ALAMEDA, Calif.—Northern Michigan broadcaster WWTV recently completed a major IP-based upgrade that connects its new Traverse City studio with its control room nearly fifty miles away in Cadillac.
Spearheaded by systems integrator Key Code Media, the ambitious project included the installation of a new Clear-Com Arcadia Central Station to enables fully distributed communications across the two sites.
WWTV has served the region as both a CBS and FOX affiliate since 1954. It moved into a new, compact Traverse City studio to consolidate operations and modernize its broadcast capabilities. The station faced a unique challenge: operating a live, on-air studio with no on-site engineers while keeping all technical staff based at its Cadillac control room.
To solve that problem, Key Code Media delivered an end-to-end IP infrastructure, integrating networked cameras, audio, video routing, and control systems between the two facilities. At the heart of the communications upgrade was the Clear-Com Arcadia Central Station, which replaced WWTV’s decades-old party-line system.
“The old building was too big, too costly, and no longer served our needs,” said Ben Scripps, assistant operations manager at WWTV. “Our team made the decision to consolidate and move our studio closer to our offices in Traverse City but we had to keep the Master Control in Cadillac. That’s 50 miles apart. How do you make that work?”
Arcadia’s scalability and Dante integration were instrumental in Key Code Media’s design, helping WWTV to route intercom audio alongside video and control signals with minimal latency. This modernized intercom backbone ensures that talent and production staff remain in sync across geographically separated facilities.
“The whole setup had to be intuitive. We don’t have engineers on site,” added Scripps. “Key Code made sure we could walk in, touch a screen, and the studio would be lit for our show.”
“Clear-Com’s Arcadia was a critical part of making this distributed IP workflow possible,” added Jon Rutherford, director of broadcast solutions at Key Code Media. “It provided the flexibility, reliability, and ease of integration we needed to unify communications for a team working across nearly 50 miles of distance.”
The project also included robotic Sony PTZ cameras, Autoscript prompters, Sennheiser wireless audio, Planar LED displays, and a Ross Ultrix router, all tied together through a robust IP network architecture.
With Arcadia at its core, WWTV now operates with streamlined communications, enhanced production efficiency, and the flexibility to scale for future needs, the station reported.
