During more than four decades in the business, Howard Katz has earned a reputation as sports broadcasting's true jack-of-all-trades, innovating and thriving in roles ranging from top production and programming executive to high-profile media-rights negotiator and NFL scheduling guru.
Sports was always an avocation for me, not a vocation, he recollects. In college, I was sports director at the radio station and newspaper, but I always intended on going to law school. I really never realized that sports could be a vocation in life.
After catching on as a PA at ABC Sports following his 1971graduation from Colgate University, the Livingston, NJ, native moved up the ABC Sports ladder, working on a variety of properties - including the 1972 Munich Olympics, Monday Night Football, and Wide World of Sports - before eventually earning the title of producer.
I always loved getting him on my shows because he was a terrific talent, says Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer Don Ohlmeyer. All of us at ABC Sports knew that doing sports is about storytelling, and that was an important facet in Howard's development.
In 1974, Hall of Famer Barry Frank came calling with an offer to join Trans World International (TWI), the event-production arm of IMG. Katz would eventually become VP of production and programming, overseeing a laundry list of made-for-television sports and entertainment events, including The Superstars, The Superteams, and Battle of Network Stars.
On my list of best of all time, says Frank, he's right up there at the top.
After nearly a decade at TWI, Katz became president of Ohlmeyer's new company, Ohlmeyer Communications Co. (OCC), overseeing its eccentric portfolio, which included The Skins Game, Orange Bowl Parade, Senior PGA Tour, IndyCar Racing Series, MTV Video Music Awards, and Emmy Awards.
The great thing about having Howard [at OCC] was that I trusted him so implicitly that whatever area he was stickhandling I knew I didn't have to worry about, says Ohlmeyer. I could count on him to tell me the truth no matter what he thinks and not sugarcoat it. And, conversely, if I ever needed some support, he was always there.
In 1993, when Ohlmeyer sold OCC to ESPN, Katz took over as EVP of production, overseeing the network's unparalleled growth, including the launch of ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPN Radio, ESPN International, ESPN Classic, and ESPN Regional Television, as well as the X Games and ESPY Awards.
One of the reasons that I was so interested in buying [OCC] in the first place was, we were going to get Howard Katz, says NFL Network President/CEO and NFL EVP of Media Steve Bornstein, who was president/CEO of ESPN at the time. He was the perfect guy to manage a culture at ESPN that was very difficult for an outsider coming in.
Six years later, Katz made a coming home of sorts when he was tapped to succeed Bornstein as president of ABC Sports, where he spearheaded the renewal of key ABC Sports rights deals for the Rose Bowl, British Open, and Indianapolis 500; helped create the Tiger Woods Primetime Golf Series; and reinvigorated the Monday Night Football franchise with the hire of John Madden.
By 2003, the NFL was looking to expand its already lucrative media business by launching a network of its own. Katz was brought on to help launch NFL Network and run business operations at NFL Films. He has since taken on the added responsibility of overseeing the NFL Broadcasting department, including managing network partner relationships and crafting the multifaceted NFL schedule using the flex-scheduling scheme he helped to create.
Howard Katz has been an outstanding contributor to the NFL, says NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. In many ways, he is an unsung hero for the improvements he has made to our scheduling process.
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During more than four decades in the business, Howard Katz has earned a reputation as sports broadcasting's true jack-of-all-trades, innovating and thriving in roles ranging from top production and programming executive to high-profile media-rights negotiator and NFL scheduling guru.
