Broadcast technology leaders partner to sponsor hands-on training opportunities for military community

MONTREAL, April 8, 2019 – Grass Valley, a Belden Brand, has collaborated with worldwide outsourced technical production specialist NEP Group, to deliver a mobile production facility to non-profit Veterans-TV (VETV), including equipment donations and systems integration. The truck, Denali Gold, supplied by NEP, will act as a mobile classroom from which veterans of the U.S. armed forces, law enforcement and fire service will receive hands-on training in professional television production. The new VETV initiative, jointly sponsored by Grass Valley and NEP, aims to help veterans find employment in a broadcast production career once training is completed.

“This is a vital project that will offer our veterans an opportunity to re-enter society with a new career. It is thanks to the generosity of Grass Valley and NEP that this project has come to fruition, allowing us to support two simultaneous training courses in one of the best trucks ever built. With equipment donations totaling $3 million from up to 20 different broadcast companies, more than $1 million of that from Grass Valley alone, we have been able to create a production facility that exceeded our initial hopes." said Bob Lefcovich, president of Veterans-TV. “It is important that our students learn on the equipment they will use in the real world. With our Grass Valley-centric workflow, they will be familiar with the very best in the industry.”

Denali Gold houses a full mobile studio production facility, supporting end-to-end live HD (1080i) – and 4K UHD-ready – capability in its 50 feet of studio space. The live production workflow is built around a range of solutions donated by Grass Valley, including seven Focus 75 cameras, a Kayenne K-frame 3 M/E production switcher and a 72x72 Vega series router.

“We are extremely proud to partner with our long-time customer NEP to enable an initiative like Veterans-TV that does so much good for our community. Helping veterans to re-enter society with a new career is something we strongly believe in, and supporting this program allows us to give back to our veterans in return for their valuable service,” said Tim Shoulders, president of Grass Valley. “This project is a true win-win. It supports the veterans it will train, while creating a pool of highly skilled professionals that will become a valuable part of the broadcast and media industry.”

The VETV truck will go live in June 2019 and be housed at Grass Valley’s facility in Grass Valley, California. In the longer term it will offer courses to veterans in major deployment and demobilization hubs around the country.

Donated to VETV by NEP – along with all cabling, patch panels and furniture – Denali Gold previously supported world-renowned entertainment productions like ‘America’s Got Talent’ and ‘American Idol’, as well as the world’s leading awards events, including the EMMY Awards, the Academy Awards, the TONY Awards, Kennedy Center Honors and many more.

“We’re proud to support our military veterans and the military community by providing a hands-on training environment where individuals can learn the skills they need to succeed in the broadcast field,” said Glen Levine, president of NEP’s US division. “The VETV initiative ties in nicely with our growing focus on hiring and supporting veterans within NEP. Veterans are mission-focused, adaptable and they have invaluable leadership and technical skills. We are excited to be a part of this.”

The truck will host a range of 12 courses run by leading industry professionals on a volunteer basis. Open to all veterans, their spouses and dependents over 18, they will prepare attendees for key industry roles, such as video technician, camera operator, audio technician, technical assistant, editor, technical director and engineer in charge (EIC), as well as delivering in-depth know-how in Avid Media Composer (NLE), Adobe Premiere Pro (NLE), character generator/art, EVS operator, and IT.

Veterans-TV plans to deploy additional trucks in the longer term to deliver more training courses that are easily accessible to veterans around the country.

For more information on Veterans-TV please visit www.veterans-tv.org

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For information about Grass Valley solutions and services, please visit grassvalley.com.

About Grass Valley

Grass Valley’s end-to-end ecosystem of reliable, open standards-based solutions helps content creators, broadcasters and media organizations to produce brilliant content and build successful media businesses. Our award-winning technology and trusted industry expertise empower our customers to create captivating experiences that connect people anywhere, on any device, through the magic of media.

As the industry’s R&D powerhouse, with the most comprehensive suite of solutions for compelling live content, we are the trusted partner to many of the biggest and most creative names in the media and entertainment business. We help our customers transition to IP and cloud-based infrastructures to enable flexible, scalable and smart workflows. Our advanced solutions enable the production of rich, high quality content that brings the viewer closer to the action; engages them with the story and connects them with each other. Headquartered in Montreal, Grass Valley has been in the broadcast business for 60 years and is part of St. Louis-based Belden Inc. For more information, visit www.belden.com.

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About NEP

For over 30 years, NEP has been a worldwide outsourced technical production partner supporting premier content producers of live sports, entertainment, music and corporate events. Our services include remote production, specialty capture, RF and wireless video/audio, studio production, audio visual solutions, host broadcast support, post production, connectivity and transmission, premium playout and innovative software-based media management solutions. NEP’s 4,000+ employees are driven by a passion for superior service and a focus on technical innovation. Together, we have supported productions in 87 countries on all seven continents.

NEP is headquartered in the United States and has operations in 24 countries. Learn more at nepgroup.com