DB BUILD AVID EDIT SUITES FOR MERIDIAN

CAMBRIDGESHIRE-based systems house, dB Broadcast, have built two new Avid edit suites for Meridian Broadcasting.
The suites will be used during Meridian’s coverage of the BT Global Challenge, one of the world’s toughest yacht races.
The race is particularly relevant for Meridian, the ITV contractor for the South and South East of England, because both it and BT Global Challenge are headquartered in Southampton.
Brian Davidge, Controller of Technology for Meridian Broadcasting, said: “with the race starting and being co-ordinated from Southampton, BT Global Challenge is obviously important to us. And, as we already have a very heavy programme workload, we decided to invest in extra facilities. However, because the edit suites have a common server, we needed extra time to gain experience of the new technology. dB delivered when it said it would.”
The challenge lasts ten months visiting seven countries and five continents. Each of the yachts taking part will be fitted with a comprehensive array of communications equipment including satellite transmission of digital video footage to the BT Race Office in Southampton. The Race Office will decode the incoming video signals and pass them to Meridian as well as other stations, in SDI format for transmission of regular video news reports (VNRs). In addition to the VNRs, ITV regions will broadcast eight one-hour documentaries, based on tapes flown back to the Race Office.
Gerard Jennings, Meridian’s Project Manager for the installation, said: “We enjoyed working as a team with dB Broadcast, at all stages of this project.”
(CMcL)