Gray Television Group Selects On Call Communications for Innovative New Satellite Fleet

FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gray Television Group has always been an aggressive adopter of new technology and now they are committing to another cutting-edge news gathering concept with the purchase of twenty QuickSPOT™ automated satellite news gathering systems from On Call Communications. Gray wanted a compact, easy-to-use system that would let them broadcast live news stories from any location, including those areas without microwave or cellular service, and take advantage of their existing 3G video encoders.

“Over the next year we plan to outfit all 36 of our stations with these units. Our test unit was an outstanding success during the recent Colorado Springs fires, letting us cover the fires live in locations where other stations don't have live coverage capabilities.”

Gray selected On Call's automated IP satellite system, QuickSPOT™, to provide a primary data connection for in-field news gathering because of the reliable, dedicated bandwidth, superfast set-up and On Call's willingness to work with a new type of video encoder.

On Call and Gray Television collaborated on a new concept, taking their existing portable 3G backpack video encoders and combining them with the QuickSPOT™ broadcast satellite system. The result is an affordable, simple-to-use and ultra-flexible news gathering package that takes advantage of both cellular and satellite services, allowing them to deliver live news from virtually anywhere. The new systems will go into twenty of Gray's stations throughout the country.

"The QuickSPOT™ system gives our team the same flexibility and anytime access to bandwidth that we're accustomed to with cellular service; it's available instantly, any time and without any scheduling," says Jim Ocon, VP of Technology for the Gray TV station group. "Over the next year we plan to outfit all 36 of our stations with these units. Our test unit was an outstanding success during the recent Colorado Springs fires, letting us cover the fires live in locations where other stations don't have live coverage capabilities."

Satellite and 3G may seem like an unlikely combination, but they complement each other well. The idea to put them together came when On Call noticed how many of their clients and prospects were already 3G aggregation clients. On Call listened to their concerns about liking the simplicity of the encoders, but not being able to use their units everywhere. All of a sudden it made sense to try them together so the clients have their choice of connectivity options. On Call and Gray TV worked together to develop the requirements and the most efficient operating procedures.

The resulting package sets up simply in the field. The news crew doesn't have to change video encoders to switch over to a different type of transmission. It leverages assets which many stations already have and expands the coverage range of that device. The stations not only lower their capital expenditures for new equipment but get increased ROI on their existing investments.

"Gray Television is the number one news station in 30 of their 36 markets. That's a direct result of their forward thinking and aggressively implementing new technology that delivers the stories better and faster than their competitors. We are delighted to welcome the Gray Television stations as part of the QuickSPOT™ family," relays Jim Gilbert, CEO of On Call Communications.

About On Call Communications

On Call Communications specializes in managed Internet Protocol based satellite networks. The QuickSPOT™ on-demand network provides all the benefits of full-time, dedicated satellite space, IP connectivity and dedicated links, available on demand and without the high cost of full-time space commitments. It is a leading provider of rapid-deployment satellite systems and satellite bandwidth for satellite news gathering, business continuity, disaster recovery, commercial and governmental clients. On Call offers an array of highly portable, auto-deploy antennas that can even be used for the most challenging of circumstances. With little more than a flip of the switch, they are ready to go wherever news breaks. Learn more at http://www.occsat.com