|
|
 
|
|
This
is the Technical Operations Center (or "rack room"). While
the people in the studios are the heart of the operation, this
room is the brain. Everything you hear on the air passes
through this room, sometimes several times, before it leaves on
its way to your radio. |
There
are eight Windows-based computers in this room running the six
studios, portions of our web site, and receiving news through
an Associated Press
satellite receiver. Five StarGuide
digital satellite receivers bring in audio from Westwood
One music formats along with CBS,
ABC, and Premiere
radio network programming, while an Avcom receiver obtains programming
from the Northern
Broadcasting System. |
|
|
A
Studio Hub patch panel allows instant rerouting of audio from
one station to another. A set of custom-made silence monitors
listens for dead air, and also provide automatic switching of
audio to a backup source in the event of loss of audio from a
computer. |
Other
equipment in here includes: Omnia
3 FM, Inovonics
235 AM and 255 FM audio processors, a TFT
911 EAS system, Broadcast
Tools 8x2 switcher for recording network programming, a Belkin
KVM switch allowing push-button access to and control of any of
the PCs, three Marti
receivers, a Broadcast
Electronics 500 watt backup AM transmitter, Sine
remote facilities controller, modulation monitors, and lots of
other goodies and gadjets. |
|
|
Two
Energy Onix STL-1 transmitters
send the processed output for the two FM stations up to our FM
transmitter site, and four Inovonics
modulation monitors send that signal back into the studios so
the DJ on duty will know immediately if there is a problem anywhere
along the audio chain. |
On
the wall behind the racks are the Studio Hub panels for each room.
The large yellow cables contain bundles of Cat-5 cabling that
is used to bring audio and digital data to and from each of the
rooms. Each of these cables is connected to a Studio Hub
where a standard Cat-5 patch cable is used to connect to the source
gear. Both analog and digital information (and power for
pre-amps) is sent through these hubs, including all sound entering
and leaving the studios, as well as video and mouse / keyboard
communication from the studio terminals to the rack-mounted PCs.
High-speed internet data from our wireless antenna outside is
also carried on the Studio Hub system from the radio to the rack
room, where it is sent to a standard 100Base-T LAN switch. |
|
|
