Minnesota State Capitol

Engaged to relocate the Minnesota state legislature’s broadcast systems facilities as part of a massive Capitol restoration project, Alpha partnered with the state also to bring its broadcast infrastructure into the digital era – and, in so doing, maximize the transparency of the legislative process. Prior to the start of the restoration, the Senate’s broadcast system was located in the basement of the Capitol Building, while the House’s media facilities occupied space on the third floor. Alpha built new, state-of-the-art broadcast control rooms in the nearby State Office Building. Designed to provide the highest quality video communication, the new facilities transitioned from analog technology to HD video and digital audio – all connected via a new fiber network.

During the legislative season, live floor sessions, committee meetings, and press conferences often happen concurrently. To meet this demand, Alpha designed and integrated two state-of-the-art broadcast control rooms, a third room for the equipment racks, and a fiber video network to connect the control rooms to the Capitol building. Each broadcast control room included a Ross Video XPression Studio graphics system, Ross Carbonite production switcher, Grass Valley Stratus video production and content management system, Grass Valley K2 3G media server, and a Miranda master control package and routing system. Sony HXC-D70 broadcast cameras on Ross Video Cambot control systems provided HD coverage in the House of Representative and Senate Chambers. Alpha also installed Panasonic AW-HE120 PTZ cameras in three committee rooms in the Capitol building and two additional committee rooms in the State Office Building.

The State of Minnesota’s vision for its upgraded broadcast facilities centered around capacity and operability – essential features for maximizing citizen engagement in the legislative process. Alpha engineers’ design of the control rooms and video network at the State Capitol enable legislative technicians to broadcast and stream more content – more easily – than ever before. In addition, technicians provide post-production programming to encourage the public’s participation in the legislature. The process of archiving of videos for posterity has also become simpler, yet more robust. Says Alpha’s government account executive, Mike Pouh: “Minnesota has a national reputation for governmental transparency, and this project gave us the opportunity to reinforce that ethos.”