Legends Behind the Lens: John Roch One of the all-time great tech managers wrote the book - literally - on how run a major production By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital
Tuesday, June 2, 2020 - 12:00 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
The story of American sports television is engrained in the history of this nation, rising on the achievements of countless incredible men and women who never once appeared on our screens. During this pause in live sports, SVG is proud to present a celebration of this great industry. Legends Behind the Lens is a look at how we got here seen through the people who willed it to be. Each weekday, we will share with you the story of a person whose impact on the sports-television industry is indelible.
Legends Behind the Lens is presented in association with the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame and the SVG Sports Broadcasting Fund. In these trying times - with so many video-production professionals out of work - we hope that you will consider (if you are able) donating to the Sports Broadcasting Fund. Do so by visiting sportsbroadcastfund.org.
___________________________
By Ken Kerschbaumer
Without John Roch , some of sports production's greatest directors simply refuse to do a show. Over the course of two decades with NEP Broadcasting, he has defined the role of the modern technical manager, lending his expertise to some of the largest live television events in the world. Organized, detail-oriented, patient, and fair, Roch literally wrote the book that NEP's tech managers use as a template for success.
He lives and breathes television, explains NEP Broadcasting founder Tom Shelburne. Everybody respects him and works hard for him. He would rather work than do anything else, and that spirit is infectious. I don't think people appreciate what a good tech manager really does because he does everything.
A native of Cleveland, Roch graduated from Kent State University with a BA in communications. He worked his way from operating a camera at Richfield Coliseum for Cavaliers and Barons games, through a stint with evangelist Rex Humbard, to WUAB Cleveland, where he worked on commercials and local television shows.
Then I met Tom Shelburne, and he took me to China, Roch says. For three months, I was a one-man ENG band. I was told I was the second person allowed in the country to shoot video after they taped Nixon, and I was working on an in-store project for Bloomingdale's.
In 1976, NEP's edit house had a contract with the department store. Roch 's job was to shoot video of China, which was then used in Bloomingdale's commercials in the U.S. to introduce China to America. Upon his return from China, Roch continued freelancing for NEP until he became a full-time staff member in 1992.
Most people don't possess half the planning abilities that he has, and that coupled with his technical-knowledge base is huge for what we do every single day. That makes him one of the most outstanding technical assets any network could have working on their side. - Michael Sandorse, NBC Technical Manager
Currently the senior technical manager for Sunday Night Football on NBC, Roch has worked on nearly every major sporting event, from the Super Bowl and Kentucky Derby to the Olympic Games and the PGA Grand Slam. He is a master of detail, leaving no stone unturned in any aspect of his preparation, beginning with the site survey.
He writes a 20-page document that captures everything, says former NEP Broadcasting President Deb Honkus. Not only does he capture the technical part of it but the personnel part. He's ahead of the game all the time. I don't ship thousands of dollars of gear to a site that John's doing, whereas, with other tech managers, I do.
A regimented fellow, Roch is awake every day at 5 a.m., in the trailer at 6:30, and on his computer by 6:45. While outsiders may see him as a hard-line drill sergeant, he cares deeply for his crew.
The crew sees him as the leader of the pack, but individuals come to him with issues, be they family, personal, or technical, Sandorse says. On every shoot, he'll say to all of us at some point, Family comes first.' He always takes time to listen and to support the crew. A lot of people don't see that side of him.
Roch is also a perfectionist, which ensures that his shows always look great on-air.
It's a treat to work with him, but it's also a comfort factor, says producer/director Steve Beim. If I get a show and I see his name on it, I know that's one piece of the puzzle that I will not have to worry about.
Some directors, in fact, simply will not do their show without him.
For a production person, Roch is a dream come true, says NBC Sports producer/director David Michaels. Roch allows me to be fully who I am as a producer and director. He understands production, and he'll come up with ideas for us to try. He's proactive, he's a man of the people, and he is unique in this business.
Says David Mazza, SVP of engineering for NBC Olympics, John is very good at being able to look through the eyes of the producer and director to understand what they're trying to achieve, many times without even being told. He's meticulous in all of his planning and then executes with class and respect for those around him.
Over the years, Roch has learned to operate a camera, control a tape machine, and run cable and has tried his hand at virtually every other job on-site.
That's why he's such a good tech manager, Shelburne says. He appreciates what it is to haul a camera up to the top of a scaffold, set it up, and break it back down in the rain. When he's not in charge, he jumps in because he loves to do it.
Having written a textbook that NEP once used for training its staff, Roch has se
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
28/04/2024
Mediahaus delivers the first SRT live-streaming sports production over 5G with U...
23/04/2024
BREA, Calif. Bolin Technology is integrating Network Device Interface (NDI) across its product line, bringing support for the latest NDI technologies to its PTZ...
23/04/2024
WYOMISSING, Pa. PENN Entertainment has announced that longtime Disney and ESPN executive Aaron LaBerge has been named chief technology officer effective July 1,...
23/04/2024
In response to an FCC ruling in March proposing a $1.2 million fine against Nexstar and a ruling that Mission Broadcasting sell WPIX, Nexstar has filled a respo...
23/04/2024
Sony has announced new details about how the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) is using Sony's Ci Media Cloud platform to streamline its workflows and spe...
23/04/2024
Esports' rapid rise to popularity can be attributed to many factors, from technological advancements that have enhanced the quality of modern gaming experie...
23/04/2024
OpenDrives, Inc., the global provider of software-defined media workflow solutions and data management capabilities, has been selected as a winner in the 2024 N...
23/04/2024
BCNEXXT is pleased to announce that Vpe has won the 2024 NAB Show Product of the Year Award in the Asset Management, Automation and Playout category. The offici...
23/04/2024
Gravity Media, a world leading global provider of complex live creative production and media services, today outlined the broadcast technology and television pr...
23/04/2024
Scality, a global leader in cyber-resilient storage for the AI era, today announced the appointment of Peter Brennan as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Scality...
23/04/2024
Blackmagic Design today announced ATEM 1 M/E Constellation 4K and ATEM 2 M/E Constellation 4K switchers, two new Ultra HD models of the ATEM Constellation famil...
23/04/2024
Blackmagic Design today announced Blackmagic Videohub 120x120 12G, the newest model in the Videohub 12G router family. The massive Blackmagic Videohub 120x120 1...
23/04/2024
Blackmagic Design today announced new lower prices for Blackmagic Video Assist 3G and 12G models. Customers can save US$200 on all models. These lower prices ma...
23/04/2024
Adder Technology continues to shine brightly, with its groundbreaking product, the ADDERLink INFINITY 3000 (ALIF3000), once again taking center stage. Hot on t...
23/04/2024
Pliant Technologies' CRP-C12 Compact Radio Pack is an Audio Production, Processing and Networking category winner in the 2024 NAB Show Product of the Year A...
23/04/2024
SipRadius, the specialists in live media transport and transcoding, will showcase their world-leading implementation of AV1 and JPEG-XS over transport streams a...
23/04/2024
Composer Rafael Krux has added a Prism Sound Dream ADA-128 modular conversion system to his production studio where he creates music for commercials, trailers, ...
23/04/2024
PMC proudly provides the ultimate large-scale Dolby Atmos audio system for the legendary musician Steven Wilson at the High End, Munich. He will share his exten...
23/04/2024
Particles emitting from a 3D rotating shape's edge
Graham Quince April 22, 2024
0 Comments
In Fixin' FX, people send me their problematic proj...
23/04/2024
Hollyland Technology Announces a New Line of Video Transmitters: Introducing the...
23/04/2024
Charlotte Deleste, anchor at WISC Madison, Wisconsin, is leaving the station. Her final day on the air is April 24. Deleste has spent 18 years there....
23/04/2024
Top WNBA draft choice Caitlin Clark will appear on local broadcast for 17 games next season in a deal between Tegna and the Indiana Fever....
22/04/2024
22 April 2024 - Award-winning broadcaster UKTV has today announced it has invested in the award-winning online care marketplace, Elder, using its multi-million ...
22/04/2024
It's a beautiful day to be a Swiftie. On April 19, Taylor Swift dropped her ...
22/04/2024
SBS marks Earth Day with Australian TV milestone as The Cook Up with Adam Liaw b...
22/04/2024
In this video, LEE Filters ambassador Jordan Banks ventures into Snowdonia National Park in Wales. Faced with less-than-ideal weather conditions, he adapts his ...
22/04/2024
The Nexstar Media Group has decided not to renew affiliation agreements for The CW broadcast network with stations owned by Scripps in seven markets....
22/04/2024
INDIANAPOLIS and Tysons, Va. In the wake of record viewing levels for the NCAA Women's Championship games, Tegna has announced that it has signed an agreeme...
22/04/2024
Digital Domain Unveils Masquerade3 : Revolutionary Markerless Facial Motion Cap...
22/04/2024
Pixotope brings the power of Unreal Engine to automated and news broadcast graph...
22/04/2024
Brand New Color Slice tool in DaVinci Resolve 19!
Kasia Jarco April 22, 2024
0 Comments
In this video i would like to show you the newest Color Slice ...
22/04/2024
Apple Motion's Best-Kept Secret
Simon Ubsdell April 22, 2024
0 Comments
A seriously useful technique that I have employed in many of my tutorials ...
22/04/2024
After Thursday night's sneak peek, the National Academy of Television Arts a...
22/04/2024
Nexstar Media Group said it does not intend to renew the affiliations of The CW stations owned by the E.W. Scripps Co. in seven markets....
22/04/2024
The Chameleon solution provides access to real-time data from a range of sources, enabling users to construct tickers, L-bars, snipes, web widgets and full fram...
22/04/2024
TVBEuropes editor Jenny Priestley highlights some of the main talking points at this years NAB Show
By Jenny Priestley
Published: April 22, 2024
TVBEurope...
22/04/2024
WRAL-TV Anchor/Reporter Brian Shrader made a big announcement on Friday, April 19, 2024. After 16 years as morning traffic anchor, Shrader will be moving to ...
22/04/2024
Prime Video has ordered a second season of Fallout. The show, based on a videogame and set 200 years after the apocalypse, comes from Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Jo...
22/04/2024
CBS News and Stations debuts a multi-part investigation called Anything For Love: Inside the Romance Scam Epidemic Sunday, April 21. Airing across CBS News and ...
22/04/2024
Fremantle said it hired Jeff Boone as VP of scripted development, a new post at the company....
22/04/2024
Tonight on House of Zwide: Funani informs Isaac about Nkosi seeing his hijacker ...
22/04/2024
Tonight on Scandal: The carpet is pulled out from under NhlamuloDon't miss Monday, 22 April's riveting episode of South African soapie Scandal! on e.tv ...
22/04/2024
LGBTQ writers asked to submit their storiesWriters have been asked to submit their short stories (up to 20, 000 words) for an upcoming anthology called Just LG...
22/04/2024
[Watch] Queen of hip-hop Lil2Hood thanks ParisProducer and DJ Lil2Hood (Flash.Wrldwide) has proved that she's a queen of modern hip-hop. Lil2Hood thanked Pa...
22/04/2024
NEP battles weather to keep the going good for Grand National coverage By Adrian Pennington
Monday, April 15, 2024 - 11:48
Print This Story
The 2024 Grand...
22/04/2024
ITV Racing under starters orders live at the Grand National Festival By Adrian Pennington
Friday, April 12, 2024 - 09:10
Print This Story
The Grand Nation...
22/04/2024
Inside the deal: EFL fans to view enhanced broadcasts for the next five seasons ...
Legends Behind the Lens: John Roch One of the all-time great tech managers wrote the book - literally - on how run a major production By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital 
