Westminster Outside Broadcast Link Facilities Upgrade for Independent Television News
ATG Danmon and CJP Broadcast join forces to upgrade outside broadcast link facilities in the City of Westminster, Central London for ITN, one of Europe’s leading television news providers. The project centred on new facility and electrical cabinets at Abingdon Green adjacent to the UK Houses of Parliament and in Downing Street. Abingdon Green is used by TV and radio reporters as a location for interviews with politicians. The Downing Street portal is frequently used by commentators and mobile production crews covering activity outside the residences of the UK Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
“Our role was to remove the existing boxes and install new weatherproof cabinets, replacing all cabling and power distribution at each location.” says ATG Danmon Managing Director Russell Peirson-Hagger. “These facilities are used for many Westminster-related broadcasts, both live and recorded, in addition to similar facilities at various other key London locations.”
“We provided custom panels for video, multi-channel analogue audio, IP and fibre connectivity. We also upgraded the power distribution to allow remote monitoring. Everything is housed in highly robust and fully weatherproof steel cases with access panels for external cables. This is the latest of several commissions we have completed for ITN. We were chosen in part for our proven capabilities and because we already had the experience of working at the Palace of Westminster.”
ATG partnered with CJP Broadcast who provided installation and technical services across both sites. James Ruddock, Technical Manager at CJP Broadcast comments:
“When working with systems that have remained in place for such a long time the main issues that will often be faced are electrical installations that do not meet current regulations and existing AV cabling that need to be retained and installed into the new equipment. As such, it is essential to have a team on site with the relevant experience to overcome any unforeseen issues that might otherwise cause delay. For each installation, CJP provided a broadcast engineer, an electrician, and a broadcast wireman. Having our extremely experienced teams on site allows us to deliver projects like these within tight timescales.”