Lindsay Czarniak
Encyclopedia
Lindsay Ann Czarniak is an American
sports anchor and reporter
. After spending 6 years with WRC-TV
(usually dubbed NBC4), the local NBC
television affiliate in Washington, D.C.
, Czarniak joined ESPN as a SportsCenter anchor in August 2011.
She has also been a pit reporter for TNT
's NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series coverage and a former co-host and reporter for the syndicated The George Michael Sports Machine
. Czarniak served as a host and sportsdesk reporter for NBC Sports
coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
, China
.
on November 7, 1977, and moved to Northern Virginia
with her family when she was five. Her father, Chet Czarniak, spent 17 years working in a local newspaper's sports department. Growing up a sports fan, she played lacrosse
and field hockey
at Centreville High School. In 2000, she graduated from James Madison University
with a major in online journalism
.
in Washington, D.C. while still a college student. Her broadcasting career began as a CNN
production assistant. Her first on-air role as a news reporter occurred while working for WAWS
in Jacksonville, Florida
. She also worked for WTEV-TV
(also in Jacksonville), WTVJ
in Miami, Florida
, and the Speed Channel.
In June 2005, Czarniak returned to the D.C. area and joined NBC4
. She had received a phone call from George Michael
to work as a sports anchor and reporter. She officially became the co-host of The George Michael Sports Machine
in September 2006. In her first major assignment as a reporter, Czarniak traveled to Turin
, Italy
to relay coverage of the 2006 Winter Olympics
for NBC Sports. She has also served as a pit reporter in NASCAR Nationwide Series races at the Martinsville Speedway
and at the IRP Busch race.
In March 2007, George Michael stepped down as NBC4's sports anchor. Czarniak and her colleague, Dan Hellie, then became the co-sports anchors. She was also tapped as a pit reporter for TNT's six-race Sprint Cup Series schedule from Pocono
to Chicago
. She remained with TNT for the same schedule in 2008.
Following the murder of free safety Sean Taylor
in November 2007, Czarniak was the first sports reporter to interview team players of the Washington Redskins
.
Czarniak made a guest appearance on the May 22, 2008 edition of The Tony Kornheiser Show
, occupying the "chick chair." On that show, she told a humorous anecdote of being arrested for expired license plates by the DC Police
on her way to a News 4 interview, which turned out to be an important public service warning for those who visit Washington, D.C.
On July 17, 2008, Czarniak was honored at the Reading Phillies
@ Bowie Baysox
doubleheader
where she threw the first pitch. Czarniak also signed autographs during a meet and greet session throughout the games. Initially, Lindsay Czarniak Day was set to take place on July 21, but was changed due to a scheduling conflict. Fans at either the July 17 and the July 21 games received Lindsay Czarniak bobble heads.
On July 29, Czarniak posted one of several blogs just before leaving for her 2008 Summer Olympics
duties in Beijing
, China
. She was a sportsdesk reporter for NBC. She also sent in blogs to WRC-TV
's Olympic zone of the website. Another one of her duties was hosting a half-hour show on Oxygen called Gymnastics on Oxygen. It was largely based around gymnastics and other Olympic competitions targeted toward women. It aired weekdays at 7:30 pm ET
.
On June 23, 2011, it was announced that Czarniak would leave NBC 4 Washington to work at ESPN. On July 13, 2011, Czarniak made her final broadcast as a sports reporter at WRC-TV. On August 19, 2011 Lindsay made her Sportcenter debut covering the evening's preseason football games.
.com. Terri is currently the principal at Rose Hill Elementary School, a Fairfax County public school
, in Alexandria, Virginia
. Lindsay's brother, Andrew, is a 2005 graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy. He is currently serving in the Coast Guard.
Czarniak appeared in the 2000 independent action film Aquarius, in which she played a character named Mist.
In 2009, Czarniak had a cameo appearance in the Chris Cooley-executive produced indie film, Ghosts Don't Exist
.
Czarniak married WRC-TV reporter & weekend anchor Craig Melvin
on October 15, 2011 in Washington.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sports anchor and reporter
Sports journalism
Sports journalism is a form of journalism that reports on sports topics and events.While the sports department within some newspapers has been mockingly called the toy department, because sports journalists do not concern themselves with the 'serious' topics covered by the news desk, sports...
. After spending 6 years with WRC-TV
WRC-TV
WRC-TV, channel 4, is an owned and operated television station of the NBC television network, located in the American capital city of Washington, D.C...
(usually dubbed NBC4), the local NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television affiliate in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Czarniak joined ESPN as a SportsCenter anchor in August 2011.
She has also been a pit reporter for TNT
Turner Network Television
Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...
's NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Sprint Cup Series coverage and a former co-host and reporter for the syndicated The George Michael Sports Machine
The George Michael Sports Machine
The George Michael Sports Machine is a syndicated, sports-related television program which aired from 1984 until 2007. The show was hosted by George Michael, a former radio disc jockey-turned television sports anchor, and was produced at WRC-TV, the NBC-owned station in Washington,...
. Czarniak served as a host and sportsdesk reporter for NBC Sports
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Early life
Lindsay Czarniak was born in Harrisburg, PennsylvaniaHarrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
on November 7, 1977, and moved to Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia consists of several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C...
with her family when she was five. Her father, Chet Czarniak, spent 17 years working in a local newspaper's sports department. Growing up a sports fan, she played lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
and field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
at Centreville High School. In 2000, she graduated from James Madison University
James Madison University
James Madison University is a public coeducational research university located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the university has undergone four name changes before settling with James Madison University...
with a major in online journalism
Online journalism
Online journalism is defined as the reporting of facts when produced and distributed via the Internet.As of 2009, audiences for online journalism continue to grow...
.
Career
Czarniak started out as an intern for WUSAWUSA (TV)
WUSA is a television station broadcasting on channel 9 in Washington, D.C.. Owned by the Gannett Company, WUSA is an affiliate of the CBS television network, and the longest-tenured affiliate of that network...
in Washington, D.C. while still a college student. Her broadcasting career began as a CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
production assistant. Her first on-air role as a news reporter occurred while working for WAWS
WAWS
WAWS is the Fox-affiliated television station for Florida's First Coast licensed to Jacksonville. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 32 from a transmitter on Hogan Road in the city's Southside section. The station can also be seen on Comcast channel 10 and in high...
in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
. She also worked for WTEV-TV
WTEV-TV
WTEV-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for Florida's First Coast licensed to Jacksonville. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 19 from a transmitter on Hogan Road in the city's Southside section. The station can also be seen on Comcast channel 6 and in high...
(also in Jacksonville), WTVJ
WTVJ
WTVJ, virtual channel 6 , is an owned-and-operated television station of the NBC television network, located in Broward County. WTVJ shares its TV studio and office facility with co-owned Telemundo station WSCV in Miramar, Florida, and its transmitter is located near Sun Life Stadium in north...
in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, and the Speed Channel.
In June 2005, Czarniak returned to the D.C. area and joined NBC4
WRC-TV
WRC-TV, channel 4, is an owned and operated television station of the NBC television network, located in the American capital city of Washington, D.C...
. She had received a phone call from George Michael
George Michael (sportscaster)
George Michael was an American sportscaster best known nationally for The George Michael Sports Machine, his long-running sports highlights television program. Originally named George Michael's Sports Final when it began as a local show in Washington, D.C...
to work as a sports anchor and reporter. She officially became the co-host of The George Michael Sports Machine
The George Michael Sports Machine
The George Michael Sports Machine is a syndicated, sports-related television program which aired from 1984 until 2007. The show was hosted by George Michael, a former radio disc jockey-turned television sports anchor, and was produced at WRC-TV, the NBC-owned station in Washington,...
in September 2006. In her first major assignment as a reporter, Czarniak traveled to Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
to relay coverage of the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
for NBC Sports. She has also served as a pit reporter in NASCAR Nationwide Series races at the Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville Speedway is an International Speedway Corporation-owned NASCAR stock car racing track located in Henry County, near Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved...
and at the IRP Busch race.
In March 2007, George Michael stepped down as NBC4's sports anchor. Czarniak and her colleague, Dan Hellie, then became the co-sports anchors. She was also tapped as a pit reporter for TNT's six-race Sprint Cup Series schedule from Pocono
Pocono Raceway
Pocono Raceway also known as the Tricky Triangle, is a superspeedway located in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania at Long Pond...
to Chicago
Chicagoland Speedway
Chicagoland Speedway is a tri-oval speedway in Joliet, Illinois, USA, southwest of Chicago. The speedway opened in 2001 and currently hosts NASCAR racing including the opening event in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup. Until 2011, the speedway also hosted the IZOD IndyCar Series, recording...
. She remained with TNT for the same schedule in 2008.
Following the murder of free safety Sean Taylor
Sean Taylor
Sean Michael Maurice Taylor was an American football free safety who played for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. Taylor was drafted in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Redskins...
in November 2007, Czarniak was the first sports reporter to interview team players of the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
.
Czarniak made a guest appearance on the May 22, 2008 edition of The Tony Kornheiser Show
The Tony Kornheiser Show
The Tony Kornheiser Show is a sports radio talk show out of Washington, D.C. hosted by Tony Kornheiser, which appeared on WTEM from 1992 to 1997; on ESPN Radio between 1998 and 2004; back on WTEM from 2004 to 2006; and on WTWP and then WWWT in 2007 and 2008; and back on WTEM since September 8, 2009...
, occupying the "chick chair." On that show, she told a humorous anecdote of being arrested for expired license plates by the DC Police
Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia
The Metropolitan Police Department, also known as the DC Police, DCPD, MPD, and MPDC is the municipal police force in Washington, D.C...
on her way to a News 4 interview, which turned out to be an important public service warning for those who visit Washington, D.C.
On July 17, 2008, Czarniak was honored at the Reading Phillies
Reading Phillies
The Reading Phillies are a minor league baseball team based in Reading, Pennsylvania, playing in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League. Since the 1967 season, they have been the AA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies....
@ Bowie Baysox
Bowie Baysox
The Bowie Baysox are a minor league baseball team located in Bowie, Maryland. They are the class-AA affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, and play in the Eastern League...
doubleheader
Doubleheader (baseball)
A doubleheader is a set of two baseball games played between the same two teams on the same day in front of the same crowd. In addition, the term is often used unofficially to refer to a pair of games played by a team in a single day, but in front of different crowds and not in immediate...
where she threw the first pitch. Czarniak also signed autographs during a meet and greet session throughout the games. Initially, Lindsay Czarniak Day was set to take place on July 21, but was changed due to a scheduling conflict. Fans at either the July 17 and the July 21 games received Lindsay Czarniak bobble heads.
On July 29, Czarniak posted one of several blogs just before leaving for her 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
duties in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. She was a sportsdesk reporter for NBC. She also sent in blogs to WRC-TV
WRC-TV
WRC-TV, channel 4, is an owned and operated television station of the NBC television network, located in the American capital city of Washington, D.C...
's Olympic zone of the website. Another one of her duties was hosting a half-hour show on Oxygen called Gymnastics on Oxygen. It was largely based around gymnastics and other Olympic competitions targeted toward women. It aired weekdays at 7:30 pm ET
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
.
On June 23, 2011, it was announced that Czarniak would leave NBC 4 Washington to work at ESPN. On July 13, 2011, Czarniak made her final broadcast as a sports reporter at WRC-TV. On August 19, 2011 Lindsay made her Sportcenter debut covering the evening's preseason football games.
Personal life
Lindsay Czarniak's parents are Chet and Terri Czarniak. Chet has worked for the sports department at a Washington, D.C. based newspaper for 17 years before becoming the current managing editor of usatodayUSA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
.com. Terri is currently the principal at Rose Hill Elementary School, a Fairfax County public school
Fairfax County Public Schools
The Fairfax County Public Schools system is a branch of the Fairfax County government which administers public schools in Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax...
, in Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
. Lindsay's brother, Andrew, is a 2005 graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy. He is currently serving in the Coast Guard.
Czarniak appeared in the 2000 independent action film Aquarius, in which she played a character named Mist.
In 2009, Czarniak had a cameo appearance in the Chris Cooley-executive produced indie film, Ghosts Don't Exist
Ghosts Don't Exist
Ghosts Don't Exist is a 2010 American psychological horror film written and directed by Eric Espejo and starring Phillip Roebuck, Devon Marie Burt, Frederick Cowie and Josh Davidson...
.
Czarniak married WRC-TV reporter & weekend anchor Craig Melvin
Craig Melvin
Craig Delano Melvin is an American journalist, who works for MSNBC currently as an anchor, and was formerly with WRC-TV in Washington DC.-Personal life:...
on October 15, 2011 in Washington.
External links
- Lindsay Czarniak bio at nbcwashington.com
- Lindsay Czarniak at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...