User Report: Bob Thurber
Raycom Goes Digital with Thomcast
Bob Thurber, Director of Engineering Raycom Media
MONTGOMERY, ALA.
As one of the largest television operators in
the United States, it was no small task for Raycom Media to select
a company to provide digital television equipment and installation
services for our transition to digital transmission, set to be complete
in 2002.
We cover a bit more than 10 percent of U.S. television
households with operations in 21 states, plus 1.3 million television
households in Puerto Rico. From a geographic standpoint, Raycom
is the nation’s largest media company stretching from San Juan
to Honolulu.
Pending FCC approval of the transactions, Raycom
will own 36 television stations including affiliates for all the
major networks and two independents in Puerto Rico.
As director of engineering, I am primarily responsible
for the digital television conversion for Raycom Media. Transitioning
Raycom’s television stations to the new digital standards could
have been fraught with problems.
With digital television technology evolving daily,
Raycom needed to gather information from the best and most reliable
sources, so that we could make sound, educated decisions. Further,
with all the rumors about slipping dates and re-examination of modulation
standards, digital technology is a moving target. Consequently,
you would need a crystal ball to know exactly what to expect.
From our initial product investigation in 1999, to the delivery
and installation occurring now (final installation will be complete
by the FCC’s deadline of May 2002), it’s been clear that
Thomcast Communications (now called Thales Broadcast) had the experience
and product that we needed. The company was helpful, cooperative
and gave us great advice.
With Thomcast, we found that we could create exactly the product
we needed. We worked together to come up with the best product,
in light of the evolving technology, that would serve our needs.
The initial product Raycom researched and needed
were transmitters. After we inked the deal on the transmitters,
we turned our attention to encoders and master control solutions.
First, we brainstormed with a group of Raycom
folks. Then, we talked with Thomcast. It started at lunch
on the back of a napkin, in which we sketched out and talked about
these block diagrams.
Those extensive discussions about encoders and
master control solutions took about a year. Thomcast was intrigued
by our approach and went through many iterations of block diagrams.
Ultimately, we refined those napkin block diagrams into a controlled,
structured business environment.
Networks, whether it is NBC, CBS or Fox, provide different versions
of digital. There are essentially 18 different flavors of digital
transmissions. The source of high definition programming, both
from networks and syndicators, can come in different formats so
the digital solution must take that into consideration.
Besides the transmitter systems, we purchased
34 encoding packages, including Thomcast Amber Remultiplexers, Pearl
PSIP Managers and Turquoise Interface Adaptors, to be delivered
and installed by Thomcast by the May 2002 FCC deadline. As of this
writing, there has been one installation and that was in Cincinnati’s
beta site.
It has been a great source of comfort to have
Thomcast as a technology resource, as our partner. From the
transmitters to encoders to the design and implementation of our
DTV master control solutions was a cooperative effort that reinforced
our belief in Thomcast as a technology leader.
Together, we developed a cost-effective
and practical approach to Raycom’s initial DTV deployment. Using
the knowledge that we have today, Thomcast and Raycom have created
what I feel is a logical path towards tomorrow.
Bob Thurber is the director of engineering for Raycom Media.
He previously served as chief engineer for several TV stations.
Bob can be reached at bthurber@raycommedia.com.
The opinions expressed above are the author’s alone.
For more information, contact Thomcast (888-872-8505,
www.thomcast.com).
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