Broadcast Networks Helps Solent TV Make Broadcasting History

Solent TV, the UK’s first not-for-profit commercial local television station, recently went live on the SKY platform using new facilities that were designed and installed by UK-based system integration specialist Broadcast Networks.
The station, which broadcasts local news, sports and information about the Isle of Wight and Solent region, already delivers its programmes via the Rowridge analogue terrestrial transmitter as well as Internet streaming and local Cable TV services. Its European debut on SKY makes it the first community station to access the distribution potential of Digital Satellite Broadcasting.
Paul Topping, the station’s Head of Broadcasting, says: "The whole transition from analogue to digital HD and from our regular transmission to the SKY platform has been remarkably smooth, especially when considering the size of the project and having to keep our analogue signal on air throughout. We feel very fortunate to have had the skill and expertise of the Broadcast Networks team. They have helped us make broadcasting history and I’m sure that, without their help and guidance, we would not have ended up with the facility we have now."
To enable the station’s transition to SKY, Broadcast Networks upgraded Solent TV’s technical infrastructure by installing a new High Definition studio and playout centre at its Isle of Wight facility. This turnkey solution was specially designed to provide community or smaller television stations with a cost-effective upgrade path to Digital and HD technology. The solution includes a completely new Sony XDCAM HD camera system, allowing Solent TV to acquire all of their footage on this exciting new format; an HD ready media server and media management system from Suitcase TV; a Miranda X-Station HD-ready playout system and the new Miranda Kaleido multiview system for playout. To link Solent TV to the Sky platform, a new Broadcast Networks H264 encoder system is used to provide the live link to Globecast, who in turn provide the uplink to Sky.
Broadcast Networks worked closely with Sony Professional Services Europe to devise the Solent TV solution and now plans to market it to other community and local television stations that wish to enter the digital arena.
Tom Haye, director of Broadcast Networks, says: "This was a complex project that was completed in record time. Thanks to its success, we are now very confident that this solution can be rolled out to commercial and local TV stations across the UK and Europe so that they, too, can access digital HD facilities at a price they can afford."
Haye adds that the beauty of this solution is that it is very cost effective.
"It incorporates everything a small broadcaster needs to deliver programming digitally whilst being HD ready," he says. "The entire package, which includes equipment, system integration and training to enable staff at the TV stations to operate their new facilities, has been provided under a leasing agreement that allows small broadcasters like Solent TV to spread their payments."
Solent TV is owned by the charity ‘Island Volunteers’ and was awarded the RSL (Restricted Services Licence) on the Isle of Wight by the ITC (now OFCOM) - to broadcast to the Isle of Wight from 31 October 2002.
Its flagship news programme, Solent Tonight, goes out each weekday evening in various time slots, driving the audience to the broadcaster’s prime-time schedule.
Solent Tonight is also available as video-on-demand from the broadcaster’s website where it attracts 15,000 downloads each week.
(SP)