The University of Arizona has expanded its broadcast operation with PunQtum digital partyline. More than 20 PunQtum beltpacks now sit at the heart of a Riedel intercom system serving over 125 ESPN+ broadcasts a year.
The university joined the Big 12 Conference, and its broadcast workload grew to two or three times what it handled in previous seasons. The team needed comms that could scale quickly and stay easy to use for both professional crew and students, without blowing the budget.
PunQtum’s wired beltpacks now cover fixed operator positions such as replay, graphics and marketing. Mike Patton, Multimedia Specialist, Broadcast at the university, called PunQtum “a huge asset in getting more people on comms efficiently and affordably.”
PunQtum also solved a long-standing problem. Long cable runs at the nearly 100-year-old Arizona Stadium used to bring loud, buzzing interference onto the line. That noise is gone, and crews can now hear each other clearly.
Setup is faster too. Because PunQtum runs over the university’s existing network, with Dante and a fibre backbone, football setup has dropped from around two hours to a matter of minutes. Crews simply bring the beltpacks and they’re live.
PunQtum works alongside Riedel Bolero wireless beltpacks for roaming crew and an Artist-1024 matrix that links the venues, including the McKale Center control room. Systems integrator AVI-SPL brought the system online in time for a full season of football and basketball. Softball and track facilities are next on the roadmap.
Find out more about the Beltpack Q110, or see how PunQtum works in broadcast.
