The upcoming FIFA World Cup Soccer Tournament is one of the biggest sporting events in the world with one of the largest worldwide television audiences.
A St. Louis native will play a huge role in the American television coverage of this mammoth event, which will be held in South Africa, beginning on June 11. The World Cup will be televised on ABC, ESPN and ESPN-2.
Ty Frison, a 1988 graduate of Central Visual & Performing Arts, will be the coordinator for ESPN’s studio coverage of the World Cup, which will run from June 11 to July 11.
Frison has been a coordinating director for many of the Worldwide Network’s top programming since joining ESPN in 2003, including its NBA studio coverage, the NFL and NBA Draft, its NFL pre-game shows and its daily Sportscenter broadcasts.
However, when Frison leaves for South Africa on June 2, he will be embarking on his biggest assignment yet in his award-winning career in television as the World Cup rivals the Olympics as the most-watched sporting event around the globe. He will be in charge of the look, the sound and the feel of all of the studio programs.
Not bad for a young man who grew up in the University City area.
“This is an incredible opportunity for us,” Frison said.
“We are building a remote studio in South Africa. It will be one of the biggest remotes we’ve ever done. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for all of us because not only are we covering the event, but we’re also telling the history of South Africa.”
Such a job in this magnitude is in the capable hands of Frison, who has won multiple Emmy Awards for his outstanding work at the local and national levels.
Frison was a two-sport standout at Central VPA before he moved on to the University of Missouri. A music major, Frison played in Mizzou’s Marching Band. His career path in television began to take shape during his junior year when he took a production class and got hooked on working behind the scenes.
“I got the chance to direct a talk show and a commercial as a student project as a senior,” Frison said. “I got bit by the bug right then. It did not take me long to figure out what direction to go with my career.”
Frison directed weekend news telecasts in Iowa and California before returning home to St. Louis to work for local Fox affiliate KTVI, where he eventually won his first Emmy Award for directing the St. Louis Rams’ Post-Game Show.
Frison stayed at KTVI for eight years when he decided it was time for a new challenge. ESPN had openings for studio directors, and Frison took it upon himself to make the phone call.
“I just called and applied,” Frison said. “A few days later, they flew me up to Bristol (Connecticut) for an interview. I’ve done local news, so I just wanted a challenge.”
Since 2003, Frison has had a hand in directing all of ESPN’s major shows. He has earned a couple of Emmy Awards for his efforts.
The 2010 World Cup will provide the world with many breathtaking images on television. It is nice to know that a talented young man from St. Louis will be behind the scenes making it all happen.
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“I got the chance to direct a talk show and a commercial as a student project as a senior. I got bit by the bug right then.” – Ty Frison
