Strengths

§         Large Project Management from conception to completion.

§         Excellent interpersonal skills.

§         Forward thinker.

§         Competent in budget planning and projection.

§         Disaster / Continuity Planning

§         Effective in organizing projects and managing time.

§         Knowledge of TV systems, computer systems, and experience with EXCEL spreadsheets, word processing and many other PC based office products

Experience

DTV Exchange LLC                                                Owner/Consultant                                6/06-Present

ABC 9 KCRG Cedar Rapids Iowa                           Consultant                                                Feb 2008 Assisted in system design, budget creation

and timeline for a complete station technical rebuild

FOX 8 WVUE New Orleans                                    Project management

Project managed the complete rebuild of the WVUE studio facility, while operating. This facility was flooded during hurricane Katrina. This project included working with building contractors, the system integrator and manufacturers, while representing the best interest of WVUE.  This reconstruction gave the opportunity to progress WVUE to HDTV, file server technology and the 16 x 9 aspect ratio picture format. The knowledge gained on this project will be beneficial to the entire television industry as it moves forward with DTV. The rebuild included:

§         New master control with file based automation and move to tape-less environment

§         New HDTV production control room with robotic cameras, file server playback and control room automation

§         Newsroom system with file based editing, transfer and media ingest

§         New HDTV ENG field equipment, cameras, live and satellite trucks editing

§         Audio control room

§         HDTV promotions/production editing and field production

§         Weather graphics equipment

§         Aspect ratio conversion, distribution and terminal gear

§         IP Gigabit Ethernet network to support all the new equipment

In addition, to consulting Rick designs, manufactures and sells specialty equipment required by the television and cable industries for the migration to a digital only world.

BELO BROADCASTING INC., WWL-TV  New Orleans, Louisiana                           8/97-6/06

DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY, BROADCAST MEDIA OPERATIONS and INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FOR WWL-TV, WWL-DT, Cable channel NEWSWATCH 15, WWLTV.COM:  Chief Technologist, responsible for all facets of operation and maintenance of the IT network, transmitter site, studio site, towers, news operations and a news bureau. Major emphasis on transitioning WWL-TV to a GigaBit network infrastructure and to Digital Television.

BELO BROADCASTING INC., WWL-TV  New Orleans, Louisiana              8/97-6/06

§         Led a multi-million planning, design, and construction of an all new transmission facility. Included, tower, transmitter building and all equipment. Handled all FCC, FAA, local, civil, zoning and legal issues. Construction of 1049’ tower, transmitter building, NTSC and DTV transmitters and all associated data, video, audio, fiber and microwave links.

§         Prior to Katrina led a multi-million programming, design, and construction of a new studio facility. Implementing all aspects from land purchase, zoning, civil, traffic studies, architectural, structural, permitting, interference studies, television system design and implementation, IT network and studio relocation.

§         Planned the stations transition to H/DTV.

§         Involved in Negotiating IBEW Union contracts.

§         Transition and train workforce from old television thinking to new computer based thinking.

§         Conducted training classes on new technologies and equipment.

§         Part of a Corporate Task Force to develop and plan new marketing strategies and cluster operations.

§         Prepare capital budgets for Engineering and computer IT departments. Monitor and control capital and Engineering expenses.

§         Recently won two awards from the American Concrete Institute for the transmitter building. An "Award of Excellence" and "Overall Best Project in Louisiana"

SINCLAIR COMMUNICATIONS, INC.,  Baltimore, Maryland                      10/92-8/97

(Formerly River City Broadcasting; St. Louis, Missouri.)

REGIONAL DIRECTOR, Engineering and Broadcast Operations, WTTV/WTTK, Indianapolis, WSTR, Cincinnati, Ohio; WYZZ, Bloomington, Illinois; KSMO, Kansas City, Kansas; KDSM, Des Moines, Iowa; WDKY, Lexington, Kentucky; WSMH, Flint, Michigan; 6/96-8/97. Continued accountability as Director of Engineering and Operations, WTTV/WTTK (see below).

Where responsibilities included… overseeing 150 personnel, communicating with Chief Engineers, Operations Supervisors, Controllers, Business Managers, Sales Managers, General Managers and Regional Vice Presidents.

§         Led the planning and development of all engineering, facility renovations and production projects; formulate expense/capital budgets, plus managed Master Control, Engineering, Production and IT Depts.

§         Planned all stations’ conversion to Digital Television.

§         Negotiated pricing on equipment purchases.

§         Teamed with corporate personnel to develop and plan new marketing strategies.

§         Handled outside communications regarding legal and engineering issues.

§         “Executive in Charge of Production” for locally-produced game show, “Hoosier-Know it All’s.”

DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING and OPERATIONS, WTTV/WTTK,         7/95-8/97

River City Broadcasting; Oversaw staff in remote and local television production, engineering, satellite, and “On Air” operations.

§         Led project for disk-based server technology and automation, for regional super-station with production requirements, such as Indiana/Purdue Basketball, Indiana Pacers, Colts NFL games, “Hoosier Millionaire” local Game Show,  plus on/off site productions throughout Indiana.

§         Completed a several million dollar transmitter signal coverage and facilities upgrade.

§         Lead Engineer for selected areas within River City Broadcasting 10 TV licenses.

WTTV TV, River City Broadcasting    DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING       10/92-7/95

  Responsible for operation and maintenance of four physical plants, including 45’ remote truck, one VHF ch#4 transmit, one UHF ch#29 transmit, two studio buildings, five tower sites, and remote sports locations.  Budget planning and implementation.

KTXH TV, United Paramount Communications, Inc.,  Houston, Texas            12/89-10/92

KHOU TV, CBS Affiliate, Belo Corp., Houston Texas                                         12/87-2/90

JVC CO. OF AMERICA, Professional Video Division,  Houston, Texas           11/85-12/87

M.I.A. VIDEO SERVICE CENTER,  Houston, Texas                                        1/84-11/86

FOUNDER AND OWNER/MANAGER, OF 2,500-square-foot maintenance and repair facility for electronics, television equipment, and consumer electronics. Contracted by Space Research Technology to assist in research, development and marketing of a Golay Code digital error correction system; developed to integrated circuit level for production.

NASA – TAFT BROADCASTING CORP., Houston, Texas                              1/83-1/84

Personal Accomplishments

§         Owner, DTV Exchange LLC, Slidell, LA. 2004 to Present. Designs and markets equipment sold in the television industry. Broadcast Engineering/Operations/Construction consultant. 

§         Engineer, CBS Television Network, New York, 1994 Olympics, Lillehammer, Norway.

     Lead engineer that teamed with manufacturers’ technical staff and Sony Systems Integration Division, Final checkout of equipment and troubleshooting all systems at the International Broadcast Center and other venues. (1/94-2/94, contract)

§         Engineer, CBS Television Network, New York, 1992 Olympics, Abertville, France.

      Lead engineer for final systems checkout of equipment and troubleshooting complete broadcasting system. Discovered design flaws in manufacturers’ equipment, and reconfigured to quickly implement operations. (1/91-2/91, contract) 

Education

§        Associate Degree in Electronic Technology; Double Major: Computer Systems and Television Products; Northwestern Electronics Institute, Minneapolis, Minnesota; 1980-1982.

§        Completed training in basic electricity and electronics, weapons control systems, and radar, United States Navy Technical Schools, Great Lakes, Illinois; 1976-1980.

§         Other various computer, television manufacturer and computer training classes

§         Various continuing education classes for personnel management, motivation and strategic planning

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Associations