Radio World Buyer’s Guide articles are intended to help readers understand why their colleagues chose particular products to solve various technical situations. This month’s articles focus on automation, traffic and billing..
The Highlander Network broadcasts on WNAS 88.1 FM and is located at Floyd Central High School in southern Indiana. Tim Dench, the station manager and the high school’s instructor for the radio program, has been teaching for 51 years and using DJB products for the last 11 years. He endorses DJB for its quality and ease of use.
New digital audio management software was part of an upgrade to the facilities of WNAS.
“I have designed or overseen construction of 11 studios in my career, and DJB Zone Wide Area automation software was our obvious choice based upon their products, price point and great technical support,” said Dench.
The rejuvenated station went on the air in April, right before the NAB Show convention. “The installation was simple and fast, and we are now totally AoIP,” said Dench. “Our setup also allows for future expansion, which we are already working on.”
The Highlander Network has two identical on-air studios with production capabilities, three dedicated production rooms and a teacher/training station, complete with a 98-inch TV for student interaction.
Dench said Wheatstone LXE virtual consoles were chosen to help prepare students for careers in the media upon graduation. In addition, WNAS has a Tieline Gateway and Via System for its remote broadcasts.
DJB Zone Wide Area was the first component selected and the cornerstone that everything was built around when planning for the station rebuild started.
“We had to have the latest technology but it needed to be simple to use, as we get new students every year.”
DJB Technical Support designed the station’s system, loaded the software and obtained the necessary hardware. “While it is a very sophisticated system, the workflow is easy to navigate and allows us to produce a lot of content over our network,” said Dench.
