STADIUMS THEATRES OF TOMORROW? 

TODAY'S SPORTS STADIUMS MAY BE TOMORROW'S THEATRES.

TECHNOLOGY NOW EXISTS TO BEAM HDTV (HIGH DEFINITION TV) FROM A SATELLITE TO ANY EARTH LOCATION. BECAUSE SUCH A HIGHLY SOPHISTICATED SYSTEM CAN NOT USE PRESENT TELEVISION EQUIPMENT, INITIALLY ONLY NEW TYPES OF ARENAS WILL HAVE THE SIZE, SEATING CAPACITIES AND FACILITIES TO HANDLE THE CROWDS NECESSARY TO COVER THE PRODUCTION COSTS.

A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THIS POSSIBILITY IS THE CALGARY OLYMPIC SADDLEDOME. PHYSICALLY, THIS COLISEUM IS BEAUTIFULLY ARRANGED TO HANDLE SHOWBIZ IN ITS FUTURE FORM. WITH JUST TWO OF THE 36 MODULES COMPRISING THE PRESENT SONY JUMBOTRON TV (40 BY 25 METRES IN SIZE -- THAT WAS IN OPERATION AT JAPAN'S TSUKUBA EXPO 85) STRATEGICALLY LOCATED, ALL OF THE PRESENT 17,000 SEATS (19,600 FOR OLYMPIC EVENTS) WOULD HAVE A FULL VIEW OF ANY PRODUCTION. SADDLEDOME COMMUNICATIONS TECHNICIAN WARD BAILEY INDICATES THAT THE BUILDING SOUND SYSTEM CAN HANDLE THIS MOVE INTO THE FUTURE. WITH THEIR PRESENT DELAY TIME ADJUSTMENT TECHNOLOGY SET UP TO HANDLE 40 SOUND ZONES, 50 AMPLIFIERS AND 20,000 WATT OUTPUT, THEY ARE ALREADY COMPATIBLE FOR THE NEW TECHNOLOGY.

THE ABSENCE OF SQUARE CORNERS PROMOTES BETTER QUALITY AUDIO. IT SEEMS ALMOST DESIGNED FOR MAXIMUM FIDELITY. BOTH THE 6,400 SOUND PANELS IN THE ROOF AND EVEN THE CLOTH DIRECTION SIGNS AID IN THE QUALITY OF THE ACOUSTICS THROUGHOUT THE PILLAR-FREE SEATING BOWL. TWO STATE-OF- THE-ART SPEAKER CLUSTERS PROVIDE OUTPUT LINKS. THE LOW "SADDLE" SHAPED CONCAVE ROOF REDUCES CUBAGE BY ALMOST 50 PERCENT FROM THAT OF A STANDARD BUILDING OF THE SAME FLOOR AREA. "ONE OF THE BEST- SOUNDING BUILDINGS IN NORTH AMERICA", SAYS BAILEY.

THE ENTIRE BUILDING DID NOT COST THE TAXPAYERS OF CALGARY ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDS OTHER THAN THE DONATION OF THE LAND FOR THE SITE. A FAR CRY FROM THE MONTREAL OLYMPIC STADIUM. MORE INFORMATION: OLYMPIC SADDLEDOME, P.O. BOX 1060, CALGARY, ALBERTA T2P 3K8.

PHONE: (403) 261-0400

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