Four S5000 lavalier wireless mics and two S5000IEM systems were purchased from LMC London, for use by news staff in the new studio in Great Marlborough Street, which was opened by The Queen at the end of November. This was part of an investment that reinforces the importance of the network's largest production and broadcasting unit outside the US. The system was specified by consultant sound engineer Richard Mason, and the order placed through the London office of LMC Audio. LMC's Tom Davis explained that the TV network wanted to change the format, implementing a new radio mic system that would give them a more flexible solution. LMC presented CNN with a site demo, giving a series of options.
Davis adds that in addition to the sonic integrity, the station was also impressed by the fact that the same control software could be used to monitor both the IEMs and radio system. "The ability to monitor the signal strength and the battery status simultaneously is unique," he said. LMC Audio also supplied Antenna Distribution Units (ADUs) and a PC interface kit, while the S5000Ls are fitted with Sony ECM77 capsules.
The new premises are among CNN's first to utilize cutting-edge newsgathering facilities - news can be received from almost anywhere in the world and made available immediately via a digital infrastructure to CNN's producers of television, internet and mobile media. This accelerates the turn-around of news stories in the new 1600sq.ft facility, which includes two state-of-the-art studios, eight studio cameras and six digital editing suites.
