War in Ukraine. Hints of nuclear saber rattling. Inflation at the highest levels in 40 years. The list goes on and on. It all can seem a bit overwhelming at times—especially when thinking about how little influence one has on world events.

But there’s a simple way to push through those dark clouds. Improve the world around you. 

Case in point: Bob Lefcovich, founder, president and visionary behind Veterans TV, an up-and-coming non-profit dedicated to training veterans entering civilian life for careers in television and media production. 

Motivated by a chance encounter with a homeless vet in Oakland a few years back, Lefcovich, who has worked in the television industry for some 55 years, took matters into his own hands to find a way to equip veterans interested in television careers with the skills they would need to succeed.

Since launching Veterans TV in 2018, Lefcovich has secured some $3.5 million in technology—either donated or on permanent loan—from tech vendors like Grass Valley, Calrec, EVS, Canon, AJA Video, Blackmagic Design, Telestream, Shure, Sennheiser and many others as well as the non-profit’s crown jewel: the newly decommissioned Denali Gold 53-foot mobile production trailer from NEP.

The mobile studio outfitted with the donated equipment is beginning to serve as the training grounds for the veterans Lefcovich envisioned helping. Like so many others, Veterans TV wasn’t immune to the effects of the pandemic, so it’s only now that the trailer, which has taken up permanent residence in Grass Valley, Calif., is beginning to be used as a high-tech classroom.

With the help of Jim Ocon, a board member of the non-profit, who is traversing the country in the OConsortium’s own mobile studio, and others, Veterans TV is promoting its program and has secured commitments from Sinclair Broadcast Group, Gray Television, Hearst Television and others to interview veterans who successfully complete the training for possible positions at their companies.

Not everyone can tackle an undertaking of this magnitude. Maybe it’s something simple like being a Scout leader, volunteering at a food pantry, helping a child to read or any one of a thousand other ways to have a positive effect on the lives of people. 

Of course, none of these things will bring about peace in Ukraine or fix the economy. But each can improve one’s own local community and, in the process, provide a little personal solace when things might seem their darkest. 

GRASS VALLEY, Calif.—The Dobbins family, through its Charis Fund, has made a donation of $7,500 to the nonprofit Veterans-TV Inc., which provides U.S. veterans of military and law enforcement with hands-on professional television production training courses. The donation from the Charis Fund will be used to complete a mobile training facility.

The mobile classroom will be outfitted from a Denali Gold remote production truck that was donated by NEP. The truck will be used to support training courses for veterans who have lost their employment due to injury or attrition.

According to VETV, more than $2 million has been raised in donations of TV production and post-production equipment from various companies, including NEP, Grass Valley AJA Video Systems, Blackmagic Design, Calrec Audio, Ensemble Designs, EVS, Kramer, Plura, Renegade Labs, Riedel, Ross Video and Telestream.

VETV plans to use the truck to host training courses in cities across the country for veterans, their spouses and dependents over 18. Volunteer industry professionals will lead the courses. VETV says that upon graduation, it will help certified trainees find employment.

For more information, visit www.veterans-tv.org/donate.html.

GRASS VALLEY, CALIF.—Veterans-TV Inc., a newly formed non-profit organization, announced this week that it plans to launch hands-on professional television production training courses for veterans of the U.S. armed forces, law enforcement veterans, and firefighters who have lost their employment due to injury or attrition. VETV is creating a mobile classroom within Denali Gold, a remote production truck donated to the cause by NEP, and will provide courses in cities across the U.S. when integration of donated broadcast equipment is complete.

"We're so grateful for the depth and breadth of generosity we're seeing from companies and individuals across the industry," said VETV President Bob Lefcovich, who has more than 50 years of experience working in broadcast production and postproduction. "Training on the best equipment with some of the industry's best professionals is an incredible opportunity, and I'm proud to be playing a role in bringing this opportunity to those who have served our country."

Led by industry professionals on a volunteer basis, VETV courses are open to all veterans, their spouses, and dependents over 18, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation. Proposed courses will address roles such as video technician, camera operator, audio technician, technical assistant, editor, technical director, and engineer in charge (EIC) and areas of expertise including Avid Media Composer (NLE), Adobe Premiere Pro (NLE), character generator/art, EVS operator, and information technology (IT). All courses except the EIC course will be 192 hours with eight hours of hands-on tests.

Lefcovich and the VETV advisory board have so far raised more than $2 million in donations of modern, state-of-the-art TV production and postproduction equipment, with NEP and Grass Valley, a Belden Brand, offering extensive support in terms of equipment donations and integration. In fact, all of the equipment being installed in Denali Gold for training purposes has been donated by manufacturers and broadcasters including AJA, Blackmagic, Calrec Audio, Ensemble Design, EVS, Kramer, Renegade Labs, Ross Video, Telestream, and many more. Integration started at the beginning of December.

In its previous career with NEP, Denali Gold was involved in high-profile remote broadcasts including the Oscars, Grammys, Emmys, "America's Got Talent," "Entourage," "American Idol," "Shark Tank," "Showtime at the Apollo," Fox network upfronts, presidential inauguration concerts in Washington, D.C., and scores of other broadcasts.

"With all the industry pros involved in getting our mobile classroom ready, we've probably got 180 years of combined experience working on the truck right now," added Lefcovich. "As students are certified within our program, we'll put all that industry expertise and all our connections to work in helping trained veterans find employment. My colleagues and I have enjoyed great careers in TV, and VETV gives us a way of leveraging our experience to give back and to help veterans with their re-entry into society."

Lefcovich was a cameraman for ABC Wide World of Sports in the '70s, edited hundreds of TV shows and commercials in the '80s, trained many hundreds of editors while working as the senior applications specialist for the Grass Valley Group, and served as tech support and trainer for five different Olympics. He also is one of the founders of Editware, a designer and manufacturer of hybrid editing systems.

Further information about VETV and details about donating to the organization are available at www.veterans-tv.org.