Hubbry Logo
Chyron CorporationChyron CorporationMain
Open search
Chyron Corporation
Community hub
Chyron Corporation
logo
7 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Chyron Corporation
Chyron Corporation
from Wikipedia

The Chyron Corporation is an American broadcast graphics and real-time data visualization company headquartered in Melville, New York. Founded in 1966 as Systems Resources Corporation, the firm changed its name to Chyron Corporation in the mid-1970s. It designs software and hardware used in television production, including character generators, virtual graphics, and on-air branding systems.[1] In 2013, Chyron merged with Sweden-based Hego AB, forming ChyronHego, before returning to its original name in 2021.[2][3]

Key Information

The company was founded in 1966 as Systems Resources Corporation. In its early days it was renamed "Chiron" after the centaur Chiron in Greek mythology. In the 1970s it pioneered the development of broadcast titling and graphics systems. Use of its graphics generators[4] by the major New York City–based US television networks ABC, NBC, and eventually CBS, integrated text and graphics into news and sports coverage on broadcast television and later on cable TV.[5]

By the 1980s, Chyron had captured a 70 percent market share in its field. It was the most profitable company on Long Island. In 1983 it achieved a market capitalization of $112 million, high at the time for a small high-tech firm before the age of dot-com and the Internet.[6]

Corporate history

[edit]

Chyron's graphics generator technology was originated by Systems Resources Corporation, founded in 1966 by Francis Mechner and engineer Eugene Leonard as equal partners and sole directors and shareholders. Mechner had just sold his educational technology company Basic Systems, Inc. to Xerox Corporation; and Leonard had sold Digitronics Corporation, of which he was president. Mechner and Leonard previously worked together in the late 1950s at Schering Corporation, creating a computerized data collection and analysis system for its behavioral psychopharmacology laboratory.

Mechner provided the capital for Systems Resources Corporation's first five years of operation and Leonard provided his engineering expertise. Between 1966 and 1972, the company developed several innovative digital technology-based products, including a digital graphics generator for displaying letters on a television screen, which it called "Chiron" after the centaur Chiron in Greek mythology.[7] The device controlled the edging of the displayed characters in a manner that took background variables into account.

In 1972, the company hired Joseph L. Scheuer as its vice president of operations (he was an engineer at Leonard's Digitronics). From 1971 to 1978, Eugene Leonard was the company's president, and also directed engineering. The Chiron I, Chiron II and Chiron III character generator families were developed during this time, with conceptual design entirely by Leonard.

In 1975, Systems Resources Corporation merged with Computer Exchange, a used-computer brokerage owned by engineer Leon Weissman,[6] who had also worked for Leonard at Digitronics (Director of Engineering, 1962–1964). Weissman's company had cash, but its business was in a slump. The merger provided SRC with funding beyond Mechner's contributions. The merged company, Chiron, was located in Plainview, New York, only a few miles from its present Melville location.

Leon Weissman placed emphasis on sales and field service, starting the company on a decade of increasingly profitable operations. Differences emerged between Leonard and Weissman with the former wanting to use more of the profits earned for engineering development of even more sophisticated products. Weissman was more cautious about the early introduction of new products, wanting to accumulate working capital and eventually make some distributions to shareholders. These differences led to the departure of Eugene Leonard from the company in 1978. Joseph Scheuer became president and Leon Weissman became chairman and CEO.[8]

In 1983, Leon Weissman turned over his positions as chairman and CEO to Alfred O.P. Leubert.[9] The company continued profitably for some years. Acquisitions were made in order to increase sales. Acquiring companies such as CMX Editing Systems and Aurora Systems did not prove to be profitable in the long run; so much so that in 1991 the company filed for bankruptcy and reorganization.[10] In 1995, new owners took control of the company and appointed Michael I. Wellesley-Wesly as chairman and CEO.[10]

In the 1990s and 2000s, Chyron Corporation continued being successful in its core business, but profitability and stock market success never returned to the glory days of the early 1980s.

In May 2013, Chyron Corporation completed a merger with Sweden-based company Hego AB and its subsidiaries (collectively, the "Hego Group"), a provider of broadcast graphics and data visualization solutions for television and sports.[11] The combined company operated as ChyronHego Corporation until February 2021, when it reverted to its original name, Chyron, with Hego and Tracab continuing as sub-brands.[12][13]

In 2015, the private equity firm Vector Capital bought ChyronHego for $120 million. The stock of the company, which previously traded on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol CHYR, was delisted.[14]

In February 2021, ChyronHego announced that the company will return to its former name Chyron, relegating Hego and Tracab to "sub-brands".[15][16]

Product development and history

[edit]

Systems Resources Corporation (SRC) began manufacturing dot-matrix (5×7) character generators (CG) for airport arrival and departure time displays. It also began to release as a product a ROM-based fixed-font CG sold as the Chiron I.

The Chiron I was an AB Dick Videograph 990 (one of the first commercially available video CGs, introduced in 1967) that was licensed from AB Dick and re-branded by SRC as the Chiron I, who improved upon it by updating its display font (using smoother, more rounded characters) loaded in its ROM storage in place of the stock 9x11 matrix font that the Videograph originally used. In addition to its improved display font, the Chiron I also used a second rack of colorization electronics to interface to the main Videograph system to display color text. The Chiron I featured the ability to record and retrieve lower thirds and full page text displays for news departments of TV stations as an alternative to art cards, slides or scrolling black felt.

The company built its own multi-track magnetic storage device, the VidiLoop, based on a two-foot loop of computer tape in a thick clear plastic housing. On the Chiron I, it was used solely for title storage. It was also used on a few early Chiron IIs, but due to increased storage requirements it was replaced by Shugart SA901 8-inch floppy drives as soon as they were available.

The name Chiron was already registered in California, so by changing them to a Y in the 1970s they were able to keep the familiar-sounding name and became initially Chyron Telesystems and, later still, Chyron Corporation, capitalizing on the product's name recognition.

The Chiron II featured up to six loadable fonts (typefaces) with, for the time, very high video resolution. The display circuits were running so fast (27 ns) that the fastest ICs available were used and had to be hand selected during manufacture as not all samples were up to par.

It was also the company's first unit to incorporate a 16-bit mini-computer known as the DataMate-70. That processor's code base was used in the Chiron IV and 4100 series systems, which were the workhorses of the mobile sports graphics industry from the late 1970s through most of the 1980s. Programs and fonts were loaded from loop or disk into computer style magnetic core memory. As the font data access needed to be done more quickly than a single core memory could achieve, four core boards were used in parallel to provide faster access. It was also the first CG that had non-monospaced fonts with adjustable inter-row and inter-character spacing.

All of that capability came at a cost too dear for many small market TV stations, and so a spin-off of a project for NBC became the Chiron III (later IIIB); a less capable system that was adequate for many TV news departments was developed and sold. It became the first mobile graphics systems of ABC Sports under Roone Arledge. It was he who pushed the increased use of graphics in sports to what it is today—a significant portion of live sports entertainment. The III's success provided the impetus for the Chiron IV, which was a modernized and reduced-package-size Chiron II suitable for mobile use. It quickly replaced the Chiron IIIs as the dominant sports graphics system. In 1989, Chyron released the iNFiNiT!, with the related Max!, and Maxine! Coming later in the 90s.

Chyron grew into the leading hardware manufacturer and software designer of 2D and 3D broadcast character generators in North America.

As generic reference

[edit]

"Lower third" television graphics created by character generators are sometimes generically called chyrons[17] (a form of genericized trademark) regardless of who made them.[14]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Chyron Corporation is an American technology company specializing in broadcast , live production software, and real-time data visualization solutions for , , sports, and live events worldwide. Founded in 1966 and headquartered in , Chyron pioneered on-air character generation technology that became the industry standard for inserting text and into video broadcasts, leading to the widespread use of the term "chyron" to describe lower-third captions and overlays. Over nearly six decades, the company has evolved from hardware-based systems to cloud-native platforms, emphasizing innovations in AI-driven design, augmented reality, and integrated newsroom workflows to enable efficient, data-rich storytelling for broadcasters and content creators. Key offerings include the LIVE platform for cloud-based video switching and graphics playout, the PRIME suite for end-to-end live production, and specialized tools like PAINT for sports telestration with SMPTE 2110 support, serving major clients such as NBC Sports and international sports federations. Since a 2021 recapitalization, Chyron has operated as a privately held entity majority-owned by Apollo Management, focusing on reducing production costs through converged technologies and remote workflows while maintaining its position as a leader in broadcast innovation.

History

Founding and Early Development

Chyron Corporation traces its origins to 1966, when Francis Mechner and engineer Eugene Leonard founded Systems Resources Corporation (SRC) in New York as a firm focused on innovative electronic systems. Initially a spin-off from the computer company Digitronics, SRC aimed to develop hardware for and display technologies, capitalizing on emerging needs in and . The company's early efforts centered on creating electronic tools to replace manual methods like scrolling black felt lettering used in television production, marking a shift toward digital solutions for on-air graphics. In the early , SRC pioneered the development of the I, one of the first electronic character generators designed specifically for television broadcast, enabling the superimposition of text and simple graphics over video feeds. This ROM-based fixed-font system, adapted from earlier models like the AB Dick Videograph 990, represented a breakthrough in real-time captioning and lower-third overlays, quickly adopted by major networks for and programming. Subsequent iterations, such as the II, expanded capabilities with improved font options and positioning controls, solidifying SRC's role in transforming broadcast production from analog to digital workflows. By 1975, facing financial challenges, SRC merged with Computer Exchange, a used computer brokerage led by Leon Weissman, which provided $850,000 in capital to stabilize operations. The merged entity sought to rename itself after its flagship product line, drawing from the Greek mythological to symbolize the bridge between and content. However, due to a naming conflict with an existing company, the spelling was altered to "Chyron" for the corporation, established in November 1975 and headquartered in . This rebranding coincided with the release of advanced models like the Chyron IV in 1977, which introduced graphical user interfaces and real-time rendering, further establishing Chyron as a dominant force in broadcast graphics innovation.

Expansion and Challenges

During the , Chyron Corporation experienced significant expansion, building on its early innovations in character generation technology. The company grew its revenue from $12.8 million in fiscal 1982 to $36.6 million in fiscal 1986, driven by increasing demand for broadcast equipment. By mid-decade, Chyron held an estimated 70 percent in character generators, with approximately 2,000 units sold worldwide, establishing it as the dominant player in the industry. To support this growth, Chyron raised $8 million through a public stock offering in 1985, which funded acquisitions including Digital Services Corp. in , and C.M.X. Corp. in , expanding its product capabilities in and . The workforce expanded to 440 employees, and the company relocated to a 66,000-square-foot facility in , while aiming to increase foreign sales from 22 percent to 40 percent of total revenue. Despite this momentum, Chyron faced notable challenges in the mid-1980s stemming from rapid expansion and product development. The launch of its VP I and VP II video paint systems in 1983 led to marketing difficulties and excess inventory, contributing to a 34 percent decline in net income to $2.3 million in fiscal 1986 from the previous year. Increased competition from at least eight other manufacturers intensified pressure on pricing and market position, while leadership acknowledged overoptimism in for new technologies. Company executives projected recovery with $42 million in revenue and $3 million in net income for fiscal 1987, but these issues foreshadowed deeper financial strain. The challenges escalated into the early 1990s, culminating in Chyron filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1991 amid ongoing financial distress and failed sale negotiations. To emerge from bankruptcy, the company secured a $5 million from Recovery Group L.P. in exchange for approximately 50 percent of its stock and options for an additional 16 percent, subject to creditor and court approval. Later that year, an alternative plan emerged from Pesa Electronica S.A., a Spanish firm, involving a $10 million cash infusion for 81 percent ownership. By December 1991, the bankruptcy court approved a reorganization plan, under which Pesa acquired 49 million common shares and a convertible note for $15 million, providing unsecured creditors with initial distributions and existing shareholders with warrants exercisable at 20 cents per share. Leadership transitioned, with Antonio Diaz Borja appointed as chairman and CEO. Post-reorganization, Chyron pursued further expansion to stabilize and diversify. In , it acquired Pro-Bel Ltd., a British manufacturer of video signal switching equipment and control software, for $21.1 million in cash, notes, and stock; Pro-Bel had generated $27.2 million in revenue and $2.1 million in profits the prior year. This move complemented Chyron's core graphics offerings with routing and automation capabilities, enhancing its position in integrated broadcast systems.

Mergers and Rebranding

In 2013, Chyron Corporation merged with Sweden-based Hego AB and its subsidiaries in a cash and stock-for-stock transaction, creating a combined entity focused on broadcast graphics, , and visualization. The merger was announced on March 11, 2013, and completed on May 23, 2013, with the new company rebranded as ChyronHego to reflect the integration of Chyron's on-air graphics expertise and Hego's capabilities. This strategic combination aimed to establish a global leader in the industry, leveraging Chyron's established North American market presence and Hego's European sports technology footprint. Following the merger, ChyronHego pursued several acquisitions to expand its portfolio in live production and data technologies. A notable example was the 2015 acquisition of VidiGo, a Dutch developer of IT-based software for real-time graphics in broadcast production, which enhanced ChyronHego's capabilities in cloud-enabled virtual studios and augmented reality overlays. These moves positioned the company to capitalize on the growing demand for integrated, software-driven solutions in sports and news broadcasting. In March 2015, ChyronHego was acquired by Vector Capital in a $120 million transaction, taking the company private and providing resources for further product development and market consolidation. The deal, approved by shareholders on March 6, 2015, allowed ChyronHego to focus on innovation amid industry shifts toward IP-based workflows. By 2021, amid a recapitalization led by Apollo Investment —which became the majority investor—the company underwent a significant rebranding to streamline its identity and emphasize core strengths. On February 9, 2021, ChyronHego announced three distinct corporate brands: Chyron for broadcast graphics and live production, Hego for sports data visualization, and TRACAB for optical tracking systems, effectively reviving the original Chyron name as the primary brand while retaining Hego as a sub-brand. In February 2025, Chyron sold its TRACAB optical tracking systems brand to to focus on core broadcast graphics and live production offerings. This restructuring supported a renewed focus on scalable, data-driven technologies for television and sports media.

Products and Technology

Character Generators

Chyron Corporation pioneered the development of electronic character generators (CGs) for broadcast television, introducing the technology that revolutionized on-air text and graphics display. Originating from Systems Resources Corporation, founded in 1966 as a spin-off from Digitronics, the company entered the electronic text field in 1970 with initial applications for airport flight schedule displays. Their first dedicated character generator, the Chiron I, debuted in the early 1970s as a message storage front-end for an A.B. Dick system, marking the shift from manual methods like scrolling black felt or cards to automated electronic overlays. Early models focused on basic functionality, producing white text on black backgrounds for superimposition onto video feeds, initially limited to uppercase letters and dot-matrix rendering without anti-aliasing. The Chiron II, launched in 1972 at the and rebranded under Chyron Corporation in 1975, advanced this with a 16-bit , software-based proportional font generation, and user-defined fonts via a compose module, operating at a 36 MHz clock speed for sharper character detail. Priced at around $35,000, it reduced rack space and costs through integration, enabling broader adoption in newsrooms for lower-third captions and credits. Subsequent iterations like the Model 9901 (1971, marketed as Videograph with Vidiloop storage) and Chyron IV (1977, later upgraded to the 4100 series) introduced color capabilities, edging effects, and unlimited character overlap, solidifying Chyron's dominance in the TV graphics market. By the 1980s and , Chyron's CGs evolved into more sophisticated systems supporting dynamic animations and . The (1984) and iNFiNiT! (1989) added digital effects and anti-aliased text, while the MAXINE! (early ) enhanced resolution and font capacity. At 1985, the VP-2 Character Generator showcased 1510 x 482 resolution, 16 selectable colors from a 512-color palette, unlimited edge types, and support for six fonts with full overlap, catering to professional needs. The 1998 NAB debut of and Lyric systems integrated real-time 3D and data-driven , with Lyric PRO (early ) enabling seamless incorporation of live feeds like scores or election results into overlays. These advancements replaced static captions with rolls, crawls, and animated elements, becoming essential for live sports and . In the , Chyron's Lyric platform has continued to innovate, with LyricX (2016) adopting 64-bit architecture for 4K/8K workflows, cloud integration, and AI-assisted templating to streamline high-volume production. This progression from rudimentary text generators to versatile, data-integrated systems has established Chyron as an industry leader, with the term "chyron" entering common parlance by as a generic descriptor for lower-third , even when produced by competitors.

Graphics Software Platforms

Chyron Corporation's graphics software platforms form the core of its broadcast production solutions, enabling the creation, management, and of dynamic on-air visuals for , , and . These platforms emphasize software-defined architectures that integrate seamlessly with hardware and cloud environments, supporting resolutions from SD to UHD-4K and formats like SDR/HDR. The flagship PRIME Platform is a broadcast-grade, software-defined live production engine designed to streamline workflows. It allows broadcasters to produce shows, create real-time , manage content, and automate dynamic elements through a suite of modular tools. PRIME leverages 64-bit GPU- and CPU-based technologies for high-performance rendering, making it resolution-agnostic and adaptable to on-premises or deployments. Within PRIME, the PRIME CG module specializes in 3D real-time graphics, providing intuitive authoring tools for designing lower thirds, bugs, scoreboards, and complex animations. It supports keyframing with timelines and spline editors, imports from , Photoshop, and FBX files, and enables data-driven "smart" graphics via powerful binding and logic-based templates. Playout options include manual control with a classic keyboard interface or automation through MOS protocols and tools like Chyron CAMIO, facilitating efficient updates for live events. Recent updates, such as PRIME 5.1 and 5.2, enhance connectivity for streaming (e.g., SRT and NDI support) and integrations, optimizing high-volume workflows for and . Complementing PRIME, Chyron LIVE is a cloud-native, web-based platform that extends PRIME's graphics capabilities into remote and collaborative production environments. Accessible via any internet-connected browser, it incorporates PRIME's production switcher, real-time , clip playout, and audio mixing modules to enable end-to-end live video workflows. Users can overlay Chyron-grade CG graphics, such as name supers and scoreboards, while mixing sources, creating replays with AI-assisted clipping, and adding telestration for analysis. The platform supports multi-user collaboration, customizable multiviewers, and direct streaming to OTT services like , with a pay-per-production-hour model to reduce upfront costs. These platforms collectively empower broadcasters by unifying , , and , reducing reliance on legacy hardware and enabling scalable, data-rich visuals for global audiences.

Recent Innovations

In recent years, Chyron Corporation has emphasized innovations in IP-based workflows, AI integration, and cloud-native production to enhance broadcast efficiency and storytelling capabilities. At the NAB show, the company showcased AI-powered graphics tools and end-to-end solutions designed to automate and streamline live production processes. These advancements build on Chyron's PRIME Platform, which received a significant update with PRIME 5 in September 2024, introducing enhanced , , and rendering features alongside a more performant production engine for handling complex graphical overlays and video walls. A key highlight in 2025 was the release of in , an upgraded telestration and sports analysis platform that supports IP connectivity for seamless integration in both SDI and next-generation environments. This version features smarter calibration tools for precise line tracking on sports fields, such as NBA courts and football pitches, along with instant team branding options and new "shine" graphics effects to elevate on-air visuals without requiring third-party hardware. Additionally, expands telestration capabilities through integration with Chyron's VAULT data synchronization system, enabling faster, brand-consistent analysis during live broadcasts. Complementing these tools, Chyron launched Toolbox 4.0 in late October 2025, modernizing audio and video capture for live productions by adding compatibility, full HD SDI/NDI output, and support for up to four simultaneous grabber sessions to ingest PC and efficiently. This update addresses evolving IT ecosystems in , allowing producers to convert desktop elements—like or feeds—into broadcast-ready formats with minimal latency. Simultaneously, the next-generation AXIS Maps, unveiled in October 2025, introduces high-quality 3D visualizations and an intuitive interface for data-driven mapping, facilitating advanced storytelling in and weather segments. Furthering cloud adoption, Chyron's LIVE platform has evolved as an all-in-one solution for remote and hybrid productions, incorporating video switching, clip , and graphical overlays in a browser-based environment to support collaborative workflows. At IBC 2025 in September, the company demonstrated PRIME CG Version 5.3, which expands newsroom graphics integration and adaptability to emerging standards, positioning Chyron at the forefront of AI-enhanced, scalable broadcast technologies. These innovations collectively aim to reduce production times while maintaining high-fidelity outputs for , , and live events.

Industry Impact

Genericization of the Term "Chyron"

The term "chyron" originated as a trademark for electronic character generators developed by Systems Resources Corporation (SRC) in the mid-1960s, initially named "" after the centaur from , before being respelled "Chyron" following a 1975 merger with Computer Exchange to form the Chyron Corporation and avoid potential conflicts. This technology enabled the digital insertion of text and graphics over live video broadcasts, revolutionizing on-screen information display in television news and sports. Genericization, or genericide, occurs when a trademark becomes so dominant that it is used colloquially to refer to any product in its category, potentially risking loss of exclusive rights, as seen with terms like "aspirin" or "escalator." For "chyron," this process began in the 1980s as the company's hardware and software became the industry standard for creating lower thirds, tickers, and other on-screen graphics in American broadcasting, leading producers and journalists to use the term generically regardless of the vendor. Early documented generic uses appeared in print by 1989, such as in a Washington Post article referring to on-screen captions simply as "chyrons." By the 1990s, "chyron" had permeated broadcast terminology, with the Chyron Corporation filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1991 amid market shifts but retaining its cultural imprint. The term's generic status was formalized in major dictionaries, including its addition to the dictionary in February 2017 as a lowercase meaning "a caption superimposed on a television screen." Chyron (formerly ChyronHego), the successor entity after its 2013 merger with Hego AB, acknowledged this evolution, noting that "chyron" is commonly used as a generic reference for any or name super, irrespective of the technology provider. Despite widespread generic use, the "Chyron" trademark remains registered and active as of December 2016, owned by ChyronHego US Holding Corporation for computer software in , illustrating how companies can maintain legal protections even as terms enter common parlance. This dual status underscores the term's enduring impact, where it functions both as a legacy and a standard industry shorthand for on-screen broadcast .

Awards and Recognition

Chyron Corporation has received notable recognition from industry bodies for its innovations in broadcast graphics and data visualization technologies. In 2004, the company was awarded the Philo T. Farnsworth Corporate Achievement Award by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, honoring its invention and development of the character generator, which revolutionized on-air text and graphics insertion in television broadcasting. Following its 2013 merger with Hego AB to form ChyronHego (rebranded as Chyron in 2021), the company continued to earn accolades for advanced sports tracking solutions. In 2017, ChyronHego received a Technology & Engineering Emmy Award, shared with partners and , for the creation and deployment of —a comprehensive tracking system powered by ChyronHego's TRACAB optical camera technology that captures real-time player and ball data across stadiums. This award highlighted the merger's success in integrating Chyron's graphics expertise with Hego's tracking capabilities to enhance live sports production. More recently, Chyron's product innovations have been celebrated at major trade shows. In 2022, Chyron LIVE, an end-to-end cloud-native platform for live video production, was named the Product of the Year by the , recognizing its significance in enabling scalable, remote-friendly workflows for broadcasters. The company has also sponsored the Designer of the Year awards since 2023, recognizing outstanding broadcast graphics design talent, with winners announced at events like NAB 2025 and IBC 2025.

References

Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.