Steve Rotfeld
Encyclopedia
Steve Rotfeld is an American television producer. His programs have appeared in national broadcast syndication on TLC
, ESPN
, ESPN Classic
, Animal Planet
, truTV, Golf Channel and the Travel Channel
. He has been President of Steve Rotfeld Productions
since 1985, when he began making the sports bloopers and pranks shows, The Lighter Side of Sports
, Super Sports Follies, and The Wacky World of Sports. Rotfeld has also produced the educational television
series Wild About Animals
, Whaddyado
and Awesome Adventures
. In 2008, he helped establish The WorkShop, LLC, another independent television production company, where he is CEO.
Rotfeld began his career working for his father Berl Rotfeld's company Greatest Sports Legends, Inc., After spending five years there, he started Steve Rotfeld Productions in 1985 and produced the first weekly sports blooper show on television: Bob Uecker
’s Wacky World of Sports. That led to other sports blooper shows, including ESPN’s The Lighter Side of Sports
and Super Sports Follies.
, an “FCC-Friendly” animal magazine series hosted by Mariette Hartley. The program is now in its 16th year of production and syndication, and was also acquired by Animal Planet
for a three year run.
Rotfeld produced a second educational/informational (E/I) series beginning in 1996, entitled Awesome Adventures
. The series takes kids on outdoor adventures while teaching them about the places they visit. It is currently in its 13th year and is hosted by Maestro Clark.
In 2006, he produced his third FCC-Friendly weekly series entitled Whaddyado, a series that features real stories of people in peril and advises its young viewers on how to respond. All three of the children's series have been renewed for the fall of 2010.
Steve has also produced and/or distributed shows to various cable networks. In 2000 he began producing a series for TLC entitled Sports Disasters, which ran for 6 years. Other shows produced for TLC include Wild Weddings, Sports Collisions and Crackups, Really Reckless Drivers, Holiday Blunders, Crazy Kids Clips and Party Fouls. He also produced a series for Travel Channel entitled World’s Most Dangerous Sports Events. Recently he produced a one hour special for truTV entitled Ultimate Peril.
along with longtime collaborator Tom Farrell. Steve is executive producer on three recent projects all for the Golf Channel: The Haney Project, Donald J. Trump’s Fabulous World of Golf and Golf in America. The former is a series in which Tiger Woods
’ coach Hank Haney tries to fix the golf game of a celebrity. In its first season, Haney coached NBA Hall-of-Famer Charles Barkley
, a self-proclaimed terrible golfer, and the series achieved record ratings for Golf Channel; and in season two – set to debut in Spring 2010 – Haney’s student will be Emmy award-winner Ray Romano
. Golf in America is a magazine series that features compelling golf stories. The newest Golf Channel series is Donald Trump
’s Fabulous World of Golf, where two celebrities square off in a match play competition, hosted by Trump.
2004 Parent's Choice Award - Awesome Adventures
2001 Honors from The Dove Foundation - Awesome Adventures
1999 National Association of Parenting Publications (NAPPA) - Gold Medal - Awesome Adventures
1987 Platinum Video Award - Time-out for Hilarious Sports Bloopers
1982 Emmy Award
- Outstanding Individual Achievement for Writing in Sports Programming - "Greatest Sports Legends"
TLC (TV channel)
TLC is an American cable TV specialty channel which initially focused on educational content. Since 1991 TLC has been owned by Discovery Communications, the same company that operates the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and The Science Channel, as well as other learning-themed networks...
, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, ESPN Classic
ESPN Classic
ESPN Classic is a sports channel that features reruns of famous sporting events, sports documentaries, and sports themed movies. Such programs includes biographies of famous sports figures or a rerun of a famous World Series or Super Bowl, often with added commentary on the event...
, Animal Planet
Animal Planet
Animal Planet is an American cable tv specialty channel that launched on October 1, 1996. It is distributed by Discovery Communications. A high-definition simulcast of the channel launched on September 1, 2007.-History:...
, truTV, Golf Channel and the Travel Channel
Travel Channel
The Travel Channel is a satellite and cable television channel that is headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland, US. It features documentaries and how-to shows related to travel and leisure around the United States and throughout the world. Programming has included shows in African animal safaris,...
. He has been President of Steve Rotfeld Productions
Steve Rotfeld Productions
Steve Rotfeld Productions is a television production, stock footage and broadcast syndication company based in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia...
since 1985, when he began making the sports bloopers and pranks shows, The Lighter Side of Sports
The Lighter Side of Sports
The Lighter Side of Sports is a long-running syndicated American sports blooper program produced by Steve Rotfeld Productions. It is currently hosted by ESPN personality Mike Golic...
, Super Sports Follies, and The Wacky World of Sports. Rotfeld has also produced the educational television
E/I
E/I, which stands for "educational and informative," refers to a type of children's television programming shown in the United States. The Federal Communications Commission requires that every full-service Terrestrial television station in the U.S. show at least three hours of these television...
series Wild About Animals
Wild About Animals
Wild About Animals is a documentary television series about a guide to the world of animals. The series is hosted by Mariette Hartley....
, Whaddyado
Whaddyado
Whaddyado is an educational television series that chronicles the lives of teenagers who are faced with challenging situations. This series is hosted by Christine Hamilton....
and Awesome Adventures
Awesome Adventures
Awesome Adventures is a syndicated educational television series about one host and two selected teenagers who travel to different places in countries all around the world...
. In 2008, he helped establish The WorkShop, LLC, another independent television production company, where he is CEO.
Rotfeld began his career working for his father Berl Rotfeld's company Greatest Sports Legends, Inc., After spending five years there, he started Steve Rotfeld Productions in 1985 and produced the first weekly sports blooper show on television: Bob Uecker
Bob Uecker
Robert George "Bob" Uecker is an American former Major League Baseball player, later a sportscaster, comedian, and actor. Uecker was given the title of "Mr. Baseball" by Johnny Carson...
’s Wacky World of Sports. That led to other sports blooper shows, including ESPN’s The Lighter Side of Sports
The Lighter Side of Sports
The Lighter Side of Sports is a long-running syndicated American sports blooper program produced by Steve Rotfeld Productions. It is currently hosted by ESPN personality Mike Golic...
and Super Sports Follies.
Steve Rotfeld Productions
In 1993, Steve began syndicating his own programs, beginning with Wild About AnimalsWild About Animals
Wild About Animals is a documentary television series about a guide to the world of animals. The series is hosted by Mariette Hartley....
, an “FCC-Friendly” animal magazine series hosted by Mariette Hartley. The program is now in its 16th year of production and syndication, and was also acquired by Animal Planet
Animal Planet
Animal Planet is an American cable tv specialty channel that launched on October 1, 1996. It is distributed by Discovery Communications. A high-definition simulcast of the channel launched on September 1, 2007.-History:...
for a three year run.
Rotfeld produced a second educational/informational (E/I) series beginning in 1996, entitled Awesome Adventures
Awesome Adventures
Awesome Adventures is a syndicated educational television series about one host and two selected teenagers who travel to different places in countries all around the world...
. The series takes kids on outdoor adventures while teaching them about the places they visit. It is currently in its 13th year and is hosted by Maestro Clark.
In 2006, he produced his third FCC-Friendly weekly series entitled Whaddyado, a series that features real stories of people in peril and advises its young viewers on how to respond. All three of the children's series have been renewed for the fall of 2010.
Steve has also produced and/or distributed shows to various cable networks. In 2000 he began producing a series for TLC entitled Sports Disasters, which ran for 6 years. Other shows produced for TLC include Wild Weddings, Sports Collisions and Crackups, Really Reckless Drivers, Holiday Blunders, Crazy Kids Clips and Party Fouls. He also produced a series for Travel Channel entitled World’s Most Dangerous Sports Events. Recently he produced a one hour special for truTV entitled Ultimate Peril.
The WorkShop
In 2008 Steve formed The WorkshopThe WorkShop
Founded in 2008, The WorkShop, LLC is a full-service multi-media production company based in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Steve Rotfeld and The WorkShop President Tom Farrell founded the company as an independent satellite in conjunction with Steve Rotfeld Productions, a television production and...
along with longtime collaborator Tom Farrell. Steve is executive producer on three recent projects all for the Golf Channel: The Haney Project, Donald J. Trump’s Fabulous World of Golf and Golf in America. The former is a series in which Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
’ coach Hank Haney tries to fix the golf game of a celebrity. In its first season, Haney coached NBA Hall-of-Famer Charles Barkley
Charles Barkley
Charles Wade Barkley is a former American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's most dominating power forwards...
, a self-proclaimed terrible golfer, and the series achieved record ratings for Golf Channel; and in season two – set to debut in Spring 2010 – Haney’s student will be Emmy award-winner Ray Romano
Ray Romano
Raymond Albert "Ray" Romano is an American actor, writer and stand-up comedian, best known for his roles on the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond and in the Ice Age film series. He recently starred in the TNT comedy-drama Men of a Certain Age.-Early life:Romano was born in Queens, New York to Italian...
. Golf in America is a magazine series that features compelling golf stories. The newest Golf Channel series is Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump, Sr. is an American business magnate, television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Trump's extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner and role on the NBC reality show The Apprentice have...
’s Fabulous World of Golf, where two celebrities square off in a match play competition, hosted by Trump.
Awards
2010 Telly Award - Silver - "The Haney Project", The Golf ChannelThe Golf Channel
Golf Channel, known as The Golf Channel before the July 2008 dropping of The, is an American cable television network with coverage focused on the game of golf. Founded in Birmingham, Alabama, the American headquarters and studio are currently located in Orlando, Florida...
2004 Parent's Choice Award - Awesome Adventures
Awesome Adventures
Awesome Adventures is a syndicated educational television series about one host and two selected teenagers who travel to different places in countries all around the world...
2001 Honors from The Dove Foundation - Awesome Adventures
Awesome Adventures
Awesome Adventures is a syndicated educational television series about one host and two selected teenagers who travel to different places in countries all around the world...
1999 National Association of Parenting Publications (NAPPA) - Gold Medal - Awesome Adventures
Awesome Adventures
Awesome Adventures is a syndicated educational television series about one host and two selected teenagers who travel to different places in countries all around the world...
1987 Platinum Video Award - Time-out for Hilarious Sports Bloopers
1982 Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
- Outstanding Individual Achievement for Writing in Sports Programming - "Greatest Sports Legends"
External links
- Steve Rotfeld Productions Official Web site
- The WorkShop Official Website
- Broadcasting & Cable - The Kid Stayed in the Pictures
- Variety - Golf Channel to tee 'Trump'
- Media Week - The Programming Insider
- IMDb - Wild About Animals
- Broadcasting & Cable - The Golf Channel Plays 'Golf in America'
- The Golf Channel