Freedom Studios in New Jersey Offer New Option for REMI Productions Pandemic spurs conversion of warehouse space into control rooms By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Tuesday, April 20, 2021 - 9:30 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
The global COVID-19 pandemic introduced a few new words and phrases to the sports-production lexicon. Topping the list: pivot and accelerate. And Clifton, NJ-based Freedom Broadcast Group embraced both when it converted warehouse space where its trucks were parked into studios and control rooms.
Freedom Studios offers plenty of social distancing for production crews.
We sketched out a plan to build two rooms for regional broadcasts and then two more for national broadcasts, four announcer rooms, a master-control room, kitchen, a couple of bathrooms, and an upper area with meeting rooms, says Freedom Broadcast Group's John Brown. When the pandemic hit, we decided to lay down lumber, sketches, and built out our own studios in a warehouse.
The facility currently has four production rooms in different configurations, he says. Each national room can accommodate 11 people, and each regional room can have up to nine; each room also has a separate audio room. Brown adds that there is the possibility of expanding into the adjacent warehouse to create new rooms.
Gear includes Grass Valley Korona K-Frame switchers with 3 M/E, graphics gear from ChyronHego or Ross, 16 channels of Evertz DreamCatchers for replay as well as EVS XT3 servers, and Allen & Heath audio boards.
Kitay Productions President Joel Kitay began working with Brown and Freedom Broadcast when the two companies teamed up four years ago to package productions of New York Cosmos matches. That first REMI experience resulted in the vision for Freedom Broadcast Studios that Kitay and Brown have brought to life.
According to Kitay, more than 300 shows have been done at the studios, many of them with different configurations. Basketball games, for example, had announcers coming into the studios, and football games did not. The Freedom Broadcast team quickly built announcer studios.
The key is, everything in every room was pre-wired so we can swap things in and out, Kitay explains. We have a big enough router that can handle everything, and, if the need arises, we can build a couple more rooms.
Three studios allow announcers like Bill Raftery (left) and Ian Eagle to broadcast safely.
The studios are the latest addition to Freedom Broadcast Group's arsenal, which also includes five trucks designed for six to eight camera shows with up to eight paths of transmission. Since the linchpin of REMI production is a robust IP backbone, connectivity at the studios includes multiple 1-Gbps circuits. However, the truck's mux uplink capabilities enable a strong backup solution when IP is not available or is failing at the site. Brown says the philosophy was to create a facility that allowed the fleet of Freedom Broadcast trucks and the studios to pitch and catch signals between them.
We can send our trucks out and provide a redundant plan to get the signals back into our studios, says Brown. It gives the client one-stop shopping, where we can do the packaging, crewing, and give them a finished product.
The facilities can also tap into trucks from third-party providers, such as Game Creek Video and NEP. CBS Sports was a key client upon the studios' opening, using it for remote production of NFL games, college football, college basketball, the PGA Championship, and more.
The main thing the client wanted was to protect their staff and take them off the road during the pandemic, Kitay explains. We have a solution that allowed their producer, director, AD, BA, and others to work safely from a local facility.
North America Stories
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
How Chris Bolte Builds the Sound of PlayStation Games Chris Bolte '16 is a technical sound designer at Sucker Punch Productions, where he helps create the...
19/03/2026
It's a double feature on GFN Thursday. This week, GeForce NOW offers smoother sights in virtual reality (VR) and a sprawling new land to conquer.
Streaming...
18/03/2026
Newly named chief product officer (CPO), Larissa G rner Meeus will return to Net Insight on May 4.
Larissa G rner Meeus will become CPO of Net Insight on May 4...
18/03/2026
SVG Europe's The Football Summit 2026 explored how the sports broadcasting i...
18/03/2026
The 2026 NAB Show kicks off one month from today and SVG is once again set to cover the show from every angle. SVG's SportsTech@NAB Show Blog is now live - ...
18/03/2026
(L-R) The cast and crew of Dead Lover at The Ray Theater for its premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. (Photo by Robin Marshall/Shutterstock for Sundan...
18/03/2026
SMPTE Unveils 2026 NAB Show Educational Presentations
Brie Clayton March 18, 2026
0 Comments
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, a...
18/03/2026
Auditel Ad Campaign Shot on Blackmagic PYXIS 12K
Brie Clayton March 18, 2026
0 Comments
LED wall virtual production blends 12K open gate acquisition w...
18/03/2026
Brainstorm transforms productivity and sustainability with Suite 7 at NAB Show 2...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, today unveiled its educational presentations for the 2026 NAB Show. This year SMPTE will ...
18/03/2026
Maxon, maker of powerful, approachable software solutions for creators working in 2D and 3D design, motion graphics, visual effects, gaming, and more, today ann...
18/03/2026
Digital Alert Systems
Preview
2026 NAB Show
April 19 - 22
Booth C3452
At the 2026 NAB Show, Digital Alert Systems will showcase Version 6.0 of its DASDEC ...
18/03/2026
Setplex today announced that it will showcase its complete, fully integrated Zapflex platform for the first time at the 2026 NAB Show, introducing powerful new ...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking DP for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Director of Photography for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy Feature Film- I...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Location, Sound for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Location/Sound for Low Budget Dramed...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Film - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...
18/03/2026
Calrec Redefines Broadcast Workflows at NAB 2026 with its Most Powerful Hardware...
18/03/2026
Oscar Nominated Two People Exchanging Saliva Posted with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
DaVinci Resolve Studio handle...
18/03/2026
Boston Conservatory Presents Celebrated Musical Satire Urinetown Performances for this Center Stage production will take place at Boston Conservatory Theater ...
18/03/2026
Charlie Puth Joins Switched on Pop at Berklee NYC The Berklee alum spoke with host and Berklee NYC professor Charlie Harding for a live taping, answering audi...
18/03/2026
Back to All News
Preparatevi Alla Terza E Ultima Stagione De La Legge di Lidia ...
18/03/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Drops Teaser and First Look Images for The Chestnut M...
17/03/2026
NASA+'s Rebecca Sirmons and Brittany Brown offer unique look at live streami...
17/03/2026
The transition to IP has fundamentally reshaped professional media infrastructures. Video, audio, and increasingly metadata now circulate as independent, precis...
17/03/2026
Live sports streaming can push every element in your video delivery chain to its limit, exposing every potential weakness in seconds. When the Super Bowl, the O...
17/03/2026
Texas Athletics sought to modernize its media production, enhance fan experience...
17/03/2026
Ikegami USA will demonstrate the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast...
17/03/2026
TNA Wrestling and iHeartMedia announces a new multi-platform collaboration that will integrate iHeartMedia across TNA's premium live events, weekly televisi...
17/03/2026
The goal was to transform Hard Rock Stadium into a global leader in sports and e...
17/03/2026
Spectrum has announced the launch of its new Multiview feature in the Spectrum TV App, giving customers the ability to watch up to four NCAA men's or women&...
17/03/2026
Genius Sports deal also covers data technology, AI, fan engagement, and performance analysis....
17/03/2026
Net Insight is supporting the rollout of a new state-wide centralized operation with Rede Massa, which is an SBT affiliate, the Brazilian regional television ne...
17/03/2026
Featuring audio from practice sessions, qualifying races, and Grand Prix races, the film represents Apple's sports-media ambitions
At Sunday night's Ac...
17/03/2026
Live broadcast has always been one of the most demanding environments in media a...
17/03/2026
DirecTV is introducing several new viewing features, including a multi-screen March Madness Mix channel and an updated Sports Central mobile app hub, ahead of...
17/03/2026
Deltatre has announced a multi-year partnership with ATP Media, the media arm of the ATP Tour, covering broadcast graphics, data, and production across the 2026...
Freedom Studios in New Jersey Offer New Option for REMI Productions Pandemic spurs conversion of warehouse space into control rooms By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director 
