Sending the Signal Out

A NASDAQ MarketSite technician can see the final version of a report on a screen called the "confidence monitor." This screen shows the technician exactly what is being sent out to the network.

©2007 HowStuffWorks The NASDAQ MarketSite confidence monitor allows technicians to see the final product before it's broadcast.

The technician's final act is to adjust the router so that the signal goes to the right network. There are 16 individual fiber strands leaving the studio. Some go straight to a network. Others go to hubs that can route to anywhere in the world on a case-by-case basis.

But what if something goes wrong, or if the network wants to adjust a detail here and there? The network has a phone line that they can use to talk to the technician. The network or technician can also talk to the reporter using an ear piece that the reporter wears known as an IFB.

Other Performances
The MarketSite broadcast studio handles other events, too. For example, every morning there's an opening ceremony held in the studio. A central podium lowers from the ceiling and locks into position on the floor. During an opening ceremony, there might be 30 people standing around the podium at center stage. The broadcast of this ceremony is sent out worldwide, and anyone can pick it up. It is also displayed on the MarketSite Tower in Times Square. A similar closing ceremony happens in the afternoon.

The studio also has a second level that contains glass broadcast booths. Each booth is large enough to hold a reporter, a small desk and chair, a light and a single camera. The reporter can sit in the booth to do a more intimate report, if need be.

©2007 HowStuffWorks An individual reporting booth

There is also a large press room in the MarketSite facility. For special events, members of the press are escorted to the press room and can report from there.

To learn more, see the links in the following section.