Dielectric: Trusted for Decades. Ready for Tomorrow.

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Dielectric began its journey 77 years ago, helping to pioneer the broadcast age. Started by Dr. Charles “Doc” Brown, the Dielectric Products Corporation began developing transmission lines for early wartime radar systems in 1942, and then transitioned to providing equipment for the emerging television broadcast industry. Since that time, the company’s drive to innovate has never waned.

“Dielectric has certainly grown up right alongside the broadcasting industry,” said Keith Pelletier, VP and General Manager who’s been with the company for 22 years. “This company has a proud history that goes well beyond our early achievements. In the early 1990’s we installed the first digital TV antenna, and 15 years later, during the transition from analog to digital, completed the transition of more than 1,300 broadcasters to DTV,” added Pelletier. “A few years later, our engineering of the HD-FMV master antenna and FM interleaved arrays paved the way to HD radio broadcasting.”

Now, Dielectric supplies more than 70 percent of the DTV antennas for the domestic market; in addition to working with customers in South America, North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, as these markets continue to grow.

“In 2017, as we celebrated our 75th anniversary, we opened a second facility in Lewiston, Maine to increase our throughput with the large repack demand. In addition, we developed new engineering solutions to better serve our partners during the compressed repack timeline,” said Pelletier.

The Dielectric facility offers fully designed and manufactured broadcast systems, including all components from transmitter output to tower top, enabling the company to offer a level of customization and quality control unmatched in the industry. Product lines include antennas, RF systems, transmission lines, and software for support service and planning.

Dielectric’s global broadcast-technology expertise enables rapid, effective solutions to challenges whenever and wherever they arise. “We’re the best broadcast ‘firefighters’ in the world,” said Pelletier. “We can figure things out quickly for customers, meet demands, and come in on time.”

And how has the company achieved such innovation and long-term partnerships over the almost eight decades in business? Pelletier attributes their successes to the great people they hire and keep. “We have dozens of employees that have been with the company for two, three, and in some cases four decades,” said Pelletier. “Strong teamwork and an emphasis on engineering excellence and customer service enable us to respond quickly with solutions and products; these are the cornerstones of our success and result in strong customer loyalty to the Dielectric brand.”

As for what’s on the docket for Dielectric now, Pelletier noted, “We’re amid the FCC repack, with widespread ATSC 3.0 deployment imminent. The next few years will be the biggest in Dielectric’s history.”

Dielectric is headquartered in Raymond, Maine (Doc Brown’s hometown) with an antenna facility in Lewiston, Maine. For more information or to contact a representative or visit www.dielectric.com.

By Keara Piekanski for Inside Towers

February 27, 2019

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