SCN LEADS CANADA IN BROADCAST TECHNOLOGY

SCN today celebrated the grand opening of its new, state-of-the-art Broadcast Operations Centre in Regina.

SCN is the first broadcaster in Canada to adapt innovative technology with advanced tools to simplify and automate the tasks of operating its public broadcast network.

"By improving its technology, SCN is now better equipped to serve as Saskatchewan's Storyteller," Premier Lorne Calvert said. "Part of our plan for building a better future for Saskatchewan families is to ensure stories about where we have been and where we are going are told here and around the world through SCN."

The new technology means viewers will enjoy enhanced on-screen presentation. Moreover, workflow at SCN is now more streamlined, increasing staff productivity. SCN anticipates realizing significant cost savings, which will be used to develop more made-in-Saskatchewan programming.

At the heart of new technology is software from BUG.TV, a company based in Lévis, Quebec, that develops products for broadcasters. Their powerful Apple-computer-based, fully automated broadcast servers are integrated with a massive on-line storage facility. The IQ Storage Cluster, provided by Seattle-based Isilon Systems, can store up to 4,000 hours of programming – that's 350 times the storage capacity of a typical PC.

SCN's entire programming library is now digitally stored and easily accessed by SCN's production and editing systems for program creation and near-instant broadcasting ability. In fact, the new technology will soon enable producers to deliver programs to SCN electronically over networks like the Internet, thereby completing the truly tapeless broadcast environment.

"These technological improvements help SCN continue to deliver important culture, education and training services to Saskatchewan people," Calvert said.

The new technology has been seamlessly integrated, and prepares SCN for the future of high definition (HD) TV. The public broadcaster is encouraging local producers to also transition to the HD process.

2006 marks SCN's 15th anniversary as Saskatchewan's Storyteller, with more regional programming than any other local broadcaster. As Saskatchewan's public educational broadcaster, SCN delivers commercial-free stories that celebrate our culture and connect the people of our region on cable, wireless, digital and satellite television networks.

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For More Information, Contact:

Maureen MacDonald Saskatchewan Communication Network Regina Phone: 306-787-0490 Email: mmacdonald@scn.ca Cell: 306-539-5769