University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications alumna Kathy “Kat” Markett Orr, B.S. Telecommunication 1987, has joined the College as a Hearst Visiting Professor in the Innovation News Center. Orr will be in charge of production for the new Gator Game Day show.  She will also teach a summer B production course to prepare students for the fall show launch and a course in the fall semester.

Orr has spent most of her career in freelance and full-time positions in news and sports production. As a freelance sports director, she has worked with FOX Sports Sun/Bally Sports as a studio and technical director for pre/post-game shows for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Tampa Bay Rays and Orlando Magic. She currently is a technical director for the Lightning’s home broadcast and for the Rays’ and Magic’s visitor and home broadcasts.

She was also a technical director for college football, soccer and basketball games at the University of South Florida’s studios and for college tennis championships in Orlando.

Orr served as an entertainment director for ESPN’s national cheer and dance competitions in 2023, the Sports Illustrated Awards show in 2023, Mr. Olympia show in 2021, the Home Shopping Network’s “The Daily Sports Source” in 2011 and a live concert by the Four Freshmen for PBS in 2009. She directed more than 100 live cut-ins for Time Warner’s HBO Previews at Disney’s MGM studios, Magic Kingdom and Epcot in 2002.

Earlier in her career, she was a morning news director for the WTSP-TV in St. Petersburg, Florida for a 90-minute newscast, a backup director for the 5, 5:30 and 6 p.m. newscasts and a technical director for the noon newscast. At WINK-TV in Fort Myers, she was weekend studio director and the backup for the weekly evening news.

Posted: July 1, 2024
Category: Alumni News, College News
Tagged as: Gator Game Day Show, Hearst Visting Professor, Innovation News Center, Kat Orr, Sports@CJC