Game Creek, the Hudson, NH-based company whose state-of-the-art mobile production units service all of the major U.S. TV networks and most sports organizations, has lost one of its newest HD mobile units in a fire.
Liberty, a 53ft expando mobile unit launched in August 2008, caught fire in Texas at about 3 a.m. on April 9 during a trip from Dallas to Orlando. The fire began in a wheel well on Interstate 20 outside Longview, TX, and did extensive damage to the vehicle. No one was hurt.
The Liberty truck has covered football for ABC and ESPN. It was scheduled for use by ESPN for the NBA Western Conference finals and NBA Finals. Now it’s in the hands of Game Creek’s insurers.
Among other equipment, the truck featured 12 Sony HDC-1500s. The cameras, with fiber to triax converters, were equipped with Canon Digi Super lenses and Vinten pan/tilt heads on Miller tripods. The truck also featured a Grass Valley HD Kalypso switcher, a Chyron Duet, Pesa routing, six EVS server channels and a Calrec Alpha surround audio console.
The truck was designed by Game Creek and built by Gerling & Associates in Sunbury, OH. Little Bay Broadcast Services of Madbury, NH, was the systems integrator. An order has already by placed for an identical replacement truck. It is expected to be in service in September.
