American television producer
Michael Weisman
|
---|
Born
| Michael Paul Weisman
(
1950-01-13
)
January 13, 1950
(age 74)
|
---|
Alma mater
| Queens College
|
---|
Occupation
| Television Producer
|
---|
Spouse
| Carol Weisman
|
---|
Children
| 2
|
---|
Michael Paul Weisman
(born January 13, 1950) is an American television producer, specializing in sports, news and entertainment programs.
[1]
[2]
Early life
[
edit
]
Michael Weisman was born in Queens, NY, the middle of three children to Edward, who was a publicist at
ABC
and
NBC Sports
, and Dorothy. During his sophomore year at the
University of North Carolina
his father passed away suddenly from a heart attack. Weisman returned to New York and graduated from
Queens College
in 1971.
[3]
Career
[
edit
]
After college, Weisman became a page in the NBC guest relations program, working on
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
when it was filmed in New York.
[4]
In 1972, Weisman was hired as the first assistant to the producer in NBC Sports history. He was promoted to associate producer in 1974 and then to producer in 1976,
[5]
giving him the chance to work with producer
Don Ohlmeyer
.
[6]
Weisman became NBC's coordinating producer for baseball in 1979, where he learned baseball production from Harry Coyle,
[7]
whom Weisman calls his idol and mentor.
[8]
Weisman was tapped to produce the opening ceremonies and the track and field portions of the
1980 Winter Olympics
in Moscow before the U.S. decided to
boycott
the Games.
[9]
Weisman became the executive producer of NBC Sports in 1982.
[10]
Weisman led a team covering the
1988 Summer Olympics
for the network.
[11]
One of those employees was (later
CNN
President)
Jeff Zucker
, who Weisman hired as a researcher.
[12]
Weisman considered producing the Olympics a challenge, saying, "my mandate is to shatter the mystique that only ABC can do the Olympics."
[13]
Weisman assembled the "Seoul Searchers," a group of specialized sports reporters tasked with following breaking news during the Games.
[14]
Some criticized the journalistic focus to the games.
[15]
Weisman, however, defended the tone, saying "the criticism we hear is that people want to hear positive news . . . we are not the American team. We are clearly rooting for the American team, but we're not going to whitewash anything." Other ideas Weisman introduced for the Olympics included miniature “point of view cameras” for specific events such as the pole vault and gymnastics; the “Olympic Chronicles,” profiles which highlighted athletes and moments from Olympics past; and an Olympic soundtrack which included an original
Whitney Houston
song, “
One Moment in Time
”.
[16]
NBC won seven Emmy Awards for their Olympic coverage.
[17]
In May 1989,
Dick Ebersol
, the president of NBC Sports, fired Weisman, who had two years left on his contract, and replaced him with Terry O’Neil.
[18]
Ebersol explained the move, saying he had decided to form his own team and went with O’Neil because of their 20-year association.
[19]
In November 1989, Weisman was hired by
CBS
in California to produce the late-night talk show program,
The Pat Sajak Show
.
[20]
In 2001, 12 years after Weisman was fired by Ebersol, the two men reunited to work together on the
2002 Winter Olympics
in Salt Lake City.
[21]
Weisman returned to New York in 2004, serving as the executive producer for the syndicated daytime
Jane Pauley Show
for one season.
[22]
In 2005,
NBC Universal Television Group
hired Weisman as the group’s first ever executive producer at large. His first assignment was working with new executive producer Jim Bell on
Today
.
[23]
In 2007, Weisman returned to NBC Sports to serve as the Executive in Charge of Production of
Football Night in America
.
[24]
[25]
Davis Sports Entertainment and NMT
[
edit
]
In 1991, Weisman was hired as the president and the executive producer of Davis Sports Entertainment, a division of the Davis Companies, whose president was film producer
John Davis
and whose owner was former
20th Century Fox
owner and Davis Petroleum Chairman,
Marvin Davis
. The company produced sports programs for network specials, cable, and pay-per-view.
[26]
Weisman became president of NMT Productions in 1994.
[27]
Fox Sports
[
edit
]
In 1996,
Fox Sports
asked Weisman to help launch its televised baseball programming.
[28]
[29]
Weisman was hired to produce the
1999 MLB All-Star Game
at
Fenway Park
, which scored an Emmy for Best Live Sports Event; and the
2001 World Series
in New York.
[30]
In 2000, Weisman was recruited by
WWE
owner
Vince McMahon
to be a broadcast production consultant for the
XFL
, which aimed to be a no-holds-barred version of the
NFL
.
[31]
The XFL only lasted one season due to poor ratings, but it is credited with several innovations that are used regularly in the NFL today, including putting microphone on players during games and the "sky cam", which spans the length of the field overhead and gives viewers a unique perspective of the game.
[32]
Weisman, however, first used “sky cam” during the 1983 Orange Bowl.
[33]
MSNBC
[
edit
]
In February 2015 Weisman was named the Executive in Charge of MSNBC's
Morning Joe
.
[34]
[35]
Production style
[
edit
]
Weisman introduced a number of new concepts to sports broadcasting.
In
boxing
, Weisman introduced the use of the three minute clock on-screen to mark how much time remained in a round and placed microphones in the boxers' corners between rounds.
[36]
In
football
, Weisman created the ten-minute ticker, which was used to display scores from around the league six times an hour. This innovation became the precursor for the score ticker now used in various sports telecasts.
[37]
He was also responsible for the creation of the "Silent Minute" in the pregame show of
Super Bowl XX
, during which NBC only showed a black screen with a clock on it.
[38]
It was the highest-rated minute of pre-game coverage that year.
[39]
Explaining the concept to
The New York Times
, Weisman said, “Hey, in the middle of all the hype, let's catch our breath. Change the diapers, make a sandwich. My eyeballs are buggy from all the sports. Let's poke some fun at ourselves and let the screen go blank.
[40]
In
baseball
, Weisman introduced split-screen baseball coverage, which allowed fans to watch two games simultaneously.
[41]
[42]
Weisman also was among the first producers to have baseball players introduce their team lineups, which helped personalize the game for viewers.
[43]
In
2000
, Weisman produced a “turn back the clock game” between the
Los Angeles Dodgers
and
Chicago Cubs
to mark the 61st anniversary of the first televised baseball game. The broadcast began in black-and-white, with one camera and no on-screen graphics, and with each inning the broadcast technology advanced.
[44]
Weisman told the
Los Angeles Times
, "I've always had the feeling that if I was curious about something, the public is probably curious too. . . I found in sports that the more chances I took, even if they didn't work out, people liked the fact that we took chances and we tried. Because so much of the business is a copycat business."
[45]
Weisman also made a number of notable hires, including the decision to tap regional play-by-play announcer
Bob Costas
to host the Sunday
pre-football game show
on NBC in
1984
.
[
citation needed
]
Costas said: “He gave me a chance to prove myself on big assignments. I hope I made him proud, because I am proud to have worked with him and to have been his friend.”
[46]
Weisman hired former
Knicks
,
Giants
, and
Jets
radio broadcaster
Marty Glickman
to coach former athletes to work as on-air talent.
[47]
In his autobiography, Glickman shared a story of a middle-aged man approaching he and Weisman and saying, "'I gotta tell you Marty, you're the greatest. And by the way, I love what you're doing with the announcers at NBC.' It gave me great satisfaction to say, 'Sir, meet my boss at NBC, Mike Weisman.'"
[48]
It was under Weisman's leadership that the first female announcer reported the play-by-play in a regular season NFL game. Weisman said, "I wanted to break that glass ceiling." He chose
Gayle Sierens
, a sportscaster turned news anchor, to call the
Seattle Seahawks
-
Kansas City Chiefs
game on the final Sunday of the
1987 regular season
.
[49]
Sierens was prepared by Glickman for the broadcast and received positive reviews. Weisman then offered her the opportunity to call six more games, but Sierens chose to focus on her news career instead.
[50]
[51]
Awards and honors
[
edit
]
In total, Weisman received 24
Emmy
awards during his career and is a member of the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame. He has also produced 23
World Series
and MLB Championship Series, and more than a dozen
Super Bowl
and NFL Championship games.
[52]
Weisman was also awarded a lifetime pass by the MLB that guarantees entry to any ballpark in the country for his contributions to televised baseball.
[53]
On July 12, 2018, Weisman threw out the ceremonial first pitch for the
New York Mets
vs.
Washington Nationals
game at
Citi Field
to mark the 80th anniversary of Queens College, his alma mater.
[54]
Personal life
[
edit
]
Weisman lives in Manhattan with his wife of 39 years Carol, who is a vice president and partner of Enterprise Asset Management in New York, a board member of the Lupus Research Alliance, and a patron of the
Whitney Museum
.
[55]
[56]
[57]
They have two children together. Their son Jed is a TV producer in Los Angeles. Their daughter Brett Weisman Heyman is the founder and owner of handbag and accessories company Edie Parker.
[58]
[59]
They also have three grandchildren.
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Morning-News Scramble: MSNBC Sets Sports Veteran Michael Weisman at Top of 'Morning Joe'
"
. 23 February 2015.
- ^
"Michael S Weisman, Enterprise Bank & Trust/Clay: Profile and Biography"
.
- ^
Kerschbaumer, Ken.
"Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame: Michael Weisman, Producer Extraordinaire"
.
Sports Video Group
. Retrieved
19 June
2018
.
- ^
Lapointe, Joe (4 September 2015).
"Weekly Wrap-Up: 'Morning Joe' Remains the Bright Sun in Wobbly MSNBC Solar System"
.
Observer
. Retrieved
19 June
2018
.
- ^
Chad, Norman.
"Weisman's Idea Is to Be Different"
.
Washington Post
. Retrieved
19 June
2018
.
- ^
Jackson, Lynn M (6 Dec 1987). "NBC's Weisman engineers behind-scenes innovations". The Courier News.
- ^
Stewart, Larry.
"Weisman Is at Home in Series"
.
Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
19 June
2018
.
- ^
Stewart, Larry.
"Fox Producer Is Turning Back the Clock"
.
Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
19 June
2018
.
- ^
Hasen, Jeff.
"NBC Recalls Moscow Olympic Boycott"
.
Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
19 June
2018
.
- ^
Chad, Norman.
"Weisman's Idea Is to Be Different"
.
The Washington Post
. Retrieved
20 June
2018
.
- ^
Eskenazi, Gerald.
"The Seoul Olympics; NBC Tries to Put its Own Stamp On Olympics"
.
New York Times
. Retrieved
19 June
2018
.
- ^
Schneider, Michael.
"NBC U enlists a pinch hitter"
.
Variety
. Retrieved
19 June
2018
.
- ^
Warner, Rick.
"NBC Finally Gets Back on the Olympic Beat"
.
Associated Press
. Retrieved
19 June
2018
.
- ^
Stewart, Larry.
"The Seoul Games / Day 3 : TV : Reporters Put Imprint on NBC Coverage"
.
Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
20 June
2018
.
- ^
Chira, Susan.
"THE SEOUL OLYMPICS; U.S. Olympic Reporting Hits a Raw Korean Nerve"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
20 June
2018
.
- ^
Carter, Bill (11 September 1988). "NBC going for gold in Olympics coverage". The Pittsburgh Press. pp. TV2.
- ^
"NBCUNIVERSAL'S OLYMPIC TRADITION"
. Retrieved
20 June
2018
.
- ^
"Top Producer Replaced At NBC Sports Division"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
20 June
2018
.
- ^
Stewart, Larry.
"NBC's Weisman Fired by Ebersol, O'Neil Named Executive Producer"
.
The Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
20 June
2018
.
- ^
"Former Sports Producer Takes Helm at 'Sajak Show'
"
.
The Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
20 June
2018
.
- ^
Stewart, Larry.
"Weisman, Ebersol Reunited"
.
The Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
20 June
2018
.
- ^
The Associated Press.
"Jane Pauley gets ready for her closeup"
.
Today
. Retrieved
20 June
2018
.
- ^
Friedman, Wayne.
"NBC Programming Remedy: Hire a Production Doctor"
.
Media Post
. Retrieved
20 June
2018
.
- ^
Clarke Jr., John.
"Weisman on 'Football' team"
.
Variety
. Retrieved
20 June
2018
.
- ^
"Michael Weisman to Headmeri NBC's "Football Night in America"
"
.
The Futon Critic
. Retrieved
20 June
2018
.
- ^
"Former head of NBC Sports joins new company"
.
United Press International
.
- ^
Stewart, Larry.
"Even Before Final, ABC Declares Cup 'a Huge Success'
"
.
The Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
22 June
2018
.
- ^
Sandomir, Richard.
"TV SPORTS;A Thousand Times, Yes: Albert, the Video Game"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
20 June
2018
.
- ^
Sandomir, Richard.
"Fox Honors Ailing Director Who Makes All the Plays"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
20 June
2018
.
- ^
"Michael Weisman"
.
Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame
. Retrieved
20 June
2018
.
- ^
Sandomir, Richard.
"SPORTS BUSINESS; W.W.F. Alters Script And Looks to Football"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
20 June
2018
.
- ^
"The Revolutionary XFL Innovations You Still See In The NFL Today…And The Ones You'll Never See Again"
.
Medium
. Retrieved
20 June
2018
.
- ^
Stewart, Larry.
"XFL, NBC Working Out Kinks"
.
The Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
20 June
2018
.
- ^
Barr, Jeremy.
"Michael Weisman to oversee 'Morning Joe'
"
.
Politico
. Retrieved
20 June
2018
.
- ^
Joyella, Mark.
"MSNBC Names Kevin Magee Executive in Charge of Morning Joe"
.
TV Newser
. Retrieved
20 June
2018
.
- ^
Katz, Michael.
"TV SPORTS; RATING BOXING PEOPLE AND THEIR SHOWS"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
20 June
2018
.
- ^
Adelson, Eric.
"How an idea called the '10-Minute Ticker' changed the way we watch sports"
.
Yahoo! Sports
. Retrieved
20 June
2018
.
- ^
Sarni, Jim.
"The Blank Minute Creates Endless Talk"
.
The Sun Sentinel
. Retrieved
20 June
2018
.
- ^
"NBC Sports History"
. Retrieved
20 June
2018
.
- ^
Vecsey, George.
"FANS' MOMENT OF TRUTH"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
20 June
2018
.
- ^
Chad, Norman.
"SHAKEUP AT NBC SPORTS"
.
The Washington Post
. Retrieved
20 June
2018
.
- ^
Isaacs, Stan (17 April 1988). "NY Viewers Get 2 Games in 1". Newsday. pp. Sports 7.
- ^
Steinberg, Brian.
"Morning-News Scramble: MSNBC Sets Sports Veteran Michael Weisman At Top of 'Morning Joe'
"
.
Variety
. Retrieved
20 June
2018
.
- ^
Hecken, Phil.
"Broadcast Throwbacks"
.
Uni Watch
. Retrieved
20 June
2018
.
- ^
Weinstein, Steve.
"
'Pat Sajak Show' New Playing Field for CBS' Weisman : Television: Innovative sports producer moves to late night to save low-rated talk program"
.
The Los Angeles Times
.
- ^
Kerschbaumer, Ken.
"Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame: Michael Weisman, Producer Extraordinaire"
.
Sports Video Group
. Retrieved
21 June
2018
.
- ^
Mifflin, Lawrie.
"TV SPORTS; A TUTOR REFINING ATHLETE-BROADCASTERS"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
21 June
2018
.
- ^
Glickman, Marty (2014).
The Fastest Kid on the Block, Large Print: The Mary Glickman Story
. Transaction Publishers. p. 231.
ISBN
978-1-56000-444-8
.
- ^
Sandomir, Richard.
"First Woman to Call N.F.L. Play-by-Play, and the Last"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
21 June
2018
.
- ^
Chad, Norman.
"SIERENS' PERFORMANCE IS A LEAP FORWARD FOR SPORTSCASTING"
.
The Washington Post
.
- ^
Stewart, Larry.
"Sierens' Call From Booth Wins Top Marks"
.
The Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
21 June
2018
.
- ^
Karen Ketchum, Jason Dachman.
"Sports Video Group"
.
Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame Ceremony Honors Legends Behind, in Front of the Camera
. Retrieved
20 June
2018
.
- ^
Sandomir, Richard.
"MEDIA; Trip to Olympics or Feel-Good Talk? The Answer Was a Surprise to Many"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
20 June
2018
.
- ^
"Queens College Night at Citi Field"
.
Queens Gazette
. Retrieved
3 August
2018
.
- ^
"President's Award - Michael Weisman '71"
(PDF)
.
Queens College
. Retrieved
21 June
2018
.
- ^
"Lupus Research Alliance Board of Directors"
.
Lupus Research Alliance
. Retrieved
21 June
2018
.
- ^
"2018 Whitney Gala"
.
Whitney Museum of American Art
. Retrieved
21 June
2018
.
- ^
Decker, Vivienne.
"How Motherhood Inspired Brett Heyman To Launch The Multi-Million Dollar Bag Brand Edie Parker"
.
Forbes
. Retrieved
18 October
2018
.
- ^
Elliott, Hannah.
"Can Acrylic Be Glamorous? Edie Parker Says Yes"
.
Forbes
. Retrieved
18 October
2018
.