About John W. Kincaid
Those who know Jay Kincaid would use the following words to describe him: quietly competitive, calm under pressure, family man, swimmer, and consummate professional. An IU telecommunications graduate, Jay is an Emmy award-winning television director. Not only does his resume read like the dream list for many telecommunications students (Olympics, NBC Sports, King World Productions, CNBC, NBA Entertainment), but Jay also lives the fast life, flying to New York City every weekend for half the year.
Jay met his wife Jenny, an NBC sports writer/researcher, at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. They married in 1991, intending to have children and anticipated that dual careers in sports broadcasting might become too demanding for raising a family. Five children later, Jay and Jenny balance work and home by making deliberate choices to preserve their close family life.
Growing up on his family's 120-acre farm near Bloomington, Jay got his first taste of television as a high school senior, working as a schedule director for WTIU, IU's public television station. He continued working for the station while he attended IU, majoring in telecommunications and minoring in political science and Russian history. His internship at WHYY in Philadelphia happened to coincide with the World Series in the city, and he was assigned a runner; a fortunate coincidence connecting him to east Coast sports and launching his career.
After graduating in 1982, Jay freelanced as a production assistant for golf with NBC Sports, and then went back to NBC as a staff PA for the Olympics, and found his talent in directing. When the Olympics ended, he began a seven-year stint as senior director for CNBC. While there, Jay directed live and taped programs and organized remote shows and specials, including Ace Award winner "The Dick Cavett Show," "Rivera Live," and the syndicated show "This Morning's Business." He also directed NBA Entertainment, where he was responsible for all control-room activities for NBA "Match-Up," "Inside Stuff," and "NBA Weekly."
By 1999, Jay had been working for King World Productions for three years, directing nationally syndicated "Inside Edition." On the family side, Jenny had earned a law degree, yet chose to spend more time practicing family management and less time practicing law as her family continued to grow. A death in the family and the responsibility for the family farm brought Jay and Jenny back to Bloomington, with Jay starting a new job as director for WTIU. Unexpectedly, NBA Entertainment asked Jay to keep working, and with the blessings of WTIU and his family, he began flying to New York City every Friday, February through June, to direct "NBA Match-Up" on ESPN. Additionally, Jay has covered at least six Olympics, starting as associate director for the NBC Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.
No matter what the gig, Jay's workday is spent in a studio, where he watches up to 40 monitors and the time, while reviewing several live shots and preparing for others. He periodically updates announcers, selects effects (such as split screens) and consults a rough script, all while making sure he and the producer are constantly on the same page. Though he deals with the normal struggles of juggling family life and work, Jay counts himself extremely fortunate to be able to work for two sets of great people, at WTIU and in New York City.
