Grass Valley’s Ben Dolinky on Offering Teachable Technology to College Students Across the Country

June 5, 2026 - 04:34

Collegiate sports production programs face a unique challenge. They must deliver polished, broadcast-ready shows for major networks like ESPN, but their primary mission is education. Ben Dolinky, a key figure at Grass Valley, believes the solution lies in giving students access to the same professional tools used in live television production.

Dolinky argues that when students train on industry-standard equipment, they graduate with practical skills that translate directly to the workplace. Instead of learning on outdated or simplified gear, students can work with real production switchers, routers, and replay systems. This hands-on experience, he says, builds confidence and technical fluency long before they land their first job.

The company has been working with universities to provide not just hardware, but also remote access to their technology. This allows students to practice from campus labs or even their dorm rooms. Dolinky emphasizes that the goal is not simply to donate equipment, but to create a teachable ecosystem where students can make mistakes, experiment, and learn the workflow of a live truck.

For the students, the payoff is clear. They leave school with a resume that lists experience on the same gear used by professional sports broadcasters. For the industry, it means a pipeline of job-ready graduates who require less on-the-job training. Dolinky sees this as a win-win, where education and industry standards align to prepare the next generation of television professionals.