WETA decided to move into a bigger studio that they describe as contemporary, with open design for its program PBS NewsHour, audio supervisor Tom Satterfield consulted with JetWave Wireless on how best to handle the show’s RF equipment. JetWave Wireless selected Wisycom devices to create a completely wireless audio setup.
The PBS NewsHour is an evening television news program by the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), airing seven nights a week on more than 300 of the public broadcaster’s member stations. As the nation’s first hour-long nightly news broadcast, the program is known for its in-depth coverage of issues and current events. The program is anchored by Gwen Ifill and Judy Woodruff.
“The PBS NewsHour chose to move into our large studio and build a new more modern-looking set,” said Satterfield. “The design of the set is open and transparent. Because of this we had to go completely RF with all of our mics and IFBs. I have known and worked with Jim Dugan, president of JetWave Wireless, for 20 years, so I turned to him and his team to consult with us on a totally RF studio.”
On Dugan’s recommendation, WETA installed Wisycom’s MAT288 Programmable RF Combiner and LBN1-LNN1 Wideband UHF Antennas. These products provided Satterfield with the flexibility to use all of his RF mics in WETA’s studio.
“A great feature of my Wisycom MAT288 is the ability to turn zones on and off very easily,” added Satterfield. “It is a ‘set it and forget it’ piece of equipment that has a simple design and flawless performance. I have not had to make any adjustments since JetWave installed the devices. The RF has been one hundred percent solid. All of the microphones have a nice transparent open sound to them. I have used other RF systems in the past that sounded very harsh and one dimensional. The quality is very evident. Using Wisycom gives us solid RF coverage in every square foot of our studios. We have full confidence that the gear will function without failure. We can actually pay attention to the shows we are mixing instead of worrying about RF hits or drop outs.”
Based on the success Satterfield has had with the Wisycom equipment, he will definitely consider using more Wisycom gear as WETA continues to upgrade its production facility.
