WLOS, the Sinclair Broadcast Group-owned ABC affiliate in Asheville, NC, and serving the western Carolinas, is driving its newly launched HD newscast with a Snell Kahuna SD/HD multiformat production switcher.
WLOS began its HD news broadcasts in September 2008 and is now airing 30.5 hours of HD news every week. The station added the Kahuna as a result of Sinclair's decision to standardize all of its news operations on the multiformat switcher. In preparation for the HD news shows, WLOS upgraded its control room equipment to include new graphics and clip playout systems as well as Panasonic HD cameras. It continues to rely on SD equipment for outside content.
WLOS chose the Kahuna as a solution for delivering HDTV services quickly and affordably. The Kahuna lets the station mix content from its SD sources seamlessly into the HD broadcast without having to purchase upconversion equipment or adopt a more complex system design.
"We needed a multiformat solution that would allow us to continue to use our SD sources, which we will be relying on for the foreseeable future, and the Kahuna switcher fit the bill perfectly," said WLOS chief engineer Rollin Tompkins.
