NEW YORK—Charter’s advertising business Spectrum Reach has announced a major expansion of its operations with plans to provide many of the products and services of New York Interconnect (NYI), which will cease operations on September 28, 2026.

NYI is an advanced advertising joint venture that allows marketers to seamlessly purchase TV and digital ad space across multiple Multichannel Video Programming Distributors (MVPDs) in the New York Designated Market Area (DMA).

“We are further strengthening Spectrum Reach and New York Interconnect to create even more value for brands and agencies looking to connect with audiences at scale in New York,” said Jason Brown, executive vice president, Spectrum Reach. “We are strengthening our market-leading capabilities, local insight and advanced advertising solutions to better serve our clients in one of the most dynamic and influential markets in the country.”

Spectrum Reach reported that the expansion will streamline operations, reducing handoffs and backend execution steps for a more seamless advertising experience while bringing together its advanced advertising capabilities and scale with NYI’s local market strength.

The company also said that later this year, certain members of the NYI team will join Spectrum Reach, creating one unified team focused on supporting advertisers, agencies and marketing partners with seamless service and more powerful media solutions.

More information about Spectrum Reach is available at www.spectrumreach.com.

One month into the writer’s strike, New York state assembly members and senators this week are asking the parties involved to resume negotiations. 

Fifty-two members of the New York state assembly and senate sent letters to the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and the Writers Guild of America to make more of an effort to resolve the strike, the first in 15 years. 

“We understand that, despite many weeks at the bargaining table, the AMPTP rejected a range of Writers Guild proposals that are essential to the well-being of writers in the episodic television, comedy-variety, and feature film areas,” the lawmakers said. “We call on the AMPTP, and its affiliated companies, to listen closely to what their writers are telling them about the difficulties in maintaining careers as streaming continues to transform the industry. We call on you to negotiate in good faith to reach a reasonable agreement with the Writers Guilds,” the letters continued.

Along with California, New York’s economy will suffer the most as long as the walkout continues. The strike, which began May 2, affects approximately 11,000 writers, mostly based in Hollywood and New York and has resulted in the shutdown of production on films, numerous scripted TV programs as well as the late night talk shows.  

Bronx Assemblywoman Latoya Joyner penned the letter from the State Assembly, which was co-signed by 32 Assembly members. Queens State Sen. Jessica Ramos wrote the State Senate letter which included the signatures of 18 members of the Senate.

“The writers on strike aren’t just standing up for dignified wages. This contract fight gets to the heart of existential issues facing the future of work,” Ramos told “The Wrap.” “My colleagues and I are proud to stand with the Writers Guild in their demands for good faith bargaining.”

In the letters, the lawmakers noted that the strike was called right after the state had approved expanding New York’s film and television tax credit to attract more production. 

“This film and television production incentive provides hundreds of millions of dollars in tax credits every year to companies represented by the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers,” they said. “It is disturbing to note that the same companies that will benefit enormously from this expanded tax credit have failed to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement with the Writers Guilds of America, East and West, whose members are on strike across the country.”

As of now, the AMPTP is in contract talks with the Directors Guild of America and will begin negotiations with SAG-AFTRA next week. On Thursday, the WGA accused the AMPTP of “gaslighting” writers by taking a “divide and conquer” strategy in negotiations, claiming it is declining to return to the bargaining table because it is also in talks over a new contract with the DGA. 

“Our position is clear: to resolve the strike,” the WGA said, “the companies will have to negotiate with the WGA on our full agenda.”

BATON ROUGE, La.—Technical Services Group (TSG), a provider of broadcast engineering and commercial AV solutions, has installed two new Rohde & Schwarz transmitters for WMBC-TV at One World Trade Center in New York, becoming the latest broadcasting tenant for the Durst Organization on the One World Trade’s master antenna system. 

Last year, Radio Frequency Systems (RFS) extended its existing antenna and combiner infrastructure at One WTC, which allowed WMBC-TV the ability to upgrade to ATSC 3.0 broadcasting. Owned by Mountain Broadcasting Corporation, WMBC-TV is an independent, full-power TV station serving the New York metropolitan area. 

As the owner representative and design-build contractor for the project, Advent Industrial Corporation, together with Technical Systems Engineering and Marc Musgrove of the Durst Organization, collaborated on the design of the RF and support systems for WMBC-TV. Advent Industrial Corporation prepared the tenant space and integrated the electrical, mechanical and RF systems into the building’s master state-of-the-art broadcast infrastructure. Bo Hoover, CEO of TSG, said Advent was instrumental in facilitating and coordinating all the skilled union trades people for the project, the company said.

This project marked a return to One WTC for Advent Industrial Corporation. AIC had previously built a significant number of the major TV transmitter facilities in the original North Tower prior to 9/11, and was also involved in the post 9/11 emergency return to on-air broadcasting at the Alpine Tower in New Jersey. 

“There’s a lot of advanced prep and coordination that needs to be done to get personnel and equipment clearances to work in One World Trade Center,” Hoover explained. “When we arrived on site, we worked with Advent’s president, Michael Christatos, and his team to verify and test electrical, mechanical, and cooling systems—with only final modifications to ensure the broadcast systems would run at optimal efficiency. It was a rare and remarkable effort by all to show up on a Monday and work together to facilitate going live on Friday.”

Once the physical components were in place, TSG worked closely with RFS’s Todd Loney, who managed the filter tuning and optimization of the master combiner, while TSG handled the commissioning, startup, and proof of the remaining system equipment. WMBC-TV is broadcasting from two new R&S THU9evo-40 transmitters (main and auxiliary), which can be used seamlessly with either the upper (RFS PEP96) or lower (RFS PEP40L) antenna main and auxiliary systems at One WTC.

“The One World Trade facilities master RFS antenna system is second to none in the world,” said Hoover. “This move has allowed WMBC-TV to significantly improve its signal coverage and position itself for an ATSC 3.0 future. A true team effort—and we appreciate WMBC-TV, Advent, R&S, RFS, and especially Marc Musgrove of the Durst Organization for the confidence in choosing TSG to be part of this complex, high-profile broadcast project.”

MERIDEN, CT—In advance of the expected launch of NextGen TV in the U.S.’s largest market, Radio Frequency Systems (RFS), announced today that it has expanded the existing RFS antenna and combiner infrastructure atop One World Trade Center to deliver  ATSC 3.0 to 7.45 million households across the New York City area.

The installation is expected to be completed by the end of 2022 and will be the first high-power source of ATSC 3.0 for New York. The upgrade will allow NYC-area PBS stations to launch NextGen TV, announced earlier this year. The WNET Group's WLIW21 will serve as the host station for ATSC 3.0 broadcasts for the three major PBS member stations in the New York metropolitan area: THIRTEEN, WLIW21 and NJ PBS.

New York got its first low-power ATSC 3.0 service last month, with the launch of WNYZ-LD, a low power station that provides Korean language TV and radio broadcasts to the metropolitan New York City area and eastward towards Long Island. 

RFS has worked on installing broadcast equipment atop One World Trade Center since 2015. In this latest upgrade, an additional ATSC 1.0 channel, WMBC 18, an independent television station licensed to Newton, N.J. is being added to the existing RFS main and auxiliary antenna and combiner systems, which will allow WMBC 18 to upgrade to ATSC 3.0. In addition to the combiner add-on equipment, the system incorporates 12 pole mask filter systems for both main and reserve operation that are combined with an RF switching system to provide high levels of redundancy and flexibility.

Victor Joo of WMBC commented, “The aim of this project is to deliver the best for our customers in a timely and efficient manner. Working with RFS, tapping into its knowledge base, technical expertise, and experience in the industry, especially at One World Trade Center, is allowing us to achieve this. We believe the future looks bright for the industry and the general public, as ATSC 3.0 allows us to meet changing and growing demands.”

In addition to the new equipment, the RFS patented Variable Polarization Technology (VPT) antenna installed in 2017 to address the immediate spectrum repack challenges, but with NextGen TV adoption in mind, is ready to support ATSC 3.0. VPT technology is incorporated into the equipment to allow any of the stations operating into the system to optimize their radiated power by setting preferred polarization ratios for each of the main and auxiliary systems.

For WLIW21 (Channel 32), a station already on RFS’s One WTC combiner/antenna system, the recent optimization of its VPT input now provides circularly polarized radiation, which is vital for numerous ATSC 3.0 applications. 

Frank Graybill, Senior Director of Engineering and Technology at The WNET Group commented, “We want to be a leader in the broadcast space and ATSC 3.0 adoption is a key part of this. The system designed by RFS has the flexibility that will allow us to be nimble and adapt to several scenarios with this deployment.”

Marc Musgrove, Director of Broadcast Communications for The Durst Organization, at the One WTC site added “We see One WTC as the premier facility in New York City and to maintain that status, we have to keep pace with the latest industry developments. From deployment support to the system design itself, RFS is a key partner in ensuring we deliver this with a solution that adapts with broadcast evolution.”

Nick Wymant, Global Product Line Manager - Broadcast at RFS added, “One World Trade Center is one of the preeminent broadcast sites in the world and we are honored to support its ongoing development to deliver the latest in broadcasting standards. By selecting ATSC3.0 ready equipment in 2017 and continuing to build on that system, the One WTC site will now deliver the full potential of what is possible with NextGen TV.”

NEW YORK—TV and film production crews are returning to Steiner Studios at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, as New York City enters phase four of its COVID-19 recovery, according to reports.

Shut down since March, Monday, July 20, is the first day back on set for what is described as the largest studio outside of Hollywood. With work starting again, the studio has instituted screening protocols as well as social distancing on set and procedures for anyone that does test positive.

“The lot will not be as dense because of spacing, but otherwise, I think business gets back to normal,” said Doug Steiner, Steiner Studios’ CEO.

However, Steiner says that most productions are not yet ready to shoot, as sets need to be built or finished and logistics for how to safely shoot to protect the actors are also still being considered.

“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” is one show that films at Steiner Studios.

The full story is available from Spectrum News NY 1.

New York City, NY – OCTOBER 9, 2019 – Frame.io, the world’s leading video review and collaboration platform used by over 1 million filmmakers and media professionals, has brought Michael Cioni on board as Global SVP of Innovation. Cioni, one of the industry’s most prominent production and post workflow experts, joins Frame.io from international camera company Panavision, where, in a similar role, he spearheaded numerous breakthrough products and workflows, including the Millennium DXL 8K large-format camera system.

At Frame.io, Cioni will lead a new LA-based division focused on the continued investment into cloud-enabled workflows for motion pictures and television—specifically, automated camera-to-cutting room technology. “Frame.io is not only looking to strengthen today’s use of the cloud, we’re also driving increased creative control by reducing the time it takes for media to reach editors in offsite cutting rooms,“ says Cioni.

“The professional filmmaking process is going through the largest functional change since the shift from analog to digital,” says Frame.io CEO, Emery Wells. “While cloud-based technologies are already transforming every industry, we understand moving more of the filmmaking process to the cloud presents several unique challenges: security, file sizes, and scale. Since day one, we have built Frame.io to solve the issues that we lived working in post-production.”

When it comes to security, Frame.io has responded to Hollywood’s unique needs by making it a cornerstone of the platform. “Frame.io has invested deeply in security so that customers experience safe, documented, and trustworthy cloud accessibility of their highest-value media,” says Cioni.

Additionally, “Hollywood’s attention to image quality, archiving, and future-proofing are all core aspects of the Frame.io platform,” Cioni says. “Emery and I both know what it means to work with large creative teams, so at Frame.io we are developing a totally new direct camera-to-cutting room collaboration experience.”

Frame.io has been 100-percent cloud based since day one. "We started seeding new workflows around dailies, collaborative review, and real-time integration with NLEs for parallel work and approvals. Now, with Michael, we’re building Frame.io for the new frontier of cloud-enabled professional workflows,” Emery says. “Frame.io will leverage machine learning and a combination of software and hardware in a way that will truly revolutionize collaboration.“

With Cioni, Frame.io’s vision for the next generation of professional cinema workflows will be completely anchored in cloud-based technologies. “A robust camera-to-cloud approach means filmmakers will have greater access to their work, greater control of their content, and greater speed with which to make key decisions,” says Cioni. “Our new roadmap will dramatically reduce the time it takes to get original camera negative into the hands of editors. Directors, cinematographers, post houses, DITs, and editors will all be able to work with recorded images in real time, regardless of location.”

As the lines between production and post-production continue to blur, this move uniquely positions Frame.io to respond to the pervasive need for global studios and creatives to collaborate without geographic boundaries or borders.

Request an Executive Briefing with Frame.io

To request an executive press briefing with Michael Cioni or Emery Wells, please contact Megan Linebarger at megan@zazilmediagroup.com. Michael Cioni can be reached at michael@frame.io.

About Michael Cioni

Michael Cioni has been a serial entrepreneur in the entertainment space since 2003. After winning four National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Emmy® awards, Michael founded several post-production companies and served as President and CEO of Light Iron, Hollywood's most advanced workflow-centric creative services company. After Light Iron was acquired in 2015 by the largest international camera rental group, Panavision, Cioni served as SVP of Innovation and product director of Panavision's Millennium DXL 8K large format camera ecosystem. With vast expertise in post and production, Michael is of the most well known international voices for workflow technologies in the cinema space. He is constantly exploring new technological advancements and creative trends to build product roadmaps focused on serving the complex needs of today's professional filmmakers. A frequent speaker on workflow and camera systems at numerous international industry events, Cioni is very active in the community, as a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and Associate Member of the prestigious American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), as well as having served on the board of the Hollywood Professional Alliance (HPA). Originally from Chicago, Michael is also an accomplished musician based in Los Angeles.

About Frame.io

Frame.io is the world’s leading cloud-based video collaboration platform, designed to streamline the video creation process by centralizing all media assets—and all feedback—in one secure place that’s easily accessible from anywhere in the world. Frame.io integrates with most major professional video tools, acting as the connective tissue of the entire video ecosystem, no matter the scale. Conceived and designed by video creators, the UI is intuitive and simple for both highly technical professionals and less-technical clients to use with little (or no) training.

Frame.io’s purpose is to allow all the contributors and participants in the video creation process to collaborate as if they’re all in the same room, no matter their physical location, accelerating workflows and eliminating obstacles to creativity. From script or storyboard to dailies to delivery, Frame.io redefines the modern video workflow.

Frame.io is backed by industry heavyweights including Accel Partners, FirstMark Capital, SignalFire, and Jared Leto. To learn more please visit http://frame.io. Watch: What is Frame.io?

Press Contact

Megan Linebarger

Zazil Media Group

(e) megan@zazilmediagroup.com

(p) +1 (617) 480-3674

CADILLAC, Mich.—NewsNet, a 24/7 news channel that launched on Jan. 1 of this year, is continuing to expand its reach to viewers across the country, announcing that it has recently debuted on stations in Los Angeles and New York. Now the channel is available in the top three markets in the country, and six of the top 10, according to a press release.

NewsNet went on-air in Los Angeles on KFLA channel 8.1 in April. In May, NewsNet debuted on WJLP channel 33.6 in New York.

When NewsNet launched in January, it was on 18 TV stations, including in Chicago, Houston, San Francisco and Detroit. It is now being carried by 36 affiliates across the nation, with five additional stations reportedly set to air it in the coming weeks.

Eric Wotila, president of NewsNet, says that the channel now reaches more than 25% of households nationwide via an antenna. It is also available via streaming through mobile apps and OTT apps.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Professional Wireless Systems is expanding its reach beyond its Orlando, Fla., headquarters, announcing the opening of a New York City office. The office will support PWS’ expanding customer base in the region.

The New York office will be led by RF technician Don Kuser. His experience includes working on TV studio projects throughout Manhattan, working on area award shows and in the fashion production industry.

PWS supplies and supports high-end wireless sound systems for live and broadcast events. It has also developed products and solutions for events, productions and installations.

“Sales, customer support, project management, RF coordination—we have everything necessary to create successful projects and events for clients throughout the region,” said Kuser about the New York office.

October 30, 2018– Portland, OR – today announced , the latest update to the industry’s most essential tools for creating 3D motion graphics and visual effects in Adobe® After Effects®. Expanding the suite’s existing powerhouse toolset of 11 motion graphics plugins, this release introduces Dynamic Fluids™. For the first time ever, artists can create particle systems within After Effects that interact in a realistic fluid environment, creating particles that swirl, mix and react to realistic forces. Also new to the suite is the ability to easily load 3D objects into your After Effects composition through Trapcode Mir.

Watch Now: Trapcode Suite 15

“We are incredibly excited to release something this groundbreaking to the community of After Effects artists,” says Chad Bechert, CEO of Red Giant. “The introduction of our Dynamic Fluids physics engine makes it possible to create particle systems that behave as if moving through a fluid environment and that interact with each other, producing stunning, organic results. This release will completely change the range of what artists will be able to create inside of After Effects, opening the door to new and more robust particle system animation, motion graphics and VFX.”

Dynamic Fluids Revolutionizes After Effects Work

Red Giant power user , responsible for such as Blade Runner 2049 and Ready Player One, took a deep dive into the new Dynamic Fluids physics engine in Trapcode Suite 15.

“The new features in Trapcode 15 are great developments,” said Sam Keehan, senior motion designer at Territory. “We’ve been able to achieve simulations that previously we would have had to jump out of AE for. The new Dynamic Fluids physics engine allows for a much more believable level of randomness and can be applied in all sorts of ways that elevate the traditional Trapcode workflow to a new place. Really fun to work with and definitely something to permanently add to the mograph toolbox going forward!”

To help show off the power and versatility of fluid dynamics in Trapcode Suite, Territory took on the task of creating a beautiful video built around their experimentation with the new engine. Watch it here.

Trapcode Particular 4

Trapcode Particular brings the power of 3D particle systems to After Effects and lets users add particle effects to compositions to bring motion graphics work to life. Create fire, water, smoke, snow and other organic effects. Combine multiple particle systems into one unified 3D space for visually stunning results. Use 3D objects to add even more beauty and complexity.

NEW FEATURES

• For the first time ever, create dynamic, swirling effects with the new Dynamic Fluids physics engine that allows particles to behave as if they are moving through real fluids. Choose from four customizable forces and behaviors, including Vortex Ring, Vortex Tube, and more. Fluid physics brings a new level of realism to After Effects, as particle systems flow and interact organically.
• Creating particle effects is easier than ever before in the updated Designer. Add adjustable blocks with preset behaviors and styles for emitters, particles, physics and aux particles. Or add complete, customizable particle effects with a single click.
• Choose from more than 335 Trapcode Particular presets, designed to give you a head start. Every preset is fully-customizable. Particular includes over 35 new presets that show off the new fluid features.

See what’s new in Trapcode Particular 4.

Trapcode Form 4

Create 3D particle grids and objects in After Effects. Trapcode Form particles live forever, giving you precise control over their behavior. Combine multiple forms into one unified 3D space for visually stunning results.

NEW FEATURES

• For the first time ever, create dynamic, swirling effects with the new Dynamic Fluids physics engine that allows forms to behave as if they are moving through real fluids. Choose from four customizable fluidic forces and behaviors, including Vortex Ring, Vortex Tube, and more. Fluid physics brings a new level of realism to After Effects, as particle systems flow and interact organically.
• Creating particle grids and particle objects is easier than ever before in Form’s updated Designer. Add adjustable blocks with preset settings and styles for forms, particles and more. Or add complete, customizable particle effects with a single click. The designer gives instant visual feedback, making the building and previewing of effects an intuitive and creative experience.
• Choose from over 150 Trapcode Form presets, designed to give you a head start. Every preset is fully-customizable. Form includes over 20 new presets that show off the new fluid features. Explore the library to find beautifully designed effects for creating fluid animations, backgrounds, motion design elements and more. Save your own presets and share them across your facility.

See what’s new in Trapcode Form 4.

Trapcode Mir 3

Trapcode Mir creates flowing surfaces, endless tunnels, terrains and 3D objects for use in your motion graphics work.

NEW FEATURES

• Bring your motion graphics into a new dimension by using 3D models as Mir objects. Choose from Mir’s library of over 60 OBJs, or easily load your own models using the new OBJ loading panel. 3D models can be deformed and repeated like any other Mir surface.
• Choose from Mir’s 16 surface presets, designed to give you a head start in setting up the materials, shaders and textures for different surface styles. Every preset is fully-customizable. Mir’s new surface presets make it fast and easy to set up the materials, shaders and textures for different surface styles. Every preset is fully customizable. Includes setups for Smooth Surface, Faceted Surface, Wireframe, Chrome, Cartoon and much more.

See what’s new in Trapcode Mir 3.

Red Giant Trapcode Suite Pricing & Availability

• Full: $999
• Upgrade: (from previous versions of Trapcode Suite) $199
• Academic: $499

Trapcode Suite 15 is available now via the Red Giant website.

Compatibility

• Host-App: All of the tools work in Adobe After Effects. Trapcode Shine, Starglow, and 3D Stroke also work in Premiere Pro.
• OS: All tools work on both Windows and Mac.
• Check the individual product pages for specific host-app and OS compatibility.

The Red Pledge

Red Pledge is Red Giant commitment to customer happiness, with no purchasing hassles. Learn about the Red Pledge guarantee at .

Request a Trapcode Suite 15 Media Review Kit

Members of the media are invited to review Red Giant Trapcode Suite 15 as well as any products or suites from Red Giant. For more information or to request a product review kit, please contact Nick Govoni at .

About Red Giant

Red Giant is a software company made up of talented artists and technologists who collaborate to create unique tools for filmmakers, editors, VFX artists, and motion designers. Our company culture is focused on finding balance between work and life – we call it “the double bottom line” – this philosophy helps us ignore complexity in favor of building simple tools that yields giant results. Over the last decade, our products (like Magic Bullet, Trapcode, Universe and PluralEyes) have become the standard in film and broadcast post-production. With over 200,000 users, it’s nearly impossible to watch 20 minutes of TV without seeing our software in use. From our experiences as artists and filmmakers, we aspire to not only provide tools for artists, but inspiration as well. Watch our films, learn from over 200 free tutorials, or try our software at .

Press Contact

Nick Govoni

Zazil Media Group

(e) nick@zazilmediagroup.com

(p) +1 (978) 866-7354

The Walt Disney Co. plans to move its New York City operations to a new building it will develop downtown at 4 Hudson Square.

Disney got the rights to develop the site for 99 years from Trinity Church Wall Street in a transaction the company valued at $650 million.

Separately Disney sold its current New York City offices on Manhattan’s Upper West Side to Silverstein Properties for $1.55 billion. Disney will lease those facilities for up to five years while 4 Hudson Square is being built.

The deal comes as Disney is in the midst of trying to complete its $71 billion acquisition of assets from 21st Century Fox.

“Today we’re announcing plans to build an incredible new state-of-the-art facility at 4 Hudson Square in downtown Manhattan that will ensure our employees have everything they need to do their best work and lead the way forward,” said Disney CEO Bob Iger.

“In addition to being LEED-certified for environmental responsibility and efficiency, the new building will also incorporate the latest technology as well as the ability to adapt to the next generation of technological advances,” said Iger. “This move represents an historic step forward toward our long-term vision for our New York operations. The Hudson Square district is rapidly becoming a dynamic, innovative hub for media, technology and other creative businesses. We are pleased and proud to be joining this exciting community and look forward to investing in the growth and development of the neighborhood.”

The new facility will have office and production space and be the home for WABC-TV, ABC News, Live With Kelly and Ryan and The View, which had been on the Upper West Side.

Disney Streaming Services will relocate to the new downtown space from Chelsea Market.

Good Morning America will continue to broadcast from its Times Square Studio.

Disney’s ESPN recently opened a new production facility near the South Street Seaport.

[Read: ESPN Nears Launch Of New Lower Manhattan Studios]

The 4 Hudson Square site covers a full block. The parcel was granted to the church by Queen Anne in 1705.

“We are excited to welcome Disney to the vibrant and growing Hudson Square area,” said the Rev. Dr. William Lupfer, rector of Trinity Church Wall Street. “This is a significant development in Trinity’s centuries-long commitment to this neighborhood and to the area’s continuing growth and transformation. We’re especially pleased that the transaction will help further Trinity’s mission to serve the people of New York City and around the world through our programs and ministries.”

New York, NY – June 6, 2018 – Adorama, the trusted source for market-leading photo, video, audio, imaging and electronics products and information, invites photographers, videographers and digital storytellers to come explore New York City and its surrounding attractions in a completely new light at Adorama INSPIRE. Taking place in and around NYC beginning June 25th, these one-of-kind designed-to-share event experiences will take place at iconic New York landmarks including a tour of an empty Metropolitan Museum of Art, photoshoot at the Freedom Tower Observation Deck, and night shooting in Central Park, with “field trips” to the Storm King Art Center, Belmont Park and more.

Led by some of the most creative minds in photography and filmmaking, Adorama INSPIRE is a weeklong conference-festival that pays homage to cinematography, photography and digital storytelling, offering specially curated workshops focused on improving technical expertise, important industry discussions and artist-infused experiences such as photo walks, drone flying and community art galleries, many of which will be free to attend. Win a trip for two to NYC to attend Adorama INSPIRE.

A few of the stand-out designed-to-share sessions at unique and iconic NYC locales include:

Tuesday, June 26th

• Night Sky On-location, Central Park, 7:30pm-10pm. Photographer Stan Honda will be hosting a night sky shooting session in Central Park where he’ll be teaching the basics of photographing celestial objects with a digital camera and ordinary lenses. Experience Central Park at night and you’ll walk away with truly stunning images of the city as darkness falls.

Wednesday, June 27th

• Storm King Photo Field Trip with @tutes, Storm King Art Center 10am-7:30pm. Get out of the city for a change and join @tutes for a photo field trip to Storm King Art Center, which collects, exhibits and conserves modern and contemporary art, from large-scale sculptures situated in Storm King’s expansive landscape, to site-specific earthworks, to related drawings and photographs. @tutes will share some photo tips while attendees enjoy the day and art with other photographers. Ticket includes transportation and lunch.
• Creative Elements of Architecture: Out with the Rule Book, Freedom Tower Observation Deck and Oculus, 11am-3pm. See the incredible Freedom Tower and Oculus through the eyes of Olympus Visionary Frank Smith. Frank’s focus on the graphic elements of architecture means that he breaks the standard rules and creates his own unique artistic approach to architectural photography. Follow Frank as he enlightens you on his unique approach in photographing architecture around the globe and see architecture through his lens when the standard rules don’t apply. Ticket includes admission to the Freedom Tower Observation Deck.
• Belmont Horse Racing Workshop with Dave Black, Belmont Park, 12pm-7pm. Nikon Ambassador Dave Black will be taking INSPIRE attendees to a day at the races, documenting all that Belmont Park offers. With credits including Sports Illustrated, TIME, Newsweek, ESPN and more, Dave will provide tons of useful guidance on photographing action-packed movement. Ticket includes lunch and admission.

Thursday, June 28th

• Empty Met Tour with @tutes, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 8:30am-10am. @tutes is back Wednesday of INSPIRE for a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York like never before – attendees will have access to a VIP empty Met tour. Head inside the Met before opening and see its most famous exhibits with one of the museum’s own guides, with plenty of time to snap photos of your favorite works.
• The Strengths of Speedlites and Strobes, Central Park, 2pm- 4pm. Take a photo walk through Central Park with Francisco Hernandez, a professional on-location portrait photographer. Learn how to maximize lighting gear with the beautiful Central Park as your backdrop.
• Manhattan Skyline at Night, Special Location in Hoboken, 6pm- 9pm. Capture NYC from a totally new vantage point just across the river. After a group ferry ride to a special location in Hoboken, photojournalist and Lumix Global Ambassador Kevin Gilbert and friends will lead a workshop with models/athletes, doing creative portraiture against the stunning NYC skyline.

Attendees can find the full Adorama INSPIRE schedule and registration details here.

ADORAMA: More Than a Camera Store

Adorama is more than a camera store – it’s one of the world’s largest photography, video, audio and computer retailers. Serving customers for more than 40 years, Adorama has grown from its flagship NYC store to include the leading online destination for imaging and consumer electronics. Adorama’s vast product offerings encompass professional video and audio, connected home, musical instruments and more, while its services include an in-house photo lab, AdoramaPix; resources and gear for photographers, filmmakers, production studios, broadcasting and post houses, and recording artists through Adorama Business Solutions; professional equipment rental at Adorama Rental Company; and the award-winning Adorama Learning Center, which offers free creative education via online channels such as the popular AdoramaTV on YouTube.

Visit ADORAMA at www.adorama.com.

Press Contact

Alexis Isaacs

Zazil Media Group

(e) alexis@zazilmediagroup.com

(p) +1 773 816 7944

NEW YORK—ESPN will launch production from its new Seaport District Studio in the Howard Hughes Corp. development at Pier 17 in Lower Manhattan April 1 with the debut of "NBA Countdown.”

The following day, it will begin producing its new morning program “Get Up” from the facility, and this summer the sports network plans to launch a show revolving around Bomani Jones and Pablo Torre from the new digs—all with the help of NEP, which is providing technical services and staffing for shows.

ESPN ‘CONTENT ENGINE’

While ambitious, that’s simply the initial lineup for Studio 1 at the Seaport District facility. There’s still Studio 2, which hasn’t yet been completed and a hybrid radio/social media/digital content studio that’s still in the works.

“We designed this space to be a content engine for ESPN in New York City,” says Chris Calcinari, vice president, ESPN and ABC Sports Remote Production Operations. “It’s a really unique location that provides a lot of iconic perspectives for our viewers.”

In October, ESPN announced the facility at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge. The sports network is relying upon its REMI, or remote integration, model at the 21,000-square-foot space facility, which ties the new studios into control rooms at its Bristol, Conn., headquarters as well as those in Los Angeles, Charlotte, N.C., and Washington, D.C.

[Read: ESPN Sets Up Studio In Manhattan]

ESPN has deployed two redundant 40Gbps fiber optic links from AT&T for its nationwide hookup and RCN for the first-mile that accommodate 24 outbound and 32 inbound 1080p HD signals.

“In a traditional studio and control room environment, the studio and control room are 100 feet away from each other,” says Calcinari. “This is just a much longer cable run from the studio to the control room—2,300 miles to L.A. T.C. [technical control] and 100 miles to Bristol.”

Despite the distance, the functionality is identical to a traditional setup with the same communications and tally infrastructure that make it seem as if directors and camera operators are essentially right next to each other.

For a new facility in Manhattan where commercial real estate space is particularly costly, REMI (remote integration model) was a logical approach. “It’s a really innovative way of making TV that allows us to have a unique studio in Manhattan and a really small footprint in a really cost-effective manner,” he says.

[Read: Take Me Out To The Ballpark…NOT]

PRIME LOCATION

Locating in New York City was attractive because Manhattan offers the chance to have easy access to guests, says Calcinari. ESPN has already put that access to work from its new BureauCam area at the Seaport District Studios, when earlier this week Ronda Rousey began using the space to do TV hits in the morning.

The Lower Manhattan location also provides a unique visual motif for ESPN to play to the hilt. “The design [of Studio 1] is very authentically New York, and that was intentional,” says Mike Foss, supervising director, remote production operations at ESPN. ”There’s a lot of brick, a lot of steel-industrial in a Brooklyn-Manhattan loft style.”

Studio 1, a 3,900-square-foot space with several set and standup locations, offers a spectacular view from large windows overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge and East River. To mitigate intense sunlight or reflections from the river, ESPN has installed a mechanized neutral density system, according to Foss.

If the outdoor light still proves to be too bright or if the weather outside is overcast, the windows can be covered with five large LED panels arranged side-by-side. The system is mechanized and can be rolled out and ready to use in three minutes, adds Foss.

“The Studio 1 space is very flexible so it can have very unique looks,” says Calcinari. “When ‘NBA Countdown’ is in that space, it will have its own desk as will ‘Get Up!’ when it’s in that space.”

Studio 1 also has an interview area designed to look like a living room and a “bullpen area” where talent can stand in front of large LED screens to make presentations using touchscreen technology, says Calcinari.

At the moment, Studio 1 is set up with seven cameras: four hard, a Steadicam, a jib and a robotically operated PTZ camera mounted to the wall in the living room area. However, the studio is capable of up to 10 cameras, says Calcinari.

To light the studio, ESPN is using a plan developed by Ferri Lighting Design that relies on 512 LED fixtures.

FUTURE PROOF FOR IP AND 4K

As with the rest of the Seaport District facility, Studio 1 is 1080p-based; however, the facility is prepared for a future 4K conversion if the network goes in that direction, he says.

Baseband video is routed with an Evertz core routing switcher, which can be upgraded to IP when the ESPN facilities around the country that control productions from New York make their transition to IP, says Chris Strong, senior remote operations specialist. “Needless to say, we are totally IP-based in the audio realm.”

The audio and communications infrastructure at the Seaport District Studios benefits from the four years of experience ESPN has gained since first deploying its REMI model, says Henry Rousseau, senior operations manager at the sports network.

For example, one lesson learned is the need to embed the microphone chain into the video source before sending the signal to an ESPN remote control location, says Rousseau.

Another is the use of an Alteros wireless mic system operating in the unlicensed 6.5GHz band. The system supports 24 channels of wireless RF mics and can have up to 32 individual antennas. At the moment, 12 antennas are “strategically placed” throughout Studio 1, and 10 of the mics will be used there, he says.

Intercom communications are handled with a wireless Clear-Com Freespeak system working in 1.9GHz range, and antennas have been positioned to allow production staff to walk between the studios with their beltpacks. IFB is done with a Shure system operation in the 400MHz range.

“But you never put all of your eggs in one basket with RF, so we have to have some hard backups,” Rousseau said. “We are utilizing Studio Technologies IFBs and beltpacks using Dante.”

Communications is a key to the success of the REMI model, adds Calcinari. “When you are that far away from the control room, you need to make sure the production guys feel as comfortable as they would in any other facility.”

The Seaport District production space isn’t limited to the confines on the indoor studios. ESPN plans to use the 100,000-square-foot roof of the building to take shows outside on warm days and bring in a studio audience, says Calcinari.

The roof, which offers views of the Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, Freedom Tower (1WTC) and the Empire State Building, is equipped with multiple fiber-optic camera drops with power as are multiple locations around the Seaport Building and throughout the historic cobblestone Fulton Market area, Calcinari adds.

“We feel really good about the way this is set up here from an innovative workflow perspective,” he said. “Our goal has been to make this ESPN’s content machine in Manhattan.”

BALTIMORE—While Sinclair signaled Wednesday (Feb. 21) that it will be divesting ownership in WPIX-TV New York and WGN-TV Chicago to get under the FCC's 39 percent ownership cap, it could still be keeping its hand in the number one and number three markets, respectively, where it does not currently own any stations.

Sinclair said it already has a purchase agreement for both stations and both those agreements include services agreements, in which Sinclair could provide some services to the new owner.

The amended deal filed with the FCC includes footnotes on the sales of both WGN and WPIX to the effect that: “The purchase agreement provides that upon closing of the sale of this station, Sinclair will enter into an option and master services agreement [the WGN footnote simply says 'services agreement' or 'agreements,' plural] with the buyer of this station [WPIX], copies of which will be filed as part of the assignment application for such station.”

[FCC IG Agreed to Investigate Pai Handling of Sinclair-Tribune]

One analyst talking on background said a sale of both stations to Cunningham, which already owns a bunch of stations with various management agreements with Sinclair, is a definite possibility.

The FCC as part of its media deregulation efforts scrapped the previous Democratic FCC's advisory on joint agreements, which warned that the FCC viewed them essentially as a way to skirt FCC ownership rules.

This story first appeared on TVT's sister publication B&C.   

BERGEN, NORWAY & NEW YORK—You know what they say, “if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere,” and Norway-based developer of broadcast tools Vimond Media Solutions is giving it a shot as the company has announced a new regional office in New York. Helge Høibraaten, CEO, and Glenn Pedersen, CTO, will now be based out of the New York office.

The move comes after Vimond had some large-scale deployments in North America in 2015. Among these were Comcast and Thomson Reuters, who launched some of Vimond’s online services.

Some of these services offered by Vimond include the Vimond Platform and Vimond Highlights. The Vimond Platform provides an environment for managing and delivering multi-format OTT services. Featuring a multi-tenant architecture, the Vimond Platform offers tools and controls for services like ingest and encoding.

The Vimond Highlight is a device for live-to-VOD conversion. The system combines a focus on rapid short-form clip production and distribution to social media with broadcast quality recording and editing tools.

Vimond Media Solutions has announced that it will also offer new job opportunities in its New York office. For more information, visit www.vimond.com.