Comprompter History
The first COMPROMPTER ENR (Electronic NewsRoom) was installed and
went into operation in August of 1982. The original system developer,
Ralph King, organized a business partnership and in April of 1985,
formed the present corporation and became its President. Comprompter
was among the pioneers in electronic newsrooms and is the only  independent
company that still has the original developer as its president.
In these days of corporate buyouts and mergers, it is unique to
find a company that is self-owned, still has its original president,
and still creates and controls its own products.
Timely Installation and Training are critical.
When a television newsroom converts to a new computer system, there
is a time frame into which the system must integrate for the smoothest
possible transition for the client.
Training personnel during a computer installation is difficult
at any station, but it is particularly difficult for smaller stations
where news staff is forced to do their training between stories.
Inevitably there is always at least one or two people that are resistant
to change, sometimes it's the sports guy, sometimes it is a senior
reporter who is unwilling to adjust and this is where a really good,
experienced trainer who has “been there, done that” comes
in handy.
Meeting Special Needs is just as important as the Basic Ones.
Stations always have special needs, and, as a small company, Comprompter
that will take the time to work with you in resolving those needs.
If your station needs to distribute Network Video Feeds to various
workstations so that producers can preview network stories and get
them to air easier and faster, Comprompter can set up the ENR system
so that people who are producing and/or writing have instant access
to view the network low-resolution video directly on their workstation.
Thus, eliminating the need to physically move to view a tape in
an edit bay or control room.
By just popping open the viewer, a writer or producer can see
the video at their desk, and get an more exact picture of what they’re
doing when they write a reporter track or a SOT. It's also easier
and more efficient to actually look at a story and tell if it's
really a feature that fits into the news show. When you make it
easy for people to actually look at the video they’re working
with, you’ll end up with writing and captioning that better
marries words to pictures. As stations go digital locally, this
functionality can be added to their local news stories as well.
Comprompter is a NewsRoom company that really knows news.
If you’ve used other newsroom systems, the first thing that
becomes clear is that Comprompter knows news … and production.
The producer desks are very powerful and enable you to manipulate
"show rundowns" better than you have ever experienced.
Whether you use Comprompter for just TV or for an “All News
All The Time” radio station. Comprompter comes through with
flying colors every time. An all-news radio station is particularly
demanding because "live shows" are being produced and
presented 24 hours a day. Comprompter can even trigger your news
audio playbacks automatically. All the packages, radio voicers and
actualities load, cue and play at exactly the right time.
Automation should mean “easier”.
In terms of automation, the character generator interface is nearly
flawless. It can virtually eliminate your "Font Operator"
during newscast presentation. There's a ripple effect from having
the entire character generator system automated … the producers
and directors don't have to focus on making sure the fonts are turned
in and entered. That means they can focus less on the mechanical
issues of producing a show and focus more on the creative and stylistic
issues. It makes for a better-produced show, which means better
ratings.
When it comes to Close Captioning, Comprompter is about the only
one concerned about synchronizing the captioned text to the video.
Packages and Sot's are automatically synced during on-air playback
by ENR – without anyone pressing any buttons or baby-sitting
the captioned output. And ENR clears the captioning so it does not
cover your clients commercials.
Elections are also news.
Comprompter’ VoteMaster election software can make your election
night a dream come true. VoteMaster can give you results faster
than anyone else in the market, calculate the percentages all around,
and instantly and automatically create air-ready CG ‘s …
whether in Lower Thirds squeezed over network video, or in Full-Page
format for fully anchored cut-ins.
A newsroom system is only as good as the people behind it.
Comprompter has some news directors who have been using an ENR newsroom
system almost as long as the company has been in business. They
choose it because it’s fast, easy to use and reliable. And,
as everyone knows, sooner or later you need instant help. That’s
where good people come in. The majority of the Comprompter support
staff has been with the company for 12 – 18 years … and
that means stability!
Service only counts if you can get it when you need it.
Comprompter has a client in Duluth, Minnesota that had a fire rip
through their station late one Sunday night, leaving little more
than a couple of sets of field gear, a temporary studio at the transmitter,
and two Comprompter computers loaded with ENR. The system was flexible
enough to allow them to build the next day’s newscasts.
Comprompter got the SOS call about ten o'clock, the morning after
the fire and by noon the next day had built a full TURNKEY system,
which they promised to install the next day!
On Tuesday, less than 36 hours after the fire, Comprompter staff
was on-site setting up a complete replacement newsroom computer
system. The Comprompter team worked out a thousand potentially crippling
details, getting the system up and running with prompter and incoming
wires in time for the news staff to put together newscasts for that
day’s 5 & 6-pm. While this is a very atypical event, this
is a typical Comprompter reaction, based on the philosophy that
we are members of the same team and we are in the news business.
Immediate and courteous support is always available 24 hours a
day. Friendly, knowledgeable service that doesn’t make your
news people feel embarrassed or put down is a Comprompter specialty.
Comprompter has a history of being a small company with a big heart.
Ralph King President
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