COLUMBUS, Ohio—Live Media Group has launched its latest mobile production unit, the MU-28, which is a SMPTE 2110-7 IP-based truck built specifically for remote REMI production.

The company said that the unit offers a high level system compatibility, seamless integration, and futureproof technology that allows the MU-28 to provide clients with a flexible, high-performance broadcast infrastructure that can be tailored to their individual needs.

“Our new production truck is a testament to how we’re delivering on our partners’ needs while pushing the flexibility of today’s broadcast technology,” said Michael Sullivan, president of Live Media. “It’s evident that this industry is continuing to evolve, and this truck focuses on that evolution being built from the ground up with REMI production in mind. This achievement reflects the skill and dedication of our team, and our commitment to delivering tailored broadcast solutions for our partners.”

Designed to support large-scale remote production while reducing setup and operating costs, MU-28 features ARISTA cloud networking infrastructure, an EVS Strada router, and a Cerebrum routing and control system. The unit can be directly integrated into client facilities, which reduces the need for additional equipment and setup time. Multiple trucks in the company’s fleet now feature the EVS Strada with Cerebrum control, which also allows MU-28 to combine its capabilities with others in the fleet on larger productions, the company explained.

“This truck is built to quickly power up and go, but it also complements the growth of remote studios becoming more prevalent,” explained Ryan Jones, senior vice president of iInternal operations at Live Media and a key leader on the MU-28 build project. “We’re recognizing the future of the industry and producing a good product to showcase that.”

That makes the MU-28 is more than just a REMI truck. It is configured as scalable hub for a variety of production needs. The truck’s layout also allows for clients to reduce other costs associated with broadcast leading to a unit that supports both large-scale remote workflows but also other support needs.

“In our conversations with our partners on this truck, we took a holistic approach on a production and challenged our team to solve not only the technical challenges but other challenges that many broadcasters face,” Sullivan continued: ”The team really delivered on these objectives, and we’re excited to have this truck join the rest of our fleet.”

Visit livemediagroup.com for more information.

COLUMBUS, Ohio—Mobile production truck provider Live Media Group has added a 72-dual fader Calrec Argo Q and a 48-fader Argo S console to its new MU-16 mobile unit.

Designed and built exclusively for All Elite Wrestling (AEW), the vehicle debuted with the July 6 episode of “AEW Collision” on TNT from the Landers Center in Southaven, Mississippi.

The new truck is equipped with dual Argo control surfaces and doubles as a Calrec IP ImPulse core for redundancy. It marks a milestone for the Columbus-based mobile facilities company, which moves to a native internet-protocol production environment for the first time.

“The fact that the Argo and the ImPulse cores are ST 2110 IP-native was a big factor in our decision to go down this route,” Live Media Group sound engineer Kevin Norris said. “It totally removes the need for any of the conversion or audio bridging we have required on our previous installs, which saves us space and simplifies all our interconnections.

“We’ve worked with Calrec for many years, and our operator base knows the console workflow well,” he added. “Not only do we find them easy to drive, but our relationship with the team at Calrec means that we’re able to plan hardware adjustments in advance.”

The truck runs two Argo surfaces from one pair of redundant ImPulse cores. Its Argo Q surface operates as the main mixing console. The compact Argo S serves as a subconsole.

“We’re also operating two complete IP networks: one for all the Calrec AoIP I/O boxes connected to the truck and a second 2110 network with EVS Cerebrum control and Arista MCS as the Software Designed Network,” Norris said.

More information is available on the Calrec and Live Media Group websites.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.— Live Media Group Holdings (LMGH) has built and integrated a new production control room at TNDV headquarters, one of its three divisions, leveraging REMI (remote integration model) production.

“With REMI, the value proposition is that there’s no need to setup or build a full production suite at a remote location or send out skilled technical crew members to work the event. This cost-efficient approach allows for substantial savings on airfare, hotel and other travel costs, as well as streamlining complex logistics,” said TNDV president Rob Devlin. “Now, high-resolution camera feeds travel to us over IP and/or satellite from the remote location and our rich local talent pool handles the work right here.”

During the pandemic, TNDV sister company GameTime Productions began packaging live remote event productions for major networks, such as ESPN. When GameTime landed its first REMI production contract, TNDV had only 15 weeks to build its centralized video production control facilities to capitalize on the opportunity, it said.

A swift decision was made to convert an often-idle greenscreen studio that had been used for occasional satellite media tours. In its place, it designed and integrated an impressive, fully equipped 28-by-17-foot production control room suite, LMGH said.

The production control room is based on the Ross Video Ultrix Acuity platform with Ross XPression for real-time graphics creation. It integrates the Ross Acuity software-defined production engine with 4 M/E switcher cards, Ultrix hybrid routing and multiviewer capabilities, it said. 

The suite also provides adjacent, isolated areas for mixing digital audio and generating EVS-based sports replays and highlights, as well as comfortable seating for producers, technical directors, other team members and guests. If there’s a surge in demand for the REMI service, TNDV can harness a second control room that’s identically configured on its Elevation mobile unit, which is parked outside the building, it said.

TNDV’s facility already offered the critical REMI components, such as robust, reliable fiber-based high-speed internet and satellite uplink connectivity. TNDV added Haivision Makito X4 HEVC encoders enabling Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) of ultra-low latency 4K/UHD and HDTV High Dynamic Range (HDR) contribution video.

The Haivision Makito X4 platform ensures all incoming video signals for a particular event remain in sync for precision mixing and that the final program is dependably distributed to a customer’s destination. “Having these multiple tiers of transmission and networking is highly advantageous to REMI production and really sets this service apart,” said Devlin.

While the primary target is live sports, Devlin expects some projects will also come from music festivals and other live entertainment events—a core component of the TNDV live production business. The REMI control room first became operational in June 2024, with a series of women’s softball games produced for Athletes Unlimited. This new network of professional sports leagues specializes in delivering women’s pro basketball, softball, volleyball and lacrosse games for broadcast on networks, such as ESPN and Bally’s.

“With our new REMI service, we can now work with our media and entertainment customers any way they prefer,” said Devlin. “On-site production will never completely disappear, but in an era where many networks are hungry for content, using a REMI workflow helps with efficiency in delivering high-quality productions at lower cost. REMI saves content creators and broadcasters their two most valuable production commodities, time and money.”

More information is available on the TNDV and LMGH websites. 

NASHVILLE—Live Media Group Holdings (LMGH) has appointed Nic Dugger, longtime owner and president of company division TNDV, as chief marketing officer. Reporting to LMGH President Brad Sexton, Dugger will oversee marketing and communications for the company’s five divisions, including Live Mobile Group, Lyon Video and TNDV.

“Nic brings a marketing expertise to our executive team that will bring greater recognition to the Live Media Group Holdings company name and its brands throughout the many industries and business verticals we operate within,” said Sexton. “We are thrilled to create this position specifically with Nic in mind to lead our company-wide marketing vision now and well into the future.”

Dugger founded TNDV in October 2004, and over 15 years grew the company from a single-truck operation to a 10-truck fleet, developing a full production crew for live television, entertainment, worship and corporate event services throughout the United States. He has continued to lead the TNDV division following LMGH’s acquisition of his company in 2019.

Dugger started his career as the student television station manager at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), while also working as a freelance producer for live regional election returns and four Midsouth Regional Emmy Award telecasts. He has since received 14 Emmy Awards for live production, technical achievements and directing at TNDV.

“I am very excited at the opportunity to present our message to the world in ways that help people understand who we are, what we do, and how we are different from our competitors,” said Dugger. “My goal is to extrapolate the marketing successes we had over 15 years at TNDV, and scale that for a much larger company that offers an incredible diversity in production services throughout North America.”

TNDV production engineer Rob Devlin steps into the role of TNDV president with Dugger’s promotion.

NASHVILLE—TNDV has announced that it has just wrapped TV production services for new episodes of “Bluegrass Underground: The Caverns Sessions,” which will return to PBS this year for its 11th season. 

TNDV, which is a division of Live Media Group Holdings,  has provided all equipment and technical crew for 10 seasons of the nationally syndicated series.

The live concerts were captured by the TNDV production crew from March 18-20 at The Caverns, which became the official venue for "Bluegrass Underground" performances for Season 10. Located in Grundy County, Tennessee, The Caverns is a subterranean amphitheater housed in a natural cave. While the facility now includes The Caverns Above Ground Amphitheater, which was opened during the pandemic, The Caverns Sessions were recorded in the underground concert hall.

“This was the rebirth of `Bluegrass Underground’” said Nic Dugger, chief marketing officer, Live Media Group Holdings. “We have tried to produce new episodes a couple of times during the pandemic, but we finally got some dates on the books. It was like getting the family back together again – but with a new attitude.” 

TNDV used Aspiration, its 40-foot expando truck anchored by a Grass Valley K-Frame production switcher, for the shoot. Setup was simplified with the use of a single-mode fiber infrastructure, which TNDV installed for a previous season, as well as on-site power that eliminated the need for generators. The Caverns is “basically off-road,” Dugger explained, so a Class A truck was not an option. 

While Dugger said the performances have a “very solid line cut,” each of the truck’s eight Hitachi SK-HD1200 cameras were ISO recorded to AJA Ki Pro Rack devices for post. “The director and assistant director play a tag team role in making sure we have accurate coverage across all bands,” he added. “The director essentially acts as a technical director, as he likes to punch his own show. While the song is being performed live, the assistant director is telling the camera operators what’s about to happen. When there’s a guitar solo, we already have one or more cameras ready to capture the performance.”

The production included 64 channels of audio, engineered through a Soundcraft Vi3000 mixer and recorded to Pro Tools, with Sound Devices PIX 270i recorders used as backup. “In addition to the bands, we also have to mic the room,” he explained. “We need crowd noise and applause. And because a lot of the music is post mix, we capture that to Pro Tools.”

Dugger added that all entities involved in the production have learned how to work safely with the audience, crews and performers in alignment with pandemic safety protocols. That included a robust TNDV crew of production professionals. Dugger’s team included eight camera operators and a video shader for camera color correction, in addition to the two-director team.   

The new season will be broadcast nationally on PBS in partnership with WCTE, the PBS member station in Cookeville, Tennessee, that serves the Upper Cumberland region. Scheduled performers include Del McCoury Band, Widespread Panic, Lucinda Williams, and Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit.

LOS ANGELES—Live Media Group Holdings has announced the acquisition of TNDV: Television, Harb Production Services and Coastal Media Group. The three companies will join Live Mobile Group, an owned-and-operated division of Live Media Group Holdings, to form what the company says is the “largest mid-level, full-service live production facilities provider and company in the broadcast and live event industry.”

For mobile production, the “mid-level” market includes mobile production units smaller than the standard 53-foot expandos that are so common in the industry. Brad Sexton, president and CEO of Live Media Group Holdings, said the acquisitions were driven by an increase in demand for smaller mobile production units.

“We looked at the market for the last five years or so and this is what clients are really asking us for,” he said. Five years ago, half of all mobile production units being deployed were 53-foot expandos but since then, “it’s been a pretty dramatic shift where you can do a lot more with a 40-45-foot production truck.”

The consolidated company has approximately 50 employees and will consist of 18 mid-sized production hybrid units, with additional standalone smaller production uplink units.

Live Media Group Holdings will retain the staff, facilities and structure of all organizations. Los Angeles will serve as a West Coast production and truck operation, with plans to relocate its corporate operations to TNDV’s headquarters in Nashville. The Harb Production Services facility in Knoxville, Tenn., will serve as a truck operations and integration facility. Sexton adds that “all companies will continue to operate under their current business names for the time being,” citing the strength of their brands, expert engineering execution and professional reputations.

Danny Harb, president of Harb Production Services, will join the expanded management team and sit on the Board of Directors of Live Media Group Holdings. Nic Dugger, president of TNDV: Television, will also join the management team of Live Media Group Holdings and sit on the Board of Directors. 

LOS ANGELES—On Wednesday, Aug. 19, the formation of Live Media Group Holdings was officially announced. Live Media Group Holdings serves as the parent company of Live Media Group, a provider of live production services for concerts, music festivals, sporting events and more; Live Mobile Group a HD production/uplink combination of mobile trucks; and nowlive, an interactive video platform for Live Media Group clients.

Live Media Group Holdings has also announced that it has acquired Sure Shot Teleproductions and TL Mobile Television. The New Middletown, Ohio-based Sure Shot adds 10 vehicles, including six HD combination production/transmission trucks. TL Mobile Television, located in Springfield, Mo., brings a 51-foot HD expand unit with a Grass Valley Kayenne production switcher into the Live Media Group fold. In total, Live Media Group added 11 production trucks and 20 employees with these acquisitions.

Live Media Group Holdings is expected to close the deal for both companies in September.