MidcoSN

Barry Buetel brings more than 25 years of sports broadcasting experience to his position as General Manager of Midco Sports Network. During that time he has been fortunate to have worked for a number of professional sports franchises, and has come to realize that at any level it takes teamwork to be successful. For Barry, the best part about working with Midco Sports Network is meeting all the great sports fans who are so passionate about not only their hometown teams, but also their communities. His favorite pro teams are the Minnesota Twins and the Minnesota Wild, along with his beloved NFL team, the Miami Dolphins.

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Veteran sportscaster Tom Nieman is one of the play-by-play voices and faces of Midco Sports Network. He also creates new shows and puts together the viewing schedule in his role as Programming Manager. Nieman grew up in Kansas and eventually landed in Huron, SD, graduating from Huron High where he was voted Most Likely to Work Someday at a TV Sports Network. He played basketball for the South Dakota State Jackrabbits and earned his Broadcast Journalism degree from SDSU in 1990. Nieman started his TV career as sports anchor and reporter for KELO-TV in Sioux Falls and since 2008 has been the play-by-play announcer for Midcontinent Communications (now Midco Sports Network). Nieman is a die-hard Kansas Jayhawks fan and a fair-weather follower of the Chiefs and the Royals.

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Jay Elsen joined the Midco Sports Network team in 2010 as an Announcer/Programming Assistant calling the action for your hometown team. He grew up playing just about everything in his hometown of Sparta, WI, but soccer was always his true passion. Jay went on to play goalkeeper for Northwestern College in Saint Paul where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Broadcasting/Electronic Media. After beginning his career at KEYC-TV in Mankato, Elsen made his way to South Dakota in 2005. He was at KELO-TV in Sioux Falls for five years. In addition to high school and small college sports, he’s had the privilege of covering NFL training camp and regular season, the NBA playoffs, three NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournaments and the 2004 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships. Elsen enjoys cheering on all things Wisconsin, especially the Badgers, Brewers and Packers. He lists the Packers’ Super Bowl victories (XXXI, XLV) and the University of Wisconsin’s surprising run to the 2000 Final Four as his greatest sports memories.

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Jason Andera brings enthusiasm and experience to Midco Sports Net as the executive producer of the new high school sports show "Varsity Sports Now" and as the high school sports expert. Jason is a native of Sioux Falls, SD and graduated from Lincoln high school in 1993. He went on to the University of South Dakota and earned a degree in Mass Communication. Andera has covered high school sports in South Dakota since 1998 as the project manager for the 'KSFY Pigskin Preview' and 'KSFY Basketball Preview' magazines. In 2005 Jason launched his own high school football website that covered everything from pre-season through the title games in South Dakota. From 2007-2010 Jason has done on-air work for KSFY-TV in Sioux Falls, giving analysis and predictions for their high school football coverage. You'll find Jason cheering on his favorite college team, the Michigan Wolverines, and his favorite pro teams, the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Twins, and Minnesota Timberwolves.

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Joey Beltrame joined the Midco Sports Network staff in 2010 as a Resident On-Air Announcer/Programming Assistant. He considers himself a utility man because one day he could be announcing or sideline reporting and the next day he could be running a camera or helping with graphics. Joe worked for the Iowa Cubs and the Iowa Barnstormers Arena football organization. A native of Des Moines, Joe was a three-sport athlete in high school and played quarterback at Winona State University in Minnesota. He later transferred to Grand View University to earn his Broadcasting Degree. The Chicago Cubs have been his favorite team since he first heard announcers Harry Caray and Steve Stone on WGN. He is a passionate Bears fan, even when they had to put up with Rex Grossman. Joe feels the Bulls and Michael Jordan during the 1990s were the greatest spectacle in sports history and he also loved watching the Blackhawks win Lord Stanley’s Cup in 2010. His favorite sports moments both happened in 1998; on May 6th, Joe witnessed Kerry Wood strike out 20 Astro batters. Then on September 13th, he watched his favorite player of all time, Mark Grace, hit a game-winning home run in the bottom of the 10th inning vs. the Brewers on "Gracie the Swan Beanie Baby Day."

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Terry Hunter is responsible for Business Development for Midco Sports Network. Being a part of MidcoSN gives Terry the chance to work with local schools and businesses where he knows there is a strong fanbase for high school and college sports in the viewing area. A Sioux Falls native, Terry graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1994, then went on to play football at the University of South Dakota where he received his degree in Marketing and Advertising in 1998. After college Terry worked for Scheels Sports for seven years before taking on a Sales Representative position for Reebok and Adidas, covering the Midwest. Having worked with the Minnesota Vikings, Wild, Timberwolves, and Twins, Terry brings a passion and respect for the sports world with expertise in the business side as well. He is a die-hard Philadelphia Eagles fan during the NFL season and is an avid fan of the NBA. Terry’s favorite sports icon of all time is Michael Jordan, the most decorated player in NBA history. Terry lives by the quote, "You never get a second chance at a first impression."

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Jim Erickson grew up in Jasper, MN. His dad was a builder/contractor and he thought he would be too. That didn’t happen. Now the Executive Producer of Midco Sports Network, he is responsible for determining camera placement, timing of the broadcast, and many other details concerning the Midco Sports Network telecast of a sporting event. Hiring the directors, producers, camera operators, graphics and audio crew that are crucial to the success of the games we air live. Jim’s career in television began in 1987 at KSFY in Sioux Falls, directing the evening news at the ABC affiliate for 8 years. Jim’s favorite teams are those from Minnesota. He likes the Twins and the Vikes … regardless of their success. His favorite sports moment was the 1980 USA Hockey semi-final win over the USSR. He watched it on a black-and-white Zenith and has been unashamedly patriotic ever since. When asked what sport he would like to produce for TV, Jim’s answer would be Acapulco Cliff Diving. Who needs ratings when you’re in Acapulco?

Nate Burdine is a Sioux Falls native and serves as a Producer and Game Day Director for Midco Sports Network. He’s a South Dakota State University graduate but also spent a year at the University of Nebraska. He has more than 11 years experience working in sports, news and advertising. For him, the best part about working with Midco Sports Network is traveling to different places to experience game day atmospheres. Nate is also dedicated to figuring out which town has the best local pizza (so far, it’s Aberdeen). Nate’s favorite pro teams are the Minnesota Twins and the Green Bay Packers.

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Dan Aspan is a Producer for Midco Sports Network and joined the team after working for the Miami Dolphins. He is responsible for shooting, editing, and writing pieces for broadcast. Everything from exclusive interviews to producing opening segments and feature stories are part of his workload. Dan is the producer for our live broadcasts and works with Nate and the rest of the production team to produce taped shows as well. A native of the Philadelphia suburbs, Dan attended American University in Washington, DC and received a degree in Broadcast Journalism. He then became a multimedia producer with the Miami Dolphins Internet and Publications department. Though still far from home, Dan will always remain a die-hard Philadelphia sports fan, naming the Phillies as his favorite team. Dan was at Game 4 of the 2008 World Series, which the Phillies won 10-2 over Tampa Bay. The Phillies then went on to win the series in five games and became world champions. Dan is an avid traveler and has plans to tour Brazil during the 2014 World Cup.

Nathan Aamodt joined the Midco Sports Network team in 2011 as a Producer. He serves as a producer, statistician and camera operator for our live broadcasts. A native of Horace, N.D; Nathan graduated from Minnesota State University-Moorhead with a Mass Communications Degree (Broadcast Journalism emphasis). Nathan worked as a sports writer for the Grand Forks Herald, as well as a Sports Reporter/Photographer for the ABC and FOX affiliates in Fargo. Nathan’s been lucky enough to cover exciting sports events such as Minnesota Vikings Training Camp, NDSU’s run to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in 2009 and the 2010 NFL Divisional Playoffs (Dallas Cowboys vs Minnesota Vikings). Nathan is a die-hard Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Twins fan. In fact, Nathan would have gone to the Super Bowl for work if not for the ever-depressing 12 men in a huddle and Brett Favre’s errant cross-body throw (not that he’s bitter or anything).

A native of Sturgis, SD, Ron Peterson is the Chief Engineer for Midco Sports Network. He is the go-to guy for all engineering needs in the studio and on the road. He keeps all the cameras, tape decks, audio and computers functioning smoothly each season and throughout the year. Ron’s favorite part about working with Midco Sports Network is the challenges that arise with the ever-changing technology. Just recently, he managed the task of switching the studio over to four separate high definition feeds and is looking forward to many more challenges. During the games, you will most likely find Ron looking for better camera angles or shots to bring all the edge-of- your-seat excitement right to your TV.

Originally from Rhode Island, Adam joined Midco Sports Network as Master Control Room Operator in 2011, coming from a career in New York. His previous work includes NBC, ESPN PPV/espn360, YES, NBAtv, NHL Network, NFL Network, CBS College Sports, A&E, History Channel, Telemundo, CNBC, and CBS. He has worked live events including the 2008 Summer Olympics and 2010 FIFA World, NHL Stanley Cup and the WNBA finals. His favorite teams are the New Orleans Saints, the Celtics, the Bruins, and Louisiana State football.


 

Jasen Lenz is a native resident of Ellsworth, MN. As broadcast engineer for Midco Sports Network, most of his duties are computer related. He has 23 years of computer schooling, experience, and training. You may find him occasionally watching the Minnesota Twins.