Nov. 5—WATERTOWN — The spaghetti-like tangle of wires and cables observed at the height of a million-dollar transformation project at WWNY-TV7/WNYF-TV are now hidden, quietly doing their job, connecting this and that — to power and command an investment ready to proceed full-throttle, with a launch date later this month.

The investment includes everything from production equipment, remote units for reporters in the field for live coverage, cameras in front of anchors and reporters in the studio, to the chairs that the people behind the scenes depend on as programming is channeled to viewers.

And those cables? WWNY/WNYF chief engineer Jim Felton said he ordered 18,000 feet, nearly 3.5 miles of it — which could stretch a line from the Arcade Street studios up and a bit beyond the Mirabito Convenience Store on Route 232. But the project involves other tentacles, the non-tactile type, which will allow the local station to reach out, and to receive and send programming seamlessly.

The owner of WWNY/WNYF, Atlanta-based Gray Television, has heavily invested in the station since the company purchased it in 2019, part of a national strategy to upgrade and connect all of its 113 stations around the nation, which reach 36% of U.S. television households.

Gray purchased WWNY/WNYF in 2019 from United Communications Corp.

"We bought this station because we believe strongly in buying number one television stations," said WWNY/WNYF general manager Eric O. Krebs, appointed by Gray Television in 2019 to lead the station. "In this market, we are the megaphone and the powerhouse station in this market. And when we buy in markets, we invest and we invest in the north country."

Gray Television, Mr. Krebs said, had a "very strong" impression of the station's previous owners.

"It was very well known for its number one presence and its talent and its services to the north country," he said. "We're committed to perpetuate that. The million dollars that we invested in this project is designed to better serve the community at large. It's designed to deliver breaking news and weather and to connect people in the community, because that's what we do."

Mr. Felton said that since 2019, Gray has invested nearly $3 million in the station. "That's more investment than United put in, in 10 years," he said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Krebs said, Gray continues to add stations.

"To give you an idea, when I first joined Gray back in 2011, we were 36 stations. Right now, we're in 113 markets. We have grown exponentially," he said.

In 2021, Gray Television purchased 17 stations owned by Meredith Corp. Also in 2021, it acquired stations with the acquisition of Quincy Media Inc. Gray has become the nation's second-largest television broadcaster.

The main purpose of the WWNY/WNYF project is to connect with other Gray stations, with all operating from the same technical playbook.

"The ultimate goal is to have all the Gray stations connected, where they can share video," said John H. Seymour, WWNY/WNYF's director of broadcast operations. "So, say there's news hurricane footage down in Florida. With our affiliate in Florida, we could use their visuals and, with a click of a button, download it and use it for our broadcast."

Previously, such an arrangement had to rely on options such as satellite, which could be expensive to rent time for, or contacting other CBS and Fox affiliates or CNN to request stories that aired.

"If you're not getting video from those sources, you're out of luck," Mr. Seymour said. "Now, with the tentacles that Gray has, we're able to get resources, video and whatnot from those other stations."

Jeffery L. Cole, "7News This Evening" anchor and news director, sees lots of potential for such an arrangement.

"That's the Gray way, in terms of having the infrastructure to provide local programming that all of our stations are looking for," he said. "If that's the recipe out there, this will help us."

For example, he envisions a future debate related to a political race, such as in the sprawling 21st Congressional District, one of the largest geographically in the eastern U.S. The area includes Plattsburgh in Clinton County. WCAX-TV, owned by Gray, is a CBS affiliate for the Plattsburgh and Burlington, Vermont, areas.

"And we're able to call up, you know, like a Joe Brown, who knows us and we know them," Mr. Cole said. "Instead of CBS. They don't know us as well. We don't have that relationship."

Mr. Cole gave another, far-reaching example.

"If there was a big speech at a Republican event in Iowa, if (Congresswoman) Elise Stefanik was speaking and it wasn't available through our CBS affiliate or something like that, it will be easier for us in that fashion if we're able to pull our own resources within our own company and to be able to grab it that much easier," he said.

New views, venues

To make it all work, the WWNY/WNYF upgrade includes equipment for the station's studio and control rooms. There are 13 new 4K cameras on tripods in the studio, replacing six cameras installed in 2007. Above them are new lights. The old cameras were high-definition, but not 4K like the new ones. The new cameras have two screens — one for the teleprompter words and a return monitor, where anchors and reporters will be able to see themselves on air as they broadcast, or to view what is being seen by viewers.

"Sometimes, with some of the video we roll, if it's a live shot like the fuel truck explosion up in Gouverneur-Fowler the other day, sometimes when you get that, it's the first time you're seeing what you're putting on television," Mr. Cole said. "So you have to explain what you're seeing on TV and kind of walk the viewer through what they are seeing. Also, when a live shot is up, as an anchor, you want to know when you're on TV. If you have a live shot up and you have yourself and a reporter on TV together at the same time, and the director tells me in my ear that he's coming to that shot, you are able to look at it and know. You're aware of your surroundings."

According to Statista, as of March 2021, around 44% of U.S. television households had a 4K-capable TV set at home compared to 31% in 2019.

"The cameras and TVs that people have, it's always upgrading," Mr. Cole said. "For us to have the latest technology and run in that race is important to us. You don't want to be left behind and you want to feel that you're important to have this kind of investment."

Mr. Cole said producing the newscast will be the same, but added, "It's going to be nice to have more camera angles in here. Essentially, more cameras will allow us to have different options when we're in the studio in different ways in presenting the news, from whether it's our morning and noon, to evening."

The station's upgrade will also enhance live reports by reporters in the field with the purchase of three new units made by LiveU Inc.

"These are top-end infield units capable of multicamera output for live news gathering and complex remote productions," Mr. Seymour said. "In short, we can now service remote parts of the north country where cell service is sparse."

Viewers will also see other changes in the upgrade related to software. Two systems are being introduced:

Gray's Live-Link is a web-based portal in which all Gray stations throughout 113 markets can share, stream, record and broadcast live video content, enhancing storytelling capabilities.

G-Sync, developed by Nvidia, is a digital tool of display technology that houses a vast database and character generators, enabling stations to streamline their local school closings, election results, breaking news crawls and weather alerts.

Air command

There have been some speed bumps as the upgrade has proceeded. For example, Mr. Cole said the station has received recent calls about why the station's noon news has switched to one anchor. Due to the studio/control room construction and new camera install, a limited number of cameras have been available in any given newscast.

"This will allow us to bring back the two-camera setup that we can do for our noon broadcast," Mr. Cole said. "Immediately, viewers will see that. They'll have both anchors back."

Mr. Seymour said the station plans to "flip the switch" to the new system around mid-November.

When one not accustomed to high-tech broadcast gear walks into the upgraded area containing those switches, monitors, buttons and other equipment, it seems as if there are preparations for a moon landing, rather than efforts to get the latest "NCIS" episode out or to inform viewers about what's going on in their neighborhoods. Before construction, the station had two rooms: master control and production control. Those rooms have been merged into the technical media producer (TMP) room. Equipment, including new equipment and equipment originally housed in the production control room, was installed in new racks located in master control.

In 2007, the station was upgraded to OverDrive, made by Ross Video, for automated production control. That replaced a system that ran ParkerVision technology, which brought automation options.

"We were able to direct a newscast with one competent director," Mr. Seymour said.

The new upgrades will enhance OverDrive.

"As far as bodies, that hasn't changed," Mr. Seymour said. "It doesn't take any more or any less. But we have a better environment and more state-of-the-art equipment to do so."

At master control, monitors reflect the feeds coming in from CBS, Fox and MeTV, along with how those feeds are being broadcast, such as over-the-air antenna, cable, Dish, and DirectTV. Paramount and Hulu Live streaming services are also monitored.

"So, if someone calls in and says, 'You're off the air,' I have that same monitor in my office and can look up and say, "No, we're not.' And then, I would ask, 'How are you watching us?'" Mr. Seymour said.

Master control is staffed 22 hours per day.

"We have an operator here who controls the playlists, preps media, preps commercials, our syndication product, so it airs appropriately and runs commercials when they need to," Mr. Seymour said. "This is the nervous system/brains, heart of the station."

"The person who sits in this chair, I consider to be the most important person at the station," Mr. Felton said. "If they don't do their job, you don't get to see it. It's that simple."

Mr. Seymour said production workers are being cross-trained.

"So not only can you do master, you're also going to be cross-trained to direct and vice versa," Mr. Seymour said. "It's no longer polarized, separate jobs. It's now just one job. So, a technical media producer can sit down and run master, and a technical media producer can sit down and direct a news cast."

Master control, Mr. Felton said, was originally built to handle three TV networks.

"I'm building that to handle five," he said.

"We've built in capabilities to future-proof us in the event we have any network expansion," Mr. Seymour said.

Mr. Seymour said the station's engineers have worked diligently in the past year to install the upgrades, while dealing with supply chain issues and the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Jim's team has just been incredible — working nights, days, weekends. Things were hard," Mr. Seymour said.

Mr. Felton shared an analogy of the work: It's as if he and the crew changed a car's transmission while it was being driven down the road.

But that drive came with a caveat.

"You don't coast," Mr. Felton said. "You don't have time to coast."