The Salford Quays centre is now ready to support a large tranche of programming following the ‘on time and on budget’ completion of phase two broadcast infrastructure work by UK systems integrator TSL.
The company was responsible for both the first and second stages of the broadcast infrastructure at the much-discussed MediaCityUK. In the first phase, which was completed in September 2010, TSL commissioned a number of radio and television studios and the central facilities to support them. TSL was contracted for the second phase to enhance and expand the original facilities to provide increased flexibility and functionality for the multiple broadcasters and styles of programmes being recorded and distributed. In particular, Studio HQ3 is now equipped to handle technically complicated, multi-format/distribution programmes, such as sports. The number of incoming HD circuits is now 34 and an existing post-production area now offers 10 edit suites – eight of them capable of using either Avid or Final Cut Pro – under the control of a replay supervisor to orchestrate
the workflow.
The project also included a dynamic connection between the centre and the BBC Digital Media Initiative (DMI), which makes content available on desktops anywhere and forms part of the main portal for all BBC media entering and leaving the studio complex. Control and configuration of all operations in the studio complex is under the control of Virtual Studio Manager from LSB.
Julian Knight, CTO of TSL, commented: “This was a particularly challenging project for us, not just because it implements some very advanced technology and workflows, but because we had to make it all happen in a broadcast centre that was already on air. Despite changing our plans regularly to work around studio and post production bookings, we handed over our part of the project ahead of the 15 July deadline.”
