How It Started – Where We’re Headed
“RAVP has been in business since 1976. I started purchasing equipment with paychecks from my job as an electrician, a job I held for 15 years. I videotaped all types of events, including pageants, festivals, theater productions, weddings, fashion shows, and radio and television promotions.
I soon realized I needed an outlet to showcase these videos, so I contacted television stations without any luck. But I refused to give up. When cable television came to Phoenix in 1980, I negotiated with Store Cable/Camelback Cable to lease Channel 150 in Glendale and Channel 32 in Phoenix. For the next four years, my videos appeared on these channels along with programming that I contracted from Black Entertainment Television (BET) and other affiliates. I produced four hours of content to start; then, when BET went to eight hours, RAVP went to six hours.
RAVP began this venture into cable TV on June 1, 1981, airing programs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our programming consisted of local and national prerecorded live shows, including community calendars, news, sports, movies, cartoons, music videos, gospel programs, soap operas, family hours, cooking, exercise shows, beauty and health tips, music specials, and Soul Train. This continued until 1985.
RAVP also worked on films including Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Just One of the Guys, Midnight Run, Raising Arizona, and Waiting to Exhale.
In 2002, over the year, I had the opportunity to work in Los Angeles with Berry Gordy as his editing specialist for Avid’s newest video edit system, Symphony, being installed in the recording studio. As we worked together, I became his studio manager. When the contract was up, I came back to Phoenix.
In 2007, I started working at Thunderbird School of Global Management. During my time there, I was the Media Manager, Producer, and Technical Engineer over production and technical direction for distance learning. I was responsible for maintenance and control of satellite up-link equipment for live broadcasts to 14 Latin American cities in 3 countries. I edited multiple projects for course facilitators, students, and staff using Final Cut Pro, converting the content to any and all necessary formats.
In 2012, I was called in to help Audio Video Resources increase sales in their rental department. Within 5 years, I became the developing Director of Events and Rental Services of AVR and increased its sales for events and rentals by 40% while managing a team of 5 A/V Technicians.
In 2017, I joined adScope Media to assist them in developing their events and rentals division. This stint required learning to program LED video walls (Linsn and NovaStar). Not only was I managing in-house and freelance crews for each event, but I was also responsible for managing warehouse inventory and troubleshooting equipment issues on job sites.
In 2019, I started RAVP Events & Rental Services with an investment in equipment for live sound and lighting for stages. Working with an alliance of vendors, RAVP Events can supply clients with staging, tents, chairs, tables, generators, two-way radios, video walls, podiums, video recording, projection, light towers, video conferencing, and online video streaming.
Today, Rideau Audio & Video Productions, LLC. is capitalizing on my past experience to become a vastly talented and stronger company.
RAVP’s expanded events and rental services provide its clients with a wide range of talented freelancers and state-of-the-art equipment for every type of event, including live broadcast streaming.
We are excited to help our clients stage events that will be enjoyed and remembered. It’s just another way RAVP is contributing to our community.”
- Steven Rideau
To learn more about our company or purchase our products, contact us today.
