Allentown, PA-Owned by Maranatha Broadcasting Company, WFMZ-TV is an independent station based in Allentown, PA, which also operates Maranatha-owned MeTV affiliate WDPN-TV Philadelphia. We are a unique operation, broadcasting more than 10 hours of local news per day, covering the northern tier of the Philadelphia DMA and a total of 12 subchannels across our stations.
As sponsorships have become more graphics-intensive, we realized that our old automation was showing its limitations. Managing playout and graphics across multiple features and monitored channels has also become increasingly inefficient with our current system. We needed a consolidated platform from a single vendor that could easily handle automation and graphics.
linked deployment
That’s exactly what Imagine Communications offers. We adopted the company’s ADC automation and Versio graphics solutions, deploying automation at three sites: our main studios in Allentown, a disaster recovery site, and a separate onsite disaster playout server at the MeTV transmitter site in Philadelphia.
With the Imagine solution, we get an integrated workflow that matches perfectly with the way we already create content. The built-in Adobe After Effects integration was particularly valuable.
Once we chose Imagine and went online, the benefits were immediate. Our syndicated content comes from sources like Extreme Reach and Pitch Blue. For years, we’ve divided shows manually, a slow process of recording and dividing each program by hand.
This changed with Imagine’s Motion feature, which automatically reads BXF metadata from the syndicator to the segment program. Even when problems arise, we can recover and partition them within minutes. Efficiency and reliability have improved tremendously.
Versio Graphics has also changed the way we engage with our audiences. We now use a wide range of on-screen graphics, L-bars, snips and more in our newscasts and sponsored snips on a variety of channels. Every month, we partner with a local client for an awareness campaign related to that month’s theme.
For example, for Hispanic Heritage Month, we created educational snips with revolving facts about Hispanic history and culture. The system randomized what facts appeared, keeping the content fresh and engaging.
We experienced another example of the system’s flexibility when our Reading, PA, newsroom celebrated the 30th anniversary of its “Burke Edition” newscast. Using Versio Graphics, we created a dynamic on-screen bug that animated from our standard logo to reveal the anniversary symbol. With the Dynamic Branding feature, the automation recognized and automatically switched to particular bugs when the Berks Edition newscast went live, no reprogramming required.
The same efficiency extends to our weather channel, which runs nearly 300 graphics, all based on the same Adobe After Effects template that lets us quickly swap in client logos and publish updates. This process saves hours of production time and keeps each graphic in line with our design standards. Versio Graphics makes it easy to maintain, even though we manage multiple updates each week.
Earlier this year, the platform played a key role in overhauling our weather channel, enabling us to replace a complex system of external machines and contact closures. The system’s new “Play from Folder” feature lets us integrate video playback directly into the graphics engine, turning what could have been an expensive rebuild into a quick, affordable transition.
Versio Graphics
Choosing Imagine for our operations was the right move. Versio graphics and ADC automation bring reliability, flexibility and creativity to everything we do. The audience response has been overwhelmingly positive and Imagine’s support team has been excellent. Whether troubleshooting or finding the source of problems, they have always been responsive and professional, even during late night calls.
As an independent station preparing to celebrate our 50th anniversary during Thanksgiving week of 2026, we continue to chart our path, guided by a visionary management team that is always planning for growth. Our infrastructure gives us room to expand, and with Versio graphics and ADC automation at the core, we are well-positioned to continue to innovate and deliver high-quality local content.
More information is available here https://imaginecommunications.com/.
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