Equity Media is using the Omneon MediaGrid system for active online storage and Spectrum media servers for ingest and playout of content to its 70 stations nationwide.
This includes the fast-growing Retro Television Network (RTN). Equity Media’s Central Automated Satellite Hub (C.A.S.H.) system, located in Little Rock, AR, originates and distributes more media content than most other facilities in the world. The C.A.S.H. system replaces local station master control because it also manages accounting, spot inventory, promotion and production functions.
Besides RTN, Equity Media stations include affiliates of ABC, FOX, MyNetworkTV, Telefutura and Univision. RTN, an all-digital network was founded in 2005 and is expected to increase to more than 100 stations by the end of 2008.
RTN was specifically designed to air on a local broadcaster’s digital subchannel, enabling easy expansion of programming options in anticipation of the switch to digital. RTN provides each affiliate with a customized feed that features not only the classic hit shows, but also local programming including news, weather and sports.
Equity Media recently renovated its facility from top to bottom to accommodate new RTN stations. The company’s restructured workflow, managed by Crispin automation, ingests content into the Spectrum server, then quality controls and stores it on the MediaGrid system prior to playout on multiple Spectrum playout servers.
A library-based network, RTN airs shows like “Knight Rider,” “Quincy” and “I Love Lucy.” A MediaGrid, operating in tandem with Front Porch Digital’s DIVArchive, enables RTN to ingest content once and keep a digitized copy of all these episodes ready for use at any given time. RTN currently has 22TB of storage on the MediaGrid and anticipates adding to it. The modular architecture of MediaGrid means it can be scaled without disruption to the system.
For more information, visit www.omneon.com.
