Harper College will be closed Thursday, July 4 in observance of Independence Day.
John Schippman
Vice President of Sports Content
NBC Universal Local Chicago
As a high school senior, John Schippman had no idea he was destined for a career in sports media, especially covering historical achievements like the Chicago Blackhawks winning three Stanley Cup Championships.
Today, Schippman is Vice President of Sports Content for NBC Universal Local Chicago, overseeing all three sports departments of NBC 5 Chicago, Telemundo Chicago and NBC Sports Chicago, which includes live game telecasts of the Blackhawks, Bulls and White Sox.
“I knew going to Harper College would give me more time to figure out what I wanted to do, complete my general education classes, while also building up my GPA,” Schippman said. “I took advantage of the tutoring program…the extra one-on-one time helped me raise my grades.
“After my first year, I talked to my counselor at Harper and realized that attending a school like the University of Illinois was realistic.”
In 2000, Schippman received his Bachelor of Science in Communication and Media Studies from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
During Schippman’s first job as a production assistant at ESPN, he produced highlights just like the ones he watched growing up. He realized that “this was the career I wanted, working in sports media, behind the camera.”
In 2004, he returned home to Chicago as an associate producer to cover the teams of his childhood for NBC.
“I couldn't believe that as a diehard Blackhawks fan growing up, (I would) be on the ice in Philadelphia in 2010, covering the Blackhawks’ first Stanley Cup championship in almost 50 years,” Schippman said. “My dad turned me into a sports fan, and he was the first person I called after the Blackhawks won in overtime.”
Schippman has earned five Emmys, including several for the station’s coverage of the Blackhawks and another for the long-form feature “25: The Ben Wilson Story.” Schippman also serves as the President of the Chicago/Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and is the executive producer for the Chicago/Midwest Emmy Awards.
“Winning an Emmy is a magical moment, but if you're in this business to collect hardware, you're doing it for the wrong reasons,” Schippman said. “In broadcasting and media, you will only be successful if you work together with your team … everyone needs to be on the same page, with everyone bringing fresh ideas day after day.”
