Black News Channel Mobilizes Flawlessly with the Flexibility of their IP-Based Communications System

BNC is the nation’s only provider of 24/7 cable news programming created “by people of color for people of color.” One of the goals of the network is to recruit and train aspiring African American journalists and technicians, providing them with a world-class platform and facility where they can learn and grow. Part of this includes incorporating the market’s latest technology that new employees may not have access to otherwise.

Kenneth Thomas, Director of OTT/IT Operations for BNC said, “I was lucky enough to have used Clear-Com throughout my career, but that is not the case for everyone. The comms system was a priority from the facility’s inception, and I knew it would include Clear-Com.”  

BNC equipped its facility with Clear-Com’s Eclipse HX^® Digital Matrix with V-Series™ intercom panels throughout. Dante and MADI interface cards offered a variety of I/O to other audio, video, and routing equipment, and E-IPA IP interface cards enabled AES-67 for FreeSpeak II^® wireless. The E-IPA cards allow for flexibility by providing IVC IP connections for the Agent-IC^® Mobile Intercom App and LQ^® Series Interfaces hosting SIP telephony and remote site connection capabilities.

In the Fall of 2019 and Winter of 2020, BNC staff spent time with Clear-Com’s Applications Engineer, Jonathan Sorensen, to familiarize themselves with the system and to finalize custom integrations for their workflows. When it became time to rethink aspects of the system to accommodate remote workflows, BNC relied heavily on their prior training and close relationship with Clear-Com to make the changes.

“I can’t say enough about how Clear-Com was there when we needed them, whether it was Saturday night or first thing on Tuesday morning,” said William Bennett, Sr. Network Engineer for BNC.  

The Agent-IC Mobile App was crucial in the transition to much of BNC’s staff relocating into their homes.

Agent-IC is a fast-to-deploy solution that can integrate with traditional intercom systems, like the Eclipse HX digital matrix in BNC’s headquarters. The app can operate anywhere in the world over 3G, 4G, LTE and WiFi networks, allowing remote team members to effortlessly connect with the core intercom system.

“The flexibility of the IP-based system, and the amazing support from Jonathan and the team at Clear-Com, allowed us to seamlessly transition to remote production without a hiccup,” concludes BNC’s Director of Network Operations, Jefferson Walker. “The system is simple, it’s reliable, and the support from Clear-Com is outstanding.”

About Clear-Com^®

Clear-Com, an HME company, is a trusted global provider of professional real-time communications solutions and services since 1968. We innovate market proven technologies that link people together through wired and wireless systems.

Clear-Com was first to market portable wired intercom systems for live performances. Since then, our history of technological advancements and innovations has delivered significant improvements to the way people collaborate in professional settings where real-time communication matters. For the markets we serve -- broadcast, live performance, live events, sports, military, aerospace and government-- our communication products have consistently met the demands for high quality audio, reliability, scalability and low latency, while addressing communication requirements of varying size and complexity. Our reputation in the industry is not only based on our product achievements, but also on our consistent level of customer engagement and dedication to delivering the right solutions for specialized applications, with the expertise to make it work. Around the globe and across markets, Clear-Com’s innovations and solutions have received numerous awards and recognitions for ingenuity and impact to customers.