KGW television, the NBC affiliate in Portland, Ore., is now using a new Calrec Omega audio console for local production work.

The installation of the console took place as part of the station’s transition to digital audio and was part of the larger plan to convert to high-definition production this past January.

“For us, it’s all about keeping the local product strong,” said Eric Dausman, KGW’s director of technology. “The installation of the Omega console is the culmination of a process of budgeting and evaluation that lasted four years. Remarkably, that time was well spent because in the end, the features we wanted in a console became available very cost effectively in the Omega.”

The KGW installation incorporates Calrec’s Hydra Network for linking consoles and audio sources. Currently the KGW console is connected to both a news and production studio. Plans are to add a second Omega console as part of the Hydra Network. Dausman said that the Hydra networking feature was a bonus for the station, as it eliminated multiple cable installations. Calrec’s Bluefin High Density signal processing is also part of the new KGW console package. The Omega is equipped with 160 channel processing paths and has both stereo and 5.1 surround sound capability.

KGW is a Belo Corp. television station.