Austin PBS recently upgraded its facility-wide communications infrastructure, with Clear-Com Eclipse HX, FreeSpeak II beltpacks and V-Series panels supporting production work across its three studios and offices.
The project was designed and implemented in collaboration with Key Code Media, Austin PBS’s established systems integrator. For Chris Ostertag, Chief Technology Officer at Austin PBS, the upgrade is the culmination of 12 years of hands-on experience in postproduction, sound design, and engineering.
‘When I started here, I built shared storage from scratch and realised there was more stability and reliability to gain on the engineering side,’ he says. ‘This system allows us to scale rapidly for any type of production, from small documentary crews to large events with over 100 staff.’
Manager of Engineering and IT at Austin PBS, Katherine Heard brings decades of experience in A/V and broadcast engineering to her post. A University of Texas alumna, she worked alongside professors and technical teams before joining PBS.
‘With FreeSpeak II beltpacks, an Eclipse core and the ability to utilise bone-conduction audio, our team can move across studios, offices, and events while staying connected,’ she says. ‘Even our Zoom communications are integrated directly through Clear-Com panels.’
Key Code Media played a key role in this project, working with the broadcaster’s engineering team to address supply chain challenges, infrastructure setbacks and installation hurdles. ‘Key Code Media didn’t just deliver specs, they stood side-by-side with us every step of the way,’ Ostertag says. ‘Without them, this facility would not be what it is today.’
The Clear-Com system combines a digital matrix infrastructure with wireless and operator panels to deliver steady communication across every department. The system includes a central Eclipse frame, extensive FreeSpeak II wireless coverage with 35 beltpacks and 15 transceivers, and a suite of V-Series panels for fixed operator stations. This integrated approach lets staff stay connected anywhere in the venue, helping them to manage every production.
The facility-wide system supports roaming across multiple studios and offices with different programming for each studio and partyline; layered, scalable communications for teams of three up to 100 people; hybrid headset and bone-conduction audio for production and event staff; and integrated Zoom connectivity for distributed workflows
‘PBS isn’t a product we’re selling, we’re here to protect and serve our community,’ Heard says. ‘Partnerships like this are critical in helping us deliver on that mission and continue moving forward.’
Austin PBS is currently the largest 12G facility in the US that employs 81 full-time staff and 40-to-50 day-rate production staff, relying on Clear-Com to ensure reliable communications in a fast-paced and rapidly scaling environment.
More: www.clearcom.com