Hurricane Crawford Hurricane Crawford Crawford Communications, Inc. completed an unprecedented 500 on-air episodic promotional spots for the syndication run of "Friends" for resident client Tribune Creative Services and their client, Warner Bros. Crawford provided post production, audio services, and duplication for approximately 123 sets (:30/:20/:15/:10) of promos covering four seasons of "Friends." The spots were distributed to over 200 stations across the country as part of the largest marketing campaign ever created in support of a syndicated program. Doug Beers, Senior Editor at Crawford Post Production, explains that a team of 16 AVID editors, online editors, and audio engineers lived and breathed "Friends" for about 10 weeks.

Completion of the on-air spots marks the 14th anniversary of Crawford's long standing relationship with Tribune Creative Services, a unit of Chicago-based Tribune Broadcasting. A resident client at Crawford, Tribune Creative Services primarily produces promotion and marketing materials for all types of syndicated shows, movies, and specials. In addition to many projects for Tribune Entertainment, a subsidiary of Tribune Broadcasting, such syndicators as Warner Bros., Studios U.S.A., Buena Vista Television, Rysher Entertainment, and Paramount frequently contract with Tribune Creative Services to produce on-air promotion, which is distributed to all stations that purchase their programming.

Crawford also recently added DVD Video development to its extensive list of interactive services. Crawford installed a Sonic Solutions DVD Creator system that enables Crawford's creative designers and engineers to encode audio and video, and author complete DVD titles. The finished titles can be delivered in small quantities on individual DVD recordable discs, or on DLT tape if a large quantity of discs is needed.

Crawford Satellite Services, a service area of Crawford Communications, launched the Major Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) Gospel Network from its Atlanta-based satellite facility. The MBC Gospel Network provides family broadcasting with a gospel slant. Daily programming includes religious services from around the country, talk shows, news, and political commentary. The network is currently negotiating for cable rights for available syndicated programming, and is planning original program production. The Gospel Network will also partner with the communication departments of historically black colleges around the country to produce news programming. The MBC Gospel Network concept was created by co-developers Marlon Jackson, President of the network, and Alvin James, Chairman. Jackson and James are joined by several partners including Cecil Fielder, Willie Gary, and Evander Holyfield.

Crawford's Production Services and Satellite Services areas served as temporary facilities for Florida based Discovery Networks Latin America/Iberia and the Home Shopping Network when Hurricane Georges threatened disruption of broadcast signals. Discovery Networks Latin America/Iberia, which normally originates its six Latin American networks from Miami, relocated the networks to Crawford's Satellite Services as the threat of the hurricane intensified. Discovery Networks relocated 12 master control operators to Crawford's Satellite Services facility, providing redundancy for the network's Miami operations from 12:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Friday, September 25. By providing redundant signals, Crawford was prepared to take over Discovery Network's Miami based signals at a moment's notice if weather conditions warranted such action. Crawford was able to provide a spare Power Vu Compression System and capability to playback all six networks on Digital Betacam to prevent any disruption of service to the network's Latin American markets.

Crawford Production Services solved the Home Shopping Network's problems by serving as an alternate studio origination site for the St. Petersburg based network. Crawford transformed its Studio Two into a set for the network. Crawford also provided a 53' mobile television production truck, video and audio engineering, production equipment, studio management, lighting, and a lighting crew.