NY1 News, Time Warner Cable’s 24-hour news channel in New York City, has installed an Azzurro Systems Integration AzzurroCam production system and is using it to deliver financial news from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
“We are an editorial-based operation comprised mostly of journalists,” said Joe Truncale, VP of engineering and operations, Time Warner Local News Division. Therefore, he said, ease of operation was essential.
AzzurroCam is an all-in-one production system that can manage an unlimited number of cameras, as well as audio, lighting and switching, from a single compact control unit. The integrated package includes a Sony robotic HD/SD camera with remote control over focus, aperture, color, setup and pan/tilt/zoom, as well as remotely controllable audio mixing, IFB and four-outlet DMX lighting dimmer. The PC-based interface puts all necessary functions under operator control via presets, on-screen buttons or a joystick and control panel.
A self-contained unit, the AzzurroCam is simple to use, Truncale said. “Journalists with no technical training can operate them. If a journalist needs an IFB, he/she can dial one up or open an audio channel to get audio out. It just takes a push of a button, really. We set the systems up, and they push the buttons. It’s that easy.”
According to Truncale, the ability to control remotely as well as locally was also important. “We have AzzurroCams in other locations: Buffalo, Queens and in our NY1 News Manhattan studio,” he said. When the need arose for the New York Stock Exchange, “there was no reason to look any further,” he added.
