TV Studio Upgrading to HDTV This Summer

PRESS RELEASE

Point Loma Nazarene University

Contact: Nicholle Jaramillo

Point TV: Channel 23 Marketing & Promotions Mgr.

Advisor: Alan Hueth (619) 849-2358

Date: March 4, 2011

Written by: Nicholle Jaramillo

TV Studio Upgrading to HDTV This Summer

            Television studio technology continues to evolve, and PLNU is staying up-to-date in this evolution.  This coming fall, 2011, PLNU film, television, and broadcast journalism students will begin producing their shows in high definition television (HDTV).  This will include a four-camera studio (an upgrade from the present three-camera standard-definition system), and will include a camera on a jib--allowing students to record “flying camera shots” in the studio.  The cameras will also have state-of-the-art remote control pan, tilt, and zoom functions—allowing a single operator to control all four cameras at once while in the control room.

            Three people have been involved in the process of getting this new system approved.  These include Dr. Alan Hueth, professor of communication, Dr. Clark Greer, and Rick Moncauskas, PLNU TV Studio Operations Manager.  They have been working together for years to create a workable plan for the renovation. 

            “We have been proposing this for the last four years. We got turned down for three years—due to the economic downturn and decreased budgets on campus,” said Hueth.  “But we kept coming back, and they (PLNU administrators) finally decided to invest the money.”

            The duo had to create a full business proposal, a rationale, what was needed, a time the equipment was needed by, and competitive bids from vendors.  When PLNU’s television studio was originally built 13-years ago, the plan was carried out by TV Magic, an internationally recognized broadcast system integrator.  Two ex-TV Magic employees, Gus Allman, a TV Magic engineer, and Pat Thompson, a TV Magic sales manager, broke off to create their own systems integrator called Triton Technologies.  Moncauskas approached the company about the HDTV project.

            “We gave the integrator Triton Tech our budget,” said Moncauskas.  “We said we want these kinds of things, this kind of equipment, this kind of change and they agreed to it.”

            Moncauskas will act as project supervisor—essentially overseeing Triton Tech in this renovation.   In addition to this, he, Hueth, and Dr. Clark Greer, who teaches in the broadcast journalism major, will spend a week in Las Vegas, NV, at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) conference April 9-14, 2011.  Here they will be finalizing equipment selections for the new system.

            Although buying and playing with equipment may seem like a fun task, it is also a serious and important one.  The faculty were very careful in determining what is the best system for PLNU and the shows that students produce on a regular basis.   

            “Rick, Clark, and I have really tried to see what’s out there—in terms of equipment, and choose items that work for all of the shows that students must produce each semester for Point TV—Channel 23, our student-operated cable channel,” said Hueth.  “After having the vendors in, and testing the equipment and seeing what it can do, we have a pretty good idea of what is needed.”

            The renovation is set for this summer and is expected to take a month to complete, with training for faculty and staff occurring prior to the fall, 2011, semester.    Meanwhile, the students will begin their training on the new system in the various production classes that they’ll be taking this coming fall semester. 

For more information regarding Channel 23’s studio renovation, please contact Alan Hueth at AlanHueth@pointloma.edu and Rick Moncauskas at RickMoncauskas@pointloma.edu.