TECH TALK

Storage vendor Quantum Corp. will acquire Advanced Digital Information Corp. (ADIC), which makes robotic data archives, for around $770 million in cash and stock. Quantum, which began shipping a low-cost archive product for broadcasters earlier this year, says the deal will augment its disk-based backup technology.

Quantum will acquire all outstanding shares of ADIC, paying $12.25 per share in cash. The combined companies will have more than $1.2 billion in annual revenues. The deal is expected to close in three or four months. Quantum says the acquisition will triple its sales force, significantly improve its stature in the enterprise space and give it expertise in data-management software.

Alabama Public Television is moving toward high-def operations with its purchase of three Hitachi SK-3010P HDTV cameras. The cameras offer 720p and 1080/24p outputs and range in price from $85,000 to $105,000. APT, which provides programming to nine local PBS stations, began using the cameras this spring for live production in its Montgomery studio, including a nightly news and public-affairs program; a 30-minute weekly legislative show; and an on-air membership pledge drive. As part of its transition, APT will also invest in an HD production switcher and other peripheral equipment for production control to supplement its existing HD nonlinear editing system and field cameras.