Newington, VA – April 14, 2009 – Communications Engineering, Inc. (CEI) announced today that it has been selected by the NASCAR Media Group to integrate and build a new High-Definition (HD) production facility in downtown Charlotte, NC, featuring control rooms, studio, editing suites, audio sweetening room, archiving, digital MATV system and many other areas covering six floors and 100,000 square feet of two adjoining buildings. The new facility will utilize the latest wideband 3Gigabit HD processing and distribution technologies.
The production center is part of the new NASCAR Plaza and NASCAR Hall of Fame under construction in Charlotte. In addition to the multimedia production capabilities, the facility will include a 24/7 news center to service media and news organizations by providing a broad range of content services covering all aspects of stock car auto racing, as well as serving non-industry clientele interested in the highest quality facilities available in Charlotte. CEI will be responsible for all aspects of the project, including final design, equipment procurement, systems integration, installation, testing, training and overall project management as well as some elements of ongoing technical support.
The HD production facility will cover four floors of an office tower and two floors of the adjacent building, which will contain a new studio and control room. The facility will feature a video production control room with a multi-viewer and HD switcher; an audio control room; HD studio cameras; broadcast equipment room; voice-over booth; 24 edit suites; audio sweetening rooms, a central editing server; 200TB digital asset management system; HD camera shading; HD playback; satellite control monitoring; duplication and archiving areas; and audio, video and port control routers. CEI will also provide several conference rooms and custom A/V systems. The project is scheduled to be completed in phases between Q4 2009 and Q1 2010, just ahead of the official opening of the NASCAR HALL of Fame in May 2010.
“This new world-class HD, entirely file-based production center is part of our overall strategy to enhance and archive the NASCAR experience for our fans and provide a great facility for our staff, media partners and potential non-industry clients,” said Jeff Lowe, managing director of Media and Broadcast Technologies for NASCAR Media Group. “It was critical that we bring in a systems integrator with the capabilities to help make this project a reality, and CEI has the skills and experience we were looking for, particularly in the new area of 3Gigabit infrastructure, which we require to remain a technology leader in the sports industry.”
“The new NASCAR Media Group HD production center and the Hall of Fame will have a major impact in the Charlotte business community and on how fans enjoy this extremely popular sport, and we are happy to be playing a role in its creation,” said Lawrence Brody, President and CEO of CEI. “This project is ideally suited to our experience in creating complex HD facilities, and will allow us to utilize our expertise in sports, broadcasting and multimedia systems.”
Background:
CEI, located in Newington, VA, is a leading, award-winning broadcast and multi-media systems integrator. The company also offers complete equipment service, support and training, and supplies products and services to a wide range of commercial clients and non-profit businesses. Federal agencies and government organizations can be supplied through GSA. CEI has helped to define the leading edge of systems engineering and implementation for the communications industry since the mid1980’s.
About NASCAR Media Group
NASCAR Media Group is a media, marketing and entertainment company that creates and produces programming related to the sport, manages its media partnerships, and forges relationships to integrate the sport into mainstream entertainment. As the internal production and creative services company of NASCAR, NASCAR Media Group is the exclusive rights holder of NASCAR event footage, race data and content. The NASCAR Media Group leverages The Sight, Sound and Emotion of NASCAR through TV and film production, home video, licensed consumer products and premiums for the sports' sponsors, tracks, teams and fans. To learn more, visit www.nascarimages.com.
