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Masstech powers Kentucky Educational TV
January 29, 2010

Roscor recently completed the rebuild of Kentucky Educational Television (KET) in Lexington. KET broadcasts three ATSC channels statewide and also delivers purpose-built programs via new media technologies and cable VOD. The goal of this project was to design and build a tapeless, file-based system infrastructure, including rule-based automated workflow functionality to the extent possible and practical. The system designed by Roscor in partnership with KET’s technical staff was the product of a thorough workflow analysis of the media movement throughout the plant for all types of programs produced or presented by KET. The resultant system design has achieved KET’s goals and supported KET’s vision. Major elements in the design include an Avid ISIS/Interplay production environment including AirSpeed MS ingest devices for direct file recording from the studios to the ISIS as well as Pro Tools ICON studio audio consoles, which provide completely editable audio files for facilitating enhanced audio post production. Twelve Avid edit rooms plus numerous Assist and Access stations provide the collaborative production/post-production environment. Roscor provided and integrated K2 playout servers with 15TB of storage and Kayak production switchers from Grass Valley. A four-channel automation system was provided from NVerzion, along with master control switchers and a 288-squared HD-SDI, plus four additional levels, routing switcher from Utah Scientific. Terminal gear and multi-image display systems are from Miranda, including the iControl monitor and control system, which monitors the Miranda products as well as third-party SNMP-compliant devices. Content management and rule-based workflow is managed by Masstech’s MassStore, which provides the hierarchical storage for the media assets to a 148TB Copan virtual tape library and to a Qualstar LTO robotic tape library. Through MassStore’s interfaces with ProTrack traffic, automation and Interplay files are transferred, proxies are created and in-house format masters are made and archived. Based on either rules or ad-hoc requests, files are copied to a Harris QuiC automated test system for quality control, Starfish closed-captioning editor for caption creation or editing, or to a Telestream FlipFactory for creation of alternative file formats for Web streaming, DVD, VOD, or podcasting. In each case, the resultant files are automatically moved to the appropriate remote location or to watch folders, where additional rules take control. Critical attention was given to the robustness and security elements of the KET network. In addition to enterprise virus protection and separation of the business and production networks, redundant Fortinet FortiGate in-line security appliances were integrated, providing firewall, VPN, intrusion protection, traffic shaping and additional antivirus, antispyware, antimalware and Web filtering. Transition planning and coordination were key to this project. The new facilities were built in the same areas as the existing, and KET needed to remain operational and on-air. In addition to replacing the existing hardware, Roscor also provided new consoles, cabinetry and renovation of the physical plant. The entire article is here: http://broadcastengineering.com/excellence-awards/kentucky-educational-tv/