Gannett Broadcasting is standardizing its news field acquisition operations on Sony Electronics' high-definition XDCAM EX solid-state memory camcorders as its primary electronic newsgathering technology.
The group will roll out Sony shoulder-mount EX camcorders across each of its stations and will use a combination of Sony's PMW-350 2/3-inch and PMW-320 ½-inch shoulder-mount cameras, as well as the PMW-EX1R and HXR-NX5U handheld camcorders.
The station group settled on the new XDCAM technology because it will deliver greater production flexibility for the station's news crews working in the field, provide higher image quality and allow them to create a more efficient overall workflow with the solid-state camcorders, noted to Jeff Johnson, vice president of technology for Gannett Broadcasting, in a statement.
"The entire Sony product line addresses multiple applications and price points, and these camcorders are a perfect fit for our news operations," Johnson said. "Our crews cover such a diverse range of shooting assignments from day to day, and our ENG gear needs to be equally flexible to keep pace. Using this technology, our crews are more flexible in the field in terms of the footage they are able to quickly capture, and when it gets back to the studio, the file-based content can be easily and quickly edited and made ready to use. This all translates into getting news on the air more quickly and more efficiently, which in the end, increases our competitive advantage."
The first Gannett station to adopt the cameras was KUSA in Denver, with stations in Phoenix, Arizona, Jacksonville, Florida, and St. Louis to follow.
