WASHINGTON – With ABC affiliate WJLA-TV and cable Newschannel 8 gearing up to move into one facility, the Allbritton-owned channels have signed an agreement with the world's premier news organization, The Associated Press, to enable them to fully integrate and manage their news resources and on-air news content. 

 

D.C.-based AP Television will provide the two new newsrooms with its award winning Electronic News Production System (ENPS), which will allow them to share and use video, graphics, audio, photos, news stories, background and other newsgathering information to make them a more efficient and effective news organization.

 

"Putting two newsrooms into one facility does not automatically mean efficiency," said Lee Perryman, director of AP's Broadcast division and director of broadcast technology.  "Now with the industry's leading news production software on their desktops, the Allbritton stations can enjoy synergies and the strengths of being the largest local news gatherer in the D.C. region."

 

When the two newsrooms join this Fall, there will be 200 journalists working to generate their on-air broadcasts.  From assignment planning and newsgathering to scripting, editing, and even sharing multimedia content, Allbritton journalists can use ENPS to access every multimedia content server in their newsroom like never before.

 

WJLA produces five unique newscasts daily, while Newschannel 8 produces eight.  ENPS will give them the control to share content as well as better tailor broadcasts to specific local audiences.  ENPS also will enable Newschannel 8 to better control their zoned news programs and their connected advertising.   This will make it easier for the Allbritton cable channel to deliver a package of news and advertising aimed at specific audiences.

 

Other broadcasters in the D.C.-area using AP's ENPS, include CBS News, National Geographic Television, BET, WBAL TV and Radio, WTOP Radio, and National Public Radio.  In addition, ENPS serves the BBC, Hearst Argyle Broadcasting, Tribune Broadcasting, Raycom Media, ESPN, Telemundo, NHL, and Fox Sports Networks.

 

ENPS was designed to meet changing needs and demands of modern radio, television and network newsrooms. Powerful features include scripting, rundowns, planning, contacts, messaging, archiving, third-party device control, external publishing, news wire management, remote access capabilities for field staff, and the broadcast news industry's only fully-integrated search engine.

 

Introduced in 1997, ENPS is world’s most popular new news production system and is now used in more than 400 newsrooms in 39 countries. AP's ongoing development efforts promote open standards, including the widely adopted Media Object Server (MOS) protocol, for communication with and integration of audio and video servers, desktop audio and video browsers and editors, character generators, still stores and other key news production equipment.

 

 

For more information, see http://www.enps.com/

 

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