Looking to improve its operational efficiency, WTHR-TV, the NBC affiliate in Indianapolis, has installed a digital automation management (DAM) system from MicroFirst for full station automation control. The station recently completed a $4 million building expansion.
The station, owned by the Dispatch Broadcast Group, has selected MicroFirst’s MPC-3200 unit, a 32-serial port microcontroller that features a real-time OS (winMOS), an automation processor (for schedule execution/traffic interface), a custom database and full machine control.
In order to achieve 100 percent redundancy for all components of the system, the station added a second box. To accomplish an automatic and totally seamless changeover, WTHR added Microfirst’s Intelligent Changeover Switch (ICS-3200).
The DAM system is designed to provide a streamlined workflow for the ingest, metadata management and transmission of multichannel content. At WTHR, it will control 18 server channels as well as a Grass Valley Trinix routing switcher and three Grass Valley Maestro master control switchers.
More than 200 full- and part-time employees work at WTHR-TV, making it the largest staff of any TV station in Indiana. The station houses two large broadcast studios for the production of local programming.
For more information, visit www.microfirst.com.
