CCTV’s CPEC adopts Clear-Com for live social media broadcasts

Clear-Com’s HelixNet digital network, LQ IP Series interfaces and Agent-IC mobile intercom app have been adopted by the New Media Department of CCTV Pioneer Media & Entertainment (CPEC). Owned by China Media Group, CPEC is the largest public service broadcaster in China, and the Clear-Com equipment is being used to communicate between stations and onsite camera operators for live broadcasts on social media platforms. The system was provided by Clear-Com partner, Beijing CRT Technology Co.

With the assistance of Paul Wu, Clear-Com’s Beijing-based applications engineer, and Haoran Zhai, technical engineer for Beijing CRT Technology, CPEC’s New Media Department used the new system for a remote production at the Beijing World Art Museum about an art exhibition about the historic Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, China. Some team members were located at the museum, while others remained onsite, but the two locations needed to communicate as if they were in the same room in order to produce a successful live broadcast across social media.

The members at the exhibition had all downloaded the Agent-IC app onto their mobile devices, while the HelixNet digital main station, three desktop portable remote stations and three LQ Series devices had been deployed in CPEC’s Media Centre. HelixNet connected to the three LQ devices via secure LAN, WAN or WiFi, which enabled all fixed points to communicate with the 24 remote Agent-IC users.

“If they need to be producing four programmes at once for their social media platforms, they can have a channel for each technical director – one at each fixed point – who can then communicate with six remote Agent-IC users, while the other technical director communicates with their team of six and so on, without any interference,” said Zhai.

LQ can be deployed as an individual wireless solution in a given communication zone by connecting the LQ’s IP port to a wireless router, creating a wireless LAN. Users are then provided with full-duplex two-way interconnectivity between Agent-IC mobile apps within a Wi-Fi covered zone. Additionally, communication between wired analogue devices and wireless Agent-IC mobile devices can be achieved by connecting a partyline main station to the LQ interface’s 2-wire port, as was done in the remote production at the Beijing World Art Museum. Technical directors can then be provided an analogue main station or Agent-IC for communication.

“The Clear-Com system has greatly contributed to our live broadcasts for social media, and the new equipment also allows our other diverse activities operate smoothly,” concluded Zhai.