ASSOCIATION LEADERSHIP
FROM THE CHAIRMAN
COMMUNITY KEY TO TACKLING INDUSTRY CHALLENGES By Mike Davies SVG, Advisory Board Chairman
When you have your name listed after those of Ken Aagaard, Steve Hellmuth, and then Tom Sahara, you know that you have a hard act to follow as SVG Chairman. Needless to say, I am honored to be the new Chairman of the Sports Video Group Advisory Board. I’ve been involved with the Group since its outset, so the temptation is to look back at the beginning, back to 2006 when Aagaard, Hellmuth, and a small committee were brought together by SVG co-founders Paul Gallo, Marty Porter, and Ken Kerschbaumer to lay out a vision for a new association. The goal was to foster communication and cooperation in this industry, beginning with those of us here in the U.S. Since then, SVG has become a near-household word in our industry and I think many would agree has become the very basis for this special intercompany community we all share. I’ve always said that when you work in this industry, you achieve a certain degree of fame. Many people know each other, or at least of each other, and the “Bacon Principle” is far tighter than six degrees in our business. In fact, I hereby introduce the “Aagaard Principle”, which posits that anyone working in sports production is no more than two degrees of separation from Ken and all he has done. These strong ties bind this industry as we increasingly use SVG as the method of official exhibition and research for our business. And this SVG community could not be more needed now. Every year, our business speeds up a bit and gets even more complex. The issues facing us today require a good understanding of the challenges and opportunities new technologies like UHD, HDR, IP, 5G, and more provide. And there is another layer as well, as we need to understand virtualized resources, workplace safety, and even cybersecurity. All of these areas on their own would be a challenge to sort through. But all at once? Shared knowledge will be key as we tackle these challenges and SVG events — as well as information shared in its newsletter, podcasts, and videos — are important pillars to do that efficiently. In so many cases, the goal is not necessarily to find the right answer, but the search to find the answer that best suits the unique challenge presented. And the companies represented within SVG — a mix of end users, vendors, manufacturers, and service providers — ensures that a given problem is looked at from a wide range of perspectives. And that, ultimately, means better conversations with diverse opinions and viewpoints. And while our business is about storytelling, it is one rooted in technology. The better we are educated about those technologies the better we all are for it and the better stories we can tell. I’m thrilled to continue to be a part of it as SVG continues to serve the information and knowledge needs of our industry. But the community we have formed does more than just share knowledge: we share the burden. The SVG Sports Broadcasting Fund continues to distribute money to those in need due to illness or catastrophe. After seeing first hand the difference that can be made in the lives of the people who work with us, I’m further committed to evangelizing and supporting the unique and meaningful mission that it accomplishes. As I look over the lists of our members, our advisory board, and our sponsors — along with the institutions of the SVG Sports Broadcasting Fund and the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame — I see a huge, global community of which I am proud to be a part. < 4
SPORTSTECHJOURNAL / FALL 2019
>CHAIR
Mike Davies, Fox Sports, SVP, Technical and Field Operations
>EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Ken Aagaard, SVG Chairman Emeritus and HOF Chairman Andrea Berry, PRG, VP and General Manager, Broadcast and Television Eric Black, NBC Sports Digital, CTO Jason Cohen, CBS Sports and CBS Sports Network, VP, Remote Technical Operations Mike Connelly, Fox Regional Sports Networks, SVP, Production Scott Gillies, SkyRae, President Steve Hellmuth, SVG Chairman Emeritus and NBA Entertainment, EVP, Media Operations and Technology Jeff Jacobs, Skyline Sports and Entertainment, Principal Patty Power, CBS Sports, EVP, Operations and Engineering Tom Sahara, SVG Chairman Emeritus Susan Stone, MLB Network, SVP, Engineering and Operations
>ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS
Adam Acone, NFL Network, Director, Media Operations and Planning Glenn Adamo, Ivanhoe Media and Entertainment, President Peter Angell, Lagardère, SVP Onnie Bose, NFL, VP of Broadcasting Chris Brown, Turner Sports, VP, Sports Production Technology Tab Butler, MLB Network, Senior Director, Media Management and Post Production Chris Calcinari, ESPN, SVP, Remote Production Operations, ESPN and ABC Sports Mary Ellen Carlyle, Dome Productions, SVP and GM Ken Clausen, HBO, Director of Production Joe Cohen, The Switch, President, Sports Michael Cohen, Bizzy Signals Entertainment, President/ Executive Producer Don Colantonio, Industry Consultant Scott Davis, CBS Sports, VP of Broadcast Operations Jim DeFilippis, Industry Consultant Ed Delaney, Industry Consultant Jed Drake, Industry Consultant David Dukes, PGA Tour Entertainment, Senior Director, Technical Operations Jerry Gepner, CP Communications, COO Steve Gorsuch, Industry Consultant Ken Goss, NBC Sports, SVP of Remote Operations & Production Planning Mark Haden, NHL, Group VP, Broadcast Technology Ed Holmes, The Holmes Group, Principal Deb Honkus, NEP Broadcasting, Chairman of the Board George Hoover, Industry Consultant Darryl Jefferson, NBC Sports Group, VP, Postproduction and Digital Workflow Robert Jordan, CVE, 1337 Facilities, CEO John Kvatek, University of Central Florida Knights, Senior Associate AD/ External Operations John Leland, PSL International, LLC, Principal Glen Levine, NEP, President, U.S. Louis Libin, Broad Comm, President Jodi Markley, ESPN, EVP, Content Operations and Creative Services Bernadette McDonald, Major League Baseball, SVP, Broadcasting Grant Nodine, NHL, SVP, Technology Ken Norris, UCLA, Director of Video Operations Gary Olson, GHO Group, Managing Director Del Parks, Sinclair Broadcast Group, SVP and CTO Scott Rinehart, University of Notre Dame, Director, Broadcast Technology Larry Rogers, FirstInTV, President Mike Rokosa, NHRA, Technology Executive Scott Rothenberg, NEP, SVP, Technology and Asset Management Oscar Sanchez, CONCACAF, Director of Broadcast Operations Bruce Shapiro, Broadcast Consulting Tracey Shaw, WWE, SVP, Network and TV Operations Jack Simmons, Industry Consultant Don Sperling, New York Giants Entertainment, VP and Executive Producer Jerry Steinberg, Industry Consultant Patrick Sullivan, Game Creek Video, President Jason Taubman, Game Creek Video, VP Design/New Technology Larry Tiscornia, Major League Soccer, VP, Broadcasting Jacob Ullman, Fox Sports, SVP, Production and Talent Development John Ward, iNDEMAND, EVP and Chief Technical Officer Ernie Watts, Turner, Manager, Transmission Operations Center Mike Webb, YES Network, VP, Broadcast Operations Jeff Willis, Industry Consultant Dave Zur, KSE Media Ventures, SVP, Operations & Engineering