Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Remembering Jack Walsh: Mobile-Sports-Production Pioneer and Co-Founder of Trio Video Died at 67

16/09/2021

Remembering Jack Walsh: Mobile-Sports-Production Pioneer and Co-Founder of Trio Video Died at 67 The Chicago sports veteran started as a camera operator on White Sox, Cubs, and Blackhawks games By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital

Thursday, September 16, 2021 - 1:16 pm

Print This Story | Subscribe

Story Highlights

Jack Walsh, a mobile-sports-production entrepreneur, sports- television-technology industry leader, and founder of facilities company Trio Video, died on Aug. 11.

Trio Video was a staple of the Chicago sports scene, providing mobile production facilities for broadcasts of its major sports teams. The company also supported other live events in the area, including parades, marathons, and concerts.

Anyone who watched Chicago sporting events and live city events for over 25 years had Jack to thank, because Trio Video's production trucks and crews were the source of those telecasts, WGN-TV Chicago Director, Production, Bob Vorwald said to the Chicago Tribune.

Walsh was awarded Chicago television's highest honor, the Silver Circle Award, by the Chicago/Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 2008. Trio Video was a mainstay of the industry until 2011 when it was acquired by NEP Broadcasting. Walsh stayed on to oversee Trio Video operations until his retirement in 2018.

When Trio Video became part of NEP more than a decade ago, we were thrilled that so many talented individuals became part of our family, says Mike Werteen, Global President, NEP Broadcast Services, NEP Group. They all cared about delivering for clients and working together as one, every day. That care and focus was driven by Jack Walsh. Jack knew the importance of properly supporting his team and fought passionately for them. Jack was a legend in the broadcasting business and a legend in the hearts of those who knew him. We all will miss a true broadcasting icon.

Jack was a great man to work with and for, says Matt Keske, production manager, Chicago region, PRG, and a veteran of NEP and CSP Mobile Productions. Even if you were working for him, you were really working with him. He was always willing to listen to your viewpoint. However, he didn't waste time if a decision needed to be made quickly. He was a decider and wasn't afraid to go with his instincts.

Founded in 1982, mobile-sports-production provider Trio Video served TV productions of all major Chicago sports teams. The company was sold to NEP in 2011.

Walsh was born in Fairbanks, AK, and received a degree in radio, television, and film from Temple University in 1975. He got his start at TV stations in the Carolinas and West Virginia before finally settling in in Chicago, where he was a camera operator on White Sox, Cubs, and Blackhawks games, as well as for the famed Phil Donahue Show.

He formed his own freelance-TV-crewing business, Location Crew Services, in 1979 before collaborating with fellow camera operator Gary Meagher and engineer Dick Shapiro to start Trio Video in January 1982.

According the Chicago Tribune:

Walsh had this idea of forming an on location' video production company that included TV trucks. Owning the trucks would guarantee that we could hire ourselves to do the work, Meagher recalled in an email. And the timing was excellent. Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn were forming SportsVision for the White Sox and Bulls. ESPN was really starting to roll. The business was changing dramatically, from sports and special events being produced by local TV stations, to a kind of free-for-all.

Walsh is remembered fondly by many in the mobile sports production industry, including those from other mobile facilities proivders across the continent.

I met Jack at my first Hughes Baseball Meeting, recalls Mary Ellen Carlyle, SVP and General Manager at Dome Productions. I was the kid that was trying to explain to the group that the Toronto Blue Jays decided not to allow mobiles in the stadium. The visiting team broadcasts could utilize Dome Productions in stadium control rooms along side the Cappuccino Bar. Jack was one of the first to give me his Chicago dates. Since that day, Jack and Trio Video were always there for Dome when we needed [facilities] whether in Canada or the U.S. As I always respected Jack and his staff at Trio Video, I really appreciated it when he referred to Dome Productions' culture as part of his Trio family. Long after Jack moved on from the industry I was fortunate enough to keep in touch. I am thankful for all [he] has done for me and the Dome family. [He] will not be forgotten.

We shared a passion for the excitement of live TV, said Peter Kimball, Senior Account Manager Entertainment at NEP Group, who worked with Walsh as a fellow camera operate on Chicago sports broadcasts as well as freelancers on Big 10, ESPN, and NBC broadcasts across the midwest. He also helped helm Trio Video's Musical Festival team. At the end of this month, our festival team will be on site at Austin City Limits Music Festival our 15th year of covering just about every major music festival/artist in North America.Jack was a straight shooter, had a mind of his own, and was truly a good person.

Even as Jack was helming everything as a managing owner of Trio Video, he would still occasionally be crew chief on-site or work camera during telecasts, SOS Global Express Manager of Onsite Operations & Client Services Keith O'Brien said to the Chicago Tribune. O'Brien joined Trio Video as director of production in the 1990s after overseeing remote operations for Turner Sports. [Jack had] an amazing ability to look you in the eye and make you instinctively believe that he had your back. You could also find him crawling around on his back assisting with the wiring of any of our production trucks being built in the shop. On more than one occas
LINK: https://www.sportsvideo.org/2021/09/16/jack-walsh-mobile-sports-produc...
See more stories from svg

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

04/08/2026

Dalet Announces Commercial Availability of Dalia, Bringing Media-Aware Agentic AI to Enterprise Productions

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

04/07/2026

Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in Dolby Cinemas Across Japan, Presented in Dolby Atmos and Dolby ...

April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 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...

06/05/2026

Wisycom RF Solutions Support Gravity Medias Live Cycling and Marathon Broadcasts

Gravity Media Chief RF Communications Engineer Glenn Willems uses Wisycom RF over Fiber and wireless solutions across major cycling events and international mar...

06/05/2026

Sennheiser Spectera Module Now Available in Bitfocus Companion and Buttons

A Sennheiser Spectera module is now available in Bitfocus Companion and Buttons, enabling direct integration of Spectera with the two software platforms. The mo...

06/05/2026

Ted Turner, Cable Television Pioneer, Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer, Dead at 87

Ted Turner, the visionary media entrepreneur whose appetite for disruption helpe...

06/05/2026

FIFA World Cup 2026: Peacock Launches Visin de Campo (aka Pitchside Live), Will Stream All 104 Matches in Spanish

Peacock is going all-in on the beautiful game - streaming all 104 FIFA World Cup...

06/05/2026

NoiseWorks Audio launch VoiceAssist Basic, Standard & Advanced

New pricing tiers for vocal/dialogue restoration tool NoiseWorks Audio's AI-powered vocal and dialogue processing plug-in is now available in three diff...

06/05/2026

RME TotalMix FX 2 now available

Popular mixing & routing software overhauled Following a recent public beta test, RME have launched the final release version of the powerful mixing and rou...

06/05/2026

Focusrite: Designing The ISA C8X Audio Interface

New SOS Video Feature Focusrites ISA C8X is a milestone product that brings together the companys analogue heritage and their expertise in digital audio. Yo...

06/05/2026

L3Harris to Boost Polish Navy Combat Power with Advanced Ship System

Polands Miecznik-class frigates are part of the largest contract in Polish shipbuilding history. (Image Credit: PGZ Stocznia Wojenna)...

06/05/2026

FCC's Anna Gomez Urges Rigorous Review of Paramount-WBD Merger

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

06/05/2026

Riedel Ups Marc Engroff to CFO, Shifts Frank Eischet to Group COO

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

06/05/2026

Amagi Launches In-Content Ads' to Attract More CTV Advertisers

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

06/05/2026

Riedel Expands Leadership Structure Appoints Marc Engroff...

Riedel Communications today announced the expansion of its leadership structure as part of a strategic initiative to strengthen both its operational management ...

06/05/2026

Production Sound Mixer Dirk Sciarrotta Delivers Camera Re...

For nearly three decades, Veteran Production Sound Mixer and Five-time Emmy Award Winner Dirk Sciarrotta has helped define the sonic identity of the long-runnin...

06/05/2026

ZEISS CinCraft LensCore: Cinema Lens Looks for Compositing

ZEISS CinCraft LensCore: Cinema Lens Looks for Compositing Brie Clayton May 6, 2026 0 Comments ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a nove...

06/05/2026

Wisycom Solves Extreme RF Challenges Across Miles of Live Action for Gravity Media

Wisycom Solves Extreme RF Challenges Across Miles of Live Action for Gravity Med...

06/05/2026

NAB Launches Weekly Podcast on Local Broadcast Policy

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

06/05/2026

Mavis Launches Mavis Studio iPad For Media Production

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

06/05/2026

Narrative Entertainment partners with Encompass to provid...

Narrative Entertainment has partnered with Encompass to deliver high-quality subtitling of its Great! network content using the Altitude Intelligence AI assiste...

06/05/2026

SipRadius extends its seamless creation and connectivity...

SipRadius, widely recognized for making content processing and connectivity secure and seamless, is proud to launch a dramatic new approach to AI content creati...

06/05/2026

Big Blue Marble at ANGA COM - TV as a Service in the spot...

When the broadband and media industry gathers at ANGA COM in Cologne from May 19 to 21, Big Blue Marble will be at the forefront. The international broadcast an...

06/05/2026

Cinegy makes its MPTS debut with software-defined televis...

Cinegy GmbH, a leading developer of software-defined television technology, is proud to exhibit at MPTS for the first time. Visitors to the stand will discover ...

06/05/2026

Val Jeanty Receives 2026 Doris Duke Artist Award

Val Jeanty Receives 2026 Doris Duke Artist Award Jeanty, a composer, percussionist, and turntablist, is the fourth Berklee recipient of the prestigious award ...

06/05/2026

Zeiss Launches CinCraft LensCore

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

06/05/2026

Gomez Urges Rigorous FCC Review of Paramount-WBD Merger

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

06/05/2026

Wisycom Solves Extreme RF Challenges Across Miles of Live...

When live cycling races and international marathons stretch for miles across cities and countryside, there is no margin for RF failure in live broadcast. As Chi...

06/05/2026

ZEISS CinCraft LensCore - Cinema Lens Looks for Compositi...

Oberkochen/Germany, May 5, 2026 ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a novel solution for creating physically based cinematic lens looks for visual...

06/05/2026

VEON's Kyivstar Authorized to Resell Starlink for Businesses & Enterprises in Ukraine

06 May 2026 VEON's Kyivstar Authorized to Resell Starlink for Businesses & ...

06/05/2026

UKTV Brings the Early Years of Neighbours to U in 420Episode Back Catalogue Deal

UKTV has secured the exclusive rights to the early back catalogue of iconic Australian drama series Neighbours, following a landmark content deal with Fremantle...

06/05/2026

Sky commissions feature documentary to mark 10th anniversary of Manchester Arena bomb

Wednesday 6 May 2026 Sky commissions feature documentary to mark 10th anniversa...

06/05/2026

Sky and Formula 1 agree long-term partnership across UK, Ireland and Italy

Wednesday 6 May 2026 Sky and Formula 1 agree long-term partnership across UK, Ireland and Italy Sky in the UK & Ireland to remain the home of Formula 1 until ...

06/05/2026

GUPPYFRIEND champions microplastic reduction in sport with The Real Bag For Life Sky TV campaign

Sky Zero Footprint Fund-backed TV campaign launches nationwide, supported by new...

06/05/2026

Riedel Expands Leadership Structure, Appoints Marc Engroff as CFO and Frank Eischet as Group COO

Wuppertal May 6, 2026 Riedel Expands Leadership Structure, Appoints Marc Engro...

06/05/2026

Harmonic Defines a New Era of Broadband Connectivity at ANGA COM 2026

SAN JOSE, Calif. - May 6, 2026 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced its latest broadband innovations for ANGA COM 2026, highlighting its vision for a new e...

06/05/2026

Statement from Rupert Murdoch, Chairman Emeritus, Fox Corporation on Ted Turner's Passing

Statement from Rupert Murdoch, Chairman Emeritus, Fox Corporation on Ted Turner&...

06/05/2026

Calling all animal lovers, The Shelter: Animal SOS returns for a sixth season

Friday 8 May on RT One and RT Player Meet the NSPCA team caring for and protecting animals in need in this six-part series Fly on the wall, six-part series...

06/05/2026

NVIDIA Spectrum-X - the Open, AI-Native Ethernet Fabric - Sets the Standard for Gigascale AI, Now With MRC

The race to build the world's most powerful AI factories demands networking ...

06/05/2026

May 05, 2026

How changes to proteins can alter drug interactions for new precision therapies Scripps Research team maps how chemical modifications to proteins affect drug bi...

05/05/2026

Lessons from fragile contexts on responding to disinformation

Experts from the world of academia, tech, business, politics and media convened for a Thomson Talks at the Cambridge Disinformation Summit in April. It's th...

05/05/2026

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Phone Cameras Bring New Excitement to Street League Skateboarding

Three phones were hardwired for power and transmission to the truck; camera feat...

05/05/2026

Case Study: How Zaki Rose Rebuilt Its Production Infrastructure, and What It Means for Sports Content Creators

The creative studio behind campaigns for the NBA, Fanatics Sportsbook & Casino, ...

05/05/2026

Nielsen Co-Viewing Pilot Shows Average 4% Viewership Increase for February Live Events

Nielsen has announced results from a co-viewing pilot program covering February&...

05/05/2026

Nippon TV and FOR-A Win NAB Product of the Year and Future Best of Show Awards for viztrick AiDi

viztrick AiDi, an on-device AI solution developed by Nippon TV, delivered global...

05/05/2026

ARRI Introduces Omnibar LED Linear Fixture for Film, Live Entertainment, and Content Creation

ARRI has announced Omnibar, a battery-powered, IP65-rated multi-color LED linear...

05/05/2026

France Tlvisions Becomes First Broadcaster to Deploy Imagine Communications SNP-XS

Imagine Communications has announced that France T l visions is the first broadc...

05/05/2026

WNBA Announces Historic Canadian Media Rights Agreement with Bell Media

The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and Bell Media today announced a multiyear agreement to broadcast and stream WNBA games in Canada beginni...