The CBS duopoly in Philadelphia, CBS 3 (KYW-TV) and The CW Philly 57 (WPSG-TV), debuted its recently completed HD broadcast center in early April.
The design and build process began just under a year ago, when Ascent Media Systems & Technology Services, a systems engineering and integration company based in Santa Monica, Calif., was contracted to help in the design and build of the new, "ground up" all HD complex.
The 120,000-square-foot facility is an entirely HD news operation, running a tapeless newsroom and high definition in both studio and field operations. It houses two studios, each with its own control room; a state-of-the-art master control room; an operations center, capable of receiving dozens of satellite feeds each day, and a sixth floor deck outfitted with a broadcast control panel to accommodate live outdoor weather reports. The all-HD facilities will downconvert to standard definition for analog channel play-out until the changeover in 2009.
Ascent Media Group is a wholly owned subsidiary of Discovery Holding Co.
