WBOC-TV and FX Group bring a newsplex to life

WBOC-TV in tiny DMA 147, Salisbury, Md., has built a new Newsplex that rivals those of WHDH-TV and WSVN-TV.

The new Newsplex features a anchor desk that can rotate 300 degrees and has four 42-inch HD monitors along with many, many, many smaller HD monitors.

In a Broadcasting and Cable article, WBOC-TV’s John Dearing, news director said, “Everything is to be seen on camera and the whole building is a set. I know some stations have the Web guys in a room down the hall, but we literally put them right in the middle. Like a lot of stations now, we don’t wait with a story—we put it right on the Web site.”

The new studio has an anchor area, interview area, weather center, assignment desk, work areas, edit bays, control room and master control.

WBOC-TV also plans to use a jib during newscasts for broad sweeping pictures of its new Newsplex, something many stations have getting away from.

Watch for the debut soon on WBOC-TV; it should be one interesting newscast.

For more behind the scenes information, including video clips, visit WBOC-TV.