Steve Warren — Broadcast TV, FanDuel Sports Network & The Mentor Who Helped Build Northeast Ohio Media
The Obi-Wan of Northeast Ohio media, in front of the hardware that defines a career. Photo Credit: Steve Warren. Used with permission.
Steve Warren was the OG of video at Hoover High School before there was even a program, and he’s been building broadcast careers in Northeast Ohio ever since. As former Director of Operations at FanDuel Sports Network, he hired hundreds of media professionals and mentored generations of broadcasters including your host.
In this episode Steve traces his path from recording JV basketball games on a half-inch reel-to-reel to running technical operations at one of the biggest regional sports networks in the country, and shares exactly what he looks for when he’s hiring.
Why It Matters
Steve’s advice cuts through everything: work ethic, attitude, and the ability to work with others beat raw talent every time in this business. That’s not a motivational poster line. It’s what thirty years of hiring and working alongside the best in the industry actually taught him. For anyone trying to break into live production, this is the conversation that tells you exactly what matters and what doesn’t.
About This Guest
Steve Warren is the retired Director of Operations at FanDuel Sports Network and one of the most connected mentors in Northeast Ohio’s broadcast community, currently available for freelance work. His career started at Hoover High School where he was literally handed a camera and told to figure it out, then wound through small market TV, the Cleveland Indians, and eventually FanDuel Sports Network, where he hired and mentored hundreds of media professionals. He also helped shape the career of Nick Gambone, now Assistant Director of Creative Production for the Cleveland Guardians, through a chance pizza drive-thru conversation that nobody planned but everybody remembers.
Steve’s Bonafides
“
You gotta play all the angles and work all the channels. Be persistent, keep your name in front of people, and when you get the interview, be ready to talk and look them in the eye. It’s still a people business.
”— STEVE WARREN, RETIRED DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, FANDUEL SPORTS NETWORKHear This Episode
Watch Here
Episode Timestamps
Your ZoomPod — Exit Ticket
After this episode, you'll know:
- Why persistence and follow-up move your resume to the top of the pile even when nothing’s available
- What hiring managers actually look for in an interview that your technical skills can’t tell them
- How educator referrals and personal connections bypass the HR computer and get you seen
- Why the pizza drive-thru conversation that launched Nick Gambone’s career is a lesson in always being ready
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Explore More
Check out our other great podcast episodes. Link and follow for more great learn-photography content: IG @tvcommandomedia | FB @ZoomWithOurFeet.
Steve built his career by showing up, making connections, and being ready when opportunity arrived. Same instinct applies every time you pick up a camera.
Stop Shooting From the Stands →BUILD NOTE: Full transcript pending paste-in from Buzzsprout.
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