Legends Behind the Lens: Ed Goren One of sports all-time great producers parlayed that into a career as one of its most impactful executives By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital
Wednesday, May 20, 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 Jason Dachman
By now, we recall great games from the way we saw them on television, and, to a large extent, the way those sports events looked is because of the imagination of Ed Goren. The former vice chairman of Fox Sports Media Group assembled a sports life that is more like a highlight reel of great successes and great stories, most of which occurred on or near sports fields where he has spent so many weekends for most of the past six decades.
He was a top sports producer who became a top sports executive, and he wore both hats well.
Early on, Goren worked for CBS Sports, gaining fame within the business for producing NFL games. That lasted until 1993 when, in one of the most transformative broadcast transactions ever, Fox Broadcasting grabbed the TV rights to NFL games way from CBS. Not just NFL games, but NFL games featuring the National Football Conference, which comprised the best-known teams from the biggest TV markets.
Overnight, or so it seemed, the still wobbly Fox Broadcasting was for real.
While he was at CBS, Goren says now, he saw it coming, although nobody else did.
When you go to Black Rock [CBS headquarters], you show your pass and walk right through, or you have to go to a desk and sign in, he recalls. I had a tendency to lose my ID. During this stretch, there was a two-week period that, on the sign-in sheet, I put the word Fox. I got the idea that, if this guy Rupert Murdoch is the riverboat gambler everybody says he is, why would he overpay for the [weaker American Football Conference], which is the second-best package? He's coming after CBS. I was convinced he was coming after us.
Actually, Murdoch's Fox Broadcasting wanted the NFC and got it, and soon enough, Fox came after Goren. He was quickly hired by David Hill, the Australian that Rupert Murdoch had brought in from News Corp.'s British sports operation to become president of the sports division here. ( It was Fox Sport then, Hill jokes, emphasizing the singular. He became the chairman of Fox Sports Media Group, but now he's a senior executive VP for News Corp.)
It was as if Goren and Hill were twins, and that was the way it would stay. They built Fox Sports. There were arguments, but there was always resolution. He would always remind me he had more education, Hill says, jabbing his mate a little. Hill could remind Goren that he was the boss.
We had similar backgrounds, Goren says. We both started out in news. We both spent a little time on the air. Then we both went to sports to become producers. We spoke the same language. I was so fortunate to have a partner who had a passion for production. I wasn't working with a lawyer or an accountant. We spent 18 hours a day together, everyday throwing out ideas. It would start at breakfast and end up at a bar, and we'd come in the next morning with a wine-stained napkin with something on it and say, Whose idea was this?'
If it failed, we didn't spend weeks trying to find out who to blame, he continues. We just moved on: what's the next thing?
Fox succeeded, beyond all measure and largely because of the style Goren helped stamp onto the product. He's one of the great, great heroes and success stories of the sports business, says Dick Ebersol, former chairman of the NBC Sports Group.
This is a unique business. Monday through Friday, you're running the business, and, on weekends, you're a producer. Ed Goren
Starting Early
Goren's sports career began early. His dad, Herb, was a sports columnist for the New York Sun -Goren still devours daily newspapers, Hill confides - and, when Ed was just 3 years old, he went with his dad to Havana for the Brooklyn Dodgers' spring training, where he met Jackie Robinson. Through his father, he knew Frank Gifford in his football prime because Herb Goren produced Gifford's local television show.
But Goren has plenty of his own experiences, too. He swears this happened: he was producing a fight in San Juan, PR, between Muhammad Ali and a clearly overmatched European boxer, Jean Pierre Coopman. Everyone expected Ali to make quick work of Coopman - the fight was a laugher featuring The Greatest vs. a human punching bag. But Goren believes Ali kept the fight going just for Goren's sake.
It's fight night, Goren recalls, and I'm on the stairs of the television truck, and here comes Angelo Dundee [Ali's trainer] and the Ali entourage. I yell out, Hey, champ, how many rounds is this gonna go?' And he goes, How many do you need to get your commercials in?' I go Give me five.' He nods. I think he knocked him out in the first 30 seconds of the sixth round. (Actually, Ali knocked him out a
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...
08/05/2024
zweiB updates to latest version of R&S CLIPSTER Specialist in deliverables for cinema, events and trade shows
Rohde & Schwarz, a global leader in broadcast...
07/05/2024
NAB Show 2024
Utah Scientific rocked the 2024 NAB Show in Las Vegas, unveiling two new game-changers in video signal management.
Our primary focus this yea...
07/05/2024
7th May 2024 The nations favourite comedy channel Gold has teamed up with the ma...
07/05/2024
There's something special about summer. We're not sure whether it's the warmer weather, the longer days, or something else a bit more magical, but s...
07/05/2024
NITV appoints Michael Rennie as Presenter and Senior Producer for NITV News
Media releases
NITV has announced the appointment of Michael Rennie as Presenter...
07/05/2024
The ability for line-of-site tactical voice and data networks to seamlessly traverse over Satellite Communications is an emerging requirement to assure warfight...
07/05/2024
On April 5, 2024, the L3Harris Avionics Products Repair Station (NN2R037L) in Gr...
07/05/2024
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
07/05/2024
Share this article
width=32 height=32 loading=lazy data-lazy-src=https://apogeedigital.com/app/themes/juniper-theme/src/img/icons/facebook-purple.svg />
wid...
07/05/2024
BURBANK, Calif. The Walt Disney Company has finally delivered some from profits from its hefty streaming investments, with the second quarter of its fiscal year...
07/05/2024
Bonnie Hammer, vice chair of NBCUniversal, and Jen Psaki, MSNBC host, read from their new books at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan Wednesday, May 8. Hammer's...
07/05/2024
Paramount Plus has ordered the series Crutch, a comedy that is a spinoff of CBS comedy The Neighborhood. Tracy Morgan stars....
07/05/2024
Edward J. and Melody Thomas Scott and Lidia Bastianich will receive Lifetime Achievement honors at the 51st annual Daytime Emmy Awards in June, the National Aca...
07/05/2024
The 2024 Giants of Broadcasting & Electronic Arts luncheon and awards ceremony happens in New York November 12, and the honorees are Al Roker, weather and featu...
07/05/2024
Dabl Network has added The Wayans Bros., The Jamie Foxx Show, Living Single and Everybody Hates Chris to its weekday and weekend lineups. Those shows join the l...
07/05/2024
After winning a proxy fight, The Walt Disney Co. said its entertainment business turned a profit and added subscribers in its fiscal second quarter....
07/05/2024
NBA Entertainment is closing out the second season of its series Pass the Rock with a look at Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs, the league's rooki...
07/05/2024
Syncbak, which provides stations with streaming capabilities, said it is rebranding as Zeam Media....
07/05/2024
Samsung has made a deal with Magnolia Pictures that will bring titles from Magnolia to the Samsung TV Plus free streaming platform....
07/05/2024
Amazon, which has added commercials to Amazon Prime Video, is rolling out new interactive ad formats that will enable advertisers to engage streamers and sell s...
07/05/2024
Syncbak, a 15 year-old provider of streaming tech for local broadcast stations has rebranded itself, adopting the name of its streaming service launched in Febr...
07/05/2024
POST Luxembourgs journey with TAG Video underscores how finding a vendor who und...
07/05/2024
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. New findings from Hub Entertainment Research provides extensive data showing that the majority of consumers will opt for lower cost ad-supporte...
07/05/2024
NEW YORK The Library of American Broadcasting Foundation (LABF) has announced th...
07/05/2024
CBS News has named Lindsey Reiser an anchor and correspondent for CBS News 24/7, the network's live, streaming news service. Reiser, who was most recently a...
07/05/2024
NEEDHAM, Mass. After more than two years of decline, worldwide tablet shipments posted modest year-over-year growth of 0.5% in the first quarter of 2024 (1Q24),...
07/05/2024
ESPN is reporting that April was a record-setting month as the network delivered its best April prime time audience on record, dating back more than 30 years....
07/05/2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has announced that Kirsten Donaldson has joined NAB as vice president of public policy. Donaldso...
07/05/2024
The Bulls are back home again this week from May 7-12! Don't miss out on any...
07/05/2024
SVG Sit-Down: AWS's Julie Souza on the Cloud and AI in Broadcast-Content Cre...
07/05/2024
Deloitte Analysts Peter Giorgio and Michael Vovk: Sports Properties Need To Reth...
07/05/2024
University of Texas' Jeff Hanel to Keynote 16th-Annual SVG College Summit Industry vet to discuss uniting live and creative in athletic department media arm...
07/05/2024
Premier League trials RefCam during Crystal Palace v Manchester United fixture By George Bevir
Tuesday, May 7, 2024 - 09:34
Print This Story
In a Premier ...
07/05/2024
CBS Sports Previews PGA Championship Plans; 125+ Cameras Include FlyCams, Bunker...
07/05/2024
Rohde & Schwarz brings cutting-edge solutions to TECNOSEC and DRONExpo 2024 Rohde & Schwarz will showcase its innovative portfolio at TECNOSEC and DRONExpo 20...
07/05/2024
Back to All News
Five New Games Join Netflix in May
Netflix Staff
Entertainment
07 May 2024
Global
Link copied to clipboard
Five new games are launching ...
07/05/2024
Back to All News
Top 10 Week of Apr. 29: Baby Reindeer' Holds Strong; Hee...
07/05/2024
Home News & Press Blancco Wins 2024 SEAL Business Sustainability Award
Blancco Wins 2024 SEAL Business Sustainability Award May 07, 2024
Blancco's v...
07/05/2024
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today unveiled the all-new Logic Pro for iPad 2 and Logic Pro for Mac 11, delivering breakthrough professional experiences for songw...
07/05/2024
Apple's new Privacy Manifest requirement mandates that apps explicitly disclose the privacy-related data they collect, the purposes for this collection, and...
07/05/2024
Taylor Swift's Eras Tour arrives to shake up EuropeHaving shaken four continents, Taylor Swift's Eras Tour finally brings the biggest pop culture icon o...
07/05/2024
Isiphetho: Destiny' beats Scandal!'E.tv's latest telenovela Isiphetho: Destiny' beat the channel's longest running soapie, Scandal!' ...
07/05/2024
Now there's HELP for ex-prisoners to find work in South AfricaNew initiative for ex-prisoners to find work in South Africa proves it's never too late fo...
07/05/2024
Tonight on Scandal: Cohen is pulled into keeping a secretDon't miss Tuesday, 7 May's riveting episode of South African soapie Scandal! on e.tv on DStv c...
07/05/2024
Skeem Saam: Monday's episode, 6 May 2024 [video]Missed an episode of Skeem Saam? No problem! Watch the latest episode of your favourite South African soapie...
06/05/2024
By Ilyse McKimmie
Now, more than ever
That's a phrase so often used in the last few years that I've come to dread seeing it in notes like this one. A...
06/05/2024
alt= class=wp-image-12099 data-lazy-src=/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Blog-Exabyte-Storage-Demand-960x540-1.jpg/> Demand for storage solutions has reached unprece...
Legends Behind the Lens: Ed Goren One of sports all-time great producers parlayed that into a career as one of its most impactful executives By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital 
