Video Screens Donation to Support St. John’s Media Programs

Students in four St. John’s University media-related programs will benefit in the coming year and beyond from the donation of a pair of large-sized video back screens given to The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies (CCPS) by Talk WW Productions, Inc. 

The donation, worth approximately $300,000, was secured by James Tomlinson ’82SVC, ’91 M.B.A., Member Emeritus, CCPS Board of Advisors, and a longtime broadcast production executive. The screens were part of the nationally syndicated talk show Sherri, hosted by Sherri Shepherd, whose four-season run ended in May.

Video back screens display dynamic backgrounds, weather maps, or similar graphics in real-time on TV sets. Essential to modern television production, they deliver time and cost savings by reducing postproduction issues and allow creators to control lighting, weather, time of day, and more on set.

Once operational at St. John’s, they will provide state-of-the-art industry training for students in CCPS’ Advertising Communications and Public Relations, Journalism, and Television and Film majors, as well as its Video Game Development minor. Assembly should be completed ahead of the start of the Fall 2026 semester, according to Max A. Hergenrother, Associate Dean of Technology and Pedagogic Innovation at CCPS. 

“This donation represents a transformational investment in the future of experiential learning at CCPS,” Mr. Hergenrother said. “These professional-grade LED video walls will give our students access to the same technologies used throughout today’s television, film, broadcast, virtual production, and live-event industries."

"Beyond supporting traditional media production, the installation will create new interdisciplinary opportunities across journalism, game development, animation, digital design, immersive media, and emerging technologies, allowing students to collaborate in realistic production environments that mirror professional practice,” Mr. Hergenrother added.

Mr. Tomlinson is the current Executive in Charge of Production at Due Time Entertainment, which operates as part of Warner Bros. Discovery media. He is the former Executive in Charge of Production of The $100,000 Pyramid with Michael Strahan; the Alec Baldwin Show; and Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris. He is also the former Vice President of Production and Operations for AETN, Inc., where he supervised the production units of the A&E, Biography, History, and Lifetime cable networks. From 1994 to 2004, he served as Associate Director of Production—ABC News and Special Events, including Good Morning America.

The screens—one curved and one flat—expand to a maximum size of 13 feet wide by six feet tall. The Talk WW donation also includes replacement screens, three image processors, and a pair of laptops that house the processing software. 

“The screens are an important part of what you need to do to keep interesting images behind your broadcast,” Mr. Tomlinson explained. “They offer flexibility in sets and backgrounds­­. If you have a talk show, you can have images behind you; if you are doing a cooking segment, you can model a restaurant. Everyone in the industry is using them now.”

A dedicated alumnus, Mr. Tomlinson has, over the years, secured significant donations for students in St. John’s media programs. In 2020, he was inducted into the WRED-TV Hall of Fame. He, his four siblings, and son James Tomlinson III ’12CCPS graduated from the University.

The screens will become a permanent part of St. John’s Instructional Television, Film, and Radio Center in Marillac Hall, according to Richard Martinez ’01CCPS, ’13M.S., Senior Broadcast Engineer, who thanked Mr. Tomlinson for his work in securing the state-of-the-art production tools. 

“No matter where Jim’s career has taken him, his love and dedication to the University have always remained,” Mr. Martinez said. “Whenever he has a job opening, he looks to help St. John’s students launch their careers. He offers them advice on how to succeed and offers them the tools to do so."

In addition to the screens, Talk WW’s added donations should keep the screens operating efficiently for years. 

“I knew what I wanted to do when I was a kid and St. John’s helped get me there,” Mr. Tomlinson said. “I benefited from the generosity of others and I enjoy trying to make things happen for St. John’s students.” 

Luca Iandoli, Ph.D., CCPS Dean, and Professor, Division of Computer Science, Mathematics, and Science, thanked Mr. Tomlinson for procuring the screens, calling the donation “essential to preparing students for leadership in a rapidly evolving media landscape.”

“This gift expands access to industry-standard technology and creates new opportunities for students to develop the skills, creativity, and professional experience that define success in the field,” Dean Iandoli said.