Leitch gets graphic: the purchase of Inscriber Technology expands product line and visibility.(Technology)

Broadcast equipment-maker Leitch has enlarged its business. The company just bought Inscriber Technology, known for its graphic and character-generation technology, for approximately $14.5 million.

"Graphics has been a major hole in our product offerings," says Leitch CEO Tim Thorsteinson. "We want to be viewed like Thomson Grass Valley or Sony, not simply as a player in the modular or server market."

Leitch's product line runs the gamut from routing switchers to nonlinear editing systems to storage units. And Thorsteinson is aggressively moving to add more items in 2005.

Upping the company's offerings goes beyond growing its inventory. In the …