Ban-Ban TV opts for Clear-Com for OB van
Published: ASIA
JAPAN: Japanese cable TV operator Ban-Ban TV’s OB van has recently been equipped with a Clear-Com Eclipse-PiCo digital matrix intercom system and V-series control panels.
When the company sought to update its OB van to HD, it required a flexible intercom system that had tailored communication paths to allow for a quick response should any issues occur. The Eclipse-PiCo permits the Ban-Ban TV crew to have faster access to communications and information when covering a live event or news story on location, which is important because in addition to being a cable TV provider for the Harima region, the company also runs a community station where it produces local news and events coverage.
‘Before installing Clear-Com, the crew members would have to discern their cues from a plethora of simultaneous conversations, which was often difficult and confusing,’ explained Hiroshi Fukuda, manager of the organisation/production department at Ban-Ban TV. ‘Clear-Com’s Eclipse-PiCo has made the configuration easier, communication clearer and production process smoother. In addition, Clear-Com products are already used by the many sound and lighting companies that handle the government events we cover. Since we work with these companies, it is nice to have a system that easily integrates with their systems, allowing us to communicate during joint productions.’
The setup of the Eclipse-PiCo system changes depending upon the production, but all staff communicate via the new V-series panels. Naoki Emura, deputy director of Ban-Ban TV’s organisation/production department, configures the settings for the Eclipse-PiCo system using Eclipse Configuration Software (ECS). The channel configuration is based on two partyline groups, where one channel is assigned to the cameraman group, and another is dedicated to the floor director group. This allows each group to communicate on a separate channel or with one another when needed.
‘Exploiting the capabilities of the Clear-Com Eclipse-PiCo and V-Series intercom solution, Ban-Ban TV has taken a significant step towards streamlining workflow and increasing productivity,’ said Peter Giddings, senior vice president of global events, Clear-Com. ‘We are proud that our communication systems offer so many flexible, reliable and powerful capabilities to enable the staff to provide better event and news coverage.’