Tech Briefs
By Ken Kerschbaumer -- Broadcasting & Cable, 6/27/2005
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Groundbreaking Development
A new duopoly TV facility is rising out of what was formerly the Big Brother Bset at the CBS Studio Center in Studio City, Calif. Viacom’s KCBS and KCAL Los Angeles will be housed in the 162,000-square-foot facility, which will have three floors of offices and broadcast studios.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the new facility was held last week. The network brass on-hand included Viacom Co-President Leslie Moonves; Viacom Television Group CEO Fred Reynolds; KCBS and KCAL General Manager Don Corsini; the stations’ General Manager Patrick McClenahan; and Michael Klausman, CBS Studio Center president.
Swinging For the HD Fences
Major League Baseball fans with ESPN and ESPN2 and high-definition TVs will get to find out just how much HD baseball a person can endure on July 4. The two networks will televise five games in HD, with both networks carrying games at 1 p.m. (Orioles vs. Yankees on ESPN and Mets vs. Nationals on ESPN2) followed by a 4 p.m. game on ESPN2 (Reds vs. Giants), a 7 p.m. telecast on ESPN (Cubs vs. Braves) and an 8 p.m. game on ESPN2 (Red Sox vs. Rangers).
CBS Rocks Out, Wirelessly
The upcoming CBS reality series Rock Star: INXS will rely heavily on premium audio gear as the rock band INXS hunts for a new lead singer.
The equipment will include Sony wireless hardware, such as the WRR-862B dual-channel diversity receivers and WRT-8B body-pack transmitters.
David Lerner, general manager/sound designer of Pacific Technical Group, a Burbank, Calif.-based rental house supplying the gear, says low power consumption and light weight make the systems popular with camera operators on shows like Rock Star and The Contender.
Says Lerner, “Often, in reality-based shows, the smaller the bulk of the cameras, the better off you are.”
NBC Not Monkeying Around
On June 27, NBC Universal will air the trailer for Peter Jackson’s King Kong remake on all of its 10 networks, presenting it in HD on NBC and Universal HD. Commercials in HDTV are still a rarity reserved for big events like the Super Bowl or the U.S. Open tennis championships.
The King Kong spot hits the networks at 8:59 p.m. ET.
