network’s popular Sports Page Roundtable & SP Express programs.

Cross is a multiple Chicago/Mid-West Emmy Award winner. He was also named as a Top Regionals Power Player for 2020 by Cablefax. He earned a bachelor’s degree in television production from Chicago’s Columbia College. He resides in Chicago, IL.

Jason Dachman, SVG, Chief Editor and RSN Summit Program Director

Jason Dachman oversees all aspects of SVG’s North American editorial operations, including the thrice-weekly SVG Insider newsletter and SVG’s annual print publications. A member of the SVG team since 2009, Dachman also serves as program director for SVG’s RSN Summit, Sports Content Management Forum, Sports Graphics Forum, and TranSPORT event. Prior to joining SVG, he spent three years covering local sports for The Patriot Ledger in Quincy, MA, and two years on the production staff of SiriusXM Satellite Radio’s The Ron & Fez Show. Dachman began his career in the Sports Information Department at Northeastern University in Boston, where he also earned a B.A. in media communications and cinema studies.

Rich Eilers, Canon U.S.A., National Accounts Sales Director

Rich Eilers is the national accounts sales director for Canon U.S.A.’s Professional Products Sales and Engineering Group. A veteran of the broadcast business and Canon, he has been leading the company’s strategic approach to the sports production market. Serving in a number of field and sales management positions over his tenure, Eilers has been coordinating and managing the support efforts by Canon for over 25 years at the largest sports events the industry handles.

Brian Erdlen, SNY, Chief Revenue Officer

Brian Erdlen is the chief revenue officer at SportsNet New York (SNY), the regional sports network owned by Sterling Entertainment, Charter Communications, and NBCU. In his role, Erdlen manages all activities of a sales organization responsible for the linear and digital revenue generation across all network content including the NY Mets, NY Jets, University of Connecticut women’s basketball, and an extensive slate of original studio-based news and entertainment programming.

From 2002 – 2006, Erdlen was the local sales manager at New England Sports Network overseeing a staff responsible for selling television advertising in Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins programming, as well as numerous other local initiatives.

He began his career in television in 1995 at Tribune-owned WLVI-TV in Boston as the programming financial analyst. After transitioning to sales in 1997, Erdlen held several positions including account executive, local sales manager, and national sales manager. Before that, he spent several years in the audit practice at Coopers & Lybrand in Boston.

Erdlen received a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Villanova University. He lives in Darien, CT.

Jeff Filippi, MSG Networks, SVP, Programming and Production / Executive Producer

At MSG Networks, Jeff Filippi oversees more than 300 live telecasts each year for six professional teams: the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Red Bulls, and the Westchester Knicks. He also oversees pre- and post-game coverage, MSG Networks’ live studio shows, and manages over 30 on-air talent, in addition to all production personnel. Filippi joined MSG Networks in 2005.

Prior to joining MSG Networks, Filippi held roles at every major network including ABC, NBC, CBS, and ESPN. He produced seven US Open Tennis Championships for USA Network and worked as a producer on four Winter Olympic Games. He was also an original hire at Classic Sports Network where he served as vice president and executive producer through the network’s sale to ESPN.

Filippi has won two national and seventeen New York area Emmy Awards.

A longtime New York sports fan, Filippi was born in Manhattan, raised in Queens, and currently resides on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Andy Fineberg, Wildmoka, Solution Discovery and Account Management Director

From his early days as a student videographer at the University of Colorado-Boulder Athletics department, through his NFL career as a team videographer and instant-replay technician, Andy Fineberg has embraced a passion for video technology. In the early 2000’s, Fineberg transitioned from a behind the camera/ behind the scenes role to working for technology start-ups. As the industry shifted from linear to digital, he was on the forefront of the industry.

Fineberg’s career path has taken him from providing video and data analysis tools for sports leagues, to Twitter where he supported clients using the latest video technology for social media. In his current role as solution discovery and account management director at Wildmoka, Fineberg works hand in hand with some of the largest media and TV broadcast companies in the US. His primary focus is implementing cloud-based video publishing and content creation tools. Fineberg’s experience brings years of delivering solutions that complement and integrate traditional broadcast workflows with social media, digital publishing, and the expanding needs for short-form digital content in OTT and mobile apps.

Kristian Hernandez, SVG, Associate Editor and Social Media Manager

Kristian Hernandez handles day-to-day construction of the SVG Insider newsletter, oversees all social media content distribution, and covers various sports technology topics for Sports Video Group. In addition, he is the program director for the annual SVG Venue Summit and the Teams Summit.

Before joining SVG, Hernandez served as co-founder of CHC-TV, the first student-run television studio at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, PA. While at CHC, Hernandez produced a daily sports show named “On the Hill with Hernandez” — covering all men’s and women’s athletics for the college. Also, Hernandez spearheaded the college’s newspaper, “The Griffin”, as its sports editor. Hernandez graduated with a B.A. in communications. Born in Brooklyn, NY, he currently lives in Queens, NY.

Brett Jungbluth, ROOT SPORTS, Chief Engineer

Brett Jungbluth has worked in the RSN space for nearly six years as the chief engineer at ROOT SPORTS. In his time there, Jungbluth has overseen design and implementation of a new studio, as well as two new production control rooms. He is currently in the transition of a new IP workflow and preparing to bring on both the Seattle Kraken and Portland Trailblazers to the network.

Jungbluth is proud to be a part of the Emmy award winning team at ROOT SPORTS. He lives in Seattle, WA.

Ken Kerschbaumer, SVG, Co-Executive Director, Editorial

Ken Kerschbaumer is co-executive director of editorial services for the Sports Video Group and SVG Europe. He was a co-founder of SVG along with Paul Gallo and Marty Porter in 2005 and has been writing about how sports networks and leagues use video and audio technology to deliver a quality TV experience since 1991. Kerschbaumer began his career in 1991 at Television Broadcast magazine before joining Cahners where he was founding editor of Digital Broadcasting magazine. In 2000, he joined Broadcasting & Cable magazine as senior editor of technology where he covered all aspects of broadcasting, cable, and internet content creation and distribution.

Mike Kralec, Sinclair Broadcast Group, VP, Technical Operations and Deputy CTO

Mike Kralec currently and since 2018 has served as the VP of technical operations and deputy CTO where his focus is on transformation for media operations and ATSC 3.0 commercialization. Prior to that and from 2014, Kralec served as VP of data systems and information technology services where he focused on capturing technology value through advances in enterprise mobility, program/service delivery, security, governance, and data management. From 2010, Kralec was director of data systems development and from 2005, he served as systems development manager. From 2000 to 2005, he was a software developer.

Kralec received his Bachelor of Science in computer science from Towson University and his Master of Business Administration from Loyola University Maryland. He is a veteran of the United States Navy.

Kenny Miller, Altitude Sports and Entertainment, EVP and General Manager/Executive Producer

A.J. Ponsiglione, Spectrum SportsNet and SportsNet LA, Senior Coordinating Producer, Studio and Live Events

As senior coordinating producer, A.J. Ponsiglione oversees all studio programming and live events for Spectrum SportsNet and Spectrum SportsNet LA. SportsNet LA serves as the television home of the Los Angeles Dodgers, while SportsNet is the broadcast partner of the Los Angeles Lakers, LA Galaxy, LA Sparks, and serves as the official TV home of the CIF High School State Championships.  Prior to his current role, Ponsiglione served as coordinating producer for studio programming, helping launch SportsNet in 2012, and later oversaw the launch of SportsNet LA in 2014. His sports production experience also includes nearly four years as coordinating producer at ESPN where he helped launch and oversee the Los Angeles based edition of SportsCenter. Ponsiglione started his career as a sports producer in 1997 at KCBS/KCAL in Los Angeles.

Michael Rebel, Imagine Communications, Director, Solution Architecture, Cloud and Advanced Workflows

With over 20 years of experience in post production, broadcast, and new media, Michael Rebel has fulfilled successful roles on both sides of the industry as a director of digital media operations, as well as a director of solution architecture within the media and entertainment industry. This has given him solid in-depth knowledge and insight into the industry.

Rebel’s knowledge includes the detailed ability to assess client issues faced day-to-day by developing custom solutions and workflows to resolve those issues. He has created solutions and designs that have solved both operational and financial concerns. A portfolio of achievements includes increasing productivity, increased sales, driving new technology, improving workflows, and strong client relationships.

Rebel’s specialities include broadcast workflows and distribution, post production, IP video infrastructure, cloud and VM infrastructure, media processing, video transcoding and encoding, digital distribution, and workflow design and procedures. His job experience includes time at Modern VideoFilm (1997 – 2012), Digital Rapids/Imagine Communications (2012 – 2016), Prime Focus Technology (2016 – 2017), Ooyala (2017 – 2018), and Imagine Communications (2018 – present). Rebel’s major project participation includes time spent on feature film media and metadata QC workflow for Apple iTunes; AWS Cloud channel playout for Sinclair Broadcasting; direct-to-NOC distribution workflow for PBS; VOD media processing and distribution (TV-Every Where) for Turner Broadcasting; media processing and conversion workflow for HBO Los Angeles; and first onsite digital dailies process and workflow for Modern VideoFilm.

Brian Rogers, VSiN, EVP of Production

Mike Santini, Marquee Sports Network, SVP, Programming and Production

Mike Santini joined Marquee Sports Network as senior vice president of programming and production in November of 2019, responsible for managing the network’s live programming, original content, on-air talent, and production staff. Prior to joining Marquee, Santini served as vice president of production at MLB Network, where he managed the award-winning production department and oversaw popular shows such as MLB Tonight and MLB Central. He was involved in the launch of both Marquee Sports Network in 2020 and MLB Network in 2009. Prior to joining MLB Network, Santini spent over 20 years in various production roles at MSG Networks. He graduated from the University of Connecticut.

Jon Slobotkin, NBC Sports Regional Networks, SVP, Content and Live Programming

Curtis Wilson, ROOT SPORTS, Senior Producer

Curtis Wilson has been a part of ROOT SPORTS in all incarnations since 1990. He started as a graphics operator the day after attending graduation at Washington State University, eventually taking over the Seattle Mariners producer role in 1997 for the RSN telecasts. Since the 2001 season, he has averaged about 130 games per season as the ROOT SPORTS lead MLB producer. In addition to his baseball duties, Wilson has also produced college football, college basketball, horse racing, and MLS matches for ROOT SPORTS. Some of you may recall his work as graphics operator for MLB’s Post Season on The Baseball Network and NBC in the 1990’s, and his contributions to NBC’s Olympics coverage in 1996, 2000, 2002, and 2004.

Howard Zalkowitz, NESN, Executive Producer

Howard Zalkowitz currently heads programming and production for NESN as the acting executive producer. During the pandemic, Zalkowitz was a member of the NESN Safety Team and the NHL and MLB Broadcast Restart Committees. Since joining NESN in 2013 as senior coordinating producer/director of production, Zalkowitz has overseen remote, studio, and original production for NESN’s coverage of the Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins.

From 1995 – 2012, Zalkowitz was a producer and executive at Turner Sports. As the vice president of production from 2008 – 2012, he ran content and cross-departmental integration for the NBA on TNT and MLB on TBS. In 2011, Zalkowitz was a core member of the Turner-CBS NCAA Tournament launch team. In 2007 – 2008, he was an integral part of Turner Sports assuming management of NBA Digital.

A 14-time Emmy Award winner, Zalkowitz is a member of Broadcasting & Cable’s 2008 class of “Next Wave of Industry Leaders.” He is a 1990 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. Zalkowitz began his career at CBS Sports as an olympic researcher for the 1992 Albertville and 1994 Lillehammer Olympic Winter Games.