Riedel Communications' MediorNet real-time network was successfully deployed by East Shore Sound to support Comedy Central's The Daily Show during its coverage of the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC). The flexible MediorNet infrastructure streamlined operations, reduced setup time, and enabled efficient resource sharing across multiple locations.
The Daily Show faced tight setup times at the Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture in Chicago for the DNC. This beautiful historic venue, built in 1911 for opera, dance, orchestral, and dramatic productions, presented some unique space considerations. MediorNet's distributed routing capabilities allowed the production team to overcome these challenges, with the network providing access to content sources across dispersed locations within the facility, including basements, main studio floors, and production offices on upper floors.
"The two most obvious benefits of MediorNet were reliability and flexibility," said Sean Kelley, technical manager for The Daily Show's convention coverage in Chicago. "It turned out to be incredibly flexible and reliable. Due to the way the show is produced, we ended up using the MediorNet for the main transmission of the show throughout the week. It's my new favorite toy."
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The MediorNet deployment included one MediorNet Modular frame, nine MediorNet Compact Pro frames, one MetroN signal distribution platform, 10 software-enabled MicroN high-density signal interface nodes and 16 RCP2300 panels with the MediorNet Control App. Pre-configuration of the routing panels enabled the team to seamlessly set up the system as soon as they arrived at the venue, allowing them to start 95% of the way toward completion and significantly reducing on-site setup time from several days to approximately one-and-a-half days. The system also facilitated 24/7 access to content for post-production teams without requiring broadcast trucks and engineering crews to remain on-site overnight, leading to more efficient scheduling, reduced overtime costs, and improved quality of life for the engineers. The system's inherent redundancy also ensured uninterrupted signal flow, even in the event of link failures, by automatically rerouting signals through available bandwidth in the network.
The MediorNet system supported both live and recorded production needs, facilitating not only distribution of a variety of video signals, but also timecode and blackburst signals, confidence monitor returns, connection of intercom panels, internet connectivity distribution, and transmission feed management. Another unique feature of the MediorNet system allowed for the display of source or destination names as overlays on video outputs. This capability greatly aided The Daily Show team in troubleshooting, reducing confusion and ensuring they were delivering the right signals to the right destinations—even before the truck arrived on site.
"Due to the road-produced content and show edits, we travel with a heavy post-production team. MediorNet allowed us to establish a separate facility for post, that was not dependent on the TV truck. This freed up the truck engineers to focus on show needs and helped the show manage overtime," said Eric Zeller, lead technical supervisor for The Daily Show. "MediorNet made the load in far more efficient, effective, and elegant as we were able to replace the heavier copper cable we have traditionally run throughout the venue with fiber. In some cases, fiber was run hundreds of feet, including up the sides of buildings and across rooftops, to reach necessary locations. East Shore Sound not only delivered a great product with the MediorNet but also provided a dedicated team focused on the setup that could offload responsibility from the truck crew, further solidifying our success."
"MediorNet has been around for a lot of years and continues to prove that it's a viable and very reliable solution," said Bill Saltzer, president of East Shore Sound. "One of MediorNet's strongest features is its ability to reroute and create redundancy so that, even if something failed, nobody watching would notice. Overall, the ability to deliver a single piece of hardware to a room and have all signals available, pre-programmed before arriving on-site, was a key factor in choosing Riedel's solution."
The production also used Riedel's Bolero wireless intercom system, deploying 56 beltpacks, 18 antennas, and one Artist-1024 frame. This provided rock-solid communications for all production personnel, from stage managers to audio technicians, across both convention venues, interfacing with the production truck's intercom system via MADI.
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"The successful use of Riedel's MediorNet at the DNC convention demonstrates the system's versatility and its ability to streamline complex remote productions," said Patti Gunnell, VP of key accounts, West, at Riedel Communications. "We're excited by the clever usage of MediorNet by East Shore Sound and are thrilled that the solution gave The Daily Show the benefits of a network without the intricacies of IP. This deployment showcases how our technology can adapt to diverse environments while delivering significant operational efficiencies."
