SVG Exclusive: Fox Sports Media Group Reorganizes Production- and Operations-Management Structure

Fox Sports has completed a total reorganization of the internal operations of Fox Sports Media Group, in what the network is calling its largest set of changes to operations and production in the network’s 20+ years.

Fox Sports Media Group has been reorganized into four divisions: Field Operations, Production Operations, Studio Operations, and Systems & Technology. A head has been appointed for each and will report directly to Brad Zager, EVP, Production and Operations, Fox Sports Media Group.

In a memo to Fox Sports staff on Tuesday afternoon, Zager explained that the need to reorganize stemmed from the need to “remove duplicative efforts within the organization and seek more-efficient ways to execute our day-to-day operations.”

“Sometimes you just need to take a step back, look in the mirror, and ask yourself, ‘Are we set up and organized in the best way for the future?’” Zager said to Sports Video Group. “With how fast we have grown over the past few years with the launch of FS1 and with more big events than ever before, it’s really easy to just keep going and doing the same thing over and over again. The hard part is trying to make these changes to set ourselves up for the future while still handling those big events right now. It’s like trying to change the tire of a car while it’s speeding down the highway.”

Two of the key drivers behind the reorganization were to build a more efficient and cohesive relationship between remote and studio operations and to streamline media management in a file-based world.

According to Zager, there were silos within the company that, at times, made it difficult for remote-production personnel and studio operations at home to communicate. The hopes are that this reorg will enable those units, specifically, to work more harmoniously to clarify the vision of the company.

“There is such a blurred line now between studio and remote,” says Zager. “In the past, it was pretty straightforward: an event done in the field was a remote, and stuff done in the studio was a studio event. Now, with connectivity, with the amount of file transfers and transcoding, so many more elements from the studio are getting into live events.”

In terms of media management, Fox brass found it necessary to respond to the new tapeless world by establishing a Postproduction and Media Management division to oversee the movement and storage of content.

“It sounds great to be in a tapeless world,” says Zager, “but it’s actually, from a planning standpoint, much more important for everybody to be on the same page, because there’s not a physical piece on tape anymore that can be identified.”

When addressing whether this meant any layoffs at the company, Zager stated, “with FOX Sports taking on more ownership of these groups, we did have a reduction in staff in duplicative areas with NE&O (who previously oversaw stage and post production), and some staffers may have chosen to leave the network if they were not pleased with their new assignment.”

Here’s a breakdown, department by department:

Field Operations
The Field Operations team will be headed by Mike Davies, who continues as SVP of field operations and adds oversight of crewing to his responsibilities. Stacy Sunny, VP, Crewing, will report to him.

Soccer Operations, which had previously stood on its own, will be consolidated under the Field Operations umbrella. Kevin Callahan, who has spearheaded Fox’s coverage of the Men’s and Women’s FIFA World Cups, has been promoted to VP, Field Operations, and reports directly to Davies. He will continue to work alongside Executive Producers David Neal and Jonty Whitehead.

Filling out the key roles in Field Operations are Brad Cheney, who has been elevated to VP, Field Operations; Rod Conti, who continues to oversee planning of crown-jewel events, many featuring an onsite studio presence; and Sarita Meinking and Dave Jones, who have been named director, Field Operations.

Production Operations
Dustin Myers becomes SVP, Production Operations, and will oversee all postproduction and media management, including highlights.

Bringing all these various elements of the chain into one division offers a clearer path for content to flow through and be organized in. Reed Kaufman and Scott Lembke have been tapped to manage the day-to-day postproduction operation, and Dave Sobel joins Fox Sports from Fox Sports West to oversee media management.

The company’s Assignment Desk, previously standalone, is now a part of Production Operations, with Matt Engleberg serving as lead.

Studio Operations
Gina Porretti has been named SVP, Studio Operations, and she and her team will handle the day-to-day of daily studio operations, studio staffing, and control rooms. She had been at Fox Networks Engineering and Operations (NE&O) since 2004, running stage productions.

Systems & Technology
Mike Wilken joins Fox Sports as SVP, System & Technology, and will oversee Fox Sports facilities, including the Charlotte, NC, and other RSN facilities. He will also head up capital projects and serve as the main liaison between Fox Sports in Los Angeles and NE&O.

This department’s main role is to keep these facilities on the cutting edge and generally in sync with the overall Fox Sports vision. Wilken spent the previous five years at NE&O and had led operations at Big Ten Network during its launch and early years.