In his role as an A2 (also known as an audio technician) for NBC Sports Group, Colin Whitehill ’21 is going to the Tokyo Olympics. A recent graduate of the College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture (CETA), Whitehill studied audio engineering technology, while holding the job of chief engineer for the University of Hartford’s Student Television Network, STN Channel 2 (STN2). His involvement with the Olympic broadcast was a result of his applying coursework to the practical world, and taking advantage of opportunities to get involved, especially with the UHart television station.
In talking about the combination of classwork and practical application through the tv studio, Whitehill says that it was “beneficial to me and really gave me the confidence to be able to work on a production like the Olympics. While the difference in scale between the two productions is massive, most of the jobs and workflows are extremely similar.”
Whitehill explains that he will be stationed in the International Broadcast Center (IBC) which is the location of NBC’s temporary headquarters while in Tokyo. The IBC is also where the Primetime NBC Olympics Program is produced. His job consists of a daily testing of the wireless microphones, IFBs, and comms devices, as well as their hardline backups for the various studios in the IBC. Along with the testing of microphones, he also will be putting microphones on talent and athletes. When he does not have a specific task to attend to, Whitehill spends his free time “learning the in’s and out’s of the equipment.”
Whitehill is excited and confident about his trip to the Olympics because of the CETA education he received at UHart. He comments, “the audio engineering technology program at the University of Hartford has a variety of classes that helped me prepare for the broadcast field.” He goes on to say, “The AC and DC fundamental courses, mixing, live sound, RF communications, audio systems integration, and audiovisual systems all contributed to preparing me for this position. However, the weekly broadcast experience at STN Channel 2 was truly what gave me the skills and confidence to be able to work in the broadcast industry.”
Colin Whitehill '21, audio engineering technologyThe audio engineering technology program at the University of Hartford has a variety of classes that helped me prepare for the broadcast field.” He goes on to say, “The AC and DC fundamental courses, mixing, live sound, RF communications, audio systems integration, and audiovisual systems all contributed to preparing me for this position.
He received this unique opportunity to travel to Tokyo through his connections and work at the University of Hartford’s Student Television Network, STN Channel 2 (STN2). He was the chief engineer for the station during his junior year and both chief engineer and general manager during his senior year. In addition to excellent real-world experiences, Whitehill says “through STN2’s expansive alumni network, I was able to make a connection to a previous STN2 alum who now works for NBC Sports and Olympics.”
During his time as chief engineer of STN2, he worked closely with Ed Soto, manager of the TV Studio, as well as a professor for the School of Communication in the College of Arts and Sciences. “I worked with him to keep all of the equipment in the studio up and running as well as worked with him to install upgrades,” he explains.
Additionally, during his spring semester of his sophomore year, Whitehill “did an independent study into the widely emerging technology, audio-over-IP (AoIP) which uses standard network cables and hardware to route audio digitally instead of the traditional analog systems seen in most studios.” He specifically researched the Dante protocol which is a combination of software, hardware, and network protocols, and then designed and installed a brand-new audio system for the school’s TV studio using Dante. Whitehill also spent that winter break with the previous chief engineer Tyler Saari ’19 (who for the past two years was a TA for the School of Communication), rewiring the school’s TV studio from the ground up.
Like many organizations, the Olympics were affected by the global pandemic. “This job (at IBC) was originally supposed to be my internship during the summer before senior year but was canceled due to the postponement of the Olympics because of COVID-19. I was rehired for essentially the same job but now it is actually a paid position instead of an internship,” Whitehill points out.
In describing his experience at UHart, he says, “My experience at UHart was great. Despite the pandemic, I enjoyed all four years and it allowed me to find the industry that was a perfect fit for me.” Whitehill goes on to say that “STN Channel 2 was by far my favorite thing about UHart. I met and worked with a ton of amazing people, many of whom I consider some of my closest friends. It was so much fun each week yet we still were learning and improving ourselves all of the time. I believe that it is truly a one-of-a-kind organization.”
His advice for incoming students is extremely simple and straightforward; get involved. Whitehill believes “there are so many great opportunities and resources available to you at the University, but it is up to the individual to take advantage of them.”
In terms of the Olympics, Whitehill is most excited for being able to work with the leaders of the broadcast industry in order to put on a show for the world. “It is incredibly exciting to me that the production I am working on involves people from almost every country on Earth, and will be viewed all around the globe,” he says. Outside of working he is very excited for Gymnastics as that has been his favorite event to watch ever since he was little. Also, even though there are a variety of restrictions in place due to COVID-19, Whitehill says that is “has been a dream of mine to travel to Japan and I have enjoyed every second of being here.”