2023 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame by Sports Video Group

Class of 2023

Val

Lance

Cris

Tom

Steve

Ernie Johnson, Jr.

Andrea Joyce

Tony Petitti

Jeff Zachary

INDUCTION CEREMONY

December 12, 2023

The New York Hilton Midtown, Trianon Ballroom

www.sportsbroadcastinghalloffame.org

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WELCOME TO A LEGENDARY EVENING

ood evening and welcome to the 2023 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame Ceremony. For long-time attendees, thank you for all of your support over the years. And for those of you joining us tonight for the first time, welcome! I hope you enjoy this magical evening. One of the things that strikes all of us who have been involved with this event since the first class was inducted in 2007 is how the event has changed over the years. In the early years, our goal was to ensure the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame was filled with powerhouse personalities. The first two or three classes were dripping with household names like Howard Cosell, Roone Arledge, Jim McKay, Pete Rozelle, and Vin Scully. But there were also not-so-household names like Ed and Steve Sabol, Larry Thorpe, George Wensel, and Tom Shelburne, who we sadly recently lost. Those legends gave the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame the star power it needed to be legitimate. And the amazing thing is that, in the subsequent years, each class has been just as legitimate, and the event has become not only a ceremony, but a family reunion. And that brings us to tonight’s class. I have had the pleasure to personally work with many of them, seeing their professionalism, grace, and class up close and personal. Val Ackerman, Big East Conference commissioner and first president of the WNBA; Lance Barrow, former CBS Sports producer; Cris Collinsworth, NBC Sunday Night Football analyst; Tom Fletcher, inventor of the super-slo-mo camera and other innovations; Steve Hellmuth, former NBA EVP, media operations and technology; Ernie Johnson, Jr., long-time NBA on TNT studio-show host; Andrea Joyce, leading sports reporter; Tony Petitti, Big Ten Conference Commissioner and former TV-network executive; and Jeff Zachary, legendary camera operator. Congratulations to each of you. It is a true honor to spend tonight with you, your family, and your friends, both personal and professional. One last thing: tonight’s event is a celebration as well as an important fundraiser for the SVG Sports Broadcasting Fund. The Fund helps industry professionals who are unable to work due to illness or injury, ensuring they have a roof over their heads, can pay for the medical treatments they need, and much more. All the ticket sales from tonight’s event will be donated to the SVG Sports Broadcasting Fund, and each year we provide hundreds of thousands of dollars of support to the sports production community. The money raised tonight covers much of those costs, but any additional donations are welcome as we continue to help more and more families each year. To donate today, please use the QR code here or visit sportsbroadcastfund.org/donate. Wishing you all a happy holiday season, enjoy the evening, and we hope to see you next year.

Ken Aagaard Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame, Chairman

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19 West 21st Street, Suite 301 New York, NY 10010 Tel: 646-205-1810 www.sportsvideo.org Chairman and Executive Producer Ken Aagaard Show Producer Michael Goldman Producer Ken Kerschbaumer Stage Manager Greg Fox Video Producer/Coordinator David Beld Engineering Justin Duffy and Michael Napoli Bexel / NEP Project Managers Andrea Rosenkrans and Nick Teti Graphics Operator Thom Paris Prompting Operator Meghan Prendergast Tyler | CueScript Tape Operator Dan Tolbert VO Talent Colin Cosell Talent Coordinator/PA Donna Jarrett Music Editing/PA Mike Taylor Event Manager & Table Sales Carrie Bowden Editorial Ken Kerschbaumer, Jason Dachman, Brandon Costa, Kristian Hernández, Samantha Gabay, and Susan Qualtrough Production Services Karen Hogan Ketchum and Katie Champion Art Director Riva Danzig Sponsorship Rob Payne, Andrew Gabel, and Dylan Davidson Event Operations Director Cris Ernst Meetings and Events Manager Alicia Hopkins Membership Services Andrew Lippe Thank you to these partners for providing video-footage support: Big Ten Network, CBS Sports, Fox Sports, NBA Entertainment, NBC Sports, Pairadox Studios, and Turner Sports

Congratulations TO THE

CLASS OF 2023

Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame Val Ackerman

Steve Hellmuth

Cris Collinsworth

Andrea Joyce

Lance Barrow Tom Fletcher

Ernie Johnson Tony Petitti

Jeff Zachary

PATRON SPONSORS

SPORTS BROADCASTING HALL OF FAME CEREMONY HOST

JAMES BROWN

ames Brown is the current host of The NFL Today on CBS and Inside The NFL on Showtime. A three-time Emmy Award-winning network broadcaster, Brown, who was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2020, has hosted the Super Bowl a record-setting 10 times including Super Bowl 55 on CBS. In 2010, SI.com named Brown the Best Studio Host of the Decade. Brown is a Special Correspondent for CBS News and contributes to programs such as 60 Minutes, CBS This Morning, CBS Evening News, and 48 Hours. He is also a founding partner of Major League Baseball’s 2019 World Series Champion Washington Nationals. Brown’s previous broadcasting roles include host of Thursday Night Football on CBS and the NFL Network, co-host of Fox NFL Sunday, correspondent for Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel on HBO, and host of a nationally syndicated radio show on Sporting News Radio. In 2009, James’ first co-authored book entitled, Role of a Lifetime: Reflections on Faith, Family and Significant Living, was released. Among numerous honors, Brown most recently received the 2016 Pete Rozelle Award by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which recognizes “longtime exceptional contributions to radio and television in professional football,” and The Uncommon Award from Tony Dungy for his “uncommon leadership through character and faith.” Brown was a 2010 honoree as one of the “Faces of Black History” celebrating Black Media Legends who have impacted the Black community through their achievements and positive examples and was honored with the Greater Washington Urban League’s Sam Lacy Award in 2005. Brown was also the first recipient of the coveted Pat Summerall Award presented annually during Super Bowl weekend. Brown, a Washington, D.C. native, is a graduate of Harvard University where he was a three-time All-Ivy selection in basketball and is in the Harvard Basketball Hall of Fame. He is involved in a number of charitable organizations, including GENYOUth of which he is a Board Member, the Ron & Joy Paul Kidney Center at George Washington University, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Brown is also an ordained minister and is actively involved in speaking at churches and conferences around the country.

SUPPORTING SPONSORS

Congratulations, Cris! Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame Class of 2023

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Remembering

Tom Shelburne

Founder of NEP & Industry Legend

1942 - 2023

Known as the father of remote television production, Tom founded NEP Supershooters in 1987, revolutionizing the way live sports and entertainment has been shared with millions of fans and TV viewers since that time. His ingenuity quickly led our company, now called NEP Group, to become the world’s leading mobile broadcast production company and the global media technology partner we are today. Tom’s vision of what a mobile production truck could do launched the remote production industry, which is today so essential to live broadcasting. Thank you for inspiring us all, Tom.

CONGRATULATIONS

VAL ACKERMAN CLASS OF 2023

FROM ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS AT THE BIG EAST CONFERENCE

VAL ACKERMAN

Val Ackerman has served since 2013 as Commissioner of the BIG EAST Conference, one of the country’s leading college basketball conferences. She was previously an attorney and senior executive at the NBA and founding President of the WNBA, where she helped lead the groundbreaking launch and day-to-day operation of the league in its formative years. She has served as President of USA Basketball and U.S. representative to the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and had advised various organizations on women’s sports strategies.

Val Ackerman has helped shape men’s and women’s basketball at every level of the game and was the driving force behind the creation of the WNBA. Her steady leadership combined with her unflappable persistence has elevated so many aspects of the sports media and has left a profound impact on the coverage and scope of the sports industry. — Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner The greatest victories in sports are not measured by strength alone, they are achieved by those who broke down barriers, paved new paths, and empowered those around them to pursuit excellence. Val continues to be just that, a pioneer, a champion in sports, especially women’s sports. She has inspired us all to push beyond the limits and rewrite history. — Carol Stiff, former ESPN executive and Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer Val Ackerman’s efforts were vital in not only establishing the WNBA but also providing opportunities for women athletes to compete at the professional level in the United States, setting the stage for the exponential growth the game enjoys today. We congratulate Val for her pioneering leadership, her long and accomplished career in the sports industry, and most importantly, for her ongoing impact on women’s sports. — Cathy Engelbert, WNBA Commissioner When we ‘decided,’ and I put the word in quotes, that we would start the WNBA — because I think Val made it clear that we didn’t have a choice — she was the natural person to lead it, which she did for many years. Not only lead it, launch it and lead it. … The fact that the league exists is a result of Val’s efforts and drive behind it. — David Stern, former NBA Commissioner (2013)

For more on each of our Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame inductees, visit www.sportsbroadcastinghalloffame.org

CONGRATULATIONS

LANCE BARROW

ON YOUR SPORTS BROADCASTING HALL OF FAME INDUCTION FROM YOUR FRIENDS AT

LANCE BARROW

Lance Barrow started his career at CBS Sports as a spotter for Pat Summerall in 1976. He worked for CBS Sports his entire career until retirement in 2020. He served as the coordinating producer of CBS Sports golf and produced all of their golf coverage from 19972020. He also served as the coordinating producer of The NFL on CBS and lead game producer from 2004-2017. The 13-time Emmy Award winner has produced the Masters, the PGA Championship, PGA Tour golf, four Super Bowls including Super Bowl 50, NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, Olympic Winter games, Daytona 500, and worked the US Open Tennis Championships.

Lance will go down in history as one of the most distinguished and accomplished producers in the annals of sports television. It’s a massive achievement to be the leader of one network sports package. Amazingly, Lance was in charge of two: CBS Golf and the NFL on CBS. Since 1997, he choreographed our coverage from The Masters, the PGA Championship, and the Super Bowl. He did them all over and over again and won countless Emmys. A true testament to a legendary career. — Jim Nantz, lead play-by-play commentator, CBS Sports The images produced by Lance will live on in the memories of sports fans forever. From the Masters, Super Bowl, the Olympics, the Daytona 500 and numerous other signature events, his presentation has set the industry standard for over four decades. His legacy as one of the best producers ever is secure for all time. — Sean McManus, chairman, CBS Sports Lance is one of the most influential figures in sports television history, and incredibly deserving of this Hall of Fame honor. He leaves a legacy of producing some of the biggest events of our time, while truly valuing the people and friendships formed throughout his remarkable 44 year career at CBS. — David Berson, president and CEO, CBS Sports Lance Barrow, along with his predecessor and mentor Frank Chirkinian, had that special ability to produce golf in a manner that only a handful of producers could do. As an example, Frank was the first to find a way how best to use a blimp while Lance was able to take high frame rate cameras and tracking technology and incorporate them into a show that enhanced the overall product. Not an easy task with a sport that has so many simultaneous shots happening at the same time. — Ken Aagaard, Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame Chairman What stood out during our 25 years of working together at CBS Sports is that Lance was a gamer. Whether it was the Super Bowl or a major golf championship, Lance was at his best when the lights were the brightest. I can unequivocally say Lance’s intense gamesmanship, dogged persistence, and overall skill of his craft fit the Hall-of-Fame description to a tee. This honor is well deserved. — Sellers Shy, lead producer, Golf on CBS

For more on each of our Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame inductees, visit www.sportsbroadcastinghalloffame.org

CRIS COLLINSWORTH

The only NFL analyst other than John Madden to receive a Sports Emmy for Outstanding Sports Event Analyst, Cris Collinsworth has taken home the award nine times. He currently sits alongside Mike Tirico in the NBC Sunday Night Football announce booth. His career began in 1990 when he joined NBC Sports as a game analyst for NFL coverage and selected collegefootball broadcasts. In 2005, Collinsworth joined the NFL on Fox broadcast booth alongside play-byplay announcer Joe Buck and former quarterback Troy Aikman to form the broadcaster’s lead broadcast team.

Cris’s commentary is formed by thoughtful reflection, research, experience, and conversation. He works for the viewer and no one else. Cris was and still is integral to the success of Sunday Night Football and it’s no stretch to say the show would not have achieved its acclaim without his contributions. I’m proud to call him a great friend and admire the man, husband, and father he is. — Fred Gaudelli, executive producer, Thursday Night Football and former executive producer, Monday Night Football and Sunday Night Football What elevates Cris as a broadcaster is the ability to educate viewers by explaining the ‘why’. His unmatched game preparation, ease in storytelling, and ability to not take himself too seriously come across every Sunday. You can tell he’s having fun in the booth. At the end of the night, viewers are smarter because Cris was calling the game. — Sam Flood, executive producer & president, production, NBC Sports Cris is among the best to ever work as an analyst on any sport, he is a great teammate, and leader and voice for NBC Sports. He has a truckload of Emmys for his work, but he also happens to be a great friend to many, a giving person who belongs in any Hall of Fame. His inclusion in the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame is long overdue, and our heartfelt congratulations to him. — Mark Lazarus, chairman, NBCUniversal Media Group Cris is everything you think of when you call someone a Hall of Famer. He is the rare person in this industry who excelled both in the booth AND the studio. Despite being off the field for more than 30 years, he remains as cutting-edge and current as any analyst in the sport thanks to his unmatched work ethic. He is one of the smartest, talented, most loyal people you could ever ask for as a teammate. Cris is the best of the best. — Mike Tirico, play-by-play commentator, NBC Sunday Night Football He was a dream partner. Thirteen years of pure joy. No one has ever been more prepared and his ability to analyze everything on the fly and always read the room never ceased to amaze me. He’s the ultimate team player and his neverwavering loyalty is another of his strong suits. And off the air, Cris was great company. I will always think of him as a brother — the best of the best. — Al Michaels, lead play-by-play commentator, Amazon Prime TNF

For more on each of our Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame inductees, visit www.sportsbroadcastinghalloffame.org

CONGRATULATIONS TOM FLETCHER

AND TO THE ENTIRE SPORTS BROADCASTING HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2023!

For more information visit www.fujinon.com

TOM FLETCHER

When Tom Fletcher and his father launched Fletcher Chicago, they set about transforming the sports production industry. Taking advantage of smaller cameras and robotic heads, the company allowed for cameras to be placed behind backboards, in the back of a hockey goal, and in many more unique places. His ability to find new angles gave sports directors and producers new ways to tell stories across the NHL, NBA, NFL, MLB, the Olympics, golf, and nearly every other sport.

Tom and his group gave us an opportunity to show views of the game that nobody had ever seen before. Whether it was the speed shot or the rocker cam, or overhead from the scoreboard or in net, it enabled our fans to get inside a game that up until then, many people thought was too fast to televise. It was always a priority of our broadcast department to work with Fletcher because we knew we needed to try new things that we needed to be innovative and we couldn’t afford not to experiment. And again, because the game is so fast, all of these innovations actually made us as good a sport on television as all the other sports, when the conventional wisdom at the time was that was not possible. — Gary Bettman, NHL Commissioner Tom’s ability to create a whole new business around the use of robotics was outdone by his ability to improvise and adjust to so many different environments. Goalposts, backboards, nets, it didn’t matter; Tom and his team could always find a way to come up with that creative shot. — Ken Aagaard, Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame Chairman Tom envisioned opportunities and collaborated with technicians, directors, and executives to design and implement creative ideas for what are now fundamental tools for us, as storytellers, to illustrate the art of the athletes and the sports in which they participate. He always understood the importance of relationships and his integrity and character established the Fletcher brand. — Adam Acone, senior director, media operations, NFL Media, and former NHL VP, Broadcasting

For more on each of our Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame inductees, visit www.sportsbroadcastinghalloffame.org

Congratulations, Steve! Thank you for leading SVG as our Chairman. You guided our association’s expansion in media management, venue systems, sports tracking, and next-gen video technologies. Under your tenure, SVG established itself as a global forum on the European continent. Always an innovator, you still focused us on our core mission — to advance the creation, production, and distribution of sports content.

On behalf of thousands of SVG members and sponsors worldwide, congratulations on this well-deserved honor. www.sportsvideo.com

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STEVE HELLMUTH

In a career spanning nearly 45 years, Steve Hellmuth enjoyed working on a mix of production, live events, systems design, and technology. He recently retired from his role as NBA EVP, operations and technology, in which he developed statistical systems, directed facility construction, and created digital-media archives. Before joining the NBA, he spent two years as SVP and GM of Major League Baseball Productions, supervising the programming and production departments. He also served as SVG Chairman.

Steve really made us at TNT feel a part of the NBA family. We talked about policies and decisions, not always agreeing but always with understanding and respect. He supported our efforts that often stretched the limits both technically and politically, foreseeing how it kept the NBA at the forefront of innovation and growth. — Tom Sahara, SVG Chairman Emeritus and former VP operations and technology, Turner Sports Steve was one of the earliest and most impactful technology enthusiasts at the NBA. He helped move the NBA into the 21st century at a time many did not understand what he was trying to do. Congrats on your HOF enshrinement! — Mark Cuban, Dallas Mavericks Owner Steve Hellmuth simply defines leadership in the sports broadcasting business. He has always had the ability to take complex shows and systems and break them down into sensible and understandable ways enabling technology to work effectively and efficiently. —Ken Aagaard, Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame Chairman Steve Hellmuth seamlessly guided the NBA through countless advancements in technology over the past three decades. His vision as an experienced and innovative technologist helped transform the broadcast operations of our league and revolutionize the way our content is distributed and consumed around the world. Steve has no doubt left an indelible mark on the NBA and the broader sports media industry. — Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner Steve’s partnership through the years was unmatched. He was always forward thinking — everything from the first High Speed Arena Network, connecting all NBA venues, the NBA, and WBD, to pushing technology for access with wireless player and coaches microphones. ... He always wanted to know how the telecast was being impacted, and what he could do to help the broadcast partners really bring the games home to the viewers. More important than all of that, Steve has been a friend and trusted advisor. And that has meant more to me than anything else! — Chris Brown, VP, technical operations, WBD Sports

For more on each of our Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame inductees, visit www.sportsbroadcastinghalloffame.org

ERNIE JOHNSON, JR. The thing I admire about [Ernie] is his ability to go from sport to sport. He does it so seamlessly. That tells me he’s well-prepared. That’s what makes him The Godfather. The one word I would use to describe Ernie Johnson is professional. — Charles Barkley, commentator, NBA on TNT

Ernie Johnson, Jr. is the iconic voice of TNT Sports, a six-time Sports Emmy Award winner, and longtime host of TNT’s Inside the NBA studio show. With Johnson as host, Inside the NBA has won five Sports Emmy Awards for Outstanding Studio Show – Daily. In addition to his 34 years hosting Inside the NBA, Johnson hosts TNT Sports and CBS’s NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship studio coverage (since 2011) and has been an integral part of MLB on TBS game and studio coverage since 2007.

E.J. is the nucleus of the way we approach our shows every single day. He’s an ambassador for what we do; for the leagues and the properties that we work with, and, quite frankly, he’s an ambassador for the human race. — Craig Barry, EVP and chief content officer, Warner Bros. Discovery Sports I think Ernie has always been our moral compass. When we have tough decisions to make, we all can go to Ernie and ask ‘what do you think?’ His judgment and his ability to pull apart an argument and look at it from three or four different angles and make sure we are covering everything is part of his brilliance. — Tim Kiely, former lead producer of Inside the NBA He’s a great listener. There are a lot of things that are being said and so much emotion that’s going on [on set] and he does a great job of merging all of those strong opinions. He’s unique. He’s a unicorn. He’s different. He’s the best. — Reggie Miller, Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer When you talk about Ernie, there’s not one area that he is weak at. When he is leading you into commercial... perfect. He’s being empathetic... perfect. He can do it all. — Kenny Smith, commentator, NBA on TNT We are lucky to encounter people like Ernie in this world that have compassion and heart that he brings to everything he does. — Luis Silberwasser, chairman and CEO, TNT Sports,

For more on each of our Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame inductees, visit www.sportsbroadcastinghalloffame.org

WE WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE THE HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2023 Val Ackerman Lance Barrow Cris Collinsworth Tom Fletcher Steve Hellmuth Ernie Johnson Andrea Joyce Tony Petitti Jeff Zachary

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ANDREA JOYCE

During a career that spans nearly 30 years on the national stage, Andrea Joyce has spent time at ESPN, CBS Sports, and now NBC Sports, building a reputation for solid reporting on a wide range of global and national sports events. Since 2000, she has been a reporter for NBC Sports Group. She has served in a variety of roles at 12 Olympic Games, including the past eight with NBC. She has served as a reporter for NBA on NBC and WNBA on NBC broadcasts. Joyce debuted as a reporter for ESPN at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Summer Games and worked three Winter Games for CBS.

The great Ted Shaker hired both Andrea and me, and we used to laugh because, at first, they talked about us wearing those blazers with the CBS patch! Andrea’s always been such a joy — a woman of talent and wit and legendary kindness. For more than 30 years, our posse of women has gathered at her apartment to share stories and support — a sorority we couldn’t do without. With friends across the industry for decades, and a mentor to those coming along, Andrea’s been the prototype for how to succeed with optimism, self-assurance, and a smile. — Lesley Visser, Hall of Fame Journalist We wanted our crew of hosts, play-by-play, and analysts — as well as the men and women in the truck and in the studio — to reflect who our audience was. This is almost 40 years ago, which was before other broadcasters were doing what CBS Sports was doing to build diversity. Andrea, Mary Carillo, and Lesley Visser were true pioneers back then. Andrea always asked the right questions and always made her subject comfortable enough to offer true insight into who they are and how they approach the sporting life. — Ted Shaker, former executive producer, CBS Sports Look at all the distinguished members of this industry, and then try to find someone who has a better, healthier sense of it all than Andrea Joyce. For decades, she has shown us how it can be done — with professionalism, grace, humor, and heart. Andrea Joyce is the way we’re supposed to be. — Mary Carillo, tennis analyst, NBC Sports She gets the answers to questions that the people at home want to hear and that’s not easy to do. There are a lot of people who try... some succeed... but very, very few who succeed on the level that Andrea has. — Mike Tirico, play-by-play commentator, NBC Sunday Night Football She is somebody who has swung the door open for people that aren’t the typical “sports broadcaster”. — Johnny Weir, broadcaster, NBC Olympics

For more on each of our Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame inductees, visit www.sportsbroadcastinghalloffame.org

TONY PETITTI

Prior to becoming commissioner of the Big Ten Conference, Tony Petitti served in senior executive roles for ABC, CBS, and NBC Sports. He helped create the Bowl Championship Series to determine college football’s national champion and joined Major League Baseball in 2008 to create, launch, and oversee programming at MLB Network. In 2015, he was promoted to MLB chief operating officer, replacing Rob Manfred when Manfred became commissioner. Petitti also served briefly as president of sports and entertainment for Activision Blizzard.

For more than a decade, Tony was one of the most important and influential people in baseball — first at MLB Network and then with me in the Commissioner’s Office. Tony is truly the father of MLB Network; there would be no MLB network — certainly not of the quality that we have today — were it not for Tony. He also left an indelible mark on the game during his time here [outside of MLB Network]. — Rob Manfred, Major League Baseball Commissioner

First of all, congratulations to Tony Petitti on his induction into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame. It is certainly well deserved. As the ninth Commissioner of Major League Baseball, I was fortunate to hire Tony as the first president of the MLB Network in 2009. From the very beginning, which was Jan. 1 of that year, he did remarkable work and turned the network into the ultimate television destination for baseball fans across the country and around the world. Tony’s work was a great benefit to the game. — Bud Selig, Commissioner Emeritus, Major League Baseball I don’t know of anyone in our industry who has the combination of street smarts and management skills that Tony does. He is embarking on his third career, having established himself as a super-talented network sports executive, a leader at Major League Baseball, and now as the Commissioner of the Big Ten. And above all else, you will never find a better father, son, or friend. No one deserves to be inducted into the Hall of Fame more than Tony. — Sean McManus, chairman, CBS Sports Tony’s unique combination of creative and business vision made him the perfect person to chart MLB Network’s launch. Being part of his team in those early days, when everything was new... is something for which I will be forever grateful. Tony’s passion inspired everyone to try to make MLB Network better each day they came to work. I’ve often joked with him that he made everyone feel like they were the most important person at the company, but it’s true. — Rob McGlarry, former president, MLB Network For me, it would be hard to see a Broadcasting Hall of Fame without Tony Petitti represented. — Jim Delaney, former commissioner, Big Ten Conference

For more on each of our Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame inductees, visit www.sportsbroadcastinghalloffame.org

FOX SPOR T S PROUDLY CONGR ATUL ATE S

VAL ACKERMAN

TONY PETITTI

COMMIS SIONER B I G E A S T C O N F E R E NC E

COMMIS SIONER B I G T E N C O N F E R E NC E

AND THE ENTIRE SPORTS VIDEO GROUP

SPORTS BROADCASTING HALL OF FAME CL ASS OF 2023

JEFF ZACHARY

The first person to bring Steadicam to NFL coverage and winner of 11 Sports Emmys, Jeff Zachary brought a new angle of coverage to countless events. Among the highlights of his 47year career as a camera operator: Ali vs. Holmes 1980; FIFA World Cup Finals 1994; 26 NBA AllStar Games/Slam Dunk Contests; 12 Super Bowls; 15 Kentucky Derbys; 13 MLB All-Star Home Run Derbys; U.S. Open Golf; 36 years of ABC’s Monday Night Football, ESPN’s and NBC’s Sunday Night Football, Fox NFL, CBS NFL, TNT NFL; nine Presidential Inaugurations; four Olympics; 33 years of boxing; and three America’s Cups.

Whether it was MNF/SNF, NBA on Turner, HBO Boxing, the Kentucky Derby, an ABC World Series, Presidential Debates, or any other ABC sports/news opportunities the task was never too big for Jeff. ... Jeff, you brought a great vibe to our telecasts and always demonstrated a top-flight attitude. Truly, in my book, the the attributes of a real Hall of Famer. Thank you for all you did for us at ABC Sports. — Craig Janoff, former director, ABC Sports Jeff Zachary is one of the finest camera operators I ever worked with. He has many qualities that earned him induction to the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame, but none larger in my book than creating a position that didn’t exist and then turned into a mainstay camera on every major sports telecast. Obviously I’m talking about Steadicam. Jeff debuted this on Monday Night Football in 2000 and set the standard for the next 15 years on how to maximize its operation. — Fred Gaudelli, executive producer, Thursday Night Football and former executive producer, Monday Night Football and Sunday Night Football Everyone will remember Jeff Zachary as the NFL Football Steadicam operator. He certainly was on camera enough. But I remember him as one of our “super ringers” when we produced many of those outlier events like the Moscow Marathon. When we needed to invent a lead mobile camera system, Jeff was the one who figured it out. He and Deena Sheldon continually came up with unique solutions to mobilizing cameras. — Ken Aagaard, Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame Chairman We covered many sporting events together, including racing, X Games, and track and field, and Jeff was one of those guys that would never stop looking for the perfect shot. The job of a director like me is to capture the moment, but without camera operators like Jeff Zachary, there would be no moments. — Mike Wells, Director At the age of 17 (!), Jeff Zachary attended the very first Steadicam workshop in 1980 and he’s been a pioneering stalwart of sports broadcasting ever since. Story is, he persuaded the notoriously conservative NFL to give it a try, and the rest is history! He transformed the way sports coverage was done by himself and all the operators that followed. — Garrett Brown, Steadicam inventor

For more on each of our Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame inductees, visit www.sportsbroadcastinghalloffame.org

SPORTS BROADCASTING

THE LEGACY CONTINUES PREVIOUS INDUCTEES

2007

2009

2011

Jack Buck

Pat Summerall

Dick Ebersol

Bill France

George Hoover

Deb Honkus

Mark McCormack

2013

Jack Whitaker

Scotty Connal

Barry Johnstone

Howard Katz

Al Michaels

Chuck Pagano

Joe Schiavo

Mic

2015

Fred Aldous

Dick Button

Sandy Grossman

Mike Pearl

Jerry Steinberg

Ted Turner

Pat Sullivan

2017

Bill Webb

Chris Berman

Stan Honey

Brent Musburger

Bill Raftery

Linda Rheinstein

Bud Selig

Jack Simmons

2019

2020 2021

congratulations to the class of 2023

Lance

Cris

Tom

Steve

Ernie

Andrea

Tony

Jeff

2008

2010

2012

Ray Dolby

Ron Scalise

Frank Gifford

Ed Goren

Cory Leible

Paul Tagliabue

2014

ckey Wittman

Ken Aagaard

Bob Dixon

Steve Bornstein

David Hill

George Orgera

Chris Schenkel

David Stern

2016

Joe Cohen

Verne Lundquist

Tim McCarver

Sean McManus

Bob Mikkelson

Robin Roberts

Dan Rooney

2018

Lesley Visser

John A. Walsh

Michael Weisman

Gary Bettman

Mary Carillo

Bob Costas

Bill Fitts

Bud Greenspan

2022

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE

BROADCASTING HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2023 INDUCTEES Val Ackerman Lance Barrow Cris Collinsworth Tom Fletcher Steve Hellmuth Ernie Johnson Andrea Joyce Tony Petitti Jeff Zachary © 2023 Sony Electronics Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Sony and the Sony logo are trademarks of Sony.