Lightning / Transient Protection on Dry Contact Closures

Having a recurring problem over and over. Every time we get a severe storm in our area, we get a lightning strike on our tower. This invokes the usual spike up the copper lines from the satellite recievers (located 200 feet away) to our Broadcast Tools 8x2 Plus switchers (in the studio building). I've isolated the audio coming up by way of fiber optic networks, so that portion of the switchers usually don't have a problem. It's the GPI/PIP connections that constantly get blown. Anyone have an idea on how to reduce this? I have considered using a closure to IP solution, but that isn't in the budget and will never be. One way I'm thinking is by use of ferrite cores on each of the wires coming up, putting one on each of the GPI lines feeding the switcher. Suggestions, thoughts?

Bypass capacitors and MOV's in combination are inexpensive and provide at least some protection on your contact closures. You would just need a good ground connection so the stray voltage has somewhere to go.

You could try using some opto-isolators like a PS2501-4A from Digi-Key (this one has four isolators in one package). Those, along with a small DC power supply and properly sized current limit resistors on the LED side may solve the problem. I would also put a diode like a 1N4148 across the LED of the isolator (in the opposite direction) to protect against reverse voltage breakdown. Install the isolators at the switcher location.