WTVM Editorial 10/12/21: WTVM’s New Tech Center

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - Local television is now much more than just watching the standard family room TV set.

Local stations like WTVM offer much more than traditional local newscasts aired at traditional times.

Our viewers can access extensive video content and live newscasts streamed through smart TV apps and our own local news and weather apps, as well as extensive digital content on our web and mobile sites.

Not home by 6:00 p.m.? No problem - you can watch that newscast later, on your timetable, on demand.

What makes this, and more, possible?

Let’s go behind the scenes at WTVM, so I can share some exciting news with you.

This is a look at our brand new technology center built at a cost of more than a million dollars.

WTVM, as the local News Leader, produces news for two other stations besides our own: FOX 54 and NBC 38.

Because News Leader 9 continuously upgrades our technology, those stations can offer their viewers quality local news and important severe weather coverage that would otherwise be too expensive for those channels to produce on their own.

The technology center at WTVM now broadcasts almost two dozen local TV stations besides the ABC, NBC, and FOX programming, including such specialty stations as Movies, Bounce, Grit, and classic TV shows on Antenna TV.

Our technical staff is being training right now on this state-of-the-art equipment that will further enhance our ability to give you the latest breaking news and weather.

Also, you should know that this technology does not replace any employees.

In fact we have hired more employees and given them specialized training that makes them very valuable to us.

But as with anything new, especially in the world of live television, there may be some hiccups.

New equipment is always challenging.

So if we experience any technical difficulty in the next few weeks, we promise to do our best to fix it as quickly as we can.

We have also doubled the size of our newsroom to better accommodate new hires who will contribute to News Leader 9′s growing local coverage.

Thanks for letting me share this look behind the scenes.

You - our viewers - are like family to us. That’s why we plan to keep investing in you and working hard every day to earn your loyalty.

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