Young Broadcasting Selects Crispin Automation

Young Broadcasting has selected Crispin as its master control automation and asset management solutions partner for nine of its stations’ master control facilities.

The upgraded master control facilities will include Crispin’s newest products for managing file-based workflows such as Digital Transfer Agent and DigiPrep, along with Omneon video servers, Miranda graphics and routing, and Elemental transcoding servers.

“Young Broadcastings strategic plan is to upgrade our on-air automation system to take advantage of the industries transition to file based content delivery,” said Craig Porter, Young’s VP of engineering. “This will provide our stations with the highest quality content processed though our stations in the most efficient manner,” he added.

The group is also planning to use Crispin’s multi-facility master control automation technology that will let key Young stations provide monitoring and control of sister stations’ channels in the event of an emergency or to help facilitate new growth and operational changes in the future.

“Having our stations linked by a common automation product that can control channels from anywhere over our private wide area network was important,” Porter said. “It fits with our strategy of staying flexible and being able to accommodate growth or handle new operational challenges quickly with proven technology.”

Some of the new capabilities that will be used immediately include the automated delivery of catch server content such as Pathfire, Pitch Blue, and DG services with Crispin DTA, in addition to all-digital media preparation using Crispin DigiPrep that lets operators time and segment shows with low resolutions proxies on standard personal computing workstations, freeing up expensive dedicated video server ports and other equipment in the master control area.

“Having a reliable on-air automation and transmission solution backed by superior service is essential and that was our first priority in making selection,” said Porter. “Following this, the biggest operational efficiencies to be gained are by making file-based workflows much easier and more automated. This the one of the improvements that our chief engineers and operators are most excited about.”

All of the newly acquired master control systems are expected to be operational in the spring or early summer 2012.