Canada's Eastlink Counts on Clear-Com Eclipse and Tempest®900 for New HD-1 High-Definition Mobile Production Vehicle

Matrix and Wireless Intercoms Help Staff Members Coordinate Full Slate of Local and Regional Sports Programming

Clear-Com®, a global leader in critical voice communication systems, is pleased to announce that Eastlink, a premier provider of cable TV, Internet and telephone services in Canada, has  selected Clear-Com intercoms for its all-HD mobile production vehicle HD-1. Eastlink depends on Clear-Com’s Eclipse-Median Digital Matrix and Tempest®900 Digital Wireless intercom systems, along with the V-Series intercom panels, for reliable, flexible and high-quality communications to coordinate the broadcaster’s full slate of programming.

Eastlink utilizes the Clear-Com Eclipse and Tempest900 systems, supplied by Gerr Audio, Clear-Com’s Partner in Canada, to give its production staff members maximum communications options. The HD-1 truck is employed to cover professional hockey, college football, college and professional basketball and other sporting events away from the studio. The truck is also used as a control room when it is parked in front of Eastlink’s primary production facility. Clear-Com’s intercoms are versatile to address the dynamic communication requirements of those varied productions, as well as the individual needs of each user.Employees working in HD-1 rely on the Eclipse V-Series panels, which are situated at each of the truck’s workstations, to communicate quickly and easily with individuals and groups. The wealth of features offered by the V-Series control panels, including many communication channels, 10-character display and Listen Again memory, allows users to tailor their communications in order to accomplish their unique production responsibilities. Not only does the Eclipse-Median serve as the backbone of the communications infrastructure in HD-1, but also in Eastlink’s entire fleet of SD mobile production vehicles.

The program hosts and the floor director at the Eastlink studio benefit from using the Tempest900 for tasks that require them to move freely throughout the studio, including “behind the bench” interviews with coaches and players. Tempest900’s multiple modes of operation, flexible wireless capability and reliable performance, even in RF saturated environments, enhance the production experience of the highly mobile staff members. Beyond satisfying the communication requirements of the different job roles, the Eclipse and Tempest900 intercoms are also adaptable to numerous production scenarios. System settings on the intercoms can be easily and quickly configured via Eclipse Configuration Software (ECS) and the Tempest T-Desk management software for diverse setups.

“Clear-Com has provided us with the flexibility and reliability that we were looking for,” says Michael Smith, Vice President, Eastlink. “The systems function flawlessly and enable us to change intercom signal paths depending on specific productions, which is of great value to us. It has also been valuable to be able to speak to particular individuals on their assigned channels without distracting others. Overall, the intercom solution has significantly improved our workflow and increased our production efficiency.”

With the Tempest900 seamlessly integrated into the Eclipse matrix, everyone shares the same communications environment even if they are miles apart, making teamwork simpler than ever before. Whether HD-1 or other production vehicles are near the studio or out in the field, the production team members in the trucks can relay important information back to the studio or to other employees that are remotely covering an event.

“Clear-Com’s Eclipse matrix and the Tempest900 wireless intercom systems are an ideal fit for Eastlink as they allow the crew members to adapt quickly to the varied production setups that are common to a mobile truck,” says Andrew Hope, Technical Sales Manager for GerrAudio. “Clear-Com’s hybrid intercom solution is modular and puts Eastlink Mobile in a great position to manage the growth of its remote mobile services as well as tackle new challenges as they arise".