Pappas Telecasting Upgrades Omaha Facility With
Utah Scientific
SALT LAKE CITY — Feb. 5, 2007 — Pappas
Telecasting Companies, the largest privately held,
commercial TV broadcast group in the United States,
has upgraded its Omaha, Neb., broadcast facility with
digital routing and control systems from Utah Scientific.
The Pappas’ Omaha facility currently provides
four broadcast streams from a single building: KAZO,
affiliated with Azteca America; KPTM, a Fox affiliate;
KXVO, a member of the new CW network; and MyNetworkTV,
FOX’s new second network, which is broadcast
on one of KPTM’s digital subchannels.
The company has installed a UTAH-400 32x32 SD and
16x16 HD routing switcher configured to provide both
SD and HD video — two of the stations are currently
broadcast in SD and the other two broadcast in HD.
The UTAH-400 is integrated with an Omneon Spectrum
video server under control of an NVerzion automation
system that was delivered a few months ago.
Omaha is the third Pappas location to install the
UTAH-400 in 2006, with one more station expected to
install the equipment in 2007. Dale Scherbring, Vice
President/Director of Engineering of Pappas Telecasting
(and formerly Chief Engineer at KPTM), is very pleased
with the decision to upgrade to the UTAH-400. “I
like the small footprint (of the UTAH-400) and the
flexibility to load both SD and HD in the same frame,”
said Scherbring. “In the future, more and more
of the plant is going to be IP-based, and we needed
a solid SDI core for on-air switching, which this
upgrade provides.”
When the facility was first opened in 1985, it included
an analog routing switcher with stereo audio and an
MC-500 master control panel from Utah Scientific.
That original routing switcher is still being used
as a prefeed to the new UTAH-400. The long-term performance
and reliability of that original equipment was one
factor in the decision to stick with Utah Scientific
products for this upgrade.
Another factor was the flexibility and understanding
of Utah’s team as the project moved forward.
“They worked with us to make sure the installation
worked for us,” explained Scherbring. “As
we moved forward, some adjustments to the configuration
were needed and they just made it happen. The installation
has been smooth and our operators are very comfortable
with the change.”
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About Utah Scientific, Inc.
Utah Scientific, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of
analog, digital, and HDTV routing switchers, master
control switchers, and related products including
a full range of software for controlling and managing
switching systems. The company has been serving the
broadcast industry for 30 years with industry-leading
products and best-in-class service and support as
recognized by Frost & Sullivan with its 2005 Customer
Service Leadership Award and demonstrated by the industry's
first 10-year warranty. |
