CustomWeather and Bannister Lake Form Partnership to Create New Business Opportunities in Broadcast and Digital Signage

Bannister Lake and CustomWeather  announced today that they have entered into a partnership to develop joint business opportunities and enable users of Bannister Lake’s Chameleon software to incorporate weather data from specialized weather company, CustomWeather, Inc. CustomWeather is an industry-leading weather data provider featuring forecasts for 85,000 global locations in 95 languages, providing high-resolution forecasts from its proven forecasting model, the CW100.

Bannister Lake’s Chameleon product is an innovative real-time data aggregation and management solution used throughout the broadcast and digital signage industry to power and populate graphic templates. The solution drives news tickers, election results, financial data, wagering, and other editorial applications. Chameleon is also used for on-air branding applications, controlling and populating snipes, bugs, promos, and “coming up next” boards. Chameleon’s RESTful API allows data to be reformatted and strategically distributed to broadcast graphic engines, as HTML5, and be integrated into mobile applications.

 “Bannister Lake’s Chameleon software offers a novel way for us to expand our reach in the broadcast and digital signage market,” said Geoff Flint, President and CEO of CustomWeather. “Our superior weather products combined with Bannister Lake’s expertise in managing real-time data and custom development offers tremendous value to their customers.”

“CustomWeather is an ideal partner for Bannister Lake. Weather data is an important data source for our customer base and CustomWeather’s accuracy and assortment of data products provides an attractive offering for both the broadcast and digital signage market”, said Georg Hentsch, President, Bannister Lake.

Both CustomWeather and Bannister Lake will actively pursue opportunities that leverage each others expertise in creating real-time data and custom software solutions. As data specialists with strong development skills in database, APIs, and applications, Bannister Lake designs, builds, and implements solutions that utilize editorially relevant data sources, such as CustomWeather, to engage audiences and attract advertising revenue.

Bannister Lake Completes Chameleon Integration and Custom Development Project at RFD-TV

Bannister Lake is pleased to announce today that it has completed a major project for popular agribusiness and rural lifestyle channel RFD-TV. RFD-TV is owned by Rural Media Group, INC. (RMG). RMG properties include The Cowboy Channel and Rural Radio Sirius XM channel 147. The Nashville based cable network provides viewers with extensive daily coverage of commodity markets and other business news of special interest to the farming industry.

RFD-TV required Bannister Lake to oversee a number of upgrades including, the transition to a new data provider, integration of real-time data into updated graphic engines, create and power graphic tickers, and design and build a custom application allowing on-air talent to select, edit and control graphic playout.

Bannister Lake acted as the liaison between data provider Barchart and the channel to ensure that RFD-TV journalists were receiving the financial and editorial content required. The development and project teams at Bannister Lake worked closely with both Barchart data experts and RFD-TV engineering staff to ensure that RFD-TV’s data calls worked flawlessly. The Bannister Lake financial application provided news anchors with visibility into real-time commodity pricing and the ability to quickly create graphical financial charts and tables. Anchors would then use the application to generate graphic playlists and take the lists to air without incumbering the control room.

“Bannister Lake provided RFD-TV with an innovative way to take real-time data from our data provider and give our editorial teams the control they needed to customize that content,” said David Mitchell, Chief Technology Officer, RMG. “In addition to generating and populating tickers, we dramatically sped up our production process by running the entire graphics workflow from the anchor desk.”

The financial application also included a sponsorship management component that allows RFD-TV to schedule and execute sponsors’ logos associated with specific graphic boards. The solution automatically generates logs to reconcile logo exposure with advertising sales. This solution provides a more efficient workflow, while managing new revenue opportunities.

“We are pleased to see RFD-TV embracing Chameleon and our custom financial software solutions. The project represents what we do best, reading and ingesting complex real-time data sources and providing producers and editorial teams with the tools they need to disseminate that content to audiences as efficiently as possible”, said Georg Hentsch, president, Bannister Lake.

In addition to powering tickers for RFD-TV, Bannister Lake also created tickers for The Cowboy Channel. The 24-hour television network is dedicated to western sports including bull riding, roping, reining, and barrel racing. Chameleon plays an instrumental role visualizing results, standings, and event schedules.

Bannister Lake Provides Election Results Data Services and Graphics for the 2020 Jamaican General Election

Bannister Lake announced today that its election solution was used to cover the 2020 Jamaican General Election. In partnership with Jamaican production company Phase 3 Productions, Bannister Lake supplied Chameleon software, graphic design, and data integration services. Phase 3 made the election graphics feed available to its media partners including the Jamaica Observer newspaper who incorporated the graphics as part of its online coverage of the election.

Phase 3 played an integral role, adding candidate headshots, co-ordinating data with the Electoral Office of Jamaica and acting as the liaison with end-users. Phase 3 is the island’s most popular provider of television production services and has a great deal of election experience.

“We are always trying to raise the production bar when it comes to covering our national elections. Chameleon allowed us to create very sophisticated graphics under a tight deadline and generate a feed we could share with clients. We hope to work with Bannister Lake on future data related events”, said Delano Forbes, CEO, and creative director at Phase 3.

Bannister Lake developed a custom reader for the Jamaican election data feed and was able to test and implement the solution in a few days. The election campaign only lasted 20 days creating tight deadlines for both Bannister Lake and Phase 3.

“The Jamaican election project came together quickly. Our years of experience working on Canadian elections came in especially handy since Jamaica has a similar parliamentary system. Phase 3 was a great partner to work with and was integral to meet the tight time constraints”, said Georg Hentsch, president, Bannister Lake.

Bannister Lake’s Chameleon data aggregation and management product includes a powerful general-purpose election software solution. The solution is specifically designed to manage any kind of election style: US presidential, congressional, state races, first past the post, majoritarian, proportional, parliamentary, in addition to referendums, propositions, or down ballot races such as DA, school board or city council. This is possible because of a unique design approach Bannister Lake has taken. The election solution is organized by a combination of “contests” and “choices”. A contest would include specific areas or offices up for election while choices would list the parties and candidates participating in the race. It is this simple but unique approach that allows the product to have the flexibility to address any kind of election or polling situation.

US Election Data Expert Drew McCoy of Decision Desk HQ to Host Special Bannister Lake Webinar

Bannister Lake is pleased to announce today that election data expert Drew McCoy will host a special webinar aimed at producers, reporters and analysts covering the upcoming US elections. The webinar will take place on Tuesday, August 25 at 2:00pm eastern. Drew is president of election results and data collection and reporting service, Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ). In his role at DDHQ, Drew is responsible for all aspects of DDHQ’s election, business, and editorial operations.

The systemic changes in the organization of US elections forced by COVID-19 will have dramatic implications on the flow and reporting of results data. Drew will be discussing what election production teams can expect regarding the dissemination of official results and how this will impact coverage planning, making calls, timelines, and other potential challenges facing the election system this November.

DDHQ is at the forefront of technical innovations that leverage the changes in how voters have been casting ballots, election officials report results, and how outlets, particularly online platforms, consume and publish election night results.

“We’re pleased to be joining forces with Bannister Lake to inform production teams everywhere about the extraordinary changes in store for election data reporting this November”, said Drew McCoy, president, Decision Desk HQ. “It’s crucial for anyone covering the elections to understand the implications and anticipate how their work will be impacted.”

Bannister Lake’s Chameleon data aggregation and management solution reads election results data from providers such as DDHQ and the Associated Press. Chameleon provides media organizations working on any platform with a powerful tool to track and analyze election races, make calls, and create and manage graphics populated with real-time results data.

“The upcoming US elections will be unprecedented in terms of ballot counting and the distribution of results. From both a software and a data perspective, both Bannister Lake and DDHQ are well prepared to handle the dramatic changes in results reporting and this webinar featuring Drew will help our clients produce the best coverage possible’, said Georg Hentsch, president, Bannister Lake.

DDHQ began operations with the 2012 U.S. presidential election. In 2014 DDHQ gained national attention by being the first election service to call Dave Brat’s upset win over then House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in that year’s GOP primary. Recently DDHQ has experienced rapid expansion providing election results and related data to outlets such as Buzzfeed, Vox, The Washington Post, The Baltimore Sun, Business Insider, and many others.

To register for the webinar please visit: https://bannisterlake.com/webinar-registration/

Broadcast Graphics Expert Phil Carmichael to Host Bannister Lake Real-Time Data Webinar

Bannister Lake is pleased to announce today that industry expert Phil Carmichael will host a 30-minute product education webinar that will specifically look at various methods to integrate real-time data into graphics engines. The webinar will explore how Bannister Lake’s Chameleon plays an important role to streamline real-time data workflows and open new visualization possibilities for broadcast graphics professionals. The webinar will take place on Wednesday, July 22 at 2 p.m. Eastern / 11 a.m. Pacific.

Phil Carmichael is a recognized industry authority on the broadcast graphics production and workflow process. He is a former graphic designer and operator for the CBC who was actively involved in sports production. He is also a former pre-sales specialist for ChyronHego.

Broadcasters turn to Chameleon to provide a complete, stand alone, real-time data solution that covers all their requirements including news, sports, financial, elections, traffic and more. The same solution provides a comprehensive on-air branding solution which includes bugs, snipes, promos and coming up boards. As the industry struggles with identifying new revenue opportunities, Chameleon provides new distribution outlets for real-time data including OTT, digital signage, information channels, special events and online. With elections only a few months away, Chameleon provides an easy to use election system alternative to integrate results directly into graphics engines, HTML5 or NDI.

“Real-time data has always kept audiences engaged but aggregating and managing that data and integrating it into graphics engines has often been challenging. Chameleon streamlines that entire process and provides a new approach to data-driven graphics”, said Phil Carmichael.

The webinar will explore the various content types Chameleon works with and how they integrate into today’s most popular graphics engines. As a platform agnostic solution, Chameleon can be used by any broadcaster or by producers working online. Carmichael will demonstrate how Chameleon powers real-time tickers, and full frame graphics incorporating up-to-the-second news and information content.

Real-time data provides producers, engineers, and management working in broadcast, and streaming media with unprecedented ways to tell stories, leverage automation, and expand their reach. Please join Phil Carmichael and Bannister Lake to learn more about these exciting opportunities. To register for the webinar please visit https://bannisterlake.com/webinar-registration/

Bannister Lake Announces Partnership with Traffic Camera Data and Service Provider Vizzion

Bannister Lake is pleased to announce today it has entered into a partnership with Vancouver-based traffic camera data aggregator, Vizzion.  Vizzion is an industry-leading traffic camera data service featuring over 64,000 traffic cameras in 43 countries. Working with over 200 national and regional camera partners in more than 600 markets, Vizzion provides visual verification of traffic flow, traffic incidents, and weather-related road conditions. Through an exclusive partnership with one of North America’s largest internet-connected dashcam companies, Vizzion also supplies imagery from on-vehicle cameras across North America.

Bannister Lake has developed and implemented a data parser for Vizzion data that incorporates traffic camera feeds and mapping into its industry-leading Chameleon data aggregation and management solution. Using Chameleon, clients will be able to strategically isolate specific Vizzion camera feeds and add them to their on-air displays. Clients can also leverage Chameleon’s BLADE RESTful API to strategically distribute traffic cameras to a variety of endpoints including online, mobile, OTT, and web widgets.

Vizzion’s traffic camera content compliments Bannister Lake’s already existing real-time transit data feeds, creating a valuable transportation information solution for viewers. Chameleon clients can create and distribute a wide range of regional, local, and hyper-local information services by combining transportation information with editorial content such as local news, school closings and events calendars.

“Real-time traffic is an important content source and having access to Vizzion’s vast database of camera sources promotes a valuable editorial and business opportunity for Chameleon clients. We look forward to working with Vizzion as they continue to develop their products and services”, said Georg Hentsch, president, Bannister Lake.

“Bannister Lake’s Chameleon solution provides an innovative way to extend Vizzion’s reach to different platforms. The addition of our traffic camera database to Bannister Lake’s data sources will provide Chameleon users working in both broadcast and digital signage with a great way to connect with audiences and advertisers”, said Sean Beaudoin, Account Manager, Vizzion.

Bannister Lake is committed to creating software solutions that fully leverage real-time data. By fully utilizing its expertise in development, databases, APIs and applications, Bannister Lake creates solutions that engage audiences, attract advertising revenue and leverage automation.

Bannister Lake to Present Webinar Focusing on Streaming and Real-Time Data Aggregation and Management

Bannister Lake is pleased to announce today that it will be host a 30-minute product education webinar that will specifically look at real-time data and streaming. The webinar will take place on Tuesday, June 30 at 2 p.m. Eastern / 11 a.m. Pacific. The webinar will examine Chameleon’s unique capabilities and how they apply to the ever-expanding world of streaming media.  

Chameleon is a multi-module, web-based, real-time data management solution, popular in the broadcast, OTT, and signage sectors. As more and more broadcasters, content and event producers, venue managers and digital signage operators turn to streaming, the integration of real-time data has become a critical editorial component. Bannister Lake has developed a number of specific solutions that support HTML5, NDI and compliment Tricaster, OBS and Vmix workflows.

Webinar attendees will learn how Chameleon powers real-time tickers, full frame graphics, and branding elements for streaming applications incorporating up-to-the-second news and information content. To illustrate this, the webinar will examine a recent use case where Chameleon powers real-time graphic insertion into multiple OTT news channels simultaneously.  

Chameleon creates exciting new opportunities for streaming including the production of election coverage. Chameleon’s powerful election results capabilities allows web-based media organizations to track and analyze incoming results, and produce spectacular graphics populated with real-time data. The product’s RESTful API allows data to be redistributed to

social media channels, mobile applications, webpages or to on-set displays. Chameleon can also power fully automated streamed information channels containing news headlines, weather, financial data, emergency alerts and more. 

Real-time data provides producers, engineers, and management working in streaming media with unprecedented ways to tell stories, leverage automation, and expand their reach. Please join Bannister Lake to learn more about these exciting opportunities. To register for the webinar please visit https://bannisterlake.com/webinar-registration/

Bannister Lake to Be Represented by US-Based Sales Organization, Media Technology Group

Bannister Lake announced today that the company has entered into a nonexclusive representation agreement with Akron, Ohio-based broadcast sales organization Media Technology Group (MTG). MTG will showcase Bannister Lake’s Chameleon product to the broadcast industry and participate in co-marketing ventures.

Chameleon is an industry-leading software solution used to manage real-time data and populate graphic templates for news tickers, election results, financial data, wagering, and other applications. The same product also drives on-air branding by leveraging real-time data to power snipes, bugs, promos, and “coming up next” boards. Chameleon’s RESTful API allows data to be reformatted and strategically distributed to broadcast graphic engines, HTML5, online, and mobile applications.

“We are thrilled to be working with Bannister Lake,” said Rich Hajdu, president of Media Technology Group. “We recognize the broadcast and media industries’ demand for real-time content. Bannister Lake provides a solution that not only makes it easy for video users to leverage real-time data for news and information channels, but also provides broadcasters with a path to new revenues that is extremely attractive.”

MTG is a full-service sales and support organization targeting video and media users in multiple areas including broadcast, corporate, government, education, and houses of worship. MTG specializes in providing innovative products that elegantly solve specific workflow and production problems. The company selects products from the best global partners with a common theme: rock-solid software, intuitive operation, and powerful features that streamline repetitive tasks. MTG products are to bring high performance and reliability to top-tier facilities.

“Media Technology Group offers us an additional way to get our innovative products and services in front of decision-makers. Their industry knowledge and product experience are unparalleled, and we look forward to working together,” said Georg Hentsch, president, Bannister Lake.

As the news cycle continues to accelerate and audiences rely heavily on vital news and information content, real-time data has become an essential part of the editorial mix. Chameleon leverages real-time data to enhance storytelling, improve production workflows, and create exciting new business opportunities in broadcast, streaming, and digital signage.

For more information about the Media Technology Group, please visit https://mediatgrp.com .

More information about Bannister Lake’s solutions is available at www.bannisterlake.com.

Bannister Lake to Launch Webinar Series Focusing on Its Chameleon Real-Time Data Aggregation and Management Solution

Bannister Lake is pleased to announce today that it will be presenting a series of casual, 30-minute Chameleon product education webinars over a three-week period beginning on Tuesday, May 5, 2020. Each Tuesday at 2 p.m. Eastern / 11 a.m. Pacific, Bannister Lake will showcase Chameleon’s unique feature set directed at broadcast, web, and digital signage professionals.

Chameleon is a multi-module, web-based, real-time data management solution popular in the broadcast, OTT, and signage sectors. It is used to create custom news tickers, launch automated information channels, track and visualize election results, manage snipes and branding elements, and much more.

The product also includes Chameleon Designer, a powerful template design and data connection tool. Chameleon Designer serves as a unique, single solution to build projects that can be simultaneously used on NDI, SDI, or web platforms.

The first webinar, kicking off on May 5, will focus on tickers and introduce Chameleon’s data ingestion workflow, content management features, and integration of sponsorships. The session is designed for news producers, station management, as well as engineers looking to integrate more timely news content into their programming while generating new revenue opportunities. 

The second webinar, on Tuesday May 12, will center on Chameleon’s enhanced election production capabilities. The webinar will discuss the product’s ability to ingest real-time election results and provide election producers with the ability to track and filter results, make race calls, and quickly create graphic playlists for air. There will also be a look at the product’s RESTful API, where users can distribute customized election data to various devices and endpoints, including mobile devices, websites, augmented reality systems, and social media.

The third webinar, being held on Tuesday May 19, will feature Chameleon’s on-air branding capabilities. This session will explore how the product is used for managing and scheduling promotional snipes, bugs, and full-frame “coming up” billboards. The webinar will also include information about automation, asset management, and advertising campaigns.

“With the cancellation of NAB and the public, now more than ever, depending on news and information that is constantly being updated, we felt that reaching out directly through these focused webinars was important,” said Georg Hentsch, president, Bannister Lake. “This is a great opportunity to learn more about Chameleon and how it can best serve audiences.”

Real-time data provides producers, engineers, and management with unprecedented ways to tell stories, leverage automation, and expand reach into new platforms. Please join Bannister Lake to learn more about these exciting opportunities.

To register for any or all of these webinars please visit https://bannisterlake.com/webinar-registration.

Webinar Schedule:

Tuesday, May 5, at 2 p.m. Eastern / 11 a.m. Pacific: Chameleon Tickers

Tuesday, May 12, 2 p.m. Eastern / 11 a.m. Pacific: Chameleon Elections

Tuesday, May 19, 2 p.m. Eastern / 11 a.m. Pacific: Chameleon Branding