SACRAMENTO, CALIF. ─ KVIE-TV, Sacramento’s PBS member station, has chosen Clear-Com to provide flexible and customizable communication systems for its original programming.
The station has installed an Eclipse-Median Digital Matrix Intercom, along with the V-Series Rotary Panels. The intercoms make it simple for KVIE to configure the communications setup in its two studios.
In addition to broadcasting national PBS programming, KVIE produces five original programs: America’s Heartland, KVIE Arts Showcase, Rob on the Road, Studio Sacramento and ViewFinder. It also offers video production services for commercials, corporate presentations, training videos and other applications.
KVIE’s 25-year-old partyline system began to demonstrate difficulties in handling the communication needs, so the station explored other options and found that the Eclipse-Median allowed for easy reconfiguration of the intercom setup and adjustment of panel audio levels and aligned with the plans for a future transition to IP.
According to KVIE Maintenance Technician Jeff Hansen, the Eclipse Configuration Software has made it much easier to make system changes on the fly.
“With our previous systems, we had to operate physical dials on multiple panels to make any kind of change,” he explains. “The Clear-Com ECS software gives us the ability to adjust our communications setup very quickly, within a matter of seconds. So, if somebody tells me that I’m missing a person on a panel or that I need to perform a specific function, I can make the change in just a few moments.”
KVIE currently employs 14 V-Series Rotary Panels in its studios. The V-Series Rotary Panels enable production staff to adjust system audio levels independently from one or more audio sources, including external lines, partylines and intercom from other local and remote control panels. Moreover, they support faster and easier audio mixing for IFB assignments, streamlining productions in KVIE’s fast-paced broadcast environment.
Along with internal communications, the Eclipse-Median enables communication with external on-location talent via the TEL-14 interface. Also interfacing with the Eclipse matrix is a HME PRO850 wireless system, which is used for the floor director and handheld camera operators. Additionally, studio camera operators on Clear-Com’s partyline system are connected to Eclipse.
