WQED Unveils New Digital High-Definition Master Control Facility

WQED Unveils New Digital High-Definition Master Control Facility

PITTSBURGH, Dec. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- WQED today unveiled its new digital high-definition master control and editing suites as part of its conversion to total high-definition (HD) broadcasting. When studio and control room facilities are completed early next year, WQED will be the first television station in the Pittsburgh market with the capability to produce in-studio and broadcast in high-definition television.

"Tomorrow's technology is here today at WQED," said George L. Miles, Jr., president and chief executive officer of WQED. "These new facilities will enable WQED to build on the quality programming that people of this region expect from us. WQED will be the first station in this market with this capability."

The new master control facility will enable WQED to broadcast and edit its programming in the new technology that will soon be the standard nationwide. High-definition television is a broadcasting system with a significantly higher resolution than traditional formats. HDTV offers a more lifelike picture and digital sound quality and more than double the resolution compared to analog televisions for superior picture quality.

The newly-built Master Control allows WQED to monitor WQED, WQEX and WQED- DT in standard analog and HD. WQED will be able to insert its own mix of programming into any of the channels and brand the digital signal with the WQED bug and insert promotional announcements between programs. Prior to the switchover, WQED was dependent on a PBS high-definition feed that could not be customized.

The four new Avid editing suites will allow WQED to edit HD content that was produced in the field and broadcast it locally. Additionally, the Avid suites will have a shared storage system so that multiple projects can be edited from multiple locations. Graphics stations will be able to access the system for greater efficiency. Audio recording rooms will be completely digital using a computer hard drive that will be accessible by the Avid suites and control room without the need for tapes or discs.

WQED has already produced several programs in high-definition, including The War That Made America; In Country: A Vietnam Story; and a music special with Wynton Marsalis. Current projects that are being shot in high-definition are Rick Sebak's To Market to Market, which will air nationally on PBS in 2007, and Underground Pittsburgh, which will air in the spring. All future major national productions will be produced in high-definition.

WQED Multimedia, honored with the Mid-Atlantic Emmy Award for Station Excellence and eight other Emmy Awards in 2006, provides quality products and services to engage, inform, educate and entertain the public within its community and around the world. It is the parent company of WQED tv13 (PBS), WQEX tv16, WQED fm89.3, WQEJ fm89.7/Johnstown, a publishing division that includes PITTSBURGH magazine, local and national television and radio productions, www.wqed.org and the WQED Education and Community Resource Center.

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Source: WQED Multimedia

CONTACT: Rosemary Martinelli, +1-412-622-6433, or rmartine@wqed.org, or
George Hazimanolis, +1-412-622-1366, or ghaziman@wqed.org, both of WQED
Multimedia

Web site: http://www.wqed.org/

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