Calrec Powers Radio and Television Montenegro’s Move to Hybrid IP Networking

Capitalizing on Calrec’s ability to provide seamless hybrid IP networks, public service broadcaster Radio and Television Montenegro (RTCG) has completed a comprehensive upgrade of its Radio Montenegro and Montenegro Television facilities.

On the TV side, the broadcaster has installed three Artemis consoles, a router core, a Brio36 and two Type R consoles. For its radio operation it now uses five native IP Type R consoles, a Brio36 and a Hydra2 router. It uses Calrec’s H2 IP Gateway technology to seamlessly integrate the proprietary and AoIP networks. Calrec technology is being used on four TV stations and two radio channels within RTCG.

“This was a quantum leap for us as we moved to our current facilities in 1985 and haven’t reengineered them since then,” says Dejan Vujovic, deputy general manager for technology, RTCG. “Calrec’s audio technology is super-stable and fully featured, but above all it seamlessly supports analogue, AES and AoIP, which means we now have a true hybrid workflow which is completely transparent to users.”

On the TV side, an Artemis is used for live program productions, while Type Rs are used in continuity.

“We can control the Type R core from multiple panels as we move from one continuity to another or if we need multiple operators doing something more complex,” adds Vujovic. “The audio quality both in radio and TV has drastically improved. From an engineering perspective, everything works like a charm.”

RTCG already uses Calrec technology in an OB truck, but Vujovic said his staff are now getting a great education in IP and that this upgrade has given RTCG the opportunity to work on more complex productions without a big learning curve.

“This hybrid workflow helps us make better use of our resources and prepare our programming faster,” he adds. “Calrec’s Gateway technology is really the enabler for us to have both worlds — traditional and IP technology seamlessly integrated. It gives us peace of mind in that we have a robust, familiar technology which is futureproof at the same time, without compromising on the flexibility of what the system can do. We can now work on both large, complex productions and small-scale projects equally easily. We are really happy.”

The flexibility and power of the audio architecture came to the fore on election night in 2021 with more than 10 outside locations reporting live into three TV studios, and several Skype/Viber/Zoom/telephone hybrid resources being used at the same time. All communications were handled from the Artemis consoles in conjunction with an Artist digital intercom network from Riedel.

“Calrec’s approach has always been to create solutions that allow migration to AoIP in whatever way a broadcaster wants,” says Mike Reddick, regional sales manager at Calrec. “We’re very pleased to see long-time customer RTCG take full advantage of these capabilities, maximizing both traditional and new worlds. Being part of a major upgrade for a prominent broadcaster like RTCG is what Calrec is all about — offering leading-edge, proven and reliable technology that enhances workflows and viewer satisfaction.”