BL would like to express a big thank you to Adam Cooper Websites for building our new website. This website brings us a modern and responsive design that looks great on all platforms. Gone are the days of zooming in and out. Great work Adam!
TSN Kicks Off Summer of Soccer with Bannister Lake
The Sports Network, Canada’s National Sports Channel, commits to widespread use of BL Score Bug for Soccer coverage
This Summer TSN will be using BL Score Bug for coverage of International Soccer. Starting with the 2015 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in New Zealand, and closely followed by the 2015 Women’s World Cup from Canada, BL Score Bug will be in heavy use.
TSNs commitment to BL Score Bug extends forward with plans in place to use it on all UEFA Champions League games for the next four years.
BL Score Bug is available for a wide variety of sports and features sport specific user interfaces for the fastest, most intuitive operation during high pressure live events.
Multiple New Data Readers Further Enhance Super Ticker
New releases further broaden reach of one of BL’s key products
Recent additions to the Super Ticker range of data parsers include two specific ones for Flight Information and calendars and a new general purpose Super Reader. As with all new parsers introduced by BL, the new data readers are available at no charge on new systems and to all Super Ticker users with support agreements.
Super Ticker can now support automated collection of flight information, including delays and cancellations from FlightStats by taking a data feed from FlightStats. More information about FlightStats is available at www.flightstats.com
Bringing in automated event data is now easier than ever with Super Ticker’s new support for the iCalendar/RFC 5545 calendar standard. This provides a standardized way of reading calendar information into Super Ticker’s event data type. The new capability could be used to bring in events automatically from a Google Calendar.
The latest addition is BL’s new Super Reader. This is a general purpose data parser for Super Ticker that can be used to simplify bringing in a vast variety of different data types . It supports freeform xml and json feeds stored on file, ftp and http. It supports stories including dynamic fields, making it incredibly versatile.
Rogers Media Plans Expanded Use of BL Brando
Major Canadian Broadcaster Purchases Enterprise License for Unlimited Use
CAMBRIDGE, ON, Canada, May 5, 2015 – Rogers Media was an early adopter of Bannister Lake’s Brando system, which offers automated branding and promos with snipes, bugs, lower 3rds and bumpers. Brando has an easy to use interface that allows quick scheduling of events, or collects the information automatically from major traffic and automation systems. Recent enhancements have added a large number of new features to the system, further increasing potential ROI.
Brando has been running on air for several years on a number of Rogers channels. Now, with the purchase of the enterprise license they will be able to use it at any of their diverse portfolio of companies.
Niles Media Expands Use of BL Score Bugs
After more than 18 months of success running Football and Basketball Score Bugs from BL in their trucks, Niles adds Baseball and Soccer.
Niles Media invested in BL Score Bug systems for their trucks in the summer of 2013 and has had great success with them. Adding BL’s smart technologies into their workflow helped reduce labor costs and improve operational efficiency.
This Spring Niles added a Site License for BL Soccer Score Bugs, allowing them to be used in all their trucks. Like their existing systems, the new one is an advanced Score Bug supporting a full production graphics package in addition to the score and clock displays. It also benefits from the Stat Crew data support, added to BL Score Bugs last year, which is ideal for covering college sports.
Now that Baseball is in full swing Niles has added a Baseball site license too. The number of baseball games they are covering has increased greatly, putting pressure to automate as many areas of the production as possible. Direct interfaces with popular radar guns like Pitch f/x, Jugs and Stalker provide yet another efficiency improvement for their coverage.
Tying directly into the truck’s Ross XPression graphics systems, the Bannister Lake systems allow operators to click a button to present the layout (from lower-thirds to full-screen messages). Updated game data as well as logos and other branding elements automatically populate within the graphic. This is helpful for sponsored elements of a broadcast, such as “player of the game” segments, which are especially important for professional events.
Network based control allows the Score Bug to be driven from in the truck or remotely from a laptop near the action.
Sport specific optimized user interfaces make it easy to keep up with fast moving game action and integration with X-Keys programmable panels allows expanded button per function results.
BL at NAB Show 2015
The annual NAB Show is in full swing this week, April 13th to the 16th and the BL product and commercial team is there in full force and would love to meet you if you are going to make the trip.
Find us at the Ross Booth N3906 supporting their Tick-It and Brand-It versions of our products.
We will also be at the Imagine Communications booth N2702 where they will be using our new Super Ticker Flow product to drive graphics on Versio and ChannelBrand products.
You can also catch us meeting with our many other broadcast partners around the show floor.
The best way to arrange a meetup is to email sales@localhost or text Pete Challinger @ 530-200-0295
Hope to see you in Vegas!
Bannister Lake Introduces New Content Management System for Automated Broadcast Graphics
Super Ticker Flow works with any graphics or playout device reading URLs.
CAMBRIDGE, ON, Canada, April 9, 2015 – Bannister Lake Software, whose Super Ticker system has provided data driven graphics for major broadcasters for some years, has introduced an affordable new version that can be used with a wide range of output products.
BL Super Ticker Flow includes all the data collection, management, and publishing features of Super Ticker in a version designed to provide data to any graphics output platform.
The system is a multi-channel, multi-user, content management and display control system for the broadcast industry that can support multi-station operation from a single system. Designed to run 24/7, BL Super Ticker Flow is mission-critical enterprise class software.
The new product supports a broad array of content data types and provides tools to manage and moderate automated feeds and locally entered content. Despite the lower price it still offers most of the key features, including unlimited users and an unlimited number of channels.
Data types include stories, scores, events, weather, financials, social media, closings, traffic etc.
Data types requiring local user generated input benefit from the BL’s recently announced Community system, a cloud based value add for all Super Ticker versions that supports local data collection from schools and community groups.
A key component of Super Ticker Flow is the Elections Module, which offers a full range of elections data collection and management features. Supporting both US style and parliamentary elections, the system is well suited to elections in most jurisdictions.
BL Super Ticker Flow is graphics system agnostic. Data is published using the company’s BLADE output system and can be accessed by most modern broadcast graphics and integrated channel playout systems as well as web sites and digital signage systems.
BL Develops Stills Store for The Shopping Channel HD Upgrade
Allows replacement of Pinnacle Lightning systems while maintaining similar user interface.
The Shopping Channel (TSC) in Toronto recently completed their HD transition and Bannister Lake played a key role by providing custom development of new Stills Store systems. In the high pressure world of a shopping channel, Stills Stores play an important role in presenting inventory images. In the case of TSC they used Pinnacle Lighting systems that were installed many years ago. One of the impediments to replacement of the old systems was the operator familiarity that had been gained over the years.
BL was contracted to develop a modern replacement that would feel comfortable to the existing operators. The new systems use Ross XPression graphics engines with custom BL software. After a period of shadowing the on-air program with the new systems, the operators were able to successfully move to the new HD systems.
A key part of the project was interfacing with TSC’s asset management system, provided by IPV Limited from the UK. Bannister Lake’s engineers worked closely with IPV and their onsite project manager and the whole transition went off with no disruption to on air operations.