Independent Television (ITV), a newly launched 24/7 satellite news channel in Bangladesh, has built its live news infrastructure around the Snell Kahuna SD/HD multiformat production switcher.
Launched in August, ITV provides 24-hour news programming from its main operations center in the capital city of Dhaka. ITV has installed two Kahuna switchers, one for news programs and the other to enable production of live-audience studio productions.
"When we designed the ITV broadcast center, we had an opportunity to install the state of the art in live production technology," said Jay Chauhan, VP of technology at NDTV Worldwide, the media consultants for ITV. "We placed a high priority on systems that are highly reliable, simple to operate, and allow for a convenient upgrade to HD."
According to Anowarul Azim, head of technology for ITV, the broadcaster was attracted to the Snell Kahuna because it has been field-tested in live news production around the world. Its multi-format support was also an important factor. "Although we are some time away from launching HD operations, Kahuna's multiformat capabilities mean we'll be able to make a smooth transition from SD to HD when the time comes," Azim said.
