JIM OSTER
Broadcast Systems Engineering Services
email: resume@jimoster.com
• Extensive experience in Broadcast
System Design and Construction
• Skilled in use of project
tools such as AutoCAD and Microsoft Word/Excel/Windows
• Emmy award-winning background
in large-scale live event broadcasting including 5 Olympic Games, NFL Superbowl,
Indy 500, and Academy Awards
• Talented TV system problem
solver and troubleshooter
• Strong team leadership and
decision-making skills
• Task oriented, honest work
ethic and professional integrity
Apr 1994 – present Sole proprietor of broadcast system consulting
business. Contracted to provide system design and documentation,
system test and alignment, and major event system support. Worked
with production teams to verify technical operations of specific show elements
and requirements. Clients and projects include:
- Chief Project Engineer for National Mobile Television construction of studio, control room, and edit bays for FOX Sports Net at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California
- Senior Technical Manager for International Sports Broadcasting, responsible for project planning of Opening/Closing Ceremonies broadcast of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City
- Lead engineer for Genesys, Inc to design and build TV systems at Sydney Superdome and Stadium Australia for host broadcast of 2000 Summer Olympic Games
- Lead project engineer for Sony Systems Integration Center projects:
-CBS broadcast center for 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan
- DX-1, National Mobile Television’s first serial digital production truck
- HD-1, NMT’s first high definition serial digital production truck
- Serial digital production truck for Lin Productions (now NMT’s DX-9)
- Sony Pictures server-based multichannel program uplink facility in Singapore- Transmission Systems Engineer for NBC at 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta
- Tested and finished subsystems in transmission area
- Provided operational and technical support for transmission area during Games
- Received Technical Emmy award from National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences- Production truck technical supervisor for CBS at 1996 Democratic National Convention in Chicago
- Project engineer on construction of Sony Wonder technology museum in New York City
Aug 1994 – Jan 1995 Director of Engineering and Operations for KDNL-TV in St. Louis, Missouri. Hired by River City Broadcasting specifically to convert their independent commercially oriented FOX station to an ABC network station. Managed technical projects to start local news coverage and handle network programming requirements. Projects included construction of news and weather studios, news cuts-only edit rooms, satellite and microwave acquisition systems, ENG reporting packages and ENG microwave van. Successfully broadcast station’s first live news programming starting on January 1, 1995. Performed department management duties for staff of 15 IBEW Local 1 technicians, and 10 non-union administrative personnel. Hired additional technical staff for news operations, prepared budget for 1995 fiscal year, and planned news technical schedules.
Aug 1990 – Apr 1994 Senior Systems Engineer for Sony Systems Integration in San Jose, CA. Chief Project Engineer on 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France and 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway responsible for system test, alignment, maintenance and documentation of the CBS International Broadcast Center. Designed, implemented, and tested turnkey systems such as ChicagoLand Cable News, Chicago Commisky Park, Kansas City Royals Stadium, Dallas Mavericks Arena, and Times Square Jumbotron Control Rooms. Provided systems training on completed projects and event support. Prepared and presented marketing proposals, helped develop department standards, and trained junior engineers.
May 1990 - Sep 1990 Project Manager and Engineering Consultant for Tam Productions in San Jose, CA. Specified, designed, and installed state of the art component analog edit suite.
Nov 1988 - Feb 1990 Chief Engineer for Byvideo, Sunnyvale, CA. Maintained two online edit bays and improved post-production and interactive video production system.
Jun 1988 - Nov 1988 Chief Engineer for Television Associates, Mountain View, CA. Maintained two on-line edit bays and developed documentation for system redesign and rewire.
Jan 1987 - Jan 1988 Chief Engineer for Varitel Video, San Francisco, CA. Designed and supervised construction of online multiformat edit bay. Redesigned and rewired main online edit suite to improve signal quality, remove Sony editor, and add GVG Editor and ADO. Performed various administrative duties such as budget forecasting, personnel management, and project planning.
Mar 1985 - Jan 1986 Senior Field Service Technician for ADDA, Inc. in Campbell, CA. Provided telephone support of full line of special effects, still store, and synchronizer/TBC television products. Performed in-house component level troubleshooting of customer systems and circuit boards.
Jan 1988 - Jun 1988 Vice President of Engineering
for Positive Video, Orinda, CA. Managed department
Jan 1986 - Jan 1987 and performed maintenance of large
online edit bay. Maintained and operated film-to-tape
Aug 1984 - Jan 1985 transfer system with computer color
correction and Bosch flying spot scanner.
Feb 1981 - Aug 1984 Assistant Chief Engineer/Manager of R&D for The Post Group in Hollywood, CA. Overall technical responsibility for ten online edit bays. Designed and supervised construction of several new edit bays and system improvements. Supervised ten engineer staff.
Feb 1979 - Feb 1981 National Service Manager for MCI/Quantel in Palo Alto, CA. Performed and coordinated service of all Quantel digital video equipment in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
Sep 1978 - Feb 1979 Field Engineer for Prime Computer, Inc., a minicomputer manufacturer in Boston, MA. Maintained ten large scientific systems in San Francisco area.
Dec 1975 - Sep 1978 Tech Support Engineer for MSI Data Corp. in Costa Mesa, CA. Coordinated national field service activity on assigned models of digital data entry products.
Sep 1972 - Sep 1975 Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force
as a Special Electronics Technician. Top Secret security clearance.
Operated and maintained highly classified tube/transistor hybrid signal
processing equipment. Served as shift chief in the field and as an
instructor at Lowry AFB, CO.