SVG All-Stars: Kendall Burgess, as VP, Local Media Technical Operations, Major League Baseball After 20 years in the business, she is a stalwart in regional sports production By Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S.
Tuesday, October 1, 2024 - 7:00 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
In an era when sports production is evolving faster than ever, a new generation of leaders is beginning to make its mark on the industry. Our new SVG All-Stars series explores the journey of the industry's rising executives, showcasing their experiences and career highlights in the business, overarching philosophy and leadership strategy, technological and creative innovation, and where they see the industry headed. Join us as we uncover the story behind their ascent and the impact they are having in an ever-evolving industry.
Kendall Burgess has more than two decades of experience in the sports-broadcasting industry and has made a name for herself as one of the stalwarts of the regional-sports-production sector.
In 2023, as seismic change began to shake up the regional-sports-rights landscape, Major League Baseball launched its own Local Media department to help navigate the changing industry. Today, MLB Local Media Department is responsible for all regional game broadcasts for the San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Colorado Rockies and oversees broadcasts for the new national Roku MLB Sunday Leadoff package.
Kendall Burgess: The exciting things happening [don't] necessarily have an on-air impact, but they can make your workflows more efficient and might even save money that you can spend to enhance your broadcasts.
As VP of local media technical operations, Burgess oversees the operations team that manages and organizes all the technical details for these live productions. She coordinates with production teams in each city to provide mobile units, equipment, technical crew, transmission, and master-control integration. She also manages all related vendor contracts and invoice processing for these systems.
Prior to joining MLB Local Media, she was VP, technical operations, Bally Sports, working with production and engineering to provide direction for the 19 Bally Sports regional networks across the country, which produce more than 4,500 sports events annually. She shares her story, her philosophy, and advice for getting into the industry:
What is one key industry trend that you believe is having a major impact on your organization right now?
I believe there are several exciting things happening, with variations on centralized and cloud-based equipment integration. These aren't necessarily the things that have an on-air impact, but they can make your workflows more efficient and/or add equipment redundancy for backup purposes. Some of these systems might even save money so you can spend on the flashy things that enhance your broadcasts.
What is one core philosophy you try to live by when managing your team/operation?
Communicate, communicate, communicate. And then, when you think you have been thorough, communicate again. Operations is ultimately responsible for thousands of details in a live production, and all of them are important to the success of the broadcast.
What is your favorite event(s) you've ever worked?
In my current role, my favorite event was our first-ever MLB Local Media game with the Padres in Miami on May 31, 2023. Along with many talented people at the league office and MLB Network, we set up an entirely new system to produce these games in a very short time. It was extremely rewarding to finally get on the air and see all that hard work pay off.
How did you get started in sports production? What was your first real job in the business?
The summer before my senior year in journalism school at UGA, I interned at FOX Sports South in Atlanta. That summer, I took every opportunity I could find to learn about the business, including my first-ever visit to a production truck, where I was hooked right away. After graduation, they hired me back, and I stayed with that company in various capacities for over 20 years. I loved working in production at the beginning of my career, but, in some ways, I feel like my first real job was when I moved over to operations in 2004 because that became my career focus.
What's one piece of advice you have for someone just starting their career in this industry?
This business is incredibly small, so your relationships and your reputation are everything. The people in our industry are what makes it so special. Always try to be kind and work hard (in that order).
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Creative software developer Foundry today announced the latest developments on Nuke Stage. A purpose-built application for end-to-end virtual production and in-...
12/05/2026
Beyond the Hype: A Strategic Post-Hoc Analysis of NAB 2026 If NAB Show 2026 had an underlying theme, it was a quiet, industry-wide pivot from the high-energy sp...
12/05/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D), a Panoptec Technologies Group company, and CT Square, led by Chandresh Shah, have announced a joint venture to distribute G&D and V...
12/05/2026
With 30 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament in the United States, has announced th...
12/05/2026
The NHL has announced the return of Stanley Pup for its third consecutive year, a 90-minute special featuring adoptable rescue dogs competing on a miniature rin...
12/05/2026
NBCUniversal presented its 2026 Upfront to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall, detailing upcoming programming across NBC, Peacock, Bravo, and Versant properti...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced funding for the Fandom and Social Connection Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Publ...
12/05/2026
TNDV and Live Media, both divisions of Live Media Group, supported live broadcast coverage around NCAA Final Four weekend in Indianapolis, including the March M...
12/05/2026
The European Football Alliance (EFA) has announced a content distribution agreement with Fubo Sports Network, the free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel ...
12/05/2026
For the first time, Spanish-speaking fans in the U.S. will have two separate tel...
12/05/2026
CP Communications led a comprehensive spectrum management initiative on behalf of Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, coordinating RF assets across the ...
12/05/2026
LiveU has announced a strategic partnership with DRONERESPONDERS, a 501(c)3 non-...
12/05/2026
Open Broadcast Systems has announced that BMC TV, a specialist in IP transport of broadcast content, has selected the Open Broadcast Systems 5G Flyaway solution...
12/05/2026
NEP Europe, part of NEP Group, has announced it will deliver broadcast solutions...
12/05/2026
Grass Valley has announced continued collaboration with Ravensbourne University ...
12/05/2026
Stats Perform has announced the launch of Opta Pulse, an AI-assisted video creation and distribution platform for leagues, rights holders, and broadcasters. The...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced a collaboration with Sesame Workshop to integrate Sesame Street characters into FOX Sports' FIFA World Cup 2026 programming. Conten...
12/05/2026
To date, NHL Productions has produced 19 broadcasts with commentary in American Sign Language
NHL in ASL (American Sign Language) may be just one show, but the...
12/05/2026
Google's Brian Albert: creators, athletes, highlights, nostalgia, second-scr...
12/05/2026
A still from Past Lives by Celine Song, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | p...
12/05/2026
Spotify is where fans and artists come together, turning discovery into somethin...
12/05/2026
Features patented Marco-MMC clocking technology
Black Lion Audio's latest release combines the company's expertise in clocking with their renowned p...
12/05/2026
New Track Panel, sequencer upgrades & more
Following their recent public beta release, Reason Studios have announced the full release of Reason 14. With the...
12/05/2026
One month to go! SBS reveals expansive FIFA World Cup 2026 lineup beyond the pi...
12/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing at...
12/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has developed a modified fund raising p...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Tyrell Corporation, specialists in high-end live sports and entertainment broadcasts, was tasked with delivering compelling broadcast coverage of premier equest...
12/05/2026
Registration is now open for IBC2026 as the global media, entertainment and technology community prepares to converge on the RAI Amsterdam from 11 14 September ...
12/05/2026
Ross Video, a global leader in live video production technology, will present its latest innovations and integrated production workflows at BroadcastAsia 2026, ...
12/05/2026
500 selected leaders from around the world across start-ups, corporates, and venture capital. Over 50bn in assets under management among attending investors, a...
12/05/2026
CVP, one of Europe's leading suppliers of professional video and broadcast solutions, has appointed Randy Koeman as Sales Manager, Netherlands, marking anot...
12/05/2026
Taiwan Television has expanded its HD content ingest workflow capabilities by investing in the PlayBox Neo Suite - a leading multi-channel multi-server UHD/HD/S...
12/05/2026
Jigsaw24 is strengthening its media team with the appointment of Tom Laker as Client Director and Ashish Chauhan as Project Manager. These strategic hires bring...
12/05/2026
Broadcast playout leader showcases hybrid IP infrastructure and workflow automation with Videoland deployment as regional benchmark...
12/05/2026
dzjinius, the all-in-one production management platform for the media and entertainment industry, will showcase its centralised approach to production workflows...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
SVG All-Stars: Kendall Burgess, as VP, Local Media Technical Operations, Major League Baseball After 20 years in the business, she is a stalwart in regional sports production By Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S. 
