KSBI TV Deploys TVUPack 3G/4G Uplink Device As Satellite Truck Replacement

TVU Networks, a provider of portable live electronic news gathering (ENG) broadcasting solutions, announced that KSBI TV – an independent station based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – has deployed the TVUPack in order to provide viewers with live local entertainment. With TVUPack, KSBI TV is able to broadcast live with professional-quality picture from nearly any location.

In late 2010, KSBI adjusted its programming strategy to focus on providing local live entertainment mixed with syndicated programming. According to Jerry Hart, vice president of operations for KSBI, the move to focus on live local entertainment was a strategic move to keep the station viable in a competitive marketplace.

“KSBI is one of the last independent TV stations in the region,” said Hart. “Our whole purpose is to be a local station. We don’t do news. We want to do local entertainment mixed with syndicated programming. No way you can do this kind of TV without live capabilities and TVUPack is one of the critical elements for making the goals of the station happen.”

By deploying TVUPack, KSBI was able to broadcast local events from high school sports to the Oklahoma State Fair. KSBI’s coverage of local high school football has become one of the station’s flagship programs.

“TVUPack enables us to broadcast live from six different high schools each night. If you can get a cameraperson to the game, you can get a live feed. It’s so simple to set up, nobody has to run cable or configure the pack to broadcast,” explained Hart.

According to Hart, KSBI saved more than $200,000 in operational costs by deploying TVUPack. “Sat trucks are traditionally expensive,” explained Hart. “In addition to the cost of the equipment, they also require an engineer to run them and a driver with a CDL to drive them. On top of that, you need to buy airtime and you can’t miss your broadcast windows. TVUPack has eliminated all of those expenses.”

Already in use by hundreds of broadcast organizations around the world, TVU’s TVUPack gives broadcasters satellite microwave TV truck functionality in a lightweight backpack. TVUPack is powered by TVU’s proprietary Inverse StatMux technology, which dynamically segments a live video signal and transmits the segments through multiple independent 3G/4G/WiFi/WiMax connections. TVUPack is simple to use and provides broadcasters with low-latency, HD-quality signal that enables them to broadcast live at any time and from any location.