2. Equipment Planning
Joe Conlon, CSTE
Wednesday, July 10, 2017
9:00 AM

3. Joe Conlon, CSTE
Engineering Manager for Town Square Television for the past 20 years
Serve 20,000 households on Comcast and CenturyLink
Staff of 12 Fulltime employees (7-Nonprofit, 5-Cable Commission)
Maintain, Repair, Research, Order and Install all equipment
Own our own building (7,200 square feet)
Studio Space of 1,570 square feet (42 ft. by 37 ft.)

4. Joe Conlon, CSTE
Production Truck with 5 Cameras, this year we installed $425,000 of new equipment (used for about 130 productions per year)
4 City Council Chamber Systems (each with 5 cameras)
Master Control Playback System (7 channels)
5 Editing Systems
6 Field Camera Packages (wireless mics, tripods, lights, etc…)

5. Production Van 1988 Stated with a 2 Cam Van Small
Limited Camera Angles
Basic Graphics
No Replay
Lots of Technical Problems
We Were Out in the Community
Live Community Events
Board and Commission Support
We Knew We Could Do Better and Planned To Do Better

6. Production Van 1991 Budget $12,000 Added 3rd Camera
Replaced the 3 Cameras
Better Graphics
Added 1 Angle of Replay
Minimized Tech Problems
Kept Board and Commission Informed Limitations and Challenges

7. Production Truck 2002 Budget $300,000
Purchased Rack Ready Production Truck ($171,000)
Planned Equipment Layout to Cover Events with Large or Small Crew
Went from Analog to SDI (Digital Video)
Added 4th Camera (used equipment)
New Graphics
2 Channels of Replay
New Switcher – video effects
Expanded to Regular Sports Coverage
Give The Board and Commission Truck Tours

8. Production Truck 2007 Budget $150,000 4 New Cameras
Showed the Board and Commission Regularly the Productions We Do

9. Production Truck 2015 Budget $45,000
New Live Feed Equipment (HD Capable)
New 8 Channel Replay System (HD Capable)
Give The Board and Commission Future Needs Update Regularly about 2017 equipment replacement

10. Production Truck 2017 Budget $425,000 Went from SD to HD Production
Went from Recording on Tape to Hard drives
5 New Truck Cameras
2 New CG Systems
New Production Switcher (38 inputs, 16 outputs, 2.5 ME)
Added 4 Channels of Frame Sync
Added 2 PTZ Cameras
Added 2 POV Cameras
Added Fiber Equipment
Did All Equipment Specification and Installation In House to Save Budget Dollars and Allow Staff to Support the Technical Needs in the Future

11. Production Truck

12. Truck – Director’s Area

13. Truck Switcher

14. Truck Extra Work Area - Replay

15. Truck Extra Work Area – PTZ Cam

16. Equipment Budget Budgeting Tips
Use List Pricing – Extra cost cover installation parts and labor
Dream Big – then evaluate what parts fit your budget
Look at what other studios purchase and ask what they paid
Build Systems that can grow over a couple of budget years
Keep the Board or Commission informed on what will be needed
Plan a contingency amount of 10% to 15% - to help cover the costs of shipping, taxes or forgotten items

17. Equipment Budget Budgeting Tips
Replacement vs Upgrading – Know equipment useful life
Have a realistic budget number ready for Board or Commission – they may be ready to give you a budget
Make a 5 year Capital Improvement Plan – Cities like to see a CIP plan for future expenses
Dollars are tight – pick equipment that will last
Watch the project total that would trigger Bidding Process – in MN it is $100,000
Prep the Board or Commission over a series of meetings
”Didn’t we already approve this?”

18. Town Square Television
Contact Info
Joe Conlon, CSTE
Engineering Manager
Town Square Television