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Situated on the corners of Lisbon and Westminster streets since the 1980s, Maine Public Broadcasting Network’s (MPBN) Ladd Studio is the source for MPBN’s television programing.
The master control is in Bangor, so everything sent out via the airwaves must pass through there. But television production is done in Lewiston. (Radio programing comes from Portland and Bangor.)
MPBN is also the backbone of the state’s Emergency Alert System, according to David Merritt, director of internal technology.
“We automatically get the signal from one of three ways and broadcast it out to our listeners,” explained Merritt. “It is sent out, via the airwaves, to other stations within the state, and it automatically breaks into programming.”
MPBN has seven radio stations and five television stations, strategically placed throughout the state in order to provide a maximum amount of coverage.
“There are some really rural people that we are the only TV or radio signal they can receive,” said Merritt.
Back in the Lewiston studio, there are a lot of people behind MPBN’s television productions. Among them: a floor director, four camera operators, a production assist (“if we’re lucky”), an audio person, a director, a teleprompter, a CG station worker, an editor and an engineer, not to mention the talent and the guests.
Lewiston is the only place Maine Watch with Jennifer Rooks is filmed, unless it is on location for a show. After it is filmed and edited, it is transmitted to Bangor’s Master Control Center, where it is broadcast.
Maine Public Broadcasting Network’s Ladd Studio has been on the corner of Lisbon and Westminster streets in Lewiston since the 1980s. The majority of MPBN’s home-grown television programing originates from Lewiston, while the majority of radio programing originates from Portland and Bangor.
A map showing the reach of all five television stations that carry MPBN’s content hangs on a wall in the Ladd Studio in Lewiston.
At the dimly lit director’s station behind the scenes of MPBN’s Ladd Studio in Lewiston the director of the television show controls camera angles and gives directions to the floor director.
Long-time Production Coordinator Eric Bunford edits the weather segment at one of the many editing bays at the Ladd Studio.
At the engineer stations, the exposure and color balance for each of the four cameras in the studio can be remotely controlled.
At the engineer stations, the exposure and color balance for each of the four cameras in the studio can be remotely controlled.
A teleprompter is still set up following a recent taping of Maine Watch with Jennifer Rooks at the Lewiston studio.
Headsets are discarded on a table behind the scenes of MPBN’s Lewiston studio.
Four cameras are mounted on dollies on the set at MPBN’s Ladd Studio. The camera operators focus the cameras, while the angles are chosen by the director and the exposure and color balance are set by an engineer.
A sound station allows the sound engineer to control the levels of audio and also insert sound effects into MPBN’s television productions.
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