Jed Drake's Schools

• Boston University , Class of 1978 Bachelors Broadcasting/Film

Jed Drake's Publications

• The Scripps National Spelling Bee, Jed Drake November, 2010 Many individuals think of ESPN as a network dedicated exclusively to sports, but it also airs academic competitions, such as the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which is held annually in Washington, D.C. Mr. Jed Drake serves as an executive producer of ESPN’s spelling bee coverage. A nonprofit event, the Scripps National Spelling Bee gathers children from around the world each year during the Memorial Day weekend. To qualify for the spelling bee, competitors must be successful in a sponsored regional bee. ESPN has provided coverage of the event for more than 15 years and ABC has traditionally broadcast the Championship Finals. The National Spelling Bee, however, has existed since 1925, at which time the Louisville Courier-Journal newspaper consolidated several regional spelling bees. Historically, the National Spelling Bee began with a multiple-choice spelling exam. Two years ago, however, the format changed. During the first round, competitors must now undergo a 50-word exam on the computer. After hearing a word, they must provide the word’s spelling. Only a pre-selected 25 of the 50 words count toward the competitor’s final score. All the competitors have the opportunity to spell in the second and third rounds, which consist of oral spelling competitions. From the fourth round onward, competitors participate in single-elimination oral rounds until an individual wins the championship. The winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee receives a cash prize, a savings bond, a trophy, a reference library, and an encyclopedia. All competitors earn a number of consolation prizes, including commemorative items, dictionaries, savings bonds, and cash prizes. Jed Drake is proud to display the range of competition that exists in the United States and to encourage academic achievement through coverage of the National Spelling Bee. By making academic competitions a more central part of American culture, we can inspire future generations to achieve both athletic and educational excellence.

• ESPN | The Walt Disney Company, Jed Drake January, 2011 by Jed Drake A part of The Walt Disney Company media and entertainment conglomerate, ESPN broadcasts sports events and sports-related programming 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year round. Founded in 1979, ESPN operates under the steadfast leadership of individuals such as Jed Drake, who serves as a Senior Vice President and Executive Producer, Event Production for the network. Named to his current post in 2000, Jed Drake joined the network as a producer and director in 1980. Rising through the ranks of ESPN’s production department, Jed Drake became a Senior Coordinating Producer in 1992, followed by a promotion to Vice President, Remote Production in 1996. Responsible for producing more than 6,000 hours of programming per year on ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC, Jed Drake operates as an essential asset in The Walt Disney Company’s media empire. Boasting the distinction of being the world’s largest media and entertainment conglomerate by revenue, Disney comprises several subdivisions, including Walt Disney Studio Entertainment, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Disney Consumer Products, Disney Media Networks, and the Disney Interactive Media Group. Disney’s largest annual net income producer, Disney Media Networks, pulled in more than $5 billion in profits in 2010. Over the last few years, Disney Media Network has actively pursued and acquired movie studios and broadcast channels. In 1993, Disney obtained Miramax Film Corp., and in 2010 sold the company to Filmyard Holdings, LLC. Disney purchased ABC Inc. in 1996, Saban Entertainment in 2001, Pixar Animation Studios in 2006, and Marvel Entertainment in 2009. Today, Disney Media Network includes the Disney-ABC Television Group, which encompasses the ABC Entertainment Group, ABC News division, ABC Family, and the Disney Channels. As controlling owner in ESPN Inc., Disney manages a large portfolio of multimedia sports enterprises, including ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN Classic, and ESPN on ABC. Learn more about Disney at Disney.com.

• Competing in the Shadow: Lesser Known Winter Olympic Sports, Jed Drake October, 2011 by Jed Drake Most Americans who look forward to the Winter Olympics every four years watch the games for the big-name sports of downhill skiing, figure skating, and hockey. Of course, these sports are crowd pleasers for a reason: they truly are exciting to watch. However, some of the lesser known sports, in particular biathlon, luge and bobsled, curling, and snowboarding, can be just as exciting to watch. Knowing a little bit about these sports can help viewers appreciate them more. Biathlon, a grueling sport requiring stamina and physical strength, incorporates both cross-country skiing and rifle shooting in one contest. Originally designed by the Norwegian military as an exercise for its soldiers, the biathlon was demonstrated at the 1928, 1936, and 1948 Olympic Games, finally winning its status as an official Olympic sport in 1960. The competition consists of athletes’ skiing a total of 12.2 miles, during which they must stop at 4 points to shoot at targets. Snowboarding originated in the state of Michigan and became an Olympic sport in 1998. In the most recent Olympic Games in 2010, snowboarding consisted of three events. In the first, the halfpipe, athletes cross from one side of a semicircular ramp to the other to perform tricks while suspended in midair above the sides of the ramp. Imagine a pipe cut in half; hence the name. In the snowboard cross, several snowboarders, usually around four, start at the top of a course and race to the finish line. In the parallel giant slalom, two snowboarders race down a slope and try to beat the other to the finish line.

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