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NTP 625-804 chosen as new main audio router at YLE television

YLE's Helsinki Headquarters

NTP Technology, one of the world's leading producers of digital audio routers and signal processors, has completed the first phase of a new routing system expansion at the Helsinki television production studios of Finland's state broadcaster, Yleisradio (YLE).

Commissioned in time for coverage of the Vancouver Olympics

"YLE has been using NTP digital audio equipment for eight years both in its television and radio operations," comments NTP Sales Director Mikael Vest. "This latest installation centres on our new 625-804 router which was commissioned in time for coverage of the Vancouver Olympics. It is configured as a 2048 x 2048 matrix including MADI interconnections to third-party audio mixing consoles. The flexibility of NTP's control software allows YLE to control external video routers and SDI audio embedding/extraction from the same GUI as the audio and MADI matrices. The new 625-804 is connected to an existing 625-803 router which is being used as a discrete routing node. Both are located in the main MCR equipment room. We are also working with YLE on new control applications for Dolby 5.1 surround sound monitoring."

NTP's VMC660 software controls the router system in terms

NTP's 625-804 digital audio router is a four-TDM-bus modular system based on the 625-800 19 inch 5 U chassis. This houses up to 18 plug-in modules configured as 5 U high hot-swappable cards. Each chassis is scalable up to 2048 x 2048 crosspoints and can accommodate a redundant power supply and redundant frame controller. The supporting range of modules includes a sampling-rate converter, analogue I/O, AES/EBU I/O, microphone input, MADI interfaces, CPU/clock, QNX-based frame controller, optical interfaces and TDM interfaces. All I/O cards incorporate gain, filtering, summing, phase, delay, compressor/limiter, level detection and phase detection. NTP's VMC660 software controls the router system in terms of crosspoints, scheduling and signal surveillance.

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YLE operates four national television channels

Finland's national public service broadcasting company, YLE operates four national television channels and six radio channels and services complemented by 25 regional radio programmes. In 2008 YLE TV1 was the most popular television channel in Finland with a daily television viewing share of 44.5 per cent. YLE Radio Suomi also kept its position as dominant market leader and YLE's radio listening share stood at 52 per cent. YLE accounted for 49 per cent of all viewing and listening time. YLE's coverage includes news and current affairs, national arts, educational and children's programmes. YLE's services to the public also cover special and minority groups. YLE's operations are financed mainly by television fee (224.30 euro per year), and programming carries no advertising. The company is 99.9 per cent state-owned and supervised by an Administrative Council appointed by the Finnish parliament.