One of the growing concerns in the professional sports video industry is finding and grooming the next-generation of production and engineering talent. So when the Sports Video Group officially named Tom Sahara, Vice President, Operations and Technology at Turner Sports as the organization's newest chairman it should be little surprise when he quickly staked education as one of his primary initiatives.
Tom Sahara, Vice President, Operations and Technology at Turner Sports (left) speaks with Ken Kerschbaumer, SVG Co-Executive Director, Editorial on the future of the production industry at the SVG College Sports Summit.
At the SVG College Sports Summit earlier this month, Sahara joined Ken Kerschbaumer, SVG Co-Executive Director, Editorial, for a special Chairman's Conversation to discuss the wealth of opportunities in production and engineering and how aspiring professionals can get their career rolling.
There is a growing demand for the next generation of production staff, from the creative to the technical, said Sahara. We need that new, fresh viewpoint of what engages new viewers. Most of us that have been in our positions have been here for a while. Behind each of those creative types, there's an army of support people and we are really looking at how we can get that next wave of people that support our producers and directors.
While many aspire to be on-air talent or even producers and directors, Sahara stressed how critical paying one's dues is in the sports production industry. There may be a limited number of seats on the front bench of a control room or production truck, but companies are hiring large staffs to handle everything from logging, to routing, to editing in postproduction environments.
There are a lot of opportunities on the production side away from the camera, he said. They are not glamorous, true, but they still are a lot of fun.
Sahara also shared some advice for content creators at the university level who are tackling the challenges of staying on top of the latest gear.
When we look at technology we think how does that help us extend our reach in our business? he said. We really look at how does technology contribute to our mission as a business. What is the end product? What's the end goal? How does that improve our business and the experience for our sponsors and viewers.
He also stressed the need to be versatile in a rapidly developing industry.
Technologies advance so quickly that I don't think you can really build a career on understanding a single piece of technology, he said. It's really a mindset. Again, it advances so quickly that you can't even write manuals for a lot of it now and much of the equipment now is software-based. So it's really hard to become proficient on a piece just by reading a manual. You really have to roll up your sleeves and get into it. That's the way technology is now. There's 500 million users on Facebook, and there's no manual.
In one's career pursuit, Sahara advised those in the audience to set goals and stay true to them. Being honest with oneself and taking advantage of every opportunity that comes one's way to pursue that goal.
When someone asks me how they can get into the business, my first question is always what is it that makes you happy?' he said. Because if it makes you happy and you want to do it, do it. Find out what that is. Than from there, just continue to look for opportunities to do that. Get a mentor; find someone to guide you. You really need someone to help keep you on the path because there are thousands of distractions trying to take your focus away from what makes you happy. Being true to yourself will really help you further your career.
Most recent headlines
01/01/2026
Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation Announces 2026 Noel Schajris Scholarship The scholarship will cover tuition and housing for one Berklee College of Music stud...
01/01/2026
New year, new games, all with RTX 5080-powered cloud energy. GeForce NOW is kicking off 2026 by looking back at an unforgettable year of wins and wildly high fr...
31/12/2025
Back to All News
NFL Christmas Gameday on Netflix Scores Again With the Lions-V...
30/12/2025
As the College Football Playoff Enters the Quarterfinals, ESPN Blows Out Its Meg...
30/12/2025
SVG's Best of 2025: Original ArticlesTake a look back at all our coverage of big-time productions, game-changing technologies, and state-of-the-art new faci...
30/12/2025
MELBOURNE, Fla., Dec. 30, 2025 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) will release its fourth quarter 2025 financial results before the market opens on Thursday, J...
30/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
30/12/2025
It marked the first civilian operational authorization for a HAPS flight in Europe, led by Space42's subsidiary, Mira Aerospace
The flight demonstrated HAP...
29/12/2025
San Francisco 49ers Strike Gold With Halftime Laser SpectacularStunning display caps $200 million renovation of Levi's Stadium techBy Dan Daley, Audio Edito...
29/12/2025
The Cup's Around the Corner: An Inside Look at Broadcast Preparations for th...
29/12/2025
SVG's Best of 2025: Longform VideoWatch the standout keynote conversations, deep dives, and panel discussions from the year for free on SVG PLAY!By Brandon ...
29/12/2025
From crisper Lossless audio and immersive music videos in beta to new Audiobooks+ plans, custom transitions between tracks, and in-app Messages, we keep levelin...
29/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
27/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
26/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
26/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
25/12/2025
Holiday lights are twinkling, hot cocoa's on the stove and gamers are settling in for a well-earned break.
Whether staying in or heading on a winter getawa...
24/12/2025
What is AI good for? Posted by MTI Film on December 24, 2025
What is AI good for?
What is AI good for?
It's been three years since ChatGPT first cap...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Back to All News
The Boyfriend' Season 2 Unveils Heartwarming Trailer, Key...
24/12/2025
Back to All News
Love, Fights, and Everything in Between: Badly in Love' Returns for Season 2
Entertainment
24 December 2025
GlobalJapan
Link copied t...
24/12/2025
Scripps Research study links sleep variability with sleep apnea and hypertension How consumers' digital activity trackers could enable personalized health s...
23/12/2025
How guilas Cibae as Dominican Winter League Games Are Locally Produced for Glob...
23/12/2025
BitFire's Jim Akimchuk on Supplying Scalability and Customization in the Clo...
23/12/2025
CAMB.AI Enables European Athletics to Offer Multi-Language SupportPlan is to eventually offer translation into all languages spoken in EuropeBy Ken Kerschbaumer...
23/12/2025
Analysis: As sports media values trend negative, scarcity and quality are king By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Monday, December 22, 2025 - 14:08
Print ...
23/12/2025
ESPN, Disney, and NBA Return to the Animated Altcast Fray With Second Edition of...
23/12/2025
End the Year on a High Note and Donate to the Sports Broadcasting Fund Today!By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Tuesday, December 23, 2025 - 12:25 pm
P...
23/12/2025
The year is winding down, the weather outside is frightful, and it's the perfect time to escape into a story that warms the heart. For listeners looking for...
23/12/2025
A Zeus motor is hot fire tested at L3Harris' Camden, Arkansas, solid rocket ...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Lightware will exhibit several major product innovations at ISE 2026, including the new USB-C BOOSTER-V1, Google Meet. integration for various Taurus UCX models...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Taking the Stage at Carnegie Hall-On a Global Scale Boston Conservatory Orchestra students reflect on their epic concert marking the 80th session of the UN Gene...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's The Great Flood and Culinary Class Wars 2 Top Gl...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things By the Numbers: How the Global Phenomenon Shap...
23/12/2025
Experience the power of WO Automation for Radio's newest service, the System Effectiveness Review. Designed to help you achieve more, a System Effectiveness...
23/12/2025
23 Dec 2025
VEON's Beeline Kazakhstan and Rakuten Symphony Collaborate to A...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
How Steamy Can It Get? Single's Inferno' Season 5 Pre...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
33 Million Global Viewers on Netflix Watched Jake Paul vs. Ant...
One of the growing concerns in the professional sports video industry is finding and grooming the next-generation of production and engineering talent. So when the Sports Video Group officially named Tom Sahara, Vice President, Operations and Technology at Turner Sports as the organization's newest chairman it should be little surprise when he quickly staked education as one of his primary initiatives.
