Without John Roch\u00e9, some of sports production\u2019s greatest directors simply refuse to do a show. Over the course of two decades with NEP Broadcasting, he has defined the role of the modern technical manager, lending his expertise to some of the largest live television events in the world. Organized, detail-oriented, patient, and fair, Roch\u00e9 literally wrote the book that NEP\u2019s tech managers use as a template for success.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe lives and breathes television,\u201d explains NEP Broadcasting founder Tom Shelburne. \u201cEverybody respects him and works hard for him. He would rather work than do anything else, and that spirit is infectious. I don\u2019t think people appreciate what a good tech manager really does because he does everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
A native of Cleveland, Roch\u00e9 graduated from Kent State University with a BA in communications. He worked his way from operating a camera at Richfield Coliseum for Cavaliers and Barons games, through a stint with evangelist Rex Humbard, to WUAB Cleveland, where he worked on commercials and local television shows.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen I met Tom Shelburne, and he took me to China,\u201d Roch\u00e9 says. \u201cFor three months, I was a one-man ENG band. I was told I was the second person allowed in the country to shoot video after they taped Nixon, and I was working on an in-store project for Bloomingdale\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 1976, NEP\u2019s edit house had a contract with the department store. Roch\u00e9\u2019s job was to shoot video of China, which was then used in Bloomingdale\u2019s commercials in the U.S. to introduce China to America. Upon his return from China, Roch\u00e9 continued freelancing for NEP until he became a full-time staff member in 1992.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost people don\u2019t possess half the planning abilities that he has, and that coupled with his technical-knowledge base is huge for what we do every single day. That makes him one of the most outstanding technical assets any network could have working on their side.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\u2014 Michael Sandorse, NBC Technical Manager<\/p>\n
Currently the senior technical manager for Sunday Night Football<\/i> on NBC, Roch\u00e9 has worked on nearly every major sporting event, from the Super Bowl and Kentucky Derby to the Olympic Games and the PGA Grand Slam. He is a master of detail, leaving no stone unturned in any aspect of his preparation, beginning with the site survey.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe writes a 20-page document that captures everything,\u201d says NEP Broadcasting President Deb Honkus. \u201cNot only does he capture the technical part of it but the personnel part. He\u2019s ahead of the game all the time. I don\u2019t ship thousands of dollars of gear to a site that John\u2019s doing, whereas, with other tech managers, I do.\u201d<\/p>\n
A regimented fellow, Roch\u00e9 is awake every day at 5 a.m., in the trailer at 6:30, and on his computer by 6:45. While outsiders may see him as a hard-line drill sergeant, he cares deeply for his crew.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe crew sees him as the leader of the pack, but individuals come to him with issues, be they family, personal, or technical,\u201d Sandorse says. \u201cOn every shoot, he\u2019ll say to all of us at some point, \u2018Family comes first.\u2019 He always takes time to listen and to support the crew. A lot of people don\u2019t see that side of him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Roch\u00e9 is also a perfectionist, which ensures that his shows always look great on-air.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a treat to work with him, but it\u2019s also a comfort factor,\u201d says producer\/director Steve Beim. \u201cIf I get a show and I see his name on it, I know that\u2019s one piece of the puzzle that I will not have to worry about.\u201d
\nSome directors, in fact, simply will not do their show without him.<\/p>\n\u201cFor a production person, Roch\u00e9 is a dream come true,\u201d says NBC Sports producer\/director David Michaels. \u201cRoch\u00e9 allows me to be fully who I am as a producer and director. He understands production, and he\u2019ll come up with ideas for us to try. He\u2019s proactive, he\u2019s a man of the people, and he is unique in this business.\u201d<\/p>\n
Says David Mazza, SVP of engineering for NBC Olympics, \u201cJohn is very good at being able to look through the eyes of the producer and director to understand what they\u2019re trying to achieve, many times without even being told. He\u2019s meticulous in all of his planning and then executes with class and respect for those around him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Over the years, Roch\u00e9 has learned to operate a camera, control a tape machine, and run cable and has tried his hand at virtually every other job on-site.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why he\u2019s such a good tech manager,\u201d Shelburne says. \u201cHe appreciates what it is to haul a camera up to the top of a scaffold, set it up, and break it back down in the rain. When he\u2019s not in charge, he jumps in because he loves to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Having written a textbook that NEP now uses for training, Roch\u00e9 has set the standard of what is expected of the top tech managers.<\/p>\n
A living legacy of the George Wensel approach to work and life, Roch\u00e9 is a natural teacher. Enthralled with the lure of live television, he can always be found working on the biggest events in the business, making the plans, and solving the problems to get the show on the air.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":448,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"tags":[24],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsbroadcastinghalloffame.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/inductees\/447"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsbroadcastinghalloffame.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/inductees"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsbroadcastinghalloffame.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/inductees"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsbroadcastinghalloffame.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/448"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsbroadcastinghalloffame.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=447"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sportsbroadcastinghalloffame.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=447"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}