A Career in Motion: How St. John’s Launched an Alumnus’s Broadcasting Path

He learned those crucial skills at St. John’s University, and has for nearly 25 years, carved out a career influencing how audiences watch sporting events. He is grateful for how the University’s expansive alumni network helped propel his career forward, as well as the toolkit St. John’s provided him. 

“My connections opened doors, but my skill set kept me there,” he recently observed. 

Long gone are the days of logging physical tapes and laboriously cutting them on video decks. Everything is digital- and cloud-based, but the skills necessary to create an exciting piece of material that invites an audience to tune in remain. 

Mr. Hennelly’s love of creating such material began in high school when he and several friends edited a short film using two videocassette recorders. “That’s where the itch to do something behind the camera started,” he explained.

A native of Jackson Heights, NY, Mr. Hennelly grew up a St. John’s Men’s Basketball fan through his father and his admiration for standout player Chris Mullin. He knew he would stay local for college and was well aware of St. John’s standout Communications Arts program, known for its mix of journalism, radio, television, and film production.

Admittedly, Mr. Hennelly did not make use of the facilities during his first two years at St. John’s, but after his girlfriend (now wife) suggested he explore the vast array of resources at his fingertips, he dove in. At first, he tried the Film Club, but soon realized he was most at home at the state-of-the-art Television, Film, and Radio Center. 

“They had all the cool equipment,” he emphasized, smiling. 

Initially, Mr. Hennelly felt overwhelmed by the control-room technology such as video switchers but found a niche as a writer and editor. With editing, “you can be creative and take your time. Whereas in the control room, you have to be creative on the nose,” he stressed. “I feel my lane is in that world of editing, working at a deliberate pace, and trying different things to see what really works as opposed to knowing what you want right away.”

Mr. Hennelly learned by doing, working on almost every piece of material the Television Club (now known as WRED-TV) produced, whether in the studio or at remote locations. There was a lot of trial and error, some blown fuses, and many happy memories. 

It was there he found himself immersed in a community all working toward a common goal; most of them are still friends to this day. “There’s something special about that fourth floor of Marillac Hall,” he reminisced. “It becomes your second home.”

During his senior year, Mr. Hennelly obtained an internship at WABC Channel 7 in the sports department, working evening shifts with sports reporter Stuart Scott. It was there that he realized that news, much like the control room, was not for him. 

“That’s why internships are so valuable—you learn what you’re not built for,” he said.

It was his second internship where Mr. Hennelly found his niche. Working at production company Joseph Marc Sports with a fellow St. John’s student, he produced magazine-style shows for clients such as the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Nets. 

“I was really immersed in the world of field production,” he recalled. 

Creative storytelling and postproduction would come to define Mr. Hennelly’s professional career. “Nearly every job I’ve had has some kind of St. John’s thread running through it,” he stressed, noting how one job often blended seamlessly with the next thanks to the recommendation of a fellow alumnus who knew what skills Mr. Hennelly brought to the table.

His St. John’s connections led directly to his first job at WLIW Channel 21 as a Production Assistant, which was soon followed by Joseph Marc Sports (where he interned), again assisting in the production of magazine-style shows for major sports teams and colleges, including St. John’s. 

“I was really thrown into the deep end there,” he recalled. “It set the stage for the rest of my career because I learned it all.”

Eventually, Mr. Hennelly joined NBC Sports developing, managing, and producing prime-time topical promos for the 2010 and 2012 Olympic Games. “The Olympics were 18 straight days of work,” he explained. “You learn fast what you’re made of.” 

He also produced and edited spots for NBC Sports properties including Sunday Night Football, the PGA Golf Tour, Notre Dame football, the NBC Sports Championship Season Image campaign, Super Bowl 46, and the National Hockey League Winter Classic.

He later moved to Broadway Video, Saturday Night Live Producer Lorne Michaels’s company, and finally to CBS Sports, where he oversees promos for the National Football League, college football, golf, and the Masters, coordinating graphics, music, and editing. As Mr. Hennelly is fond of saying, he found his lane.

Mr. Hennelly has navigated the gradual changeover to digital production seamlessly, from physical tape rooms to virtual servers, remote editing, and cloud-based workflows. “You don’t survive in this business unless you can learn, adapt, and deliver under pressure,” he said. “The technology has changed everything, but the storytelling hasn’t changed at all.”

Maintaining close ties to St. John’s has been important to Mr. Hennelly. He was recently inducted into the WRED-TV Hall of Fame and hopes one day to teach the next generation of television professionals. 

“I’d like to give back, whether it’s teaching editing or production,” he mused. “It all started here. If I can help the next generation find their lane as I found mine, that would be full circle.”