League Summit adds Director’s Cut Panel

The SVG League Technology Summit today announced the addition of a new panel to the Dec. 11 event in New York City: SVG, The Director’s Cut: Where Art Meets Technology. “Directors are the cornerstone of any sports TV production, bringing together a creative vision with cutting edge technology to tell better and richer stories,” says Ken Kerschbaumer, SVG editorial director. “We’re excited to have some of the nation’s leading director’s discuss how they’re grappling with dual HD/SD telecasts, the opportunities ahead, and the new tools they enjoy.”

Moderated by Tom Sahara, Turner Sports, Senior Director of Remote Operations and IT, the panel will feature John Moore, YES Network, Director and Michael Narracci, New England Sports Network Senior Coordinating Director. National network directors will be added to the program in the next few days.

The complete program includes:

8:30-9:30

IPTV Sports: Broadband and Beyond
IPTV is changing the way sports content is being delivered to consumers and is bringing the content originally designed for the TV screen closer and closer to the PC screen and mobile devices. How are the relationships between the broadcast and broadband departments at the leagues and networks evolving? What tools and technologies can help the broadband and broadcast departments have a more unified workflow? And how can complementary business models be created?

Moderator:
Harlan Neugeboren, Workflow & Technology Group, CEO

Featuring:
Gordon Castle, TBS/Turner Sports, Technology Fellow
Joe Inzerillo, MLB.com SVP, Multimedia and Distribution
Grant Nodine, NHL.com, Manager Technical and Web Operations
Andre Mendes, Special Olympics, Chief Information Officer
Eric Weinstein, NBA Entertainment Director, Broadband Programming

9:30-10:30
Remote Production CEO Report
2008 promises to be the year of HD as sports networks look to broadcast all professional-level events and an ever-increasing number of collegiate and amateur events in HD. What steps and innovations in design are remote production companies taking to ensure their fleets are ready for the increased demand for HD? What options are available for smaller HD productions? And what type of facilities are required for cost-effective broadband productions?

Moderator:
Russell Gabay, Major League Baseball International, VP and executive producer

Featuring:
Lou Borrelli, NEP, CEO
Mark Howorth, NMT, CEO
Barry Johnstone, Euromedia Group, COO
Pat Sullivan, Game Creek, President
Mike Werteen, NCP, VP, marketing

10:30-11:00 NETWORKING BREAK, Exhibit Area

11:00-12:00
A Network of Their Own: Maximizing a League Network
Increasingly professional sports leagues and even collegiate conferences are looking to launch their own networks. Top executives from league and conference networks like the NFL Network, NBA TV, the MLB Channel and the Big Ten Network discuss what it takes to launch a league-specific network, how they benefit traditional network partners, and how they’re approaching HDTV production.

Moderator:
Adam Acone, NHL VP, broadcasting and programming
Featuring:
Tim Brosnan, MLB Network Executive Vice President, Business
Tracy Dolgin, YES Network, President and CEO
Steve Hurlbut, The MountainWest Sports Network, Executive Producer and Programming Director
Mike Rokosa, NBA Entertainment Vice President, Engineering
Leon Schweir, Big Ten Network Executive Producer

12:00-1:15: NETWORKING LUNCH, MERCURY BALLROOM

1:15-2:15
Total HD: Are We There Yet?
Both national and regional networks continue to fill out their schedules with HD programming. But challenges still remain: a majority of non-event programming is still often standard definition and syndicated sports content has yet to make the move. A panel of leading production executives from national and regional sports networks discuss the continued migration to an all-HD environment.

Moderator:
Chuck Scoggins, PGA Tour Productions VP of Operations

Featuring:
Ken Aagaard, CBS Sports SVP Operations and Production Services
Rick Abbott, ESPN VP, Remote Operations
Chip Adams, NBC Olympics director of venue engineering
Bob Ayars, Comcast SportsNet, VP, Technical Operations
Ed Delaney, YES Network VP, Operations
Jerry Steinberg, Fox Sports SVP, Operations

2:15-3:15
Venue Video: Trends and Techniques
Today’s stadiums and arenas are increasingly relying on more complex video and audio systems. How are some of the newest venues approaching video and audio for the fans? How are they becoming more broadcast friendly? Are they embracing fiber connectivity to allow easier distribution of HDTV signals? And how does someone install HD Instant Replay systems in more than 25 NFL stadiums within two months?

Moderator:
Bill Squires, Stadium Managers Association president and New Meadowlands Stadium Company stadium operations

Featuring:
Robert D. Jordan, New York Jets VP, Design & Construction
Steve Hellmuth, NBA SVP, Operations and Technology
Scott Nardelli, Bexel director of fiber optic solutions
Chris Williams, WJHW Vice President

3:15-3:45: NETWORKING BREAK, EXHIBIT AREA

3:45-4:45
SVG, The Director’s Cut: Where Art Meets Technology
Today’s sports TV directors face more challenges then ever. They not only have to deal with a plethora of new camera angles, graphics enhancements and other story telling tools but also work to satisfy both HD and SD audiences. How are director’s handling those challenges? What is their eventual vision for an all-HD audience? And what type of new tools would they like to see manufacturers develop?

Moderator:
Tom Sahara, Turner Sports, Senior Director of Remote Operations and IT

Featuring:
John Moore, YES Network, Director
Michael Narracci, New England Sports Network Senior Coordinating Director
4:45-6:00: NETWORKING RECEPTION, EXHIBIT AREA