Category
New studio or RF technology — station
Submitted by Professional Communications Systems Design Team> WBTW: Michael Caplan, station mgr.; Scott Johnson, chief eng.
Media General: Ardell Hill, SVP op. & eng.; Mark Turner, VP tech & interactive media; Ken Breeden, dir. of facilities development
PCS: Tim Sloan, VP eng.; project mgr. & design eng.; Eric Mertens, design eng.; Troy Pazos, install mgr. Technology at work ADC Pro Patch panels
Blonder Tongue RF headend distribution
Evertz
5600 master clock
5600 auto changeover
Extron converters
Harris X75 synchronizers
Miranda
Kaleido-X multiviewer
Vertigo XG CG
Motorola DSR 4520-X
Panasonic TH-50PH9UK
Scientific Atlanta D9850 satellite receivers
Thomson Grass Valley
Aurora NLE
Concerto router
Ignite production sys. K2 media server
Kayak DD-2 switcher
Trilogy IP intercom sys.
Wohler VAMP2-SDA,
MON4-2W-HR monitors
WBTW-TV Myrtle Beach bureau goes digital and automates multimedia news
Media General’s WBTW-TV, News 13, in Florence, SC, built a new two-story building for its Myrtle Beach, SC, bureau 70mi away, which had outgrown its facility. This new facility will become the station’s primary hub for newsgathering and live production. Professional Communications Systems (PCS) was appointed to integrate a wide selection of new systems to provide up-to-date digital capabilities.
Because local newscasts had been produced in both Florence and Myrtle Beach, the legacy analog production system was relocated to swing space above the new studio to allow local programming production to continue with minimal disruption. The control room was reassembled, tested and turned over to the Myrtle Beach staff after only five days, during which all local news content was produced in Florence.
In addition to creating a physical plant that serves as a community point of pride, new systems were designed to streamline production of multiple local newscasts and support continued news leadership in the region. New systems include a Grass Valley Ignite automated production system with programmable features to provide a more consistent on-air image for the broadcast audience. Ignite capabilities allow the creation of programming elements ranging from simple camera shots and mic control to complex effects and graphic element recall through its communications links with the ENPS system.
The Ignite system also can access a variety of typical remote support feeds delivered to the station through traditional newsgathering technologies or satellite delivery, as well as the final packaged outputs from a new Aurora NLE system, acquired from Grass Valley by PCS.
Thirty-seven channels of incoming feeds from both local and national sources are managed by an RF distribution system, in lieu of more expensive and complex routing. Producers, editors and writers can easily view these signals on traditional monitors in multiple locations.
A Miranda Kaleido-X multiviewer system permits concurrent, comprehensive monitoring of critical feeds between the Myrtle Beach newscasts and the Florence master control playout systems, displaying multiple signals in user-configurable layouts. This provides switcher setup confirmation at a glance toward the dual plasma displays, which the management deemed more cost-effective than a traditional monitor wall with individually dedicated monitors.
The design provides efficient sharing of a high volume of information among the area’s two daily and two weekly Media General newspapers; their online outlet, www.scnow.com; and the physically separated locations of station operations. Plus, it allows for coordinated QC and supplemental coverage capability of high profile events, such as local elections and extreme weather conditions, when additional reporters and producers may be needed.
