Crown Broadcast and WorldCast Systems, both of which make FM transmitters, are working together in a new U.S. marketing partnership.
“Crown Broadcast will be exclusively responsible for the sales, service and long-term support of the Ecreso line of transmitters in the United States,” the companies said after signing a letter of intent. Crown will sell these transmitters through its existing U.S. dealer base, a company spokesman told RW, while Ecreso will continue selling them internationally.
The announcement was made by Kent Koselke, sales marketing manager at Crown Broadcast, and Christophe Poulain, VP of sales at WorldCast Systems.
Crown plans to show a new E Series at the spring NAB Show as a result of the agreement. Koselke said the E Series transmitters will be sold alongside its existing FM product line, “offering customers the most value and choice of any FM broadcast transmitter up to 10 kWs.” He told Radio World that Ecreso will manufacture the transmitters and they will carry a Crown Broadcast E Series name; Crown will handle U.S. service and support, as well as sales.
Crown Broadcast is a division of International Radio & Electronics Corp. in Elkhart, Ind., and is descendant of a broadcast/pro audio company founded in 1947. When Harman International acquired Crown International in 2000, members of the founding family secured the broadcast division as a separate entity and brought it under the resurrected IREC name, according to a history on its website.
WorldCast Systems is headquartered in France and has offices in Belfast, Miami and New Delhi. It is also parent of the APT and Audemat brands.
Both companies will exhibit at the NAB Show.