KOAM-TV, the CBS affiliate serving the Pittsburg, KS/Joplin, MO, market, is using the Harris NewsForce digital news production system to meet the needs for its live news telecasts.
KOAM-TV’s new digital production system includes two NEXIO AMP advanced media platforms as well as NewsForce MOS-enabled editors, including 10 Velocity ESX on-SAN high-resolution editors and three Velocity XNG field editors.
The station integrates the Velocity ESX editors with its AP ENPS newsroom computer system (NRCS). Finished clips are added to the NRCS rundown and then played to air with the NEXIO MOS Playlist Manager application, resulting in a streamlined workflow. KOAM-TV also is using three NEXIO Media Gateway servers to facilitate high-speed file transfer of news content from third-party catch servers.
According to station news operations manager Bret Falcetto, the cost savings realized by running the Velocity ESX software on KOAM-TV’s existing workstations allowed the station to purchase more editing software. As a result, more station journalists can edit at the same time, which results in less downtime.
“Our reporters and editors can also multitask by editing video and writing and editing scripts all at the same workstation,” he said. “When finished with the story, the user simply hits one button and the piece is ready for air.”
The efficiencies resulting from the new digital news production workflow are helping the station to produce more content, which makes the newscast “visibly tighter and more polished,” Falcetto added.
KOAM-TV made its transition to digital broadcasting following the Feb. 17 shutoff of its analog transmitter.
