Jim Feldman, an acclaimed sports broadcast producer known for his poise, professionalism and sense of humor, died on April 6 after suffering a heart attack.
Feldman produced live broadcasts, both locally and for MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, of FC Dallas games since the franchise’s inception as the Dallas Burn in 1996. In a career that spanned more than 30 years, he also produced coverage of the Dallas Mavericks and Texas Rangers along with a wide variety of sporting events for ESPN as well as many other networks and broadcasters.
Known for his calming presence in the television booth during what can be controlled chaos during a live broadcast, Feldman left an indelible mark on the thousands of production crew members, broadcast talent, media executives and team personnel he worked with during his 40-year television career.
“I was grateful to have known Jim Feldman for over 20 years dating back to his time with the Mavericks and it was a pleasure to work with Jim for 11 seasons on FC Dallas broadcasts,” said play-by-play announcer Mark Followill. “He was respected within the broadcast community because of his professionalism. He was dedicated, conscientious and always focused on getting the job done. Beyond his work ethic, I and many others, will remember Jim for his humor, kind heart and genuine sense of decency.”
He was much more than a great producer, however. He was someone who was described by his friends and colleagues as a “joy to work with”, a “truly lovely human” and someone who “always brought laughter, encouragement and blessing, along with extraordinary professionalism, to everyone he touched”.
“Precise, superb communicator, funny - there are too many superlatives we can use to describe Jim,” said FC Dallas Vice President of Broadcasting Gina Miller. “He produced some of the most memorable moments in FC Dallas/Dallas Burn history and it was a joy to work with him on our game broadcasts. More than that, he was a Dallas sports media original and a wonderful friend whom all of us at FC Dallas will dearly miss.”
Feldman lived in Dallas and attended W.T. White High School before graduating from the University of Texas at Austin. He is survived by his wife, Marcy.
