Weather, Traffic, Community News Preparation Room:
There will be a shared news and prep room approximately 5.0m x 4.5m adjacent to the studio areas where news will be compiled and edited. The principle equipment will be a computer running "Burli" the integrated text and audio news system which also provides a fax and email interface, and a "Buddy" mini mixer work station. This architecture will provide the journalists with the ability to view and edit INN, IRN and Press Association text and audio; send and receive email; record and edit telephone and ISDN interviews; and compile bulletins to be presented with accompanying audio from a screen in the On-Air or Production studios without having to leave their desks.
Standby power plant:
Standby power will be provided by an uninterruptible power supply with thirty minutes capacity and an auto start diesel generator. The changeover switching will be electrically and mechanically interlocked to ensure that in no event could power back feed into the ESB lines.
Principle equipment:
The principle play-out equipment will be a Wave-Station hard-disc audio system. This will store most of the frequently played music, commercial and promo spots. The play out computers and servers will be built to the highest possible standards and will use mission critical architecture and methods with extensive redundancy designed in to achieve reliable operation. Each computer and server will have a dedicated local uninterruptible power supply; mirrored hard disk controllers will be used throughout. Every night all audio files required for the next day will be copied to the local hard disk arrays in each studio to provide a data path should the network fail. The machine for the Production Studio is also On-Air backup capable and the audio is duplicated across both machines and can be accessible from other workstations in the network.
The software has been extensively tested and currently has a very large and satisfied customer base.
In the studios additional play-out will be from vinyl turntables, compact disc and mini disc which will be mixed on a state of the art studio mixer.
The studio mixers will be Soundcraft Series 15 Broadcast desks throughout. These will be configured in a similar manner to each other for ease of operator training and to permit a smooth transfer of operations for maintenance and emergency transfer purposes. Maintenance patching will be achieved using Krone patch cords directly accessing all studio audio points.
Deviation limiting:
In the studio the operators will control their levels with the aid of peak programme meters "PPM". Excess level will be reduced electronically by the automatic level control function of the Omnia On-Air processing equipment at the Three Rock transmission site that will be adjusted to ensure that the modulation level never exceeds specified limits.
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