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Digital System Technology Designs and Integrates New, Multi-Channel Digital TV Facility | |
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NORCROSS, GEORGIA, January 12, 2004 — Premier systems integrator Digital
System Technology (DST) has completed work on a full digital television
facility project for The Inland California Television Network (ICTN), a new
local television network serving the San Bernardino Valley of California.
ICTN, established and managed by California State University, San
Bernardino, is a highly automated, multichannel facility offering four
simultaneous program streams.
The San Bernardino Valley, surpassing three million in population, has long been receiving news and local programming from nearby Los Angeles. To better serve the local population, California State University of San Bernardino directed $1.2 million in federal funding toward the purchase of digital television equipment to develop a headend for a new regional cable network that links 15 municipal government channels. This funding led to the development of ICTN to cablecast local news, public affairs, educational and other local programming for the San Bernardino Valley. DST was contracted to provide CAD drawings of the systems design followed by full integration. “After careful consideration, it was clear that DST’s project proposal was the best match for ICTN,” said Cindi Pringle, Executive Director, ICTN. “DST saw and understood our visions for the television facility and promised to support and execute those visions, which they clearly accomplished.” According to Pringle, ICTN decided on an automated facility to save on the labor and operational costs of a manual station. “ICTN is a complete startup for the university and an entirely new business and off-campus operation,” she said. “So naturally, we were looking for the most cost-efficient model and use of our funding to sustain the operation until we could build a basis of support. The automated approach allows us to keep the head count low with enough professional staff to execute our news programming, which is the on-air product that those involved are most enthusiastic about.” The ICTN network is co-located in an existing facility with KCSB-TV, a local channel broadcasting public, educational and government access programming. ICTN currently offers a live 10 p.m. newscast, produced on a ParkerVision CR16 live production automation system, which repeats at 10:30 p.m. on Channel 3 in each of the 15 municipal facilities. In the coming months, ICTN will provide four hours of prime time local programming (7-11 p.m.) seven days a week, with the 10 p.m. newscast running on Monday through Friday. The news is also rebroadcast at 11 p.m. on the local PBS affiliate KVCR-TV. Klyde Layon, Chief Engineer of ICTN, made equipment selection decisions prior to DST coming on board for the design and integration process. In addition to the ParkerVision system, the news operation, located on the second floor, features an Avid iNews computerized newsroom automation system. The first floor features master control and production control rooms and studios, a technical core area and several editing suites. DST integrated Blueline automation in master control that ties to limited local storage and a 7-TeraByte DVD archival system. A Ross Talia 64x64 router, currently loaded to 32x40 with plenty of room for expansion, ties to every source in the facility to allow for file distribution, virtually eliminating the need for tape during the production process. The router is HDTV-capable in the event ICTN decides to incorporate HD programming in the future. “DST brought in their expertise with an engineering staff that provided a full range of services including the design of a clear signal path and a thorough integration process that ties virtually everything within the facility together for a state-of-the-art digital television facility,” said Frank Keller, Cable Television Manager for the City of San Bernardino and Executive In Charge for Network Operations at ICTN. Layon added that DST was able to run with his ideas and provide a complete digital television solution that meets the needs of the ICTN organization. “DST did a great job of taking the ideas I put on paper and providing equipment and engineering solutions that I might not have though about otherwise,” said Layon. “Dwight Crumb (Senior Engineer for DST) provided integration expertise and digital television solutions nearly every day, and the results reflect that expertise.” Crumb stated that the ICTN project, while mostly straightforward from an engineering standpoint, provided DST with unusual challenges. “In most projects, DST has at least a partial role in supplying equipment for the overall solution,” he said. “The governmental connections of the project had strict requirements in equipment provision, so we were often faced with changing specifications in the equipment that resulted in engineering challenges during the integration process. DST successfully met these challenges and others with assistance from Klyde Layon and the ICTN team. We ’re thrilled to have been a part of such an intriguing and unique project.” |
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