NORFOLK, NE--News Channel Nebraska (NCN)—an independent TV and radio network serving Nebraska state and Sioux City, Iowa—has chosen the Octopus newsroom computer system (NRCS) from Octopus Newsroom as the platform unifying and supporting its multi-site newsroom operations.
The Octopus NRCS—which Octopus Newsroom says now serves over 300 channels worldwide—facilitates editorial collaboration throughout the newsroom production process, while providing full rundown management and tools for publishing content to web and social media channels from a single platform.
Since its 2015 founding by Flood Communications LLC, NCN has been delivering live news, sports and events via its six TV stations serving eastern Nebraska and Siouxland, the region encompassing parts of Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota.
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NCN Founder and Owner Michael Flood explained that NCN had outgrown its original NRCS and was now being held back by its limitations. Calling Octopus a better fit for its operational requirements, NCN decided to switch to Octopus for its reliability, flexibility, and user-friendly MOS-compliant workflow.
“Our studio-based news teams and mobile reporters find it a pleasure to work with [Octopus, which puts] all the tools they need for each project within easy reach, [while facilitating] fast searching of archived clips,” Flood said. “Octopus gives us the ability to integrate freely with systems from other manufacturers and software developers. In terms of features, it provides a lot of value for its price."
NCN’s Octopus implementation integrates an Octopus server, 15 user client licenses, and 10 Octopus Mobile Journalist licenses. The configuration also includes a MOS module, an agency wires module, an email module, an RSS module, and social media integration.
A cross-platform solution, Octopus runs natively on Linux, Microsoft Windows and Apple OS X, with mobile apps for Google Android and Apple iOS tablets and smartphones. Octopus Newsroom Americas, Inc., in San Francisco—the U.S. office of Czech Republic-based Octopus Newsroom—also provided onsite professional services to ensure that NCN would have a seamless transition to its platform.
