Riedel Communications and Siemens Business Services to supply Europe's biggest Intercom Installation at BBC Scotland's new HQ

Riedel Communications, a leading manufacturer of digital intercom and radio solutions, has been selected by Siemens Business Services to provide the intercom system for BBC Scotland’s new state of the art broadcast centre at Pacific Quay in Glasgow. The system, based on Riedel’s Artist digital intercom platform, will manage more than 1,264 intercom ports making it Europe’s largest intercom installation.

Siemens Business Services, the primary systems integrator, is responsible for the design, build and implementation of the broadcast technology and infrastructure as part of BBC Scotland’s move to a new headquarters building in 2007. As the broadcast centre merges television and radio broadcast production environments under one roof, the scale of the intercom system presented many challenges.

Fibre-networking of 15 Artist systems
Riedel is supplying 14 Artist 128 digital intercom matrix systems and one Artist 32 system for the PQ intercom solution. BBC Scotland chose Riedel’s well-proven premium Artist 1000 series control key-panels. Riedel’s digital Performer beltpack system, which will be used for TV productions, completes the system. The Performer series will be seamlessly integrated with the matrix intercom environment via the same configuration software.

“The user panel design was a major factor in the choice of Artist as the intercom system for PQ. They provide a very clear user interface, coupled with the ability to handle two channels of audio as standard” says Tim Hall, technology development manager with BBC Scotland.

The 15 Artist mainframes manage a matrix size of 1,264 x 1,264 ports. The mainframes are networked in two redundant fibre rings. One ring is dedicated to the TV production’s intercom, the other one for radio production. Both rings are intelligently connected by Riedel’s trunking solution "Trunk Navigator".

Integration with SBS’s central broadcast control
Riedel’s open platform strategy was also a pivotal factor in the BBC’s choice. Whilst the intercom system is configured using Riedel’s own “Director” software, it is also controlled using BBC Scotland’s own Network Control System (SNCS), utilising the Riedel Router Control Software (RRCS).

Productions start in 2007
Following the successful factory acceptance test at Riedel’s Headquarters in Germany, delivery has been scheduled for this month. The staff will start moving into the 34,000 sqm broadcast facility in April 2007. It should be fully operational in the summer 2007.