KAZT-TV, an independent station serving Arizona's Phoenix/Prescott market , produces The Morning Scramble, a unique live morning show that produces the first 30 minutes from its Phoenix studio and the last 30 minutes from its Prescott location.
KAZT's Arnold Corella shows off the station's updated Prescott control room that, like its Phoenix counterpart, features a Broadcast Pix Granite X integrated production switcher.
In October, the station upgraded both of its facilities to HD production, and anchored both control rooms with Broadcast Pix Granite X integrated production switchers.
While KAZT had upgraded its master control to HD in 2008, its studios were still producing programming in SD. While planning a move to HD production, station personnel discovered Broadcast Pix at the NAB Show. The time was right to go HD, said Brian Cisek, production manager, but we had not found the right mix of equipment to do it in an economical way with all the bells and whistles we wanted.
Phil Hammon, chief engineer, handled the integration of the new equipment and the station's concurrent move to a file-based workflow. He determined that Granite just seemed to be a lot more live TV' friendly than competing systems. There's a lot I like about the Broadcast Pix in general, he added. From an engineering perspective, redundancy is extremely important - and the Broadcast Pix is one of the better built systems on the market, from its dual power supplies to its fail safe mode.
Each control room was rebuilt and re-cabled in about 10 days - Phoenix was completed in mid-October and Prescott two weeks later. (During installation, The Morning Scramble was produced in only one city.) For the HD upgrade, the station purchased the same equipment for both control rooms. The Broadcast Pix systems were purchased through BKW, Inc., a value added reseller based in Tempe, Ariz. Additional upgrades included new JVC ProHD studio cameras, AJA Ki Pro record decks, 40-inch NEC LCD monitors for the control room video walls. The station is owned by Londen Media Group, LLC.
Designed for large-scale productions, Granite X supports 22 inputs and seven channels of files, and can integrate cloud-based content from Skype, Twitter, and other online sources during a live production. The Granites replaced an aging Ross analog switcher in Prescott and a Ross digital switcher in Phoenix. File sharing at some point became a little difficult, Cisek recalled. Now, everything is consistent - they almost work as one studio. It's just seamless.
Using the built-in Watch Folders content management system, KAZT can transfer media from edit suites and other sources directly to the Granite before or during a production. It's really easy the way it just shows up and you just pull it into your show, Cisek explained.
Fluent-View, Granite's built-in customizable multi-view, was one of the system's biggest selling points for the KAZT production team. The station produces The Morning Scramble and a weekly political program in Phoenix, and each series has a unique multi-view setup that can be tailored for individual technical directors. That was the wow' factor, Cisek said. The flexibility of that was just awesome.
KAZT has retired its aging Deko systems and now uses the Granite's built-in Inscriber CG. Cisek said it delivers clean graphics and allows them to easily make changes during productions. The built-in clip store has also streamlined roll-ins, and Broadcast Pix's file-based macros system, Fluent Macros, has simplified satellite interviews. TDs can set the screen for two-box and three-box displays with preselected backgrounds with just one button push.
The station welcomes outside production clients, but with SD studios, too many potential clients were going elsewhere. Now, Cisek said the station is starting to build a client base. We knew that there was revenue to be made with our HD studio, he said.
Hammon and Cisek are very happy with KAZT's HD upgrade, particularly the Granites. In a lot of ways, we've only cracked the surface of what the system can do - and that represents what maxed out our old system, Cisek added. Overall, we really enjoy the system. It's going to give us a lot more flexibility.
About Broadcast Pix Founded in 2002, Broadcast Pix is the leader in integrated production switchers, with customers in more than 110 countries. Available in several configurations, from compact systems with end-to-end integration to large-scale systems for high-end live productions, Broadcast Pix switchers include CG, dual clip stores, file-based macros, external control software, and customizable multi-view and virtual sets with patented control options. Broadcast Pix also offers ReVue next generation slow motion systems, fX3D real-time 3D graphics, Rapid CG dynamic graphic playout software, and VOX voice-automated live video production, each designed to enhance our highly integrated live production switchers. Customers include leading broadcast, corporate, education, government, religious, sports, streaming, and visual radio studios. Learn more at www.broadcastpix.com. Broadcast Pix and Granite are trademarks of Broadcast Pix, Inc. Patented. Made in USA.
###
Most recent headlines
17/02/2025
TVBEurope talks to the team who brought a piece of broadcasting history back to life on BBC Wales last night
By Jenny Priestley
Published: February 14, 2025 ...
17/02/2025
Eligible studios will receive the relief directly from their local authorities, with no need to submit a claim
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 17, 20...
17/02/2025
As DEI initiatives come under pressure in the USA, supporters of Rise, which promotes diversity in the media and entertainment sector, discuss the continuing im...
17/02/2025
EIB Global loan will partially fund SES's continued O3b mPOWER medium earth orbit (MEO) fleet expansion enabling additional capacity worldwide. O3b mPOWER s...
15/02/2025
At Nielsen, Business Resource Groups (BRGs) play a critical role in nurturing a ...
15/02/2025
Innovation to empower creativity: Explore the latest in Lightroom
Rob Christensen February 15, 2025
0 Comments
Whether you want to remove distracting ...
15/02/2025
Wisycom, a worldwide leader in RF technology and provider of wireless solutions, announces a new distribution agreement with EQUAPHON. An Argentinian profession...
15/02/2025
DPA Microphones, the leading manufacturer of high-quality microphone solutions, is pleased to welcome Nicholas Nick Mariano and Vincent Vince Divine to the ...
15/02/2025
Tuxera, a leading provider of quality-assured file systems and networking solutions, will showcase how Tuxera Fusion SMB enables unprecedented performance for m...
15/02/2025
Bitmovin's latest Video Developer Report indicates an increasing role of AI, the slow adoption of next-generation codecs, and continuing challenges when it ...
15/02/2025
When Michelin Enterprises set out to promote its prestigious Hotel Guide in the new Sleepless in the Kitchen , campaign, veteran German/Slovenian gaffer Robert...
15/02/2025
Formula E, the world's first all-electric racing series, revolutionizing motorsport with cutting-edge technology and a commitment to sustainability has sele...
15/02/2025
Agile Content, a global leader in TV and video technology solutions, announces its rebranding to AgileTV.
The transition to AgileTV stems from a commitment to ...
15/02/2025
Hiltron Communications will promote the latest additions to its range of satellite communication products, systems and supporting services at GovSatCom 2025. Th...
15/02/2025
Following the success of the original Airglow Booklight, DoPchoice debuts a new addition to their inflatable line the Float. This lightweight, inflatable, round...
15/02/2025
LAS VEGAS Marshall Electronics has announced that it will debut its newest camera controller, the RCP Plus, at the 2025 NAB Show at Booth N2649 between April 5 ...
15/02/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has named Blake Sebo as the next general manager of KTUU and KYES, Gray's NBC and CBS affiliates in Anchorage, Alaska....
15/02/2025
KOKKEDAL, Denmark DPA Microphones will feature its new CORE+ technology for distortion-free microphone sound at the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, in Las Vegas....
15/02/2025
SWANSEA, U.K. QuickLink will launch StudioPro-NDI and StudioPro-3, two new models of its QuickLine StudioPro video production platform, at the 2025 NAB Show, Ap...
15/02/2025
Live From 2025 NBA All-Star Game Weekend: After 25 Years, Turner Sports All-In F...
15/02/2025
NASCAR Driver Cam on Max Embraces Cloud-Based Workflow for 2025 Season Chris Brown of WBD Sports says Mobii will play key part in delivering signals from the tr...
14/02/2025
Last month, we officially launched the Spotify Partner Program, a powerful new m...
14/02/2025
From an island off the coast of Lutruwita to the global stage in France SBS & ...
14/02/2025
The future of electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) land systems is evolving so that ...
14/02/2025
Here are 5 reasons why you should attend ISE 2025
Discover more about Calrec: Learn more about Calrec's legacy of innovation in broadcast audio solutions ...
14/02/2025
World Radio Day: On the same wavelength
By Graham Murray, International Sales Manager at Calrec
To mark World Radio Day, Calrec's International Sales Ma...
14/02/2025
DALLAS and TYSONS, Va. Tegna has concluded a broadcast rights agreement that makes Tegna's KFAA in Dallas the exclusive local television partner of the Dall...
14/02/2025
Amazon's Prime Video has released a new app for Apple TV that the streamer said delivers an improved streaming experiences with faster scrolling, improved s...
14/02/2025
CLEVELAND Telos Alliance announced a software update for its Axia Quasar XR and SR line of audio-over-IP (AoIP) mixing consoles and will show the offering at th...
14/02/2025
Puget Systems Returns to HPA Tech Retreat 2025 with New Analysis Tools for Puge...
14/02/2025
Glass Animals: Tour of Earth Uses Blackmagic Live Production Workflow
Brie Clayton February 14, 2025
0 Comments
80six deploys Blackmagic URSA Broadcas...
14/02/2025
A dispute between Paramount and Youtube TV that would have pulled CBS stations and Paramount's cable channels from the streaming service has been temporaril...
14/02/2025
Colourist Deidre (Dee) McClelland details how she helped shape the distinct look and feel of whimsical Oscar-nominated stop-motion film, Memoir of a Snail
By C...
14/02/2025
BitFire said it intends to introduce forward-looking services that simplify the launch of live production workflows, and enhance real-time collaboration
By Jen...
14/02/2025
The claim by the liquidators is the latest twist in the ongoing saga of the companys collapse at the end of 2021
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 14, ...
14/02/2025
A carriage dispute between YouTube TV and Paramount could come to a head today (Feb. 13), with the virtual pay TV provider threatening to pull all of the progra...
14/02/2025
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. LG Electronics USA has opened a new in-house, state-of-the-art virtual production studio at its 360,000-square-foot North American headqu...
14/02/2025
NEW YORK In a bid to help local broadcasters find new ways of monetizing their content, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and TVB have relea...
14/02/2025
WASHINGTON Three Democratic U.S. Senators have sent a stern letter blasting FCC Chair Brendan Carr for the weaponization of the agency for attacking broadcast...
14/02/2025
Years after launching the streaming service Apple TV+ in November of 2019, Apple has finally released a version of its steaming app for Android devices....
14/02/2025
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. Red Digital Cinema will make its V-RAPTOR [X] and KOMODO-X camera systems available with Nikon's premier Z Mount, providing filmmaker...
14/02/2025
DAYTONA, Fla. The Fox Sports production of this year's Daytona 500 will see the addition of a few new tech elements and the continued unfolding of the broad...
14/02/2025
Watch Bryson Battles Blind Audition on The Voice Get a Four-Chair Turn Michael Bubl said the Boston Conservatory at Berklee musical theater senior might have...
14/02/2025
2025 Daytona 500: FOX Sports Looks To Ride Super Bowl LIX Momentum Into NASCAR S...
14/02/2025
14 Feb 2025
VEON's Kyivstar and the Come Back Alive Foundation Raise USD 2....
14/02/2025
Max Renews THE PITT, Starring Noah Wyle, For A Second Season
Max
Warner Bros. Television Group
The Pitt
New Episodes Of The Medical Drama From John...
14/02/2025
This year, Technicolor proudly celebrates 110 years of shaping the magic of cinema pioneering color, visual effects, and innovation that bring unforgettable l...
14/02/2025
NBA All-Star: More Games, More Teams, More Music, More Sound From the Court Turner Sports' team will deploy familiar tech to capture all the audio By Dan D...
14/02/2025
LIV Golf Continues To Innovate With Drones, Data-Driven Graphics, and All-Access...
KAZT-TV, an independent station serving Arizona's Phoenix/Prescott market , produces The Morning Scramble, a unique live morning show that produces the first 30 minutes from its Phoenix studio and the last 30 minutes from its Prescott location. 
