Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc.

The Customer

Capitol Broadcasting Company Inc. (www.cbc-raleigh.com)(CBC), is a diversified communications company that owns and/or operates a myriad of divergent holdings across North Carolina including WRAL-TV, WRAL.com Local Techwire, WRAL-FM, WRAL-HD2, the North Carolina News Network, Wolfpack Sports Marketing, WRAZ-TV in Raleigh, NC, and The Durham Bulls in Durham, NC. CBC’s legacy of hard work, creativity, and a commitment to their audiences, their clients, and their employees has made them a successful broadcasting company and industry leader in the communications fi eld. As a business leader, CBC continues to provide the highest level of service and expertise to their listeners and clients in order to increase their profitability and market share. As a community leader, CBC reinforces their belief that a company cannot meet its business responsibility without meeting its community responsibility. It is a combination of their quality and local interests that drove them to partner with Windstream Hosted Solutions.

The Challenge

Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc. set out to find a technology provider that shared its local interests, but operated on an enterprise level. With the web becoming a much more powerful medium, John Clark, general manager for WRAL.com, realized the need for a more robust web presence. “The internet has outpaced any communication’s medium in growth, and being a leader in the communications industry, we had to use all means necessary to provide our content to our audience,” Clark said. Since launching in 1996, WRAL.com’s site viewership had increased significantly. With that increase came an increased focus on stability, speed, and reliability.

“When we decided to rebuild WRAL.com, the hosting environment was a primary concern,” Clark said. “We needed reliable delivery and protection of our web applications in an environment that could expand to support our growing traffic and service initiatives.” The new WRAL.com homepage design featured a simplified horizontal navigation menu at the top of the page, a prominently placed Flash video player, expanded images with top stories, and enhanced search functionality. WRAL.com realized the need to partner with a provider that can accommodate their needs. Clark said, “We needed delivery and protection of our critical web applications in a secure environment to support the deployment of WRAL’s new web initiatives.”

In doing the initial technology review, Windstream Hosted Solutions identifi ed that a robust state-of-the-art network with full redundancy was needed to deliver the high bandwidth and scalable applications of the new site. During periods of inclement weather or breaking news the viewership would skyrocket, and the provider they choose would need to be able to adequately provision their network to handle these fluctuations.

In addition, they would also require a technical team that had the knowledge and experience to provide support as needed for CBC.

In the evaluation period, Clark sought a provider that could meet its technical needs:

• An enterprise-class hosting facility to support the deployment of WRAL’s new web initiatives.
• A provider network that allows for burstability, scalability, and expansion. This will ensure WRAL can deliver a positive client experience to their customers.
• A provider that can guarantee availability and support for all systems. These requirements include redundant power, network infrastructure, and security.
• A provider with a diverse and experienced technical team that can be leveraged as needed to assist WRAL with their day-to-day requirements and future initiatives.

Clark had the forethought during their evaluation to know that a local partner would allow for the development of a mutually beneficial relationship.

“Capitol Broadcasting Company would gain a partner that can assist in future growth and expansion,” Clark said. “We have been very pleased with the service, support, and assistance Windstream Hosted Solutions has provided. We are able to stay focused on our core product - content.”

The Solution

After conducting a data center review process, WRAL.com chose Windstream Hosted Solutions, a provider of managed hosting and data center services. Operating five SAS 70 Type II certified data centers in Charlotte, Cary and Raleigh, North Carolina; and Boston, Massachusetts; Windstream Hosted Solutions offered WRAL.com colocation services with managed security services.

Windstream Hosted Solutions has adapted their set up based on demand by upgrading their power and bandwidth, as well as implemented a worldwide content delivery system ensuring the best viewer experience anywhere in the world. “Their industry and technical knowledge was terrific, and they spoke in terms of solutions versus needs,” Clark said. The configuration was constructed seamlessly, and the relationship has been very prosperous as WRAL.com’s site is the most visited broadcasting site in the country.

The partnership was made in large part due to fiscal sense and the belief in a true business partner, but technically is where the partnership has paid true dividends.

“We are elated with the quick response times and the very stable environment we have with Windstream Hosted Solutions,” Clark said. “With Windstream Hosted Solutions managing the operations of the hosting environment, things have run smoothly. With their scalable and customized solutions, we have a partner in Windstream Hosted Solutions that truly has our best interest in mind.”