After dropping out of college, Goodman started out in the mailroom at WBKB-TV in Chicago, and then moved on to ABC’s Wide World of Sports as a production assistant in the 1960’s. He was drafted during the Vietnam War, where he was assigned to direct medical training programs, which he did while still working for ABC Sports on the weekends. After leaving the Army, he worked for ABC Sports in New York, quickly earning his first directing assignment. He subsequently directed for both ABC Sports and ABC News over the next 40 years.
His projects included developing the creative design and direction of ABC's political coverage beginning in 1980 and directing their Presidential debates, conventions, elections and inaugurations through the first inauguration of President Obama. Goodman also directed Peter Jennings at ABC’s World News Tonight for over 22 years. During his time at ABC, Goodman was instrumental in a number of technological advances and industry firsts, ranging from the invention of the over-the-shoulder Quantel box for news broadcasts to the first successful transmission of live programming from a nuclear submarine and an aircraft carrier. He also designed and built cutting-edge studios and sets, including those for 20/20, ABC’s World News Tonight, and the 4-story Times Square Studios that serves as home for ABC’s Good Morning America.
In 1995, he was named Executive Director of Special Projects for ABC in charge of Design and Direction of Special Programming for News, Sports and Entertainment. In 1998, he became Vice President of Special Projects, overseeing ABC’s development of interactive television and computer-generated virtual reality sets for production.
Among numerous awards and recognition, Goodman has won 29 Emmy Awards and 61 Emmy nominations as well three Peabody Awards and two International Broadcast Design Awards. He was nominated three times for DGA Awards: in 1988 for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Sports for The Indianapolis 500, in 2000 for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical Variety for ABC 2000: The Millennium, and in 2009 for directing The 81st Annual Academy Awards. In 2010, he was awarded the DGA’s Lifetime Achievement Award in News Directing.