In the best of times, moving and expanding the operations, facilities and broadcasting capability of a leading TV station is quite challenging. But when nature throws a major hurricane into the mix, the tension rivals that created by Hollywood dramatists.
WINK-TV, the CBS affiliate serving a 6-county area in Southwest Florida, was upgrading its master control center and converting to high-definition (HD) when disaster struck the region, forcing project delays.
PCS had been appointed to integrate the rebuild because of the project’s complexity, and PCS’ extensive experience in broadcast systems.
Construction was resumed once the needs of the communities were addressed. Top-of-the-line components were chosen for reliability, durability and upgrade-ability, from PCS’ valued vendor partner, Grass Valley, and other high-end manufacturers.
System automation has increased capacity, added efficiency, streamlined the production-to-transmission process, and reduced error.
WINK-TV remains at the forefront of programming and technology, honoring its commitment to provide better, faster news.
They simulcast in SD and HD, except when original HD programming is provided by CBS. At least another SD channel is planned, with PCS as the designated integrator.
As the next hurricane assaulted their market, engineers saw a vast improvement in technical performance, and, again, remained on the air without interruption, providing news, weather and emergency information, including those vital "crawls." With PCS support, WINK-TV was there for the community when it mattered most.