Seamless Radio Broadcasting for Pippin Technical

Missinipi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) Radio is a Canadian radio station with the mission of protecting and preserving aboriginal languages, whilst allowing indigenous people to control their own communications.

Initially government-run and established to address issues to local fisherman, it is now self-sufficient, generating its own revenue through bingos and advertising.

People in over 70 communities tune into MBC, including many southern cities where thousands of ‘Urban Aboriginals’ still wish to be kept informed of what is going on in the north.

With a mission as critical as connecting indigenous people, one thing clear for MBC is the need for a continual and consistent connection. Having been originally established in the early 1980s, their existing setup had become obsolete, therefore, the station decided it was time to look at upgrading its equipment to prevent any potential issues.

MBC turned to Pippin Technology, a leading Canadian broadcast system design and integrator. With a wealth of experience delivering turnkey solutions, shared management, and product solutions for all kinds of broadcasters in every part of the chain, Pippin was well placed to assist with this project.

“MBC’s listeners rely on the Broadcasters to deliver culturally relevant programming that ties them to their routes. Pippin wanted to ensure that the Corporation could continue to do that without risk of failure and signal loss.”

Gord Irvine, Pippin Technology.

MBC has a 3-channel audio uplink via satellite. As well as needing full redundancy in case of power outage or other issues, it needed to be able to remotely switch the receivers to different audio streams throughout the day. Pippin Technology approached ETL Systems for a solution that would be easy to use, enable full redundancy and the ability to switch to other receivers.

After discussing the project and requirements, ETL Systems recommended its Griffin Redundancy Switch, which offers three switch module types that can be mixed and matched within the unit to provide flexibility for different application types.

It includes an automatic redundancy switch for selecting between two ASI sources where the modules can be switched independently or together. Switching can be triggered by front panel, RF level detection, alarm contacts or NMS.

ETL’s Griffin Redundancy Switch gave MBC the confidence that in the event of an encoder or modulator failure it can switch between the different audio signals.

MBC radio can continue connecting with the aboriginal population across Canada, whilst keeping control over its connections and ensuring full redundancy should anything fail. For the listeners, that means a continuous and high-quality listening experience that can keep them engaged.

“ETL Systems worked hard to listen and respond to the specific requirements and the result is a great unit that is providing a flawless service for MBC.”

Gord Irvine, Radio Frequency Project Manager, Pippin Technical.

“It was clear that MBC places a great deal of importance on ensuring a good quality of service and we were keen to make sure it could continue to do so. Working with Pippin Technology made the process extremely simple as it has a great deal of experience and understanding of satellite networks.”

Bill Pryle, RF Consultant, ETL Systems.