Capable of producing small-to-medium-sized, multi-camera live events, Clear Channel’s new HD truck is designed to go where larger rigs can’t.
Clear Channel Television has built a new mobile production truck, capable of producing small-to-medium-sized, multi-camera live events. It has already covered such ancillary telecasts as the preliminary festivities at the Kentucky Derby and comedian Tom Joyner’s “Sky Show.”
This is the first mobile HD unit built by Clear Channel, although the company did operate a 53ft SD truck it had acquired when it bought The Ackerley Group’s assets in 2002. With proceeds gained from the sale of that truck, Clear Channel has built a rig more appropriate for its purposes.
William Mitchell, general manager of Clear Channel’s HD Mobile division, said that although the new truck - based in Little Rock, AR - is available to outside clients upon demand, it will mostly support events and projects produced for sister divisions Clear Channel Entertainment, Clear Channel Television and Clear Channel Sports.
About 12 episodes of the “Sky Show” are in the process of being captured at different locations around the country with the truck. Once acquired, material is sent to Los Angeles for post-production work, before airing on Channel TV One via the Dish Network. Several DVD releases will also result from the live tour.
The 32ft truck features eight Sony F750 HD cameras, two POV cameras, and either a Ross Video MDX-1 switcher or, for larger shows, a Ross Video MDX-4 multiformat switcher. The truck can be used to cover SD events.
The truck also features an on-board, multi-track recording studio, based around a Yamaha digital audio console.
For more information, visit www.clearchannel.com.
