RALEIGH, N.C.—WRAL-TV was the first
commercially licensed HDTV station in Raleigh
when it launched in 1996.
In 2007, we began a large scale renovation
of our entire technical facility to simplify workflow and day-to-day operations.
When we first launched HD more than
15 years ago, it was on an experimental basis
and developed incrementally with the
addition of each new piece of equipment.
As a result, the facility became a conglomeration
of products of various vintages
from multiple vendors, which led to a very
inefficient, complex and somewhat awkward
operation that created problems as
new projects were launched.
STARTING OVER
We set a goal of gutting and rebuilding
some 20,000 square feet of the 75,000
square-foot facility. The project included an
all-new master control facility for switching
five channels, three additional control rooms, the renovation of one older
control room, construction of
three additional studios, and the
installation of an entirely new tech
core.
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| The master control operation at WRAL-TV |
We decided to use a single
vendor for the major broadcast
technology components so that
everything would tie together.
We evaluated offers from various
equipment manufacturers, but
essentially the selection process
boiled down to choosing a reliable
company willing to deliver
a cost-effective product. After we
had looked at all of the options
available, Evertz came out on top,
and the company won us over with
their innovative and cost-efficient solutions.
The result of this is that the new WRALTV
high-definition facility is now fully
equipped with Evertz routing, master control,
branding, multidisplay monitoring, fiber
gear and “glue.”
ONE CAPABLE MC SWITCHER
We selected the Evertz 3025EMC master
control switcher, as it fulfilled all of our
playout and branding needs. This is a modular 3G/HD/SD master control switcher
that has four external keyers, DVE, as well
as EAS, and advanced audio capabilities.
One of the main features of the 3025EMC
that tipped the scales was its built-in graphics
engine. This provides us with the capability
for multilayered graphic objects including
static logos, animated sequences,
and dynamic texts and crawls. Putting the
branding engine inside the master control
switcher processor is a great feature, as it
greatly simplifies operations, providing
single button macros, or automation calls. This functionality is really a
game changer when it comes
to getting breaking news or
weather information on the
air quickly.
The main goal in renovating
our facility was to improve
workflow, and now
thanks to Evertz master control
and associated routing solutions
(digital glue, core routing,
and monitoring/display),
we have all but eliminated the
workflow evils that existed in
the past with our earlier incremental
approach to facility
construction. The new setup
has improved our efficiency,
helped us reduce costs, and has prepared
our operation for the next 15 years.
Peter Sockett currently is director of
engineering operations at Capitol Broadcast
Company WRAL-TV/WILM/WRAZ
and has been with the company for the
past nine years. He may be contacted at
psockett@wral.com
For additional information, contact
Evertz at 905-335-3700 or visit www.evertz.com