KLRN Pasadena Elevates Community Events and Student Learning
Key Code Media Solutions and Services: Broadcast Flypack Consult & Design, Equipment Procurement & Integration, and Key Code Total Care (KTC) Managed Support
For years, Pasadena Unified School District has been a vibrant hub for arts, sports, and student achievement. Yet despite the strength of these programs, the district struggled to consistently share live events- such as performances, athletic competitions, and school board meetings—with the broader community. Accessibility, production quality, and equipment limitations made it difficult to scale efforts and provide students with real hands-on learning.
That’s when Pasadena Unified and its media arm, KLRN Pasadena, partnered with Key Code Media to design a purpose-built, mobile production system that would solve both community outreach and student training challenges.
Led by Beth Layden, Director of Telecommunications, the project transformed a patchwork of legacy gear into a fully integrated, professional-grade 4k-ready multi-cam flypack. This new flypack system was designed from the ground up to be easily transported across campuses, flexible for different venue setups, and simple enough for student crews to operate effectively- without sacrificing broadcast-level quality.
Each component in the system was carefully chosen not only for performance, but also for its educational value- giving students interested in journalism, communication, and live production the chance to learn on real-world gear.
Today, Pasadena Unified’s upgraded flypack is used to produce a wide range of live content: from football games and school concerts to district board meetings and local celebrations. The result is a new level of community engagement and a direct pipeline for students to gain industry-relevant experience.
Inside the Tech: Building a Broadcast-Ready Flypack for Student-Driven Productions
At the core of KLRN Pasadena Unified’s mobile production workflow is a rugged BigFoot Flypack, purpose-built to be transported between schools and venues with minimal setup time. The system supports professional live switching, graphics, audio, wireless camera feeds, and real-time streaming- even from locations without internet access.
Flypack and Infrastructure Technology Highlights:
- Ross Carbonite Switcher & TouchPanel – The flexible control surface enables single-operator directing and technical directing. The touchscreen panel allows students to take on additional roles, such as adjusting audio levels during live broadcasts.
- Ross XPression Graphics System – A professional-grade graphics engine used in pro sports and stadium environments. Integrated with spreadsheets and scoreboards, it allows students to manage lower thirds, stats, and score overlays with minimal training.
- Panasonic Camcorders with Canon Lenses – High-quality matched cameras ensure consistent image capture across productions, with enough inventory to provide flexible coverage for sports, performances, or panel events.
- LiveU Bonded Cellular – Enables streaming from both networked and remote venues without internet access, making off-site productions as reliable as on-campus events.
- Teradek Wireless Video Transmission – Untethers camera operators from fixed cable runs, giving crews the flexibility to adapt to last-minute venue changes and tight setups.
- Allen & Heath Audio Mixer – Dual-use for front-of-house and production audio, offering intuitive control for student operators and scalable I/O options for different event sizes.
- RTS Intercom – Keeps camera ops, directors, and crew in sync- whether they’re in the booth or out on the field.
Working together, Beth and the Key Code Media team made sure each element of the system was chosen with student learning, portability, and production reliability in mind- empowering both professional staff and student volunteers to succeed in any environment.
Ongoing Support with Key Code Total Care
With productions led by a mix of staff and volunteers, the district knew that ongoing technical support would be critical. That’s why Pasadena Unified also engaged in a Key Code Total Care (KTC) managed service contract.
Key Code Total Care includes, on-site emergency support for live events, remote access to engineering expertise, pre-event planning and systems optimization, student training and technical onboarding
This proactive support model ensures that every event runs smoothly- while giving staff peace of mind that help is on-site for critical productions.
“When you’re working with volunteers and students, you need a safety net,” said Layden. “Key Code Media gives us that support to be confident going live.”
