About the ABC News Acquisition Center
ABSAT IN THE BEGINNING...
In the early 1980's the ABC Network initiated an investigation into the next era of network distribution and satellite news gathering. A team composed of news personnel and engineers determined that a mix-and-match approach to C-band and Ku-band would give ABC News and its affiliated stations the maximum competitive edge. Under this plan, the network and stations could use the closest available technology rather than being limited to one. The meshing of the two technologies required extensive research and planning on the part of ABC.
ABC News Satellite Operations experimented with Ku and C-bands during 1985 as a part of daily news gathering efforts for the network. In December 1985, the ABSAT affiliate uplink network plan was proposed to stations at the ABC Board of Governors meeting.
In 1986, the Challenger disaster provided ABC News an opportunity to test the coordination process and turnaround procedures from KU to C-band. On January 31, 1986, KTRK - Houston's Ku truck fed continuously from 9:30 am to 9:21 pm providing live and taped material to the network, thirteen stations and foreign clients.
ABSAT became fully operational in the fall of 1986 with the first truck, KAKE in Wichita, Kansas, going on line for the 1986 November elections. With more than 140 uplinks currently operational all across the United States, ABSAT is one of the largest news gathering sources available to ABC stations.
In July of 2008, ABSAT became the ABC News Acquisition Center.
ABSAT OVERVIEW ABC News ABSAT is a multifaceted unit which works hand in hand with ABC NewsOne. ABSAT has three primary functions... 1. Scheduling, coordination and production of national live shots each day on breaking news or significant events for ABC stations and clients (such as the BBC, Univision, NHK, The Weather Channel, ZDTV and many others) 2. Coordination and scheduling of ABC's full-time Ku satellite inventory (32 digital paths daily) 3. On-site facilitation for stations and clients traveling to news events, either planned or breaking (such as the political conventions, Papal trips, major trials, national rallies or marches, etc.) In 2006, ABSAT / NewsOne provided over 4,900 live shots. For breaking news or major events, ABSAT and NewsOne coordinate correspondents, reporters, photographers, field producers, satellite trucks, satellite coordinates, scripts, editing, live shot assignments for each station and finally, the patching of all IFBs (six to eight affiliates and clients per half hour) from one of our four live consoles in ABSAT. When a major breaking news story occurs, ABSAT/NewsOne offers live shots around the clock, beginning with the East Coast morning shows at 5:00 am/et and continuing until the end of the late newscasts on the West Coast at 2:30 am/et. These stations call ABSAT several times each day to reserve and book satellite windows for their newscasts, breaking news and special programming. On busy days, ABSAT books 200-plus satellite windows. ABSAT also facilitates the many Ku satellite orders for ABC NewsOnes' daily newsgathering (of which all ABC shows, especially GMA and World News, make much use).