WBZ Boston adds Volicon monitoring system

Volicon, a leading provider of media monitoring, recording, archiving, and streaming solutions, today announced that CBS station WBZ-TV in Boston is purchasing an Observer system to enable sophisticated monitoring for three stations: WBZ-TV, TV38 (WSBK-TV), and CW28 (WLWC-TV) serving Providence, R.I.

WBZ-TV has been a beta site for the Observer system in the past, running the Volicon system alongside its VHS-based system. In completing a shift onto the Observer system, WBZ-TV and the two other stations, which run out of the same facility, can take full advantage of fast, flexible, and intuitive digital monitoring functionality.

Volicon’s award-winning Observer system is based on a powerful, proprietary streaming video engine and player. From Microsoft Internet Explorer Web interfaces at their desktops, WBZ-TV staff members use the Observer system to log broadcasts and search, retrieve, analyze, and export video clips with metadata, locally or remotely. The system archives instantly accessible content for up to a year via hardware RAID-5 storage. Its export functionality provides for internal asset sharing or repurposing for external distribution via the Web or other platform.

With a real-time link to ratings data, the Observer system gives WBZ-TV, WSBK-TV, and WLWC-TV the ability to evaluate their broadcasts and even compare their content and ratings against those of competing stations. All of this functionality brings Observer users a new level of responsiveness in meeting the demands of viewers, regulatory agencies, and advertisers.

“We’re constantly refining the Observer system to enable more streamlined broadcast workflows and to give broadcasters the tools they need to maintain a competitive edge, both in terms of broadcast quality and content,” said Julius Perl, vice president of marketing at Volicon. “As a beta site for the Observer, WBZ-TV has provided valuable feedback that has helped our refinement and continued development of the product. We’re pleased to see the project come to a successful conclusion with the implementation of Observer across three channels.”