John Stroup

Last year, Stroup took part in a technology supplier CEO panel discussion moderated by Joe Zaller of Devoncroft Partners. In it, they covered a range of topics including the structure of the media technology industry, the economic performance of technology vendoirs, the demand environment in the media technology industry, the benefits of achieving economic scale, and the inevitable consolidation of technology suppliers.

Upbeat reports by Belden, EVS, Avid and other tech vendors in the second quarter cheered investors and may mark a turnaround in a market that had been struggling to keep pace with powerful technology trends like the move toward IP and the shifting demands of their TV customers. In addition, many feel the market may also get a boost from deployment of 4K and other advanced picture formats and new customers in the market.

John Stroup, Belden’s CEO, says the existence of multiple, competing IP protocols to transport video, audio and data is an indication of a fundamental failure in the TV industry, and broadcasters are savvy enough to recognize it. “What they want is really simple. They want one standard, and they want everyone to compete on quality, cost and features that hook up to that standard.”

Belden CEO John Stroup details the strategy behind its purchase of Grass Valley, the integration of its broad line of television production, signal distribution and acquisition technology into Belden and its Miranda operation and what he sees as the market opportunities. 

Its just-announced purchase of Miranda positions it to exploit the explosion in TV production and distribution, says CEO John Stroup. Miranda expects the deal will give it resources to expand through internal development and through acquisition. It has an “active acquisition list” that includes companies that have “different solutions that might mesh well with our playout and product solutions,” says Miranda’s Kevin Joyce.