System relocation a top priority
In the summer of 2001, nearly all of Houston was at least partially underwater as a deluge
of rain from Tropical Storm Allison pounded the area. At KHOU-TV, Houston’s CBS
Network affiliate, meteorologists tracked the storm and reported how the community was
holding up.
Meanwhile, the station was fighting its own battle with the elements. Things proved chal-
lenging as water seeped into the studio and flooded the first floor computer room. Station
staffers, moving quickly, scrambled to get all the equipment off the floor and keep the sta-
tion on the air.
Although they were successful in relocating station systems, which helped the news team
deliver continuous coverage, the IT team was left with a very clear message in Allison’s
wake: relocate their systems in a manner that would still allow users to access and con-
trol them from the first floor.
The solution they chose to deploy is the Avocent AMX
®
KVM switching system. KHOU IT
staff moved much of their hardware to the safer confines of the building’s second floor.
They consolidated control of their computers and devices into a single user interface
which allowed operators and engineers in multiple locations to access the same devices
from the live studio.
KHOU provides local news, weather, sports, and special features of interest to the greater
Houston market and surrounding area. Owned by Belo, the ninth largest media company
in the U.S., the station leads its competition in providing breaking weather information in
Houston. The station Website, KHOU.com, features a downtown weather cam, several
Doppler radar options and personalized weather forecasts on demand.
AMX switches at work
Because of its close proximity to the coast, Houston can experience severe weather several
times throughout any given year. Recognizing that what happened with Allison could occur
again, Jeff Lovetinsky, director of information technology, began looking for a solution to
keep IT equipment high, dry and accessible. He wanted to get systems off the first floor,
enable connectivity from the studio and maintain the ability to stay on-air even during the
most intense weather situations.
“The Avocent solution gives us the
connectivity we need and has
allowed us to put our hardware
in a centralized rack room,
allowing user access throughout
the building.”
Jeff Lovetinsky
Director of Information Technology
KHOU-TV
Case Study
KHOU-TV discovers AMX switching system
is best flood insurance to stay on-air
The Power of Being There
®