2012 THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO MOBILE 2012 MOBILE PRODUCTION SERVICES & TECHNOLOGY SPORTS SPORTS PRODUCTION MOBILE SPORTS PRODUCTION YE A R BOO YEARBOOK FEATURING THE K SIXTH ANNUAL REMOTE SERVICES DIRECTORY • a • SPORT S VIDEO GROUP A SPORTS VIDEO GROUP PUBLICATION PUBLICATION T 2012MOBILE SPORTS able of PUBLISHED BY PRODUCTION YEARBOOK FROM THE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR 112 Gearhouse Broadcast C SpORTS VIDEO GROUP ontents 260 Fifth Ave., Ste. 600 12 A Busy Industry in Transition Gerling & Associates New York, NY 10001 116 Tel: 212.481.8140 CEO ROUNDTABLE IDS Fax: 212.696.1783 17 Truck Vendors Remain Illumination Dynamics www.sportsvideo.org in High Gear IMT Paul Gallo, Executive Director Despite fluctuating fuel costs, tight KTV [email protected] credit, and labor strife, the industry is Mansion Mobile Television Tel: 212.696.1799 118 Metrovision Production Group Martin Porter, Executive Director still growing [email protected] ENGINEERING REPORT NES Communications Services Tel: 516.767.6720 On Call Communications Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director 33 Truck Design: IT Settles In [email protected] Production units continue shift to PACSAT Tel: 212.481.8140, Fax: 212.696.1783 network-based infrastructure ProductionHUB Jason Dachman, Managing Editor PSSI/Strategic TV [email protected] Tel: 646.861.2373, Fax: 212.696.1783 NEW TRUCK PROFILES 120 Reality Check Systems Brandon Costa, Associate Editor Show Partners [email protected] 54 CBC Mobile Productions Tel: 646.861.2370, Fax: 212.696.1783 60 Corplex SOS Global Express Karen Hogan, Assistant Editor 64 Crosscreek Television SPEVCO [email protected] The Systems Group Tel: 646.559.0434, Fax: 212.696.1783 70 Game Creek Video Carolyn Braff, Contributing Editor 122 Token Creek Mobile TV 74 [email protected] Lyon Video 78 Mobile TV Group Trio Video Susan Qualtrough, Copy Editor VER [email protected] 86 NEP Broadcasting VISTA Satellite Rob Payne, 92 Raycom Sports Director of Sponsor Development YES Productions [email protected] Tel: 212.481.8131 MOBILE SERVICE PROVIDERS Andrew Lippe, VENDOR SERVICES DIRECTORY Membership & Client Services Manager 100 3ality Technica [email protected] 130 Crew Services Tel: 212.481.8133 Aerial Video Systems Regional Listing Andrew Gabel, Sales & Marketing AJA Video Systems Coordinator All Mobile Video 136 Crew Services [email protected] Alphabetical Listing Tel: 646.998.4554 Alliance Productions 148 Generators Cristina Ernst, Circulation Manager 104 Alpha Video [email protected] Arctek Satellite Regional Listing Tel: 917.309.5174 Azzurro Systems 156 Generators Riva Danzig, Art Director [email protected] Beck Associates Alphabetical Listing Tel: 917.602.4588 106 Bexel Broadcast Services 164 Mobile Production Units About SVG Broadcast Services Intl. Regional Listing The Sports Video Group was formed in 2006 to 180 Mobile Production Units support the professional community that relies Broadcast Sports Inc. on video, audio, and broadband technologies to Burst Alphabetical Listing produce and distribute sports content. Leagues, owners, teams, players, broadcasters, Webcasters, CAT Entertainment 196 Satellite Trucks and consumer-technology providers have joined 108 CBC Mobile Regional Listing SVG to learn from each other, turn vision into reality, and implement innovations, while sharing CBT Systems 208 Satellite Trucks experiences that will lead to advances in sports Coastal Media Group Alphabetical Listing production/distribution and the overall consumer sports experience. Communications Engineering Mission: CP Communications 219 M OBILE SPORTS To advance the creation, production, and distribution of sports content. 110 CSP Mobile Productions PRODUCTION GEARBASE Diversified Systems To provide a knowledge resource for the growing Details of the equipment found in community of sports video professionals working for Dome Productions broadcast/broadband organizations, professional teams more than 175 of the top trucks from and leagues, collegiate and secondary schools, and DTAGS facilities. Encompass Digital Media 30 vendors To facilitate a dialogue with manufacturers, suppliers, and technology developers that will improve the quality 112 F&F Productions and profitability of sports programming. Filmwerks 236 AD INDEX PRINTED IN THE USA Frontline Communications Directory of SVG sponsors MOBILE SPORTS PRODUCTION YEARBOOK 2012 7 The Sports Video Group is comprised of leading industry figures who are committed to technical excellence in the sports industry. Members help guide the direction of the organization, consult on A Busy Industry oard various group initiatives, and enable more dialogue across differ- B ent industry segments. In Transition CHAIRMAN Steve Hellmuth, NBA, EVP, Operations and Technology or the past six years, SVG’s Mobile Production Yearbook has reflected indus- ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS dvisory Ken Aagaard, CBS Sports, EVP, Operations and Ftry trends as it relates to truck design and layout. The transition to fiber in- A Production Services frastructures, reliance on server-based replay systems, and whether a truck can Adam Acone, Industry Consultant G Glenn Adamo, NFL ,VP, Media Operations and Broadcasting handle 1080p/60 (and 3D as well) have been some of the categories that have Peter Angell, Infront Sports and Media, Director, arisen over the years. SV Production & Programming Division Andrea Berry, Fox Network Engineering and Operations, But this year’s Mobile Sports Production Yearbook may signal the beginning SVP, Broadcast Operations of an end of an era in which remote operations are truly remote. Both the CEO Chuck Blazer, FIFA Marketing and TV, Director David Catzel, Microsoft, Platform Services Adviser, DPE Roundtable and the Engineering Report reflect an evolving remote-production Chris Calcinari, ESPN, VP, Event Operations universe that will find the trucks in the field increasingly tied to studio and edit- Jason Cohen, HBO Sports, Director Joe Cohen, HTN Communications, Chairman and CEO ing operations thousands of miles from the sports venue. Michael Cohen, Industry Consultant As Jerry Steinberg of Fox Sports notes, “We seem to be at the end of baseband Don Colantonio, ESPN, Senior Director of Production Enhancements video as a way to move images.” Cindy Cortell, MLB Network, Director of IT So what does a move to “beyond baseband” mean for the remote-production Michael Davies, Fox Sports, VP, Field Operations Preston Davis, ABC, President, Broadcast Operations and industry? A shift to moving video via IP and fiber and as files and packets will Engineering transform trucks from production hubs to storage and signal-transport hubs. In Scott Davis, Industry Consultant Jim DeFillipis, Fox Technology Group, SVP, Television the near term, don’t expect front-bench and “mission-critical” staffers to be lo- Engineering cated in a broadcast studio, but there is definitely an opportunity to have an army Ed Delaney, YES Network, VP, Operations Jed Drake, ESPN, SVP and EP, Event Production of staffers thousands of miles away from the venue creating more-dynamic show Dave Dukes, PGA Tour Entertainment, Senior Director, opens, closes, and highlights, as well as better graphics and effects. Technical Operations Russell Gabay, Major League Baseball International, VP and How will that impact the truck specifications that will be important in finding Executive Producer the right unit for the right job? Concepts like signal throughput, server storage Jerry Gepner, Bexel Broadcast Services, CEO Steve Gorsuch, USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center, Director capacity, and IP connectivity will rise in importance. And there is at least the po- of Broadcast Operations tential to get by with a smaller production truck because some personnel could Mark Haden, MLB Network, VP, Engineering and IT Deb Honkus, NEP Broadcasting, CEO work remotely. Whether the producers and directors can handle working in a George Hoover, NEP Broadcasting, CTO smaller truck is another issue altogether. Jeff Jacobs, MTV Networks, VP, Production Planning and Strategies For now, the industry is taking baby steps in moving remote operations “be- Robert D. Jordan CFE, Venue Research and Design, yond baseband.” But those steps have been successful and have resulted in a bet- Managing Partner John Kvatek, University of Central Florida Athletics ter on-air product, better archives back at the broadcast facility, and cost saving Association, Director of Video Services John Leland, Origin Digital, VP, Global Media Operations in terms of travel and personnel. Louis Libin, Broad Comm, President The biggest obstacle now is that the backhaul circuits that connect the re- Jodi Markley, ESPN, SVP, Operations Michael Meehan, NBC Sports, VP mote-production facilities to broadcast operations have not quite caught up Ken Norris, UCLA, Director of Video Operations to allow “beyond baseband” to extend to events that don’t take place at major Gary Olson, CONCACAF, CTO Chuck Pagano, ESPN, CTO sports venues. But companies like HTN and Level 3 continue to explore business Del Parks, Sinclair Broadcast Group, VP, Engineering and opportunities related to sports venues, such as college stadiums and arenas — Operations Patty Power, CBS Sports Network, SVP, Operations moves that could greatly make “beyond baseband” a broader reality. Paul Puccio, Industry Consultant All those changes may, eventually, change the very nature of the Mobile Sports Scott Rinehart, NASCAR Media Group, Director of Internal Operations Production Yearbook and the always valuable