Michigan’s CBS Affiliate Taps LiveU HEVC, Smart Mobile App for News Coverage

Broadcasting in Rural Northern Michigan isn’t as easy as it looks on TV. The team at CBS affiliate WWTV/WWUP was looking for a solution to deliver high-quality and reliable live shots from remote areas where cell coverage was at a premium.

When CBS Newspath announced its plans to roll out content management and distribution service, LiveU Matrix across the entire CBS affiliate network, News Director Sean Mahon was given the green light to start engaging with LiveU to expand 9&10 News’s live production capabilities in the field.

The station added 9 LU600 HEVC portable transmission units and 15 LiveU Smart mobile app licenses to cover breaking news, high-profile events, and weather events live. HEVC affords unparalleled connectivity in rural communities and LiveU Smart enables flexible live coverage from the field using the reporter’s cell phone.

Unique Coverage of the National Cherry Festival
Traverse City is one of the largest and most important cities in the market for 9&10 News. It is also home to the National Cherry Festival, the premier community event promoting cherries, and community involvement. In previous years, the station had to share units and worry about where they could reliably transmit content during the event. With the addition of LiveU units and smart licenses, the station experienced more fluidity, expansive coverage, and high-quality video, which accurately captured the essence of the colorful festivities.

“We were able to move around the city without losing the integrity of the quality,” said Mahon. “There is peace of mind in knowing when I turn on a LiveU, I am not going to drop a signal.”

What’s next?
The station plans to take full advantage of the LiveU system during winter months where teams will be strategically deployed throughout the region to cover hard-hitting snowstorms.

LiveU Matrix is another exciting service coming soon to the station. Mahon’s team will be able to view incoming CBS Newspath live feeds and use global and national content for their local newscasts.

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