In addition to DIY Network and Fine Living Network, Scripps' popular content channels include the Food Network, HGTV, Great American Country and the recently acquired Travel Channel.
"Our decision to award our Broadcast Operations expansion to Azzurro Systems Integration was based on their team's historical and extensive integration successes and our 16- year relationship,"
The ASI team, led by senior project manager Steven Sabin, designed and installed fully redundant HD signal paths for each of the existing networks - plus future HD/SD program streams, some of which are to be used for the Travel Channel playout - in parallel with the existing playout systems. In addition, new Miranda Vertigo branding, Evertz master control switchers, fiber cards, SCTE 104 data embedders and signal processing were integrated into the workflow. The facility's Grass Valley router capacity was upgraded from 128x128 to 256x256, and the Omneon video server system was given increased storage capacity and supplementary HD playout ports. Additional Omnibus Colossus playout channels were added to support the new infrastructure.
The project also included the design and installation of a new fail over control system using the DNF GTP-32 solution. This allowed either of the two master control rooms to control the changeover of any of the 17 playout paths. The entire project upgrade was accomplished seamlessly and with no disruption to any on-air content.
Steve Sabin, added, "I thoroughly enjoyed working with the Scripps technical operations team. The collaboration and team spirit was fundamental in this process and allowed us to develop and successfully complete an aggressive project plan that had challenges due to the nature of being a 24/7 on air facility."
About Azzurro Systems Integration
Azzurro Systems Integration (ASI) is a full service systems design and integration company. ASI addresses the technical needs of the television industry offering comprehensive solutions, including consulting, engineering, design, documentation, project management, equipment procurement, custom fabrication, system integration, project commissioning, training, and after-installation support.
ASI is located at 100 Stonehurst Ct., Northvale, NJ 07647.
About Scripps Networks
Scripps Networks is the dominant media and marketing company in the home, food and travel & entertainment categories, developing content for television and the Internet, where on-air programming complements an array of broadband video, social media and e-commerce components on companion Web sites that attract more than 18 million unique visitors each month. Scripps Networks comprises lifestyle television brands HGTV , DIY Network , Food Network , Travel Channel , Fine Living Network (FLN), and country music network Great American Country (GAC). Scripps will extend its category dominance by rebranding FLN as the Cooking Channel in 2010.
