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WHRO-TV To Gain The Latest Digital Television (DTV) Capabilities And Bring Enhanced PBS, Cultural, & Educational Television To Virginia's Tidewater Region The WHRO Technical Team Selects CEI to Design DTV Production and Transmission Solutions That Will Deliver High Definition and Standard Definition Programming
Norfolk, Virginia July 26, 2002 WHRO-TV, the PBS member station in Virginia's Hampton Roads region, has commenced its comprehensive DTV broadcast facility upgrade by selecting Communication Engineering, Inc. (CEI), of Newington, Virginia, to lead the design, engineering, and integration effort. The technical overhaul will involve all aspects of the current broadcast operation and provide WHRO with the capability to deliver enhanced digital programming and educational services for its extensive southeastern Virginian audiences.

• The new WHRO digital operation will originate 12 server-based, automated program channels with HD/SD-capable infrastructure and integrated multi-terabyte nearline storage.
• A sophisticated multi-display monitor wall will seamless integrate HD and SD program monitoring with extensive signals testing and alarm systems that utilize SNMP network reporting.
• The CEI design and integration turnkey effort will involve new digital infrastructure, master control, editing, and production facilities.

Keith Massie, WHRO Chief Technology Officer, declares, "We have taken a giant step forward in our DTV facility plans and are pleased to have the CEI team and expertise managing the project. Our future DTV platform will support WHRO's digital content creation and help us reach our audiences with enhanced PBS member television, educational, cultural, and informational programming."David Giblin, CEI Vice President and General Manager, explains, "We are delighted to be assisting the entire WHRO organization in fashioning its new DTV technical solution and operation. The latest technologies will be melded into WHRO's new broadcast platform that will support their entry into HDTV broadcasting and other new services."WHRO currently transmits the PBS HD programming feed and broadcasts its longstanding PBS programming channel along with12 educational channels to local schools and colleges. With its DTV upgrade slated for early fall completion, both high definition and standard definition digital television programming will commence as a regular part of WHRO's broadcast offerings. The latest television and media production tools along with a new digital distribution infrastructure will support superior multimedia content creation and increased educational programming options in WHRO's bright and expanding future.WHRO, owned by 14 public school divisions in Hampton Roads, is the Nielsen 24th DMA (designated market area) and serves over 1.5 million citizens in southeastern Virginia and northeasternNorth Carolina with public television and radio programs and a variety of services to public and private schools and cultural institutions.
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Broadcast Industry Professional Bill Beckner Promoted to Director of Systems Integration for Communications Engineering, Inc. (CEI)

The CEI Integration Team Expands to Deliver Digital Television Projects for Broadcast Clients Across the Country

Washington, DC July 19, 2002 Communications Engineering, Inc. has promoted Bill Beckner to lead CEI's expanding integration teams in the installation of digital television broadcast projects coast-to-coast. Mr. Beckner joined CEI in May 2002 and incorporates a wide range of experience from past engineering management positions for station groups such as Gannett and leadership roles in technical organizations such as SMPTE, SBE, and WEBE (Washington Engineering Business Executives).
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Broadcast Engineering Veteran Robert Ham Joins Communications Engineering, Inc. (CEI) as Senior Design Engineer

Mr. Ham was Engineering Director at WETA-TV, the Washington DC area PBS member station

Washington, DC July 19, 2002 CEI, the Newington, Virginia-based broadcast design, engineering, and integration company is adding to its technical and engineering staff with the recent addition of Robert Ham as Senior Design Engineer. Most recently Mr. Ham was Engineering Director at WETA-TV, the Washington DC area PBS member station, where he managed and developed comprehensive digital television (DTV) technical solutions involving master control, server/automation systems as well as integrated storage and archival requirements.
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