In these unusual economic times, lots of Chief Engineers at local TV stations are going through the annual budget submission process, just like they have in the past. Only thing is, this time around, the budget approvals may not be coming back from corporate the way they used to. Many stations are either living with the equipment complement they have, or are spending way less than they used to. Of course, the problem with this is that stations are not being asked to maintain the status quo in their operations. Instead, management and the public expect ever new innovative ways to reach their audience. Web Video, Mobile Video, DTV, HDTV.... the list goes on and need not be repeated here. We all know what I'm talking about.

So how can a station refresh, expand, and generally continue their migration to automated, file-based workflow that unleash these innovations, free the staff from mundane tasks, and generally allow a station to improve its competitive position in the market?

This question has been addressed, of course, by many industries faced with similar circumstances. Perhaps it was the good fortune of a 75-year run of luck that allowed broadcasters to largely avoid this question until now, but it seems we must now consider what others have in order to move ahead.

The answer many industries and companies have found over the years is to leverage the relatively easy availability of commercial leasing. When TV stations were "cash registers," as the old adage goes, nobody needed to think about such things. These days, however, commercial leasing might be just what the doctor ordered!

Traditionally, TV stations would just write a check for the entire amount of any equipment, software, and services purchases. But in these challenging times, why limit your options to this one method of payment? Why not do what most industries have been doing for years and finance purchases through a commercial leasing lender?