TCU sports broadcasting department gets $2 million update

As athletes battle for victory on the field, the university's sports broadcasting department will catch all the action with updated camera equipment.

The university spent more than $2 million to update the standard broadcasting equipment to high-definition, Mike Martin, an assistant professor in film, television and digital media (FTDM), said. 

Chuck LaMendola, an assistant professor in the FTDM department, said the sports broadcasting department will add another camera, along with long lenses to every camera. This allows the cameras to take better close-ups and instant replays. Also, broadcasts will be in surround sound.

The equipment needed to be upgraded because HD broadcasts are now almost universal, LaMendola said. Additionally, standard broadcasting equipment could not be easily replaced.

Viewers can expect to see clearer graphics with the transition to HD, detailed down to the sweat on players' faces, LaMendola said. The HD broadcasts of TCU games will begin airing on Fox Sports and gofrogs.com later in the season.

Because the sports broadcasting department will show the Big 12 Conference games, the upgrades will prepare the department to broadcast events with the best regional coverage.

 “It’s a very big step for the university, for our department, and for the students who are involved in the program,” LaMendola said. “It’s a facility, that when it’s finished, might quite possibly be the best in the metroplex.”