cincinnati public radio

Project Overview
 

The new headquarters for Cincinnati Public Radio represents a significant investment in broadcast infrastructure, production flexibility, and community engagement. Designed as a modern public broadcasting center, the facility brings together live broadcast studios, performance and recording spaces, and distributed AV systems under one highly customized technical environment.

Procraft Media was engaged as the Audio Visual Integrator to design, engineer and integrate, working within a consultant-led design framework while maintaining direct collaboration with CPR’s engineering and operations staff. Procraft’s role focused on implementing and commissioning complex broadcast and production systems, translating design intent into deployable infrastructure, and safeguarding system performance throughout installation and post-handoff support.

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Spaces & System Scope

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The project encompassed a broad range of spaces, the majority of which required custom AV integration rather than repeatable room templates.

Key spaces included:
 

• A performance space with adjacent live room and performance control studio
   

• Two live broadcast studios
   

• Two dedicated recording studios, serving Arts & Culture and News & Information programming
   

• A boardroom
   

• Distributed audio and video systems serving the full facility
   

• Supporting office and ancillary spaces
   

From an integration standpoint, the live studio environments and the performance studio represented the most technically demanding portions of the project. These spaces incorporated intricate broadcast signal flows, routing requirements, and operational redundancy. The system design documentation alone exceeded 90 pages of single-line drawings, reflecting the scale and specificity of the architecture required to support CPR’s workflows.

 

System Architecture & Technology
 

The broadcast and production systems were designed around client-specified console platforms, with CPR requesting DiGiCo SD9 digital consoles for the studio environments. These consoles served as foundational elements, shaping surrounding system architecture, signal routing, and operational workflows.

Procraft integrated:
 

• Console-centric studio architectures aligned with CPR’s existing operational preferences
   

• Facility-wide distributed audio and video infrastructure
   

• Broadcast signal flow systems supporting live production, recording, and routing across multiple studios
   

• A station-to-tower point-to-point (P2P) broadcast link, critical to CPR’s on-air transmission chain
   

• A building wide AVOIP Distributed video system, featuring DM-NVX by Crestron. Leveraging the network infrastructure, this provides CPR the flexibility needed. The facility-wide, 20+ Touch panel control system provides Control over the entire facility.
   

• Expansive Dante domain manager deployment

 

• The broadcast system heavily leverages building wide deployment of ND, allowing capture and broadcast utilizing any of the many Vizrt PTZ cameras around the facility.

 

• A large Boardroom centered on Teams Unified Communications, featuring Crestron Intelligent Video, relying on Qsys audio Processing.

 

While manufacturer details beyond the console platforms will be documented separately, the overall system was engineered to support high reliability, flexibility, and future expansion as CPR’s programming and production needs evolve.

 

Integration Challenges & Risk Management
 

This project presented several integration challenges common to complex broadcast facilities — and a few that were less typical. Procraft worked side by side with CPR’s engineering staff throughout installation, testing, and commissioning to adjust implementation details and ensure systems ultimately supported how the facility would be used day to day.
 

This collaborative approach minimized late-stage surprises and ensured that final system behavior matched end-user requirements rather than theoretical workflows.
 

One of the most significant challenges involved the station-to-tower point-to-point (P2P) broadcast system. Procraft was responsible for the broadcast signal design and system architecture, including signal diagrams and performance requirements. Execution of the physical P2P installation was assigned to a third-party vendor.

 

 

Collaboration, Testing & Commissioning
 

Throughout the project, Procraft maintained transparent communication with CPR staff, ensuring system behavior was understood at every stage. Rather than deferring solely to documentation, Procraft prioritized hands-on validation, operational walkthroughs, and iterative refinement during commissioning.
 

This approach ensured:
 

• Systems performed as expected before going live
   

• CPR engineering staff were familiar with operational nuances
   

• Known issues were identified early rather than surfacing after handoff
   

 

Results & Ongoing Support
 

The ultimate measure of success for any broadcast facility is continuity of service — and the CPR headquarters has remained on air and operational since completion. Beyond initial commissioning, Procraft continues to support the facility under an active post-install service agreement providing:
 

• Remote troubleshooting
   

• Ongoing system support
   

• Technical continuity as issues arise
   

This ongoing relationship reflects Procraft’s role not only as an integrator, but as a long-term technical partner responsible for system stewardship beyond the construction phase.

 

Project Summary 

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• Facility Type: Broadcast & Production Headquarters
   

• Role: Audio Visual Integrator
   

• Key Systems: Live broadcast studios, performance studio, recording studios, distributed AV, P2P broadcast link
   

• Console Platform: DiGiCo SD9 (client-specified)
   

• Design Documentation: 90+ pages of single-line system drawings
   

• Support: Ongoing post-install service agreement

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