Charlottetown broadcaster set to livestream P.E.I. 2023 Canada Winter Games

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Scott MacLean had no thought when he began his video manufacturing enterprise twenty years in the past it will at some point be protecting nationwide sporting occasions.

MacLean and his Charlottetown-based crew at Universum Media Inc. (UMI) would be the lead streaming broadcaster for the P.E.I. 2023 Canada Winter Video games, Feb. 18-March 5.

“I needed to do little industrial advertisements to start with. It has come a great distance,” MacLean stated in an interview at his manufacturing studio on Feb. 7. “Once I began the corporate, I began with it as a naked bones operation with previous tools that was new to us.’’

In 2004, he recalled, he was utilizing an previous industrial video digicam. Over time, he upgraded all his tools, purchased a home on Woodward Drive and turned it right into a full-fledged studio.

MacLean has since invested greater than $1 million into the enterprise.

Universum Media Inc. now boasts two 24-foot manufacturing trailers which can be hauled throughout the Maritimes year-round.

The net broadcaster handles every thing from AUS (Atlantic College Sport) and U Sports activities to QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders and the MHL’s Summerside Western Capitals.

Universum additionally produces all of the merchandise from Purple Shores. Its Gold Cup and Saucer Race reveals draw a median of fifty,000 viewers.

MacLean depends on a handful of digicam operators and technicians but in addition calls in contractors, relying on the dimensions of the printed. He has folks coming from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Ontario to assist with the Canada Video games.

He stated he would put what his firm will probably be producing for the upcoming Canada Video games up in opposition to something TSN, Sportsnet or CBC may do.

“We’re taking good care of enhanced manufacturing, so we’re going to attempt to make it look pretty much as good as if it have been a TSN manufacturing,” he stated. “We’re going to have a number of cameras, replays, graphics, and industrial advertisements. Will probably be as when you have been sitting at residence watching a standard TSN manufacturing.’’

The Canada Video games protection will probably be in each English and French.

Becoming a member of the staff

MacLean stated one of many largest additions to the enterprise occurred 5 years in the past, when veteran producer Ed Milliken got here out of retirement and signed on full time.

Milliken produced Hockey Night time in Canada for 34 years, a number of Olympic Video games and labored for Fox Sports activities within the U.S. for a decade.

Milliken bought a summer time residence in P.E.I. in 2007 and bumped into MacLean 10 years later.

“He’s the actual deal,” MacLean stated. “He moved right here to retire and by chance, he received bored and needed to do one thing within the wintertime. He approached me and we’ve been working collectively now for the previous 5 years. He’s superior. He brings us up one other degree.’’

Milliken stated working with Universum has given him a newfound pleasure in life.

“I simply received a fantastic kick out of working with the younger folks,” Milliken stated in a cellphone interview on Feb. 8, referring to the employees with Universum. “He’s received a fantastic group of individuals round him and he’s very keen about making productions community degree.’’

Milliken calls MacLean’s staff a “Swiss-Military’’ crew, that means everybody can multi-task and carry out totally different jobs, relying on the necessity.

“That’s the way in which he’s been capable of pull network-level reveals on a smaller price range,” Milliken stated.

MacLean stated producing the Canada Video games from Charlottetown is proof expertise within the business doesn’t should go to Toronto to make a residing.

“To start with, I’ve a household so I wouldn’t go anyplace else,” MacLean stated. “I really like P.E.I. I’ve had the possibility to go someplace else, however we have now sufficient work within the Maritimes for Universum that retains us busy, retains me glad and employs folks.’’

At a look

Broadcast plans for the P.E.I. 2023 Canada Winter Video games:

• The 15-day broadcast will function greater than 1,200 hours of stay occasion protection from Charlottetown’s Universum Media Inc.

• All of it may be streamed at no cost on any system at www.CanadaGames.ca/watch.

• Opening ceremonies will probably be broadcast from Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown on Feb. 18 at 7:30 p.m.

• Greater than 140 hours of stay competitors can even be featured on CBC Gem’s streaming service, at cbcsports.ca, on the CBC Sports activities app and Radio-Canada’s digital platforms for iOS and Android units.

Dave Stewart is a reporter with SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island. He may be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @DveStewart