ITN Adds MHz-Built Vehicle

The forthcoming General Election has helped spark the commissioning of a further news-broadcasting vehicle for ITN.
Leading independent international systems integrator, Megahertz (MHz), announced that the latest MHz-built ITN links vehicle has hit the road providing additional news gathering facilities to its existing fleet.
The vehicle, which includes a fully integrated, HD-compliant infrastructure, is expected to be used on a number of live news productions including coverage of the upcoming UK parliamentary elections.
"We are delighted with the capabilities of the links vehicle since it came off the MHz production line and it has been used on a number of key news stories since including the BA strike and a premiere in Leicester Square where it has performed well,” said Malcolm Smith, Head of Newsgathering operations at ITN.
"MHz worked closely with our engineering teams to design the layout and develop the specification for the equipment that would deliver the highest production values that we demand at ITN whilst considering the operational needs within a space-constrained setting - and doing so on time and within budget."
The primary role of the vehicle is to deliver live news content from story locations via radio link.
However the vehicle has also been equipped with the additional facilities needed to enable ITN to anchor news bulletins from major story locations around the UK.
"We have had a very strong relationship with ITN for many years - and in that time have built a number of news vehicles for them.
"We worked closely with the ITN team on this project to define the truck design that would ensure operational excellence on the road and this has been achieved," said Robert Stopford, Sales Director of Megahertz.
"In fact MHz has delivered a truck that could withstand the rigours of demanding news while at the same time achieving the cost-efficiencies and improved productivity levels they required."
This new links vehicle will initially be used for standard-definition newsgathering albeit that it has an HD-ready infrastructure installed.
Based on a five-tonne Mercedes Sprinter, the vehicle includes an on-board 8kVA Fischer Panda diesel generator, together with batteries and inverter for emergency power should this be required in the field.
It is equipped with two pneumatic masts - one will support a terrestrial microwave link while the other will be mounted with a panoramic camera, both on pan & tilt heads.
Feeds coming into the truck will originate from radio link cameras and fibre cameras while further inputs can be directed via on-board VTRs routed through a For-A vision mixer and an Allen & Heath audio mixer.
Part of the AZCAR Group, one of the worlds largest and longest-established independent broadcast systems integrators, MHz plays a significant role in designing and delivering innovative solutions to the world’s leading broadcasters, telecommunication and digital media companies.
(BMcC/GK)