WGCU Goes Digital with Thales, AFA

Florida Gulf Coast University's WGCU recently converted to digital with the help of A.F. Associates and Thales Broadcast & Multimedia

AFA, an Ascent Media Group company, provided integration services and Thales handled the transmission aspects of the transition for the university-owned and operated public television station.

Due to WGCU's funding, the digital transition needs to happen in stages. AFA designed a temporary digital equipment room and master control room to be repurposed for permanent use. Thales supplied WGCU with two transmitters: an NTSC two-tube, 60 kW Thales IOX that operated in common amplification into a magic-tee RF combiner and a 4 kW Thales Ultimate solid state, liquid-cooled transmitter that operates into a mask filter.