Since 1997, Crispin Corporation, helmed by founder Alan DeVaney, has serviced the broadcast automation industry. Seeing the need for simplified systems and quality software that didn’t strain the budget, he put his knowledge of the Industry to use and created Crispin to fulfill this vision. With the aid of Carlos Cela, an Argentinean software developer/writer, the two created the prototype (of what would become a long line) of modular solutions to fulfill this paradigm. Shunning external investors, these two gentlemen forged a company that provided user-friendly solutions of customizable products and systems for the broadcasting industry as they began to build their customer base.
Crispin has built a reputation for outside-the-box solutions, thanks to top-of-the-line talent and creative thinking. Although Mr. Cela went a different direction in 2003, the company remained strong and managed to expand just enough to get the perfect team. Headquartered in North Carolina, Crispin has deliberately remained a small and focused company, choosing customer focus, flexibility, and stay ahead of the game over explosive growth.
Not only aligning themselves with the best vendors to help maintain top quality, Crispin Company keeps abreast of their particular niche in the broadcast industry spectrum by concentrating on outstanding and dedicated customer service and satisfaction, which is the perfect vehicle to deliver their wide range of archive, asset management, broadcast automation, newsroom management products and so much more. This helps distinguish them from run-of-the-mill automated solution providers. They continue to make certain that their products and services are easy to
utilize and clearly understood by their ever-growing pool of satisfied customers. The implementation of proper automation can be a painstaking and challenging process that fully utilizes disparate systems and various training levels of a wide variety of people and combines them all to generate a smooth and flexible workflow in the broadcast team. They are happy to let the customer have a hand in the reorganization and retooling process if they so desire, and they are willing to be partners in the change process rather than dictatorial overlords.
Because customer service and support is of paramount importance, Crispin offers year-round & round the clock emergency support from their senior technical support staff. To maintain their edge in exemplary customer service, Crispin involves itself with the ongoing development of new and innovative ways to optimize their customer’s investment with the Crispin automation solution. The support staff has the technical and operational expertise to help stations attain the utmost from their facility.
To ensure customers can utilize their existing assets to the fullest, Crispin is continually developing new interfaces for the best and most popular (and even some of the not-so-popular) servers and devices: video server brands like Grass Valley, Nexio Servers, Omneon, and others; switcher & router brands like: Adrienne, Evertz, Grass Valley, and others; graphics and branding equipment such as: Chyron, Evertz, Harris and others; video tape recorders with all BVW protocols from Sony, Panasonic, JVC and others, as well as a variety of products and software from Wide Orbit, ENPS, Pathfire, Pitch Blue, Compusatand many many more.Crispin unceasingly develops new product interfaces.
Crispin Company’s automation solutions are largely modular and thus allow customers to ‘cherry pick’ their ideal features and solutions ‘cafeteria style,’ thus avoiding paying for unnecessary features or options that don’t match their ideal workflow. Crispin can help your facility make the transition to the latest in computing platforms; they are qualified on solutions for the Windows NT and Windows XP platform.
Crispin aids customers ineffectively utilizing their various systems and equipment choices as a homogenous whole, while working towards a smoothly operating and seamless workflow. They accomplish this by assessing, evaluating and organizing a prodigious amount of variables and changes, which requires full knowledge of the components, pieces, and processes involved in the orchestration and implementation of the transitions to the new comprehensive system, and they do it pretty quick too!
Although Crispin is a specialist in overhauling existing broadcasting facilities, they are also happy to offer a wide variety of equipment, and software from top quality brands for sale, as well as those products that they make ‘in house’ – an example of which is high quality workstations (which can even be built to spec). They even offer choice ‘bundles’ of various high quality products, to maximize the bang in the customers buck.
Here’s a sampling from Crispin’s hundreds of satisfied customers:
Brooklyn Community Access Television (BRIC) – had Crispin create a new scheduling and asset management system to manage their Community Producer driven workflow. The Producers at BRIC have their content (internal and local) managed (delivery to prep) and channeled onto the air by utilizing Crispin’s Community System Asset Management System and the System 2000 Automation.
CBS Sports (in New York City) has used Crispin software ever since 1998. They have 11 individual play-out rooms for the
ir studios in New York City, and use the automation solutions from Crispin to administer and operate commercial insertion on all channels.
Comcast SportsNet – These regional sports networks are part of the Comcast family. CSN Mid-Atlantic covers Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, as well as parts of Delaware and Pennsylvania. Comcast Sportsnet Mid-Atlantic has Crispin’s System 2000 product suite which manages their operations 24/7 in addition to all commercial insertions, program recordings, and playback of live programming across multiple channels.
WXYZ-TV is an ABC affiliate owned and operated by Scripps Howard Broadcasting in Detroit, Michigan that covers Detroit and its suburbs, they use the Crispin Automation Systems and software for commercial insertions and program playback for multi-channel operations, as well as well as providing station wide news playback. That’s just four satisfied customers out of hundreds.
Crispin Corporation’s most recent project was WMAR in Baltimore, flawlessly shifting from Harris automation to Crispin, and saving nearly 300 man-hours in the process! With their proprietary conversion product and methodology, they shadowed and transitioned all of WMAR’s clips combining them with current metadata and then segmenting in the new Crispin database, thus utilizing the existing API from WMAR’s playout server. Through this process, the conversion method allowed the new Crispin database to be a one-to-one mirror of the Harris database that had previously been built piecemeal over the years. Utilizing this ‘echo’ or ‘mirror’ to maintain the existing background and keep it playing uninterrupted prior to switching over to the new software, made the transition seamless. The extra barrier for safety let WMAR verify that all systems were a go and working flawlessly before going On-Air with Crispin. This method was safer and more concise than physically QC-ing every clip, so it allowed WMAR’s personnel the chance to focus their time in the most critical areas.
About Crispin Corporation
Founded in 1997, Crispin Corporation provides technology and services to broadcasters, cable operators, universities and organizations that require the ability to broadcast video and audio to their target audiences. Based in Durham, N.C., with regional sales offices located throughout the United States, Crispin has placed more than 400 systems throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and South America over the past decade. For more information, contact Crispin at (919) 845-7744 or visit us on the Web at www.crispincorp.com.
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