KVBC-TV Channel 3, an NBC affiliate station serving the greater Las Vegas metro area, recently replaced the analog console in its news production studio with a Studer OnAir 3000 digital broadcast desk (pictured). The new desk was selected as part of an overall facilities upgrade as the station transitions to HD broadcasting.
“Since our HD build-out project will be expensive,” explains KVBC-TV chief engineer Mark Guranik, “we needed to provide a cost-effective solution for the upgraded audio control room. The new Studer OnAir 3000 console precisely fulfills our requirements. It is simple to operate and offers enhanced flexibility.”
Owned by Sunbelt Communications, KVBC-TV currently broadcasts a total of six hours of live news coverage per weekday. The station also provides a 10 p.m. news program to the local CW affiliate. “Since these shows involve a variety of external sources and in-studio talent,” Guranik says, “the OnAir 3000’s ability to store and recall console setups and I/O configurations will be extremely useful, and will allow our operator to instantly recall a specific layout.”
The new OnAir 3000 features 24 faders on its surface and will accommodate 16 mic/line sources, eight line-level sources and 24 AES-format digital sources, routing to 16 analog and 24 digital output ports. “The console’s Mix-Minus buses are essential for developing clean feeds to talent and outside contributors,” adds KVBC-TV engineering supervisor Gary Bressler.
Current playback sources include a Thompson/GVG Profile Media Platform server for digitized video and audio files; an Omneon Spectrum server is planned for the new HD operation. News clips are replayed from a BitCentral Oasis server system. “We will be able to access some 35 sources from the production switcher,” Guranik adds, “plus eight that are routable to the console from remote news reporters, etc.
“Obviously, for our all-digital HD operation, we are looking for an all-digital audio signal path,” Guranik concludes. “It’s an exciting opportunity for our staff to offer the very best sound quality for our Las Vegas viewers.”
For more information, visit www.studer.ch and www.kvbc.com.
