CP Communications Fibers Up For Madonna Halftime

For the fifth year in a row CP Communications has been at the center of signal transport for a Super Bowl halftime, this time providing fiber transport for Touchdown Entertainment’s halftime show at Super Bowl XLVI.

For this year’s halftime event, performed by Madonna, M.I.A., Cee Lo and Nicki Minaj, CP provided fiber transport to and from the entertainment truck, NEP Denali, to various positions in and around the stadium. CP provided sheds for camera and Evertz racks and Multidyne devices for video, data and audio up in the lighting grid, out at the tailgate show, at the lighting position on the 500 level of Lucas Oil Stadium, at halftime control, and the front-of-house position.

“We provided monitor feeds, camera signal transport, audio transport and time-code all over the place at the stadium,” says Kurt Heitmann, CP Communications, SVP of sales and marketing. “This is all mission critical stuff and our reputation speaks for itself as we are relied on to perform and there are no excuses. That’s why we are called back again and again.”

The role CP Communications plays is more than just about laying fiber. “Time code is critical as it is needed to synchronize all of the lighting and projection,” says Heitmann. “If that fails so does the timing of the show. So we have to be spot on.”

The halftime show was produced out of the Denali California truck and 14 camera sheds from Telecast Fiber connected each camera to the truck with the help of the Telecast Fiber HDX on the camera end. Jim Hurwitz, Telecast Fiber Systems, director of product management and marketing, says that eliminated the need to run heavy, expensive, and fragile SMPTE hybrid cables between the cameras and the truck bay. Telecast products were also used by NBC for the “Today Show,” NBC.com, NFL.com, and for the video presentation in Lucas Oil Stadiuma.

Heitmann says that CP also relied on technologies available from Evertz and MultiDyne.

“In addition to all of the signal transport we also add a CamBall 2 HD PTZ cam system for the monitor mixer to follow Madonna’s cues,” he explains. “The audio mixer was basically mixing in a closet so he needed to see Madonna so he could react.”

Westwood one also utilized CP Communication’s fiber transport for the outside Tailgate stage where Lenny Kravitz performed and the CP also had a role in timing signals for the pyro techniques.

“All in all we had a great show with the best technologies and great techs in Brian Starkey and Jordan Imbs,” adds Heitmann.