ATLANTA—Gray Media and the Cleveland Cavaliers announced a deal with DAZN that will allow Gray to broadcast 15 regular season Cavaliers games on free, over-the-air TV during the 2026-27 NBA season.

The 15-game package is a simulcast of the games available for free that are in front of the Cavaliers on DAZN paid subscription paywall offering.

The games will air locally in Cleveland on Gray Media’s stations, WOIO (CBS 19) and WUAB (MyNet 43), and statewide on Rock Entertainment Sports Network.

Rock Entertainment Sports Network is a collaboration between Gray Media and Rock Entertainment Group, which owns the Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Sirens, Cleveland Monsters, and Cleveland Charge.

In addition, Gray stations in other markets, including Cincinnati, Ohio; Lima, Ohio; and Parkersburg, West Virginia will also air the 15-game package. Gray will seek additional third-party broadcasters to air the games in other parts of the territory where Gray does not own or operate television stations.

“We are absolutely thrilled to partner with the Cavaliers and DAZN to bring world-class basketball straight to our viewers' living rooms completely free of charge,” said Chris Conroy, general manager of WOIO/WUAB. “Local sports belong on local television, and this historic agreement delivers for Cavs fans.”

WUAB has a long history of broadcasting Cavaliers games and a nostalgic legacy of carrying Cleveland Indians baseball. Live Cleveland Cavaliers basketball adds to a lineup that has featured the Cleveland Browns, Columbus Blue Jackets hockey, college football, NCAA March Madness, and events like The Masters.

“In partnership with Gray and DAZN, we've built the most enhanced and accessible broadcast ecosystem we've had in years,” said Nic Barlage, CEO of Rock Entertainment Group, Cleveland Cavaliers and Rocket Arena. “Our fans are at the core of every decision we make, and this season we're proud to triple the number of games available for free, over-the-air on Gray's local stations and Rock Entertainment Sports Network.”

The current schedule provided below is subject to change. The broadcast schedule will include pregame and postgame coverage.

• Mon. October 26, 2026 - Minnesota at Cleveland 7:00 PM (WUAB)
• Thur. October 29, 2026 - Cleveland at Atlanta 7:00 PM (WUAB)
• Mon. November 2, 2026 - Oklahoma City at Cleveland 7:00 PM (WOIO-CBS)
• Sat. November 14, 2026 - Dallas at Cleveland 7:30 PM (WOIO-CBS)
• Sat. December 12, 2026 - Golden State at Cleveland 8:00 PM (WOIO-CBS)
• Fri. December 18, 2026 - Cleveland at Detroit 7:30 PM (WOIO-CBS)
• Wed. December 23, 2026 - Cleveland at Washington 7:00 PM (WOIO-CBS)
• Sat. January 2, 2027 - Cleveland at Charlotte 1:00 PM (WOIO-CBS)
• Sat. January 23, 2027 - Cleveland at Dallas 8:00 PM (WOIO-CBS)
• Fri. January 29, 2027 - Cleveland at Toronto 7:00 PM (WOIO-CBS)
• Sat. February 6, 2027 - Orlando at Cleveland 7:30 PM (WOIO-CBS)
• Sun. February 14, 2027 - Phoenix at Cleveland 1:00 PM (WOIO-CBS)
• Tue. March 9, 2027 - Cleveland at Detroit 8:00 PM (WOIO-CBS or WUAB)
• Sun. March 14, 2027 - Cleveland at Sacramento 6:00 PM (WOIO-CBS or WUAB)
• Sun. April 4, 2027 - Charlotte at Cleveland 3:00 PM (WOIO-CBS or WUAB)

BALTIMORE and IRVING, Texas—Sinclair and Nexstar Media Group are launching a consumer awareness campaign Sept. 17 to educate viewers in 13 markets about the benefits of NextGen TV.

The campaign will run in seven Nexstar markets—including Cleveland; Austin, Texas; Kansas City, Mo.; Tampa, Fla.; Portland, Ore.; Buffalo, N.Y.; and Denver—and in six Sinclair markets—Las Vegas; Columbus, Ohio; Nashville, Tenn.; Baltimore; Seattle; and Washington.

The campaign’s goal is to raise viewer awareness of NextGen TV. Available as a TV spot and a social media post, the promo asks: “On game days, who’s got next? With NextGen TV, you do.” The message informs viewers that NextGen TV delivers their favorite games in UHD and immersive sound, as well as their local news, weather and favorite shows.

The campaign builds on the consumer-education initiative Sinclair developed and tested in Columbus during the summer.

“Consumer education is an important part of accelerating adoption of NextGen TV,” said Del Parks, president of technology at Sinclair. “Our experience in Columbus demonstrated that when consumers understand what NextGen TV is, how to access it and the benefits it can deliver, we can meaningfully increase engagement. By partnering with Nexstar, we can take what we learned from that campaign and bring a consistent, consumer-friendly message to viewers across an even broader group of markets. Now is the time for all broadcasters to begin promoting the advantages of NextGen TV.”

The campaign also includes website GoNextGenTV.com, where consumers can learn what NextGen TV programming is available in their area using a search-by-ZIP code feature.

The site also explains the steps needed to set up a NextGen TV viewing experience, whether with an ATSC 3.0-compatible set or a converter box and existing TV. It offers an extensive list of consumer devices—including converter boxes, NextGen TV sets, antennas and cables—as well as a frequently asked questions section and a list of the standard’s benefits.

“The transition to NextGen TV has been a story of broadcasters working together to bring new capabilities to TV viewers. The cooperation and collaboration with Sinclair to educate those viewers is the next chapter in that story,” said Brett Jenkins, Nexstar’s executive vice president and chief technology and digital officer. “We’re confident that as consumers come to understand the advantages of NextGen TV, they will be eager to adopt it and will seek out TV models with ATSC 3.0 capability.”

As a veteran of 25-plus IBC Shows over the past nearly 30 years, I can attest that navigating the annual gathering has its own particular quirks that distinguish it from the NAB Show, particularly the tone of the locale. Apart from the fact that Amsterdam is the “wet and humid” show and NAB is the “dry” show (but only when talking about the climate), IBC also represents a more relaxed tone that reflects the nature of the ancient city itself.

Nevertheless, most of the themes were similar, and before we set our sights on the next gathering (NAB Show New York), I wanted to share some of my thoughts around the central themes:

AI: IBC reported 41,225 attendees for the show, which ran Sept. 11-14 at the RAI Amsterdam, down 6% from 2025. Although consolidation, particularly among U.S. broadcasters, is often cited as one of the main reasons for the decline, I also think it represents a cooling off from the past three or four years, when interest was higher after COVID. (That’s not to mention that the number of attendees from the U.S. has declined since trade shows resumed in 2022.)

But I also think artificial intelligence is playing a role, as more processes become automated. I was reminded of this after hearing Grass Valley Chief Technology Officer Ian Fletcher’s rule that “complexity doesn’t go away, it just moves around.” As the process of media management, production and distribution becomes more automated and software-based, more people are moved out of the media production chain.

Seeing a software demo on the show floor can certainly have more impact than over Zoom, but is it still worth the cost of travel?

This is an ongoing issue that won’t be resolved by the oft-repeated trope that those same people who were doing rote tasks are simply being moved to other areas where they can “focus on other more important work.” Attrition is real and growing.

Collaboration: In our industry, companies have a long history of partnering with competitors, but that seems to be increasing—and this is more of a reflection of the increasing focus on software.

Nowhere was this better illustrated than by the growing influence and impact of MXL (Media eXchange Layer), a critical component of the EBU’s Dynamic Media Facility initiative. Tech demos showcasing partnerships between Grass Valley and Lawo, Matrox and EVS, as well as multivendor demonstrations at the Techex, Qvest and AWS stands, just to name a few, demonstrated how quickly MXL is moving beyond the proof-of-concept stage toward real-world deployment.

The EBU-led MXL initiative also received significant recognition at IBC, winning an IBC 2026 Innovation Award in the Content Creation category. The growing number of vendors incorporating MXL into commercial products and demonstrations suggests the technology is increasingly becoming part of the broader software-defined media ecosystem.

Cybersecurity: Alarmed over recent news of disruptions created by “rogue” AI agents, the security of media production systems was also top of mind for many attendees. As more media and media processing moves into the cloud, concern over potential vulnerabilities increases. This has prompted more production to become hybrid-based, with certain content and processes stored both in the cloud and on-prem.

It has also led to more interest in “MCP,” or Model Context Protocol, a framework that allows customers to establish guardrails to limit information accessible to AI agents.

Tariffs: The “T-word” was back, having been overshadowed by AI and the memory and chip shortages that were the talk of earlier shows. With many of the media tech industry’s largest companies based in Canada, President Donald Trump’s recent imposition of a 50% duty on targeted goods has forced some vendors to raise prices. And although some goods are exempt and vendors are attempting to absorb costs, the tariffs—along with the continued pressure on memory and chip availability worldwide—are cause for concern. However, the increased influence of software-defined production is helping to ameliorate the impact.

I’ll share more of my thoughts about my conversations with IBC exhibitors in the October issue of TV Tech.

AMSTERDAM—CAMB.AI is introducing its new Streaming SDK and Streaming Dashboard at IBC2026, with integrations into NVIDIA Holoscan for Media open reference architecture

The release gives developers and broadcast teams new ways to integrate, manage and deploy real-time multilingual broadcasting within their existing workflows.

CAMB.AI’s live localization technology has already been used across Ligue 1+, NASCAR and Eurovision Sport, including live AI-dubbed commentary and multilingual subtitling.

CAMB.AI is billing the launch as the “multilingual broadcasting’s first AI agent, now live as an SDK.”

Available for C++, Python, Java and Rust, the SDKs allow developers to start broadcasting in multiple languages with as little as three lines of code, making it easier to integrate multilingual capabilities directly into existing applications and workflows.

CAMB.AI’s live streaming platform supports 150+ languages, producing dubbed audio and subtitles for live content. It supports source-speaker voice cloning, studio voices and custom terminology, allowing names, venues, sponsors and other specific terminology to remain consistent across languages. The release features the latest quality enhancements backed by CAMB’s foundational models MARS and BOLI.

CAMB.AI’s new capabilities will be available within the NVIDIA Holoscan for Media reference architecture as a hybrid SaaS. Holoscan for Media is NVIDIA’s open reference architecture and developer toolkit for building AI-powered live media solutions on NVIDIA infrastructure.

Program audio can be processed by CAMB.AI’s models to produce dubbed commentary in each target language, with outputs returned to the production network or delivered directly to destinations including CDN, OTT and YouTube Live.

For broadcasters, this allows live localization to operate alongside other production applications. It reduces the need to send feeds to a separate cloud localization environment and back, reducing infrastructure hops while allowing media to remain within the broadcaster’s facility or own cloud environment when required.

The new Streaming Dashboard provides a visual environment for building, launching and monitoring multilingual streams.

Operators can configure sources, select audio, set processing profiles, create language pipelines and manage output destinations from a single interface. During a live broadcast, teams can monitor stream health, outputs, runtime and live transcripts, as well as pause and resume dubbing without stopping the stream.

CAMB.AI will preview its new dashboard, and SDKs at IBC2026. Visitors will be able to see live multilingual dubbing in action at the CAMB.AI Booth 5.C24.

MUNICH, Germany—Rohde & Schwarz has unveiled the TM1 air-cooled UHF transmitter at IBC2026, Sept. 11-14, at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Center.

The transmitter offers high system availability, enhanced energy efficiency and native support for NextGen TV broadcasting standards. It was specifically developed to help operators reduce energy consumption while enabling a simple migration path for existing TMU9 installations.

The TM1 expands the company’s UHF transmitter portfolio and covers power levels from 600 watts to 6.5 kilowatts. The transmitter supports ATSC 3.0 and 5G Broadcast natively. This enables network operators to implement new business models, such as mobile TV, targeted datacasting or interactive formats.

Advanced automation features ensure maximum efficiency in daily operations, Rohde & Schwarz said. For instance, R&S Auto-Doherty optimizes real-time performance for every operating point. Developed according to Secure by Design principles, TM1 transmitters help operators meet cybersecurity requirements, enabling secure and stable operation of critical broadcast infrastructure.

Rohde & Schwarz is offering a TM1 renewal option. Broadcast network operators can upgrade existing equipment from the previous generation to match the full functionality and performance of a modern TM1 in a cost-efficient manner.

The effort required to upgrade existing transmitters is significantly lower than a new system deployment. By extending the operational lifespan of current equipment, operators drastically reduce the time, space and capital expenditure typically needed for network modernization, Rohde & Schwarz said.

“The R&S TM1 is a future-proof solution that combines uncompromising RF performance with high sustainability,” Rohde & Schwarz Product Manager Maurice Uhlmann said. “Through TM1 renewal and native support for 5G Broadcast and ATSC 3.0, we help network operators immediately reduce their operating costs and carbon footprint, while simultaneously establishing the technological foundation for tomorrow's revenue streams.”

See Rohde & Schwarz at IBC stand 8.B70.

More information is available on the company’s website.

AMSTERDAM—Atomos is launching two new HDR monitors for IBC2026, Sept. 11-14 at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Center.

The Shinobi 7 II seven-inch, 2,800-nit HDR monitor features professional exposure, focus and framing tools, plus advanced USB-C camera control. Designed for filmmakers, photographers and content creators, Shinobi 7 II delivers a larger viewing experience than traditional 5-inch monitors, while remaining lightweight, portable and easy to integrate into any production workflow.

Filmmakers can adjust key camera settings, including aperture, shutter speed or angle, ISO and white balance, directly from the monitor. Compatible cameras also support touch-to-focus and shutter release for photography workflows.

Support for Log, HLG and PQ signals allows real-time monitoring of more than 10 stops of dynamic range, while built-in 3D LUT support enables real-time preview of the final look.

Shinobi 7 II incorporates Atomos' suite of professional monitoring tools for exposure, focus and framing, including EL Zone, false color, waveform, vectorscope, focus peaking, zebras, RGB parade, anamorphic de-squeeze, multiview analysis, frame guides and grid markers.

The monitor also supports on-device calibration using compatible calibration probes (sold separately), eliminating the need for a separate computer, and ensuring consistently accurate color.

Connectivity includes HDMI input and output supporting signals up to 4Kp30, alongside USB-C for camera control, power delivery and display calibration. Shinobi 7 II can be powered via USB-C PD, Sony NP-F batteries or an optional DC battery eliminator, while custom LUTs and firmware updates can be loaded via the integrated SD card slot.

Shinobi 7 II will be available in September 2026 from authorized Atomos resellers and the Atomos online store, with a suggested retail price of USD $499 / €499 (excluding local taxes).

The Shogun AV-19M is a new 19-inch, rackmount 4K HDR monitor designed for live production, broadcast, studio and on-set monitoring. It supports both IP-based and traditional video monitoring in a single, space-efficient display. Its hybrid connectivity provides the flexibility to monitor sources across NDI, 12G-SDI, and HDMI workflows.

Its large 4K HDR DCI-P3 touchscreen provides a detailed, color-accurate view of video content, making it ideal for production galleries, control rooms, OB vehicles, video villages, and portable flypack systems.

Integrated NDI HX3 support enables Shogun AV-19M to receive high-quality, low-latency video over Ethernet. Users can view a single NDI source full-screen or monitor up to four NDI sources simultaneously in a quad-view layout, providing a clear overview of video feeds carried across the network.

Alongside its IP capabilities, Shogun AV-19M features 12G-SDI and HDMI input and output for monitoring conventional video signals. This hybrid connectivity provides the flexibility to monitor SDI or HDMI video full-screen, complementing its dedicated IP monitoring capabilities.

A comprehensive suite of monitoring and image-analysis tools helps users assess every shot with confidence. These include EL Zone exposure-referenced false color, focus peaking, waveform monitoring and other familiar Atomos tools. User-definable function buttons provide fast access to frequently used features, allowing the monitor to be configured for different production roles and workflows.

For location production and mobile setups, there is an optional custom flypack, available separately.

Shogun AV-19M will be available in 2026 from authorized Atomos resellers and the Atomos online store, with a suggested retail price of $1,899 (1,899 euros), excluding local taxes.

Atomos will be in stand 7.B19.

SHENZHEN, China—Converter box manufacturer EKT will showcase its new Linux-based ATSC 3.0 set-top box during IBC 2026, Sept. 11-14, at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Center.

The new Linux-based ATSC 3.0 converter box is a second-generation product and represents a move away from the Android operating system, to reduce memory costs. EKT specializes in Linux, which uses less than half the memory of a similar set-top box running on the Android platform.

"It's exciting to see EKT, a partner in Pearl TV's converter box program, showcase this box at IBC," said Anne Schelle, managing director of Pearl TV. "As TV stations transition to ATSC 3.0, viewers want the option to convert the TVs they already own at a low consumer price, and that's exactly what this box is designed to deliver.”

The core ATSC 3.0 software stack is a joint development with DTVKit and will also support legacy ATSC 1.0. The platform is based on the collaborative DTVKit ecosystem with the core software stack available royalty-free to members, helping to accelerate deployment while reducing development costs.

"This is a great example of the DTVKit model in action," said Jason Nash, technical director of DTVKit. "EKT started with our royalty-free ATSC 3.0 stack and focused their engineering effort on building a better product, not reinventing the basics. The result is a cost-effective, Linux-based receiver that's fully standards-compliant and ready for deployment."

Designed for the U.S. consumer market as broadcasters transition to ATSC 3.0, the box lets viewers keep their existing television sets when their local stations move to the new standard, while supporting 4K content with HDR10 and HDR10+ for an improved viewing experience.

“I am very grateful to our partners DTVKit and Pearl TV in helping us to bring a cost-effective Linux ATSC 3.0 set-top box to the US consumer” said EKT CEO Richard Smith.

See EKT at IBC2026 stand 1.D15 and DTVKit at stand 1.B25., of group stated.

More information is available on the company’s website.

HACKENSACK, NJ—LiveU, a global provider of live IP-video solutions, announced today that The Associated Press will deploy LiveU Ingest, LiveU Transceivers and LiveU IQ connectivity across its global operations—including the industry's largest deployment of LU900Q intelligent production units—bringing AP’s global LiveU hardware fleet to over 100 encoders.

The LU900Q uses new AI-driven connection management and eSIM technology to draw on mobile data networks around the globe. The technology will support a range of AP operations, from live feeds to editorial and multicamera workflows used by the global news organization’s production arm, AP 360.

"We’re excited about expanding our work with LiveU to equip our journalists with the technology to transmit live wherever the story takes them,” said Matthew Durbin, director of video technology and operations at AP. “Additionally, using LiveU Ingest with our MAM system gives us greater flexibility and speed, allowing us to move even faster and more efficiently from capturing content to distributing it to our customers around the world.”

Alongside the LU900Q deployment, AP has integrated LiveU Ingest with its cloud-based MAM system. Supporting up to 10 simultaneous live channels, the integration streamlines how content moves from the field into AP’s workflows, helping teams get to near-live and on-demand output more quickly.

AP is also transitioning its infrastructure to a SMPTE ST 2110 IP environment, deploying five LiveU servers alongside a dedicated SDI server. LiveU Transceivers enable AP to send and receive feeds with content providers as needed, giving teams flexible access to live sources across the network.

LiveU IQ's intelligent network switching continuously optimizes across available network operators in real time, helping maintain consistent transmission quality as connectivity conditions change.

MONTREAL—Grass Valley today announced a new multi-year framework agreement with RAI (Radiotelevisione Italiana), Italy’s national public broadcaster, for the supply of LDX 150 camera systems. The agreement marks the start of one of the largest camera refresh programs in RAI's recent history, with the first camera systems already deployed to refresh RAI’s outside broadcast fleet, according to Grass.

Grass Valley already has a longstanding relationship with RAI, which will progressively deploy LDX 150 camera systems over the coming years. RAI says it selected the LDX 150 camera system for its unique native IP connectivity, renowned simple and intuitive control and operation and its pristine HDR image performance.

The LDX 150 provides a camera platform that supports RAI’s current production requirements while enabling the company’s continued transition toward more flexible IP-based workflows, they said.

“As we continue to modernize our production infrastructure, we were looking for a camera platform that would support both our current operational needs and our future ambitions,” said Riccardo Rombaldoni, Dirigente Responsabile – Ingegneria di Realizzazione e Gestione Contenuti at RAI. “The LDX 150 combines excellent image quality with native IP connectivity, HDR acquisition and intuitive operation, giving our production teams the flexibility to support a wide variety of production environments while building on the trusted relationship we have established with Grass Valley over many years.”

The first phase of the deployment has been completed, with the initial LDX 150 camera systems fully operational within RAI’s outside broadcast fleet. Grass Valley’s long-time partner and systems integrator Video Progetti led the overall system integration, while Domo supported the project as the integration partner for the wireless camera components of the deployment.

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Roku is expanding availability of its NFL Zone from the U.S. to Canada, Mexico and Brazil.

NFL Zone, a centralized hub within the Roku Sports experience, brings global fans a dedicated destination to discover live and upcoming games, the NFL Fast Channel highlights, clips, and other NFL content throughout the season.

The expansion—which takes effect today—builds on Roku’s growing sports presence internationally, following the launch of the Sports experience in Mexico in 2025 and earlier this year in Brazil and Canada. It also comes as engagement across Roku Sports experiences continues to grow, with streaming hours up 122% year-over-year and unique visitors up 80% in the U.S. in Q2, the company said.

The expansion also includes the NFL Channel, the League's free, ad-supported destination for 24/7 NFL programming. Roku will offer officially branded NFL clips and highlights alongside live and upcoming games to viewers in Canada, Mexico and Brazil.

The NFL Channel offers a 24/7 stream of NFL programming, while the NFL app provides access to NFL+, the League’s exclusive streaming service featuring live local and primetime games on mobile, NFL Network, live game audio, and other on-demand content, plus game replays and NFL Redzone with an NFL+ Premium subscription.

MONTREAL and NEW YORK—Haivision has announced that it is integrating Chyron LIVE into its live video contribution ecosystem, simplifying camera-to-cloud live production. Chyron LIVE is Chyron’s cloud-native platform for vision mixing, broadcast-grade graphics, data display, remote commentary, and illustrated replay. The joint solution will be showcased at IBC2026.

The combined solution will allow broadcasters to capture, transport, and contribute high-quality live video from virtually any location into Chyron LIVE, streamlining live production workflows while delivering the performance, reliability, and ease of use required for professional broadcasting.

Built for sports, news, and live event productions, the integrated workflow combines Haivision's live video contribution products, including Haivision mobile video transmitters (Falkon, Pro, and Air) and Makito video encoders and decoders, with Chyron LIVE, powered by Chyron’s PRIME Platform which is developed natively on AWS. The combined solution enables broadcasters to reliably contribute live video over cellular networks, the internet, satellite, and IP networks directly into cloud-based production workflows, according to the companies.

“Broadcasters are increasingly looking for flexible, cloud-native production workflows that simplify live content acquisition,” said Nikole McStanley, senior vice president of product, Chyron. “Together with Haivision, we're enabling customers to bring high-quality live video into Chyron LIVE more efficiently, giving production teams greater flexibility to produce live content from anywhere with ease.”

Visitors to IBC2026 can see the integrated workflow firsthand at Haivision (2.B32) and Chyron (7.A23) .

KINGS PARK, NY—Multidyne Video & Fiber Optic Systems will introduce SilverBack-IP, the newest member of its SilverBack Series of fiber camera adapters, at the 2026 IBC Show, Sept. 11-14 at the RAI Amsterdam. SilverBack-IP brings native SMPTE ST 2110 connectivity to Multidyne’s fiber camera platform, providing a direct path for integrating digital cinema cameras into modern IP production environments, the company said.

Multidyne developed the SilverBack Series to help content producers bring the cinematic quality of digital cinema cameras into live multi-camera production. The lightweight, vendor-agnostic adapters convert digital cinema cameras for SMPTE studio-camera workflows and have been deployed across live sports, concerts, television productions, houses of worship and other professional production environments.

Purpose-built for the industry’s transition from SDI, SilverBack-IP retains the series’s mobility, camera flexibility and familiar operational benefits while moving the transport layer to IP. The new design enables production teams to connect their preferred cinema cameras directly to SMPTE ST 2110 networks while maintaining the camera-centric workflows that have made SilverBack a fixture in live cinematic production.

SilverBack-IP features dual 25GbE network interfaces and supports SMPTE ST 2022-7 hitless protection across the two fibers within SMPTE hybrid cable, providing redundant network paths for demanding live production environments. Two 12G-SDI and two 3G-SDI connections accommodate a broad range of HD and UHD workflows, with video, audio, intercom and data encapsulated and de-encapsulated as standardized IP streams.

The IP architecture removes many of the point-to-point limitations associated with traditional camera chains. Rather than requiring signals such as intercom, timing and video to be discretely connected and distributed through dedicated hardware, SilverBack-IP makes those signals available within the ST 2110 network infrastructure. Integrated intercom, for example, can operate as an ST 2110-30 audio essence flow, allowing production teams to source and associate intercom audio through the network instead of a dedicated point-to-point connection.

The dual 12G-SDI capability also positions SilverBack-IP for emerging immersive production requirements. Stereoscopic cameras that generate discrete right- and left-eye UHD signals can deliver two simultaneous 12G-SDI feeds into the adapter, allowing both signals to be transported into the ST 2110 environment. The architecture extends SilverBack’s vendor-agnostic philosophy to new generations of digital cinema and immersive cameras, allowing producers to select the most suitable cameras.

SilverBack-IP’s studio camera-style physical design puts controls, menu access and system status directly in front of the camera operator. Full-size professional connectors complement the operator-centric interface, marking a departure from the traditional ENG-style cameraback configuration of earlier SilverBack systems. The result is a familiar studio-camera experience while retaining the flexibility of adapting a digital cinema camera for live production.

SilverBack-IP supports both 12V and 24V camera systems when paired with appropriate Multidyne power extension solutions, accommodating traditional cinema cameras as well as newer high-power camera platforms, the company said. The adapter can operate independently of a camera as a standalone fiber gateway, allowing production teams to place the unit remotely and transport video, intercom and other signals between SDI endpoints and IP networks.

Multidyne will be in Stand 11.C12.

DENVER—Comcast Technology Solutions today announced a new multi-year agreement with A+E Global Media to provide premium content distribution services using Comcast MediaExpress, part of the Comcast Media360 portfolio.

Under the agreement, Comcast Technology Solutions will provide centralized video-on-demand (VOD) management and distribution for content from A+E Global Media brands (A&E, History, Lifetime, and others). Using Comcast MediaExpress, A+E Global Media will leverage a single point of ingest for premium video titles and associated metadata to streamline content preparation, packaging, and delivery. The 24/7 managed service is designed to simplify VOD distribution for improved operational efficiency, CTS said.

"A+E Global Media is committed to delivering exceptional storytelling to audiences wherever they are, while embracing technology to help accomplish that core objective,” said Prakash Patel, Senior Vice President of Technology Strategy and Transformation at A+E Global Media. "Comcast MediaExpress gives us an efficient and scalable approach to managing content distribution, helping simplify workflows to ensure our programming reaches distribution partners quickly and reliably."

Comcast Media360 is a premium managed service for the media and entertainment industry, offering an integrated suite of technologies for comprehensive global video delivery, distribution, and monetization across linear and on-demand platforms.

WOODSTOCK, Ill.—Other World Computing will unveil two new Thunderbolt 5 solutions at the 2026 IBC Show, Sept. 11-14 at the RAI Amsterdam. The new additions include OWC Thunderbolt 5 Dock with Dual HDMI, and the Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) Cable now available in a 1.5-meter length.

With the OWC Thunderbolt 5 Dock with Dual HDMI one connection provides the displays, storage performance, networking, power, and connectivity of an enterprise-class desktop workstation, without the need for a pile of adapters and workarounds. Its key features include:

• Two HDMI 2.1 ports built right in. Any monitor that has HDMI plugs directly into the dock with zero compatibility guesswork;
• Single Thunderbolt 5 connection delivers dual displays, wired networking, storage, card readers, and full laptop charging simultaneously;
• 140W Power Delivery: Keeps MacBook Pros and high-performance Windows laptops fully charged at peak performance while running the entire connected setup;
• Front USB-C port delivers up to 30W of charging;
• Downstream Thunderbolt 5 port runs external SSDs and RAID arrays at full rated speed;
• 2.5GbE delivers the throughput needed for NAS workflows, large file transfers, and secure corporate environments;
• UHS-II SD and microSD slots let photographers and video editors offload footage without a separate card reader;
• Supports dual HDMI displays at up to 4K 240Hz or dual 8K 60Hz with DSC on Thunderbolt 5 hosts. A third display is possible via Thunderbolt or USB-C;
• Compatible with Thunderbolt 5, Thunderbolt 4, USB4, USB-C, and Thunderbolt 3 (Mac) hosts across Mac and Windows environments;
• OWC Innergize Enabled: A complete health, performance, and field update management app when using OWC Atlas SD memory cards with the dock's SD memory card reader;
• Supports both horizontal and vertical desk placement, and
• OWC Dock Ejector unmounts every connected drive in a single click. On macOS, an included driver also enables Apple Super Drive support through the dock.

“Thunderbolt 5 gives you tremendous performance and capability. The real question is what you do with it,” said Larry O’Connor, Founder and CEO, OWC. “With the OWC Thunderbolt 5 Dock with Dual HDMI your laptop is no longer the compromise. One connection gives you the displays, storage performance, networking, power, and connectivity of a serious desktop workstation – without the pile of adapters and workarounds. We didn’t set out to build another Thunderbolt 5 dock. We set out to build the one professionals will measure the others against.”

O’Connor added, “This addition to our dock line-up is a result of customer feedback. Our goal is to continue to ensure our customers always have a choice when it comes to picking the solution(s) that best meet their individual desktop/workflow requirements."

Key features for OWC Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) Cables, now available in a 1.5-meter length include:

• Since it's 100% USB-C compatible, it connects to current, future as well as older Macs, PCs, iPads, Chromebooks, Surface, and other devices with a Thunderbolt 5, Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 3, USB4, or USB-C port;
• Up to 80Gbps of bidirectional data speed and up to 120Gbps for higher display bandwidth needs;
• Connects to millions of docks, displays, eGPUs, PCIe expansion, external SSDs, RAID storage, and accessories;
• Lab-certified to safely deliver up to 240W to charge the most power-hungry notebook computer;
• Connects to the latest and future Thunderbolt, USB-C, and DisplayPort displays for incredible 4K, 5K, 6K, and up to three 8K displays, and
• Three-Year OWC Limited Warranty.

The OWC Thunderbolt 5 Dock with Dual HDMI will be generally available (GA) in November and priced at $349.99. The Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) Cable in a 1.5-meter length availability is planned for the middle of October and will be priced at $58.99.

OWC will demo the new additions at Stand 7.A60 during IBC 2026. For more information, visit www.owc.com

AMSTERDAM—swXtch.io, a global provider of software-defined networking solutions for media, has launched an AI-based broadcast engineer platform which it says is designed to remove the infrastructure and networking complexity behind live media workflows.

abbe removes the requirement for operators to configure networks, cloud infrastructure, compute resources, and AI software in media routing and interface workflows, according to the company.

abbe takes a conversational description of the desired outcome and deploys the necessary infrastructure, networking, and software required to make the workflow run and does so in the most economical way while meeting performance requirements.

abbe is a cloud-agnostic orchestration layer, able to deploy live media and AI workflows across any provider including Microsoft Azure, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) and Amazon Web Services (AWS). Workloads are located based on user requirements including optimizations for cost and latency, without forcing the operator to design a different solution for each cloud environment.

The initial capabilities being shown at IBC focus on two areas where live media teams face significant operational complexity: managing live media transport and deploying AI into production workflows.

For live media networking, abbe provides SRT management and control, enabling operators to ingest, monitor and distribute streams globally without manually configuring the underlying infrastructure. abbe is designed to automate decisions around where and how live media moves, helping operators maintain reliable, high-quality feeds while reducing the manual intervention traditionally required to respond to changing network conditions.

For AI workflows abbe will demonstrate a live audio processing workflow using NVIDIA models and other select partners. An operator can describe the desired outcome and abbe stands up the cloud infrastructure, networking, security, and software required for the audio processing use case.

The future of abbe is much broader than the initial iteration being shown at IBC, swXtch.io said.

abbe treats AI models as interchangeable components within a live workflow. Operators can select and test different models, chain models together, compare performance, and swap from one model to another easily and quickly. abbe separates what an operator wants to accomplish from the increasingly complex infrastructure, networking, and knowledge required to accomplish it.

NVIDIA models provide the foundation for abbe's initial real-time AI capabilities and swXtch.io is already expanding abbe's support across additional NVIDIA AI models and capabilities over time.

“The AI models are becoming incredibly capable but putting them into a live production still requires expertise across networking, cloud infrastructure, and AI software,” said Brent Yates, CEO of. “abbe is designed to remove that complexity. You describe what you want to accomplish, and abbe stands up everything needed to make it work. And because workflows are not locked to one model, you can easily optimize it as the technology changes. abbe simplifies AI for live media.”

LIEGE, Belgium and MONTREAL—EVS and Matrox Video are combining their respective platforms to accelerate the broadcast industry's transition to software-defined live production. Aligned with the European Broadcasting Union's Dynamic Media Facility (DMF) initiative, the collaboration pairs EVS's orchestration and workflow management capabilities with Matrox ORIGIN’s software-defined media transport and processing to help broadcasters build more flexible, resource-driven production environments.

DMF architectures enable production resources to be provisioned and assigned according to operational needs rather than permanently tied to individual workflows or dedicated hardware.

Matrox ORIGIN gives EVS a software-defined media processing foundation designed to run broadcast workloads on standard compute infrastructure, while supporting open, interoperable approaches including the EBU’s Media eXchange Layer (MXL) and IPMX. Its scalable architecture allows media processing resources to be deployed and allocated dynamically, aligning closely with the resource-driven principles of the DMF. As an OEM building on Matrox ORIGIN, EVS can focus its engineering investment on the orchestration, automation, and operational layers where it delivers differentiated value to broadcasters.

EVS provides the orchestration and operational layer that enables broadcasters to align infrastructure resources with evolving production requirements. Through Production Resource Manager (PRM), a key component of EVS's Flexible Control Room solution, processing resources can be dynamically deployed, configured, and reconfigured based on the specific needs of each production. This allows broadcasters to maximize infrastructure utilization, increase operational agility, and reduce total cost of ownership, according to the company.

Complementing this approach, EVS’s Tactiq UI provides a modern, workflow-driven user experience that abstracts the complexity of the underlying technology stack, allowing operators to focus on producing content rather than managing infrastructure. In parallel, Cerebrum delivers the same simplification for engineering and operations teams, providing a unified control layer across SDI, IP, on-premises, and cloud environments.

Today, EVS' Cerebrum broadcast control and orchestration platform integrates with Matrox Video's Avio 2 IP KVM extenders and ConvertIP baseband to IP converters and encoders/decoders, enabling centralized control and routing across IP-based production environments.

The companies said they will continue collaborating on technologies that advance the industry's transition "toward more dynamic, scalable, and software-defined production infrastructure."

NORTH SYDNEY, Australia—AI-Media will showcase its latest advances in multilingual AI, demonstrating how broadcasters and media organizations can caption, translate, voice and localize content at scale across live and recorded workflows, during IBC 2026, Sept. 11-14, at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Center.

AI-Media will showcase the complete LEXI Suite, two new LEXI Encoders, LEXI Direct and an expanding ecosystem of technology integrations as well as innovations under development that point to new ways audiences can experience multilingual content.

“As broadcasters look to reach increasingly global and multilingual audiences, language is becoming a critical part of the media technology stack,” said Tony Abrahams, CEO of AI-Media.

“What differentiates AI-Media is our ability to bring together a comprehensive AI language platform, broadcast-grade infrastructure and deep integration across the media ecosystem. Whether customers connect through our encoders, directly to LEXI or through the technology platforms they already use, we’re making it easier to deploy multilingual capabilities at scale.”

At the center of AI-Media’s IBC presence is the LEXI Suite spanning LEXI Text for real-time AI captioning, LEXI Translate for multilingual captions, LEXI Voice for AI-powered multilingual voice, LEXI AD for audio description and LEXI Recorded for captioning, translation and localization of recorded content.

Together, the LEXI Suite provides broadcasters with a scalable platform for applying AI-powered language and accessibility capabilities across live and recorded content.

Making their European debut at IBC 2026 will be AI-Media’s new LEXI Text Encoder and LEXI Voice Encoder, purpose-built to bring AI-powered language capabilities into professional broadcast environments.

Supporting SDI, IP and ST 2110 workflows, the new encoders give broadcasters greater flexibility, through increased processing power, to deploy AI-generated captioning, translation and multilingual voice within existing infrastructure while supporting the transition to next-generation IP-based production.

Beyond AI-Media’s own hardware, LEXI Direct provides direct, programmatic access to LEXI, enabling its AI-powered language capabilities to be integrated into third-party platforms, applications and workflows.

AI-Media is also expanding its European infrastructure, with EU-based data processing for LEXI planned to be available by January 2027.

IBC visitors will also get an early look at LEXI Link, a proof of concept that delivers live captions, translations and multilingual AI-generated audio directly to viewers’ devices.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at:https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cdaa0981-2db5-4da3-8666-1b30bea36f6d

See AI-Media at IBC 2026 stand 5.C34.

More information is available on the company’s website.

MILAN, Italy—Brightcove has launched Brightcove Gen 2, the next generation of its platform designed to give video teams more capacity to create, distribute, engage and monetize content at scale.

The update includes more than 22 new enhancements and 30+ platform advancements and is designed to allow media companies to reach more audiences, increase engagement and unlock more revenue; automate work, streamline workflows and reduce complexity and combine a more powerful, reliable and secure platform with faster innovation across the entire video workflow, Brightcove said.

These capabilities build on a year’s worth of new solutions and features across the platform. Recent additions include the redesigned Prism user interface, expanded monetization tools, new localization and accessibility capabilities, Next-Gen Live, and AI-powered features that help automate workflows and reduce manual work.

Among the features completely new to Gen 2 is the AI Agentic Hub, which will be unveiled at IBC 2026, Sept. 11-14 at the RAI Amsterdam. The Hub enables teams to move beyond step-by-step tasks by allowing users to define an outcome and have AI agents coordinate the actions and workflows needed to achieve it, according to the company.

AI agents can work across Brightcove’s functionality, meaning they can analyze video data, generate insights, and take action on those insights across the platform—from managing content and metadata to optimizing workflows and configuring experiences. Users interact with the agents through a chat-based interface, making it possible to automate complex, cross-platform workflows and move from insight to action faster.

The AI Agentic Hub is already available to customers in production.

Brightcove will be in Stand 5.A90 at the RAI Amsterdam.

BRISTOL, U.K.—DTVKit will showcase its production-ready DVB-I Client at the Ocean Blue Software stand during IBC2026, Sept. 11-14, at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Center.

The demonstration will give broadcasters, operators, TV manufacturers and technology providers a first-hand look at how DVB-I can be deployed using a practical, standards-compliant implementation designed to accelerate commercial adoption.

Developed collaboratively by Ocean Blue Software and DTVKit, the DVB-I Client is available to DTVKit members as a shared-source, royalty-free solution, delivering a portable and efficient implementation suitable for smart TVs, set-top boxes and next-generation hybrid television platforms.

As DVB-I moves from industry trials into commercial deployment, manufacturers are increasingly seeking production-ready solutions that simplify integration, reduce development effort and ensure compliance with evolving standards. The live IBC demonstration will show how the jointly developed implementation enables rapid DVB-I adoption while maintaining platform flexibility and low resource requirements.

The DTVKit DVB-I Client is implemented in native C++ for maximum portability, efficiency and minimal memory consumption. The client exposes a JSON-based API, enabling seamless integration with web-based user interfaces and applications across a broad range of operating systems and device platforms.

Key capabilities include:

• Shared-source, royalty-free DVB-I client available to DTVKit members. 
• Native C++ implementation designed for portability and low resource usage. 
• JSON API for integration with modern web-based user interfaces. 
• Compliance with DVB-I BlueBook A177r7 requirements. 
• Platform-independent architecture suitable for Android, Linux, RDK and other browser-capable environments. 

Visitors to the Ocean Blue Software stand will see the DVB-I Client integrated with a React-based web user interface running on the DTVKit Android reference set-top box platform.

The demonstration will showcase how users can:

• Discover DVB-I service lists with region selection. 
• Browse channels and services. 
• View program guide (EPG) information. 
• Access accessibility and parental-control metadata. 
• Play IP-delivered linear television services. 
• Navigate and launch on-demand boxsets. 
• Launch linked HbbTV and web applications. 

The demonstration highlights the flexibility of DTVKit's architecture, which separates the DVB-I client from the presentation layer through a standards-focused JSON interface.

Although the demonstration runs on DTVKit's Android reference platform, the implementation itself is not Android-specific. The web-based user interface communicates with the DVB-I client through a platform-independent JSON API, enabling deployment across a wide range of browser-capable environments.

The demonstration intentionally does not use the Android TIF/TIS framework, showcasing an integration model that can be readily adapted to different operating systems and middleware environments.

DTVKit continues to track developments within DVB and is actively following the DVB-I roadmap, including support for future specification updates. Members receive full source-code access to the DVB-I Client together with royalty-free distribution rights.

See Ocean Blue Software at IBC2026 stand 1.B25.

More information is available on the DTVKit and Ocean Blue Software websites.

MONTREAL—Haivision announced today that its Makito ONE video transport platform now supports Bonded 5G support via the CellLink 5G external modem and antenna array.

Commonly used as a low latency contribution encoder over Ethernet-connected networks, Haivision says its Makito ONE is now the first device of its kind to also leverage cellular connectivity for contribution, all from a single hardware blade.

Makito ONE is Haivision’s low latency, dual channel multi‑codec encoder/decoder designed for pristine 4K, HD, and high dynamic range (HDR) broadcast contribution. Engineered for remote production workflows that demand high quality video and low latency, the Makito ONE supports HEVC, H.264, and JPEG XS workflows and provides native SRT protocol support for secure and reliable streaming over wired connections.

The Haivision CellLink 5G modem and antenna array features three 5G modems and dual antennas for MIMO 2x2 performance. Encased in a weather‑resistant enclosure with magnetic pad and thread mounts, CellLink 5G can be easily installed on vehicles, poles, or buildings and easily connects to Makito ONE via standard Ethernet.

With CellLink 5G, Makito ONE can contribute high-quality video over bonded networks including Ethernet and multiple cellular modems leveraging SST protocol, enabling broadcasters to build robust contribution workflows with greater throughput and network load balancing across wired and wireless network paths to maximize live video quality for any production, Haivisio said.

For instance, Makito ONE can use public internet as the priority network (with Ethernet), but in the event of internet congestion, can leverage cellular networks as backup until the priority network performance returns to normal. This can ensure that there is no disruption in video quality.

In addition to its integration with the Makito ONE, the CellLink 5G is also compatible with the rest of Haivision’s mobile video transmitters including Falkon, Haivision Pro, and Haivision Air transmitters, making resilient cellular bonding a core connectivity option across Haivision’s entire live video ecosystem.

Haivision will showcase Makito ONE support for Stand 2.B32 during the 2026 IBC Show, Sept. 11-14 at the RAI Amsterdam.

BERKELEY, Calif.—Eluvio today announced its plans for the 2026 IBC Show, Sept. 11-14 at the RAI Amsterdam, focusing on new advanced features in its Global Broadcast Fabric, the latest generation of the Content Fabric protocol and global infrastructure, as well as new advances in its Universal & Dynamic Video Intelligence architecture and Eluvio Video Intelligence Editor (EVIE)

At IBC, Eluvio will demonstrate the Global Broadcast Fabric’s live broadcast distribution architecture—a decentralized, zero-copy system that replaces satellite distribution, fiber point-to-point connections, and ground-to-cloud multi-point egress for live broadcast feed distribution, extended with new live-operations and monetization capabilities. One decentralized Content Fabric distribution simultaneously serves every downstream taker just-in-time — B2B broadcast affiliates and D2C consumer endpoints — from a single ingest workflow without duplication, according to the company.

Eluvio says Content Fabric “is powering thousands of D2C live games and streaming events and hosts hundreds of thousands of live, archive, and library titles for premium brands and creators — with 10x cost savings over legacy CDN and media cloud infrastructure at scale.

Improvements include :

• 8x increase in live stream cross-variant serving; <=30ms segment delivery latency; up to 4x scale of DRM encryption variants; zero-impact global maintenance; and instant-on HFR streaming.
• Stereoscopic HFR 4K (SBS and MV-HEVC), Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, HDR/HDR10+, full Widevine parameterization, AV1 (upcoming), optimized asset structure for hundreds of language and subtitle tracks.
• Powered by new Media Wallet v3 and Creator Studio CMS, allowing Eluvio to provide best-in-class TV, browser, and mobile native white label D2C OTT properties with advanced UX branding, interactive experiences, and configurable live, VOD and clip based content presentation and management.
• The ability to configure and deploy unlimited D2C OTT streaming and archive monetization apps for TV/mobile/browser, B2B portals, and Pocket TV microsites with fast multi-view, integrated DVR, automatic live and VoD content slating, and up-next autoplay. New multi-view sidebar, “In This Video” AI data panel, and expanded entertainment and sports layout options provide a flexible and outstanding UX experience for fans with no code deployment. Fully integrated with the Eluvio Video Intelligence Editor (EVIE), browse and publish zero-copy EVIE clips and compositions.
• Full SVOD/TVOD (rental and ownership) entitlements, match-based live entitlements, seamless JWT/SSO, and fully integrated Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Stripe in a single checkout flow. CableLabs-compliant Title Metadata API with territory-based offers and delta-only global updates.
• A fully white-labeled microsite for live and episodic content sales with zero friction: no login required, single-click Apple Pay and Google Pay, and magic links for return access. No PII collected. Instantly embeddable as a URL in any social post, paid ad, or CRM email. Deployed by a Tier 1 US broadcast network in 2026.
• Real-time analytics spanning B2B SRT/TS and D2C HTTP streams; global receiver map with per-receiver performance stats; expanded audience metrics; client-side QoS stats; and sales transaction reporting by currency, product, and country.

Eluvio will also showcase Eluvio AI and Eluvio AI and the Eluvio Video Intelligence Editor (EVIE), a new architecture for universal dynamic video intelligence.

According to the company, Eluvio AI is "the first commercially available inline, frame-accurate, multimodal AI built natively into a media platform — running inference on live and VOD content at frame and segment level with zero file copies, zero file movement, and zero transcoding, across open-source, custom, and third-party models."

The Eluvio Video Intelligence Editor (EVIE) provides the media-facing application layer for this intelligence, allowing users to inspect, search, validate, edit, and act upon AI data while remaining synchronized to the underlying video. The new EVIE Titles & Events experience brings the complete AI stack together around a title—such as a film or television program—or an event, such as a live sports match.

“Eluvio AI is fundamentally different from point AI solutions because the intelligence runs inline, with frame accuracy, across live and archival content — without the cost and delay of copying and re-transcoding media before it can be processed and ensembling the power of individual models with frame-accuracy,” said Michelle Munson, CEO and co-founder of Eluvio. “The AI is built directly into the video pipeline of the Content Fabric, rather than added afterward as a separate cloud workflow.

“Everything from identifying action, players, celebrities, speakers, or brands to turning that intelligence into highlights, vertical videos, compliance reels, or personalized content happens in place against the source media and has no limits on size, duration, or ensemble scale,” Munson added. “The result is dramatically greater efficiency and speed, while making AI intelligence immediately actionable for personalization and monetization. At IBC, we’re excited to show broadcasters and rights holders these capabilities running across both live sports and premium content.”

Eluvio will be in Stand 8.MS5 at the show. For more details, visit https://ibc.eluv.io.

The National Association of Broadcasters is reiterating its support for allowing the use of EAS software. But the association doesn’t want the FCC to reduce the time required to fix or replace defective EAS software, at least not yet.

As TV Tech sister brand Radio World has reported, the commission recently issued a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) exploring possible rule changes for EAS and Wireless Emergency Alerts. In addition to proposing EAS software, the commission is looking at certain policy and technical updates to improve the effectiveness of EAS.

[Read Radio World’s four-part series about the proposals and questions in the FNPRM.]

The NAB is among those filing comments. The association applauded the commission for considering allowing EAS participants to install EAS software in a single device.

“The FCC correctly frames the proposed software-based EAS model as an opportunity to better integrate EAS into modern broadcasting IP-centric air chains, enhance public safety, and reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens on EAS participants,” NAB wrote.

A software approach, the NAB said, would facilitate remote EAS operations, monitoring and collection of performance data.

“This approach will also promote resiliency by enabling EAS operations to be located at multiple local or edge locations and will optimize maintenance by preventing the need to physically diagnose and repair problems within an EAS hardware device.”

The NAB believes that flexibility should be the watchword of a software-based model.

The FNPRM proposes allowing broadcasters to install EAS software in a single server or computer that manages a station’s EAS functions, or within multiple components to facilitate cross-system integration, which NAB is agreeable to.

“A software approach will promote resilient, redundant EAS operations that can be located at both a station’s studio or transmitter,” NAB wrote, “allowing immediate fail-over if the software’s primary location is inaccessible due to fire, flood, or other disaster.”

However, the NAB believes it would be “premature” to reduce the required time for repairing or replacing defective EAS software before notifying the commission.

Under current rules, participants may operate without defective EAS equipment pending its repair or replacement for 60 days without further FCC authority. The commission tentatively proposes to shorten this to 72 hours for those using software.

“There are still too many uncertainties around the implementation of EAS software to change the deadline at this time,” the NAB believes.

The commission said in the FNPRM that although 60 days is usually sufficient for the repair of hardware devices, a shorter amount of time seems reasonable for software that could be fixed with a patch or other remote solution.

NAB also said such a change is impractical since EAS participants test the functionality of their systems and review the logs of tests weekly at most.

Moreover, in many cases, a problem with a software-based model “could have nothing to do with the software itself, but instead [be] related to the server, computer or other hardware on which the software runs, or the firewall or some other component,” NAB wrote.

The association does believe that a shift from dedicated hardware boxes could help alleviate supply chain issues and encourage more vendors to enter the market.

The NAB says “a software approach could ease overall supply chain problems because software does not have to rely on the manufacture of the purpose-built, physical hardware components for new or replacement proprietary EAS boxes in which software is housed. Nor would EAS equipment have to be shipped to manufacturers or EAS Participants.”

The association also supports the FCC’s focus on the cybersecurity of EAS software. It says it believes a software approach will improve security by facilitating updates to address security vulnerabilities through a software patch instead of forcing personnel to upgrade all of their boxes manually or ship the products to a manufacturer.

NAB agrees with the FCC that EAS software should be tested and approved under a conformity assessment system.

It said it is optimistic that some of the Telecommunications Certification Bodies already approved by the FCC to certify EAS devices can perform conformity testing of software, or would develop this capability in response to demand.

The association generally supports other proposals in the FNPRM for improving the authentication and geotargeting of EAS alerts, using a universal alert identification number to reduce duplicative alerts, or integrating visual symbols into EAS.

The NAB does caution the commission against imposing additional mandates “that could outstrip the capabilities of existing EAS devices and require broadcasters to purchase new EAS equipment.”

The group asked the FCC to “avoid reducing the automated simplicity of EAS or limiting broadcasters’ ability to provide EAS alerts consistent with their journalistic judgement.”

Radio World will report shortly on other comments to the FCC. You can read filed comments in PS Docket 25-224 at the FCC site.

The deadline for reply comments is Sept. 29.

LEXINGTON, Mass.—Signiant will showcase the latest evolution of the Signiant Platform at the 2026 IBC Show, Sept. 11-14 at the RAI Amsterdam.

Topping the list is Media Shuttle's new Intelligent Transport, which allows customers to take greater advantage of all their high-bandwidth infrastructure with multi-threaded and multi-gigabit transfers that adapt to live network conditions.

Also new is Signiant Pulse, a new line of secure connected services designed to help media organizations work with content where it sits.

Signiant Pulse includes:

• Pulse Essentials: Unified content visibility, access, and action across every connected storage location, included free with the Signiant Platform
• Pulse Review & Approve: Collaborative, frame-accurate content review without needing to upload or download content
• Pulse Plus: AI-generated descriptions, tags and transcripts using the customer's chosen AI provider rather than a vendor-hosted model
• Pulse AI Studio: Multi-step AI agent workflows across enriched content libraries, with MCP-governed access and usage-based cost controls
• Signiant MCP Server: Connects MCP-capable AI clients, including ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, enabling agents to search, validate and route content while operating within existing permissions and audit controls that govern transfers

Signiant will also showcase Signiant Verify, which enables media to be checked against delivery specifications before it is transferred. Content that fails validation can be held and suppliers will be notified before submission, rather than after delivery as well as Verify aiQC, which extend Verify’s capability with deeper inspection of the picture and sound.

Signiant will be in Stand 5.C74.

EVS will highlight its new Neuron 4X processor delivering four times the processing capacity of the previous Neuron generation during IBC 2026, Sept. 11-14, at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Center.

Designed to enable broadcasters, production companies and content owners to handle higher stream counts, greater bandwidth and increasingly complex workflows Neuron 4X offers native 400Gb/s connectivity in the same compact Neuron form factor.

It consumes less than twice the power of the previous Neuron without compromising the reliability and operational resilience required for mission-critical live production environments.

“The industry has spent the last decade getting live production onto IP. Now we’re seeing the next challenge: How do you scale those infrastructures as steam counts, UHD requirements and centralized production all grow?” said Oscar Teran, executive vice president of markets and solutions at EVS.

“That’s what we’re addressing with Neuron 4X. We’re giving customers significantly more processing capacity, while reducing their infrastructure footprint, and optimizing their capital and operational costs.”

Neuron 4X expands the current Neuron portfolio rather than replacing it, giving users the flexibility to choose the platform that best matches their specific requirements. Designed for deployments requiring higher UHD stream counts and greater processing density, Neuron 4X complements the existing 100Gb/s platform, which continues to address a broad range of production and infrastructure needs.

“Neuron 4X brings together the deterministic and predictable processing of an FPGA-based platform with the flexibility of software-defined media processing,” said Peter Schut, senior vice president of processing, media infrastructure solutions at EVS.

“Customers can add new applications and processing capabilities through software, while maintaining the consistency and performance mission-critical live production demands. It’s a platform that scales with their requirements, rather than forcing them to continually redesign their infrastructure.”

The first application running on the platform is Bridge 4x, and ultra-high density IP gateway designed for large UHD workflows. View 4X will follow, delivering four times the channel count for high-density multiviewing.

See EVS in IBC 2026 stand 7.B11.

More information is available on the company’s website.

ATLANTA—East India regional broadcaster Odisha Television Network (OTV) has selected Quortex to replace its legacy hardware with advanced video processing software and to manage its end-to-end on-premises network.

The broadcaster is Odisha’s largest broadcast and digital media network. It reaches 45 million Odia speakers worldwide across satellite and digital platforms.

OTV has gone live with encoding, multiplexing and scrambling using Quortex virtualized Digital Content Manager (vDCM), the company’s software-centric, cloud-native video processing and delivery platform. It is also using Quortex Video Service Manager (VSM) to centralize the configuration and control of its complex video distribution workflows.

“Odisha Television needed a partner who could support them locally, at scale and around the clock,” said Elke Hungenaert, head of products at Quortex. “By transitioning their video processing from hardware to software, we’ve established a flexible foundation that supports their critical business needs today and scales for the journey ahead.”

The Quortex Global Network Operations Center (GNOC) in Bangalore is providing OTV with 24/7 premium technical support, including proactive maintenance and incident management across its entire network infrastructure, including third-party components.

“Partnering with Quortex delivered a seamless migration to a future-proof software platform,” said Litisha Panda, head of business at Odisha Television Network. “We gained immediate operational efficiency and complete peace of mind knowing Quortex is managing our broadcast operations.”

More information is available on the company’s website.

CLEVELAND—Telos Alliance will highlight its latest product line for TV, streaming, and radio at the 2026 IBC Show, Sept. 11-14 at the RAI Amsterdam.

Visitors to Stand 8.D37 will find two European product debuts as well as major updates and additions across intercom, live production audio, and file-based audio workflow tools.

New this year for Jünger Audio flexAI, is flexAI CastCompanion. Powered by JAIC, the Jünger Audio Intelligent Companion, flexAI autonomously manages live voice sources that may arrive at very different levels, with varying quality and background noise. JAIC analyzes the incoming audio and helps optimize parameters, while Jünger’s deterministic algorithms handle the actual processing, delivering predictable latency and broadcast reliability. CastCompanion combines automixing, AI-assisted de-noising, voice enhancement, and loudness management to create consistent, intelligible mixes without an operator constantly riding levels.

Telos Alliance will show new flexAI support for 12G-SDI and NDI and will demonstrate how flexAI now integrates with the TVU MediaMesh cloud-native live production platform, allowing producers to extend Jünger’s powerful processing ecosystem across hardware, server, IP, partner, and cloud workflows.

The company will also highlight new Infinity MK2 hardware panels for the Telos Infinity IP intercom range. Designed for use in the studio and in the field, the larger buttons feature bright TFT displays, programmable colors, flexible Talk/Listen controls, three shift pages, a Reply to Last Caller function, and four-way “compass” controls.

For sports commentators, Infinity VCP Virtual Commentator Panel now integrates directly with Elgato Stream Deck+, adding compact physical controls to its browser-based commentary environment without requiring a traditional dedicated commentary box. VCP also uses adaptive bitrate control to help maintain contribution audio intelligibility and network reliability.

Also making its debut in Europe is Axia Pulsar, a compact AoIP console, that features an 8-fader Master Module that uses dual operating layers to provide access to 16 inputs; an optional Expansion Module gives physical access to all 16 faders. Axia Pulsar features bright TFT displays, touch-sensitive encoders, spill-proof 100mm motorized faders, programmable controls, Show Profiles, and integrated EBU R128 loudness metering. Powered by the 2RU StudioCore engine, the compact Pulsar integrates directly into all Livewire and AES67 environments. Optional Pulsar Soft browser-based control also makes remote operation possible from a computer, tablet, or smartphone, according to Telos Alliance.

Minnetoka AudioTools Server v7 will debut at IBC, with new A.I./machine-learning modules that include Language Detection, Dialog Intelligibility, and a powerful new tool, AudioTools Source Separation by AudioShake. This new subscription module can extract dialogue, music, and effects from finished program audio to give broadcasters, studios, streaming providers, and content owners new ways to work with existing material when original multitrack sessions are unavailable or incomplete.

Dialogue can be isolated for dubbing or intelligibility enhancement, music can be replaced for creative or licensing reasons, and clean M&E tracks can be created for alternate-language versions and new distribution opportunities. Because source separation runs inside AudioTools Server, it can also be combined with existing loudness, QC, transcoding, language, and delivery processes to create repeatable, automated workflows at scale.

For radio, the Omnia XII will mark its European debut at the show. Its new processing architecture combines wideband AGC, five bands of intelligent multiband AGC and compressors, six bands of multiband limiting, smart dynamic EQ, refined bass management, and a new “Clemenza” clipper, designed to deliver competitive loudness without the distortion and listener fatigue that can come with aggressive processing.

Along with products featured at IBC, Telos Alliance will showcase its work with industry partners to advance interoperability and more consistent audio workflows.

As part of the IBC Accelerator “Crystal Clear” project, Telos Alliance is collaborating with Nugen Audio, RTW, Steinberg, Fraunhofer IDMT, Channel 4, BBC, ITV, and others on standardized dialogue intelligibility measurement across the industry.

Telos Alliance will take part in Grass Valley's AMPP demo, with Minnetonka Audio ARC loudness processing and UPMAX up/down/cross-mixing interconnected via MXL to enable higher-quality, lower-latency audio processing within AMPP workflows.

Telos Alliance will also participate in Qvest’s Dynamic Media Facility demonstration, a portable, multi-vendor production environment handling live feeds, real-time audio and video processing, Dolby Atmos upmixing, signal monitoring, and multiviewing. Telos Alliance processing will operate alongside tools from other vendors, with MXL providing the common connection between applications. The demo shows how MXL can simplify integration and reduce latency across on-prem and cloud workflows.

Telos Alliance will be in Stand 8.D37.

PLANO, Texas—Having a live TV bundle option is still important to half of all consumers surveyed in a recent Parks Associates report.

In the research firm’s latest consumer research The New Live TV Model: Skinny Bundles, Sports, News, 27% of US internet households prefer a live-TV bundle combined with their favorite streaming on-demand services, while 24% prefer a skinny bundle combined with their favorite streaming services. In total, 51% prefer a package that combines live TV with their favorite streaming services.

"Consumers are not necessarily choosing between live TV and streaming. Many want access to both in one package," said Michael Goodman, Director, Entertainment Research, Parks Associates. "Providers have the opportunity to offer greater flexibility to their consumers while making it easier to access the content they value."

Parks Associates also noted that 68% of streaming pay-TV subscribers (vMVPD subscribers), including consumers using services such as YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, and DirecTV Stream, like the idea of a skinny bundle—a pay-TV or streaming channel package that includes a limited number of core channels, typically focused on specific content types (e.g., entertainment, sports, or news). It is priced below traditional all-inclusive TV packages.

The findings show consumers continue to value live television, but their expectations for how it is packaged are changing, according to Parks. Smaller channel packages combined with streaming services can provide a middle ground between traditional pay TV and streaming-only options.

"Skinny bundles offer providers an opportunity to address consumers who want to maintain access to live television but are increasingly sensitive to the cost and size of traditional channel packages," Goodman said. "The strongest opportunity is retention. These packages can give existing subscribers another option before they decide to cancel service entirely."

As U.S. TV station owners’ prospects increasingly depend on how they deal with challenges posed by the global 5G juggernaut, newfound flexibility in the use of the fast-evolving cellular technology is opening more promising paths to their success in the battles ahead.

“We’re now at our last chance to remain a viable communications platform across all devices,” said Mark Aitken, president of ONE Media Technologies, Sinclair’s engineering unit. The opportunity lies in the fact that multiple strands in the long and complex evolution toward broadcast and mobile service integration are coming together on commercially viable chipsets capable of making things work across all fronts, he added.

“Whether our integration into the 5G domain is by way of ATSC 3.0, 5G Broadcast or some combination of the two, we as an organization don’t care,” Aitken said. What matters above all is “over-the-air broadcast remaining viable.”

Whatever Means Necessary
Many in broadcast TV circles, including Aitken, first viewed 5G Broadcast as an approach to multicasting video and other content to smartphones aimed at circumventing ATSC 3.0. But Aitken said he saw things differently after learning about the ATSC 3.0/5G Broadcast strategy implemented by Castanet, with live LPTV prototype services supporting the current 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) version of 5G Broadcast on ATSC 3.0 transmitters in Las Vegas and Silicon Valley.

In fact, Aitken said, ONE Media plans to test the Castanet platform on Sinclair’s WIAV-CD Washington, D.C., once the LPTV station receives the multiplexing and exciter equipment from Castanet partner Televes.

“We can see how [the Castanet solution] plays against the widest variety of 3.0 receivers,” Aitken said. “I think we have a bigger variety than just about anybody. If it comes out as claimed, why wouldn’t we support another means?”

How long before the solutions developed by Sinclair and Castanet will be relevant to getting ATSC 3.0/5G convergence off the ground remains to be seen. Eventually—and not so far in the future—TV station owners will be able to bolster the long-term viability Aitken said they’re looking for by leveraging 5G as a so-called bootstrapped radio access network (RAN) component of ATSC 3.0 transmitters through implementation of the recently announced Broadcast-to-Everything (B2X) standard.

The emerging 5G/TV convergence stems from the fact that both ATSC and the wireless industry’s 3GPP have moved their respective architectures ever closer through successive waves of standards development. Like LTE, ATSC 3.0 employs orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation, and like the New Radio (NR) version of 5G, the B2X Radio Access Network (BRAN) framework will employ OFD Multiple Access (OFDMA) to support slicing capabilities with disaggregation between core and edge processing sites.

Optimizing 5G
But B2X does away with reliance on 5G broadband, although it employs techniques similar to those adopted in 3GPP’s latest Release 19 version. The idea with B2X is to optimize execution of all 5G-like functionalities in accordance with ATSC 3.0 architecture while ensuring smooth interoperability between the two domains.

Current U.S. broadcaster options related to using 5G Broadcast with ATSC 3.0, as supported by the Sinclair and Castanet solutions, are a bridge to opportunities across a virtually unlimited range of 5G multicast verticals anchored by B2X, ATSC President Madeleine Noland said. As for broadcasters that feel constrained by the fact that bandwidth availability for 5G multicasting is highly restricted by the current “lighthouse” sharing scenario of ATSC 3.0 spectrum, where Federal Communications Commission rules require full-power stations to continue ATSC 1.0 broadcasts, Noland said to stay tuned.

“I think it’s a good idea to keep an eye on B2X and what that can enable in the future,” she said.

One example of bridge-building to BTX already underway is in India, where government-run broadcaster Prasar Bharati and its technology partners are conducting direct-to-mobile (D2M) 5G/ATSC 3.0 service trials in 19 cities in preparation for commercial rollout by year-end. Smartphones and other devices will run on chipsets developed by Saankhya Labs, now owned by Tata Group’s Tejas Networks, with investment support from Sinclair. This full-reception system is built on a patented, software-defined radio platform that supports demodulator, antenna, filter and other front-end components, Aitken noted.

As this phase of the D2M strategy takes hold across India, Prasar Bharati and its tech partners have begun gearing up for the transition to B2X with high-profile standards development support from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay. Sinclair and the other partners backing Saankhya Labs have launched Sampige Semiconductors to create B2X chipsets “in roughly the same time frame that semiconductors supporting 5G Broadcast will be appearing in some smartphones,” Aitken said.

Ready for Qualcomm
LPTV spectrum owners, who are free of 1.0/3.0 simulcast requirements, represent an immediate market for 5G Broadcast solutions providers, as long as they implement 5G Broadcast over ATSC 3.0 transmitters as required by the FCC. Castanet is allied with what founder and Executive Chairman Vern Fotheringham describes as a coalition of LPTV spectrum holders with footprints covering 60% of the U.S. population. Castanet documents point to expectations of expanding that base to 95%.

Castanet’s immediate goal is to ensure broadcast customers are fully prepared to capitalize on the projected 2028 rollout of smartphones equipped with new Qualcomm chipsets, Fotheringham said. Those chipsets support 3GPP Release 19 advancements that bring TV reception and 5G applications together on smartphones and tablets without requiring a separate tuner or SIM card and with no impact on a user’s data cap. These
systems-on-chips (SOCs) will enable interleaving, which allows non-TV 5G signaling to share the same spectrum with TV broadcasts, and CAS muting, which prevents that TV protection mechanism from impeding the 5G flows.

Once the smartphone turnover cycle puts these new devices into mass circulation sometime around 2031-32, the floodgates should open for broadcasters, Fotheringham said. “Our capex for the 5G Broadcast master site is equivalent to the cost of a 4G macro-level site but serves population areas covered by hundreds or even thousands of those cell sites,” he added. This translates to a massive cost reduction for 5G multicasting compared to MNO reliance on narrowcast streaming, he said.

The LPTV Factor
Of course, there are two sides to 5G tech advances, with benefits also accruing in directions unfavorable to the ATSC 3.0 agenda. One such trend is the widely publicized push by some segments of the LPTV community for freedom from FCC rules limiting use of 5G Broadcast to ATSC 3.0 broadcasters.

Last month, LPTV broadcaster XGN and sister company X1 Mobile, along with Tyche Media LLC, owner of WCRN-LD Boston, filed a petition with the FCC requesting permission to completely replace ATSC TV broadcasts with 5G Broadcast distribution. This goes beyond last year’s filing by the largest LPTV station owner HC2 Broadcasting—soon to be acquired by Dish founder Charlie Ergen—that seeks authority to use 5G Broadcast overlaid on a single ATSC 1.0 TV channel with no 3.0 requirement.

The proposed rule change would require LPTV stations to stream at least one free TV channel and to devote at least 50% of the remaining spectrum capacity to the types of public-safety applications ATSC 3.0 broadcasters are considering with use of 5G, such as emergency alerts, first-responder data and GPS backup.

WCRN for the past three years has been running FCC-sanctioned tests demonstrating 5G Broadcast delivery of linear programming streams, emergency alerts, global positioning and many other public-safety solutions, said Frank Copsidas, founder of XGN/X1 and founder and president of the LPTV Broadcast Association. Elsewhere, Copsidas said, LPTV stations in France, Africa and other countries with fewer regulatory restrictions are pursuing commercial rollouts of 5G Broadcast services.

“By 2029, short-form programming produced by the TDF Group for LPTV distribution will be available to 90% of the French population,” he said.

Another player pushing 5G Broadcast—but with the full expression of the Release 19 version—is Austria-based Big Blue Marble.
With support for interleaving and CAS muting, the company’s Nakolos platform is ideally suited for enabling 5G Broadcast over existing DVB-T2 infrastructure in Europe free of licensing restrictions, said Johann Mika, Big Blue Marble’s chief innovation officer.

“From a regulatory perspective, in Austria, for example, we can ask for a 10-year license for 5G Broadcast with no issue,” Mika said. But, as with Castanet, the “missing piece for us is mobile phones.” Broadcast organizations across Europe are “working to get phone costs lower,” he added, noting that with the wait for Release 19-capable chipsets, things “aren’t 100% set yet.”

But when they are, those Qualcomm-designed chipsets will also open the gate for MNOs and 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) providers to put 5G Broadcast to use over their own networks, said Andrew Towe, a 5G Broadcast specialist and participant in media streaming standards who worked closely with WCRN at the outset of the 5G Broadcast testing project in Boston.

“It will be pretty impressive when you get to an ecosystem with all the 5G advanced capabilities working on smartphones,” Towe said, noting there is a widespread expectation in many quarters, including among European broadcasters, that when that happens, “5G is going to take over.”

Aitken is well aware of the “threat,” which he said is a big reason suppliers and broadcasters must be incentivized to move ahead with preparations for 5G rollout on ATSC 3.0, free of the 1.0 broadcast burden.

“We’re just waiting for somebody to cut the shackles,” he said. “Until they do, we have to hop around on one foot with our hands behind our backs.”

OSLO, Norway—Bridge Technologies has announced that its flagship VB440 production probe now supports monitoring of Blackmagic Design's IP10 codec and will provide demos in its booth as well as Blackmagic’s booth at the upcoming 2026 IBC Show, Sept. 11-14 at the RAI Amsterdam.

IP10 is Blackmagic's lightweight, low-latency codec designed to address a specific challenge in ST 2110 environments: fitting high-frame-rate Ultra HD video through a 10 GigE connection while maintaining broadcast-quality, 10-bit 4:2:2 colour performance.

With a latency of just eight-pixel samples and an extremely small FPGA footprint, IP10 is license-free and open, allowing broadcasters to deploy ST 2110 workflows without the expense of 25GE or 200GE switching infrastructure. For broadcasters operating in OB trucks, remote locations, or smaller facilities where high-speed network infrastructure is not available, IP10 offers a pragmatic path to uncompressed-quality IP production over widely available 10GE links, Bridge said.

The VB440 itself is equipped with dual 200 GigE interfaces, capable of handling uncompressed ST 2110 streams at the highest data rates. But in contexts where the wider network infrastructure is operating on smaller bandwidth channels—with IP10 being used precisely to address that limitation—the VB440's native support for the codec means engineers can monitor IP10-encoded streams with the same depth of visibility they expect from uncompressed workflows, according to the company. This ensures that even in bandwidth-constrained environments, the VB440 remains a viable and powerful monitoring presence.

Facilities using IP10 as an underlying codec will thus have full access to the extensive range of tools present within the VB440, which itself represents a uniquely powerful production tool that combines both network monitoring and a full suite of practical production tools within a single RU appliance, thus drastically truck roll weight, energy consumption and the cost and space associated with screens and cabling, Bridge said.

The demos will take place at Bridge Technologies stand (Booth 1.A71) and Blackmagic’s (7.C49) during the show.

CYPRESS, Calif.—For-A has announced the expansion of viztrick AiDi into an overarching AI technology brand encompassing two dedicated products: Go Vertical! AiDi and AiDi Sports Hub. Developed by Nippon TV and delivered globally by For-A, viztrick AiDi brings advanced AI capabilities directly into live production workflows, with on-device processing designed to deliver the speed and responsiveness live content demands.

The new product structure makes it easier for broadcasters, sports producers, and other content creators to choose the AI tools that fit their needs, according to the company. Go Vertical! AiDi addresses the growing demand for mobile-first video delivered in a 9:16 format, while AiDi Sports Hub applies AI to create more engaging live coverage with tools that provide additional context.

“AI is becoming an increasingly practical part of live production, but customers don’t need technology simply for technology’s sake,” said Hiro Tanoue, Director, Alliance Department at For-A Company Limited. “They need tools that solve real production challenges without adding complexity. By establishing viztrick AiDi as our overall AI technology brand and introducing Go Vertical! AiDi and AiDi Sports Hub as dedicated products, we can make it much clearer for customers to identify the capabilities that can make a difference in their workflows.”

Previously introduced at the 2026 NAB Show as a feature of viztrick AiDi, Go Vertical! AiDi is now a dedicated product built around AI-driven, real-time 9:16 cropping, For-A said. The system analyzes live video and automatically creates vertically formatted output optimized for social media and mobile viewing.

For broadcasters and content owners, that means existing 16:9 programming can be adapted for mobile audiences as the action happens, without creating an entirely separate production workflow. Go Vertical! AiDi supports automated tracking modes for sports including basketball, soccer, and baseball, as well as group subjects. Operators can also identify and track specific subjects, with the system automatically resuming tracking if a registered subject temporarily disappears.

The technology operates on-device rather than depending upon cloud processing - an important advantage when immediacy matters. Go Vertical AiDi features near-real-time processing for live 9:16 production, avoiding the five-to-ten-second delay associated with some competing approaches.

Go Vertical! AiDi also supports mobile-first coverage of news, conferences, red carpets, entertainment programming, and other live events where audiences increasingly consume content vertically.

AiDi Sports Hub takes viztrick AiDi technology in another direction, giving sports production teams AI-assisted tools that can add information, context, and visual storytelling to live coverage.

The system's capabilities include telestration, player tracking, player speed, distance and angle measurement, baseball runner speed, automated score graphics, and facial-recognition graphics. For-A said it is also developing additional capabilities including 2.5D/3D graphics, ball-trajectory visualization, sensor-based golf-ball trajectory, and AI-assisted automated program production.

Both Go Vertical! AiDi and AiDi Sports Hub are now available globally.

For more information about viztrick AiDi, Go Vertical! AiDi and AiDi Sports Hub, visit www.for-a.com.

Charter Communications is suing E.W. Scripps over retransmission rights to carry Las Vegas station KMCC.

Charter, which became the largest U.S. cable operator after its Aug. 20 merger with Cox Communications, filed a lawsuit in a Nevada federal court this week to force Scripps to honor an agreement that allows Scripps-owned KMCC to be carried on Charter’s Spectrum TV nationwide.

Although the agreement, which applies to Scripps’ Ion TV stations, was not made public, Charter said the terms allow the company to carry independent station KMCC (Channel 34) on Cox cable systems in the Las Vegas DMA. KMCC is licensed to Laughlin, Nev., and operates under the brand The Spot. A former Ion station that now carries that network’s programming on a digital subchannel, it forms a duopoly with Scripps-owned ABC affiliate KNTV Las Vegas.

Charter said in its court filing that Scripps agreed that the contract applied to the carriage terms even after Charter acquired Cox, but that a section of the contract that allowed it to remain applicable even after acquisition was a “drafting mistake.”

Scripps said Charter is not legally allowed to carry KMCC regardless of prior agreements and said the cable operator could be liable for violations of “the Copyright Act for unauthorized distribution.”

Cox has carried KMCC since at least 2023, when the station announced that it would broadcast the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights and the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces.

Charter is asking the court for declaratory relief that would force Scripps to abide by Charter’s amended contract.

MONTREAL—Encompass Digital Media has launched Altitude Playout Plus, a software-defined channel origination platform it has developed with Grass Valley to help broadcasters manage live, late-changing and complex programming.

Encompass Digital Media provides managed media services to broadcasters, networks, sports leagues, federations, and OTT platforms worldwide, supporting channel origination, content processing, live event distribution and delivery.

The new service combines Encompass’s managed services, Media Cloud and Altitude Flow, with Grass Valley AMPP and Playout X, creating an integrated workflow from media supply chain operations through to channel origination and transmission. Channel 4 has selected Altitude Playout Plus to support its channel portfolio under a new multi-year managed playout agreement, with services scheduled to launch in 2027. Channel 4 is the second major U.K. public broadcaster to select the Encompass and Grass Valley platform, following the successful launch this month, according to the companies.

Altitude Playout Plus has been developed for channels where schedules and content can change close to and during transmission, such as live sports, news and entertainment. Alongside playout, the architecture supports live contribution, event management, recording and fast-turnaround workflows.

Grass Valley’s AMPP provides the software-defined production and playout foundation, with Playout X supporting channel origination. Encompass integrates these capabilities with Altitude Flow, its media supply chain and control platform, while its web-based Playout Director brings together the operational data needed to manage live programming and late changes.

This distributed architecture can be deployed across cloud and on-premises infrastructure and operated from multiple Encompass locations, the companies said. Services for the UK public broadcasters will be delivered from Encompass facilities in London and Riga, providing geographic diversity while giving operational teams flexibility over where resources are deployed.

The architecture also gives Encompass access to additional AMPP applications when specialist capabilities are required. Resources can be introduced according to the requirements of a channel or event rather than maintained permanently for workflows that may only be used periodically.

Grass Valley says the deployment demonstrates how its Dynamic Media Facility approach supports established broadcast services across hybrid, geographically distributed infrastructure. AMPP applications can operate alongside existing systems and Encompass technology without requiring the service provider or its customers to standardize operations around a single deployment location.

The two companies have completed extensive design work ahead of the Channel 4 transition to ensure the platform meets the broadcaster’s technical and operational requirements.

Visitors to the 2026 IBC Show can learn more about Grass Valley AMPP, Playout X and the Dynamic Media Facility at the company’s booth (9.A01), Sept. 11-14 at the RAI Amsterdam.

MARLOW, UK—At IBC2026, TSL will present a series of enhancements and expansions to its monitoring, control, orchestration, and power management solution with the goal of operating IP and hybrid infrastructures more efficiently.

TSL will showcase new network-based control integrations within the TSL Hummingbird ecosystem, helping broadcasters manage increasingly diverse IP infrastructures. Dante router control will be on show at IBC2026 for the first time. Together with support for NMOS, the expansion enables broadcasters to control multi-vendor environments across SDI, ST 2110, NDI and Dante workflows operating side-by-side.

TSL will also highlight how it has improved Hummingbird support for NDI, Amagi Tally, TSL v5 Server and VDCP-IP. The additions enable broader integration with third-party production, routing, and playout systems, giving broadcasters greater flexibility to build interoperable IP workflows, the company said.

TSL says it will also launch a new software app that supports complex workflow virtualization and automation at scale at the show.

Following TSL’s acquisition of JL Cooper Electronics earlier this year, IBC2026 offers the first major opportunity to showcase how its specialist human-machine interface (HMI) and machine-to-machine interface (MMI) technologies expand TSL Hummingbird control options for broadcast, proAV, education, live events and creator workflows.

The latest generation of TSL’s AMUs will be integrated into new workflow displays at IBC, with updated hardware and firmware to meet the critical demands of modern IP and hybrid live production environments. Multiple price-point and form factor options are available for users across Analogue, 3G-SDI, 12G-SDI, Madi, Dante, Ravenna, ST2110-30, AES3, AES67 and Dolby also featuring added resiliency with ST2022-7 redundancy.

TSL will also showcase its latest release for its range of intelligent, managed PDUs, extending operational visibility and control beyond media to the critical power and IT infrastructure that underpins mission critical operations. Designed for data centers, live production facilities and central machine rooms, the PDUs provide engineers with real-time power monitoring, remote diagnostics, and remote management and control to improve resilience and operational efficiency and help drive down costs and power usage to support sustainability goals, according to the company.

“The conversation has shifted from simply moving media over IP to efficient and easy-to-deploy control and orchestration across both multi-vendor and multi-technology environments,” said Matthew Quade, CEO, TSL. “Broadcasters need solutions that bring together unified control, intuitive operation and open interoperability, without locking them into single vendor systems or adding complexity, as well as wanting choice for deployment options in software and hardware.

"By extending TSL Hummingbird’s capabilities, expanding our range of HMI and MMI control interfaces and continuing to invest in response to market demands across audio monitoring and power, customers have the flexibility to manage today’s infrastructures more efficiently while building in future-readiness to enable change at their pace and within their budgets,” he added.

TSL team will be Stand 7.B12.

LAKE FOREST, Calif.—Boland Communications today announced a new SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its full range of professional 4K HDR monitors. Featuring integrated 25GbE connectivity and SMPTE ST 2022-7 protection, the option brings resilient UHD monitoring directly to IP-based production environments without requiring external ST 2110-to-SDI gateways.

Boland will demonstrate the new capability on the QD4K32HDR10-Opt 2110 at the 2026 IBC Show, Sept. 11-14 at the RAI Amsterdam. Using a single 25GbE SFP interface with either fiber or RJ45 connectivity through an SFP28 module, the option can deliver UHD video directly to up to two monitors.

The integrated design reduces the switch ports, gateways, transceivers, cabling, rack space, and power required for monitor walls, production control rooms, master control facilities, mobile production units, and other multidisplay environments. Removing external conversion equipment also simplifies installation and maintenance while reducing system complexity and potential points of failure.

Support for SMPTE ST 2022-7 allows equivalent media streams to travel over redundant red/blue network paths, helping maintain uninterrupted monitoring if one path experiences packet loss or a failure.

“As broadcasters and production facilities accelerate their transition to IP, now is the right time to introduce the ST 2110 option for our 4K monitors, and IBC is the perfect place to launch it,” said Mike Boland, president of Boland Communications. “This new option gives our customers a more direct and cost-effective way to bring trusted, color-accurate monitoring into modern IP workflows while reducing cabling, switch-port requirements, and reliance on external gateways.”

Boland will be in Stand 12.C57.

BOSTON—EditShare will unveil new developments across EFS, FLOW AI, MediaSilo and EditShare One at the 2026 IBC Show, Sept. 11-14 at the RAI Amsterdam.

EditShare will launch new all-in-one Ultimate EFS configurations for EFS 310 and EFS 410 with FLOW media management and GPU-powered FLOW AI processing built into the nodes. By combining shared storage, media management and AI processing, the new configurations provide a more accessible route to AI-assisted media discovery for teams that do not require the processing scale of a dedicated standalone GPU system, the company said.

FLOW AI has now expanded transcription support across 13 languages: English, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Turkish, with Hebrew and Arabic following shortly after. The expanded language support will help broadcasters, production companies and post-production teams apply AI-assisted search and discovery across a wider range of international content.

EditShare will also preview how MediaSilo is expanding beyond review and approval into a broader production media hub. Media Drives, a new connected-storage capability, will allow authorized users to access approved S3-compatible storage directly through MediaSilo, including on-prem EFS storage presented through S3 and supported third-party on-prem and cloud platforms.

Teams will be able to browse folders, search mounted media by filename and preview content where it is stored. They can then copy only the files they need into MediaSilo, rather than transferring everything before they know what is needed.

Once there, MediaSilo AI allows users to search transcripts, on-screen text, people, logos and scenes. The same workspace supports timecoded feedback, version management, dailies, approval tracking and protected external review.

EditShare will also demonstrate the latest developments in EditShare One, giving users a faster and more intuitive way to access and manage content across EFS and FLOW.

Users can archive and restore complete media spaces or folders directly from EditShare One, making it easier to manage large collections without handling assets individually. The expanded archive workflow also supports integrations with Telestream DIVA Archive and Spectra Logic Rio MediaEngine in addition to the currently supported 3rd party storage capabilities within FLOW.

EditShare will be in booth 7.B18.

PARAMUS, N.J.—Sony Electronics and Vitec today announced a strategic global collaboration targeting corporate environments, entertainment venues, hospitality, healthcare, and public facilities by integrating Sony’s Bravia professional displays with Vitec’s IPTV and digital signage platform. The collaboration delivers an end-to-end IPTV and signage ecosystem that enhances visual experience and eliminates the need for external media players, offering a simpler-to-deploy, native Android-based app for Sony’s displays, the companies said.

By integrating Sony’s Bravia professional displays with Vitec’s Avedia IPTV and digital signage platform, the combination offers a player-less IPTV solution directly to the display’s system-on-a-chip (SoC). The Android-based Bravia professional display’s deployment tools offer smooth deployment of Vitec’s Avedia player software directly onto Sony displays without the need for additional hardware. This all-in-one approach reduces installation complexity, streamlines management, and lowers the total cost of ownership for end users, the companies said.

The combined technology, orchestrated by Vitec’s CMS can support thousands of displays—covering a wide range of screen sizes—while maintaining centralized control. From live IPTV channels to interactive signage and targeted advertising, users can adapt content in real time to maximize engagement and revenue opportunities.

“By combining Sony’s world-class display technology with Vitec’s powerful IPTV and signage platform, we are delivering a game-changing solution across many verticals,” said Rik Willemse, Head of Professional Display Solutions Europe, Sony Europe. “This collaboration allows operators and end users to create dynamic, engaging environments while simplifying installation and reducing operational complexity,” said Rich Ventura, Vice President, Professional Display Solutions America, Sony Electronics Inc.

This integration provides robust performance even in large-scale deployments with demanding requirements. Centralized content control, redundancy features, and support for the latest security standards ensure that any setup can rely on the system for mission-critical operation with end-to-end content protection.

“This strategic global collaboration between Vitec and Sony marks the beginning of an evolving collaboration focused on delivering innovative, secure, and scalable IPTV and digital signage solutions worldwide. By integrating our technologies and expertise, we are committed to providing customers with seamless, future-ready platforms and workflows that address the diverse needs of modern organizations,” said Eli Garten, Senior Vice President, Global IPTV and Partner Solutions for Vitec.

In addition to IPTV and digital signage solutions, Vitec’s end-to-end offering includes head-end encoding and streaming, IP gateways and video wall systems to manage, distribute and display content across using any network.

Akta Tech will demonstrate a unified AI-first video platform designed to replace the collection of tools media companies use to move, understand, repurpose and measure content during IBC 2026, Sept. 11-14, at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Center.

Akta can ingest and distribute live signals, analyze video in real time, enrich metadata, identify and create high-value clips, and turn operational and audience data into prescriptive insights—all within one cloud platform, enabling a continuous, signal-to-audience workflow.

The company’s IBC demonstrations will include:

• Cloud signal distribution across broadcast, streaming, FAST, OTT, digital and social destinations.
• Real-time AI enrichment that identifies speech, people, objects, scenes, sentiment and events.
• Automated metadata generation and standardization to improve discovery, production and monetization.
• Intelligent clipping for sports, news and live events, with automated and human-in-the-loop workflows.
• AI-powered media analytics spanning playback quality, audience engagement, ad delivery and fill rate.

“Media companies no longer need separate tools to move, understand, enrich, repurpose and measure their content,” said Alper Turgut, chairman of Akta Tech. “Akta brings those capabilities together in one AI-first platform, helping customers create more content, reach audiences faster and improve operational and commercial performance.”

Akta is a high-end digital video platform powering video offerings for broadcasters and media companies for both live streaming and video-on-demand. Akta's turnkey technology streamlines video from ingest to playback and monetization.

See Akta Tech at IBC stand 3.DiamondLounge.

More information is available on the company’s website.

NEW YORK—Law&Crime Network said it has migrated its Court TV channel, which is distributed via broadcast and free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels, onto Amagi’s CLOUDPORT cloud-based operations platform.

After acquiring Court TV from E.W. Scripps in February, Law&Crime began migrating the network’s operations in-house. Law&Crime had five months to complete the transition without disrupting a programming schedule built around real-time breaking news.

The move to CLOUDPORT replaces a patchwork of manual, disconnected systems with a single automated cloud platform, giving viewers more reliable access to Court TV’s live and breaking-news coverage across broadcast, streaming and connected TV.

Amagi’s cloud-native platform enabled Law&Crime to modernize Court TV’s infrastructure quickly while avoiding the equipment delays typically associated with traditional broadcast transitions. The vendor also developed custom automation to support key operational workflows to help ensure Court TV’s breaking coverage remained uninterrupted throughout the transition. Court TV’s live operations are now managed through Amagi Intella, the company’s AI-powered managed services platform.

Court TV broadcasts about 10 hours of live programming each weekday, which is automatically repackaged into weekend syndication without manual rebuilding. Before the channel went live on the new platform, Amagi tested each playlist, metadata feed and distribution endpoint against Court TV’s prior setup.

When Law&Crime flagged late-stage readiness concerns, Amagi added support, including 10 days of hands-on care, and sent an on-site onboarding specialist for the first week. As a result, Court TV moved across every downstream platform with no disruption to live service.

“We had five months to take on Court TV and no room for downtime,” Law&Crime Chief Technology Officer Debasish Mishra said. “A migration this complex is never trouble-free. What mattered was having a partner who understood the assignment, adjusted when the plan needed to change and kept working the problem with us until we were across the finish line. We came out of it with origination infrastructure that scales as our footprint grows across broadcast, FAST and streaming so we can keep delivering our content to viewers the best way possible.”

More information is available on the Amagi website.

Broadcast Management Group has designed and deployed a custom REMI production ecosystem for The Pro Tour, a new professional golf tour featuring elite athletes from some of the world’s biggest sports leagues including the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL.

LiveU’s LU800 field units and LIQ intelligent connectivity served as key components within BMG’s broader production workflow. The setup gave camera operators the freedom of movement and a new view from the green that has always been challenging to achieve, while eliminating the cost constraints, environmental strain, and access limitations of legacy OB trucks.

As the tour’s turnkey broadcast partner, BMG provided creative services, live production, engineering, transmission, media management, and distribution for each five-hour live broadcast.

During a stop at the PGA National Resort in West Palm Beach last spring, BMG was faced with covering a crucial hole that had reportedly never been televised because it fell outside the venue’s fixed fiber infrastructure, according to the company.

In response, BMG implemented a nearly fully wireless production workflow using LiveU LU800 bonded cellular transmission systems enhanced by LiveU IQ intelligent connectivity. Starlink was ready as backup connectivity, though according to BMG, never had to be deployed. This meant that the technical director, master control, and channel management team could work from home or the NOC.

The hybrid workflow dramatically shrunk the production footprint compared to a traditional cable-and-truck build, with more cameras able to cover more of the course because they’re no longer limited by where fiber happens to run, BMG said. Every camera, including drone coverage, transmitted live feeds to BMG’s Network Operations Center (NOC), where AI continuously monitored available network conditions and automatically optimized connectivity across multiple cellular networks.

“The Pro Tour let us design a broadcast ecosystem from the ground up, built around where the story was, not where cable could reach,” said Kathy Samuels, BMG’s director of creative services. “LiveU's LU800, and LIQ intelligent connectivity gave our creative vision somewhere to actually run. Bringing creative services, live production, engineering, and distribution into one workflow gave us a scalable model that supports the tour today and can grow with it.”

Nugen Audio is launching two new flexible subscription offerings designed to give audio professionals short term access to the brand’s most essential plug-ins at the 2026 IBC Show, Sept. 11-15 at the RAI Amsterdam.

Built for project based workflows, “Post” and “Producer” plans provide a cost-effective way for users to access the exact tools they need, only for as long as they need them, Nugen said, which will provide guided demonstrations at the show, giving attendees a closer look at how each subscription supports real-world workflows.

The new Nugen Audio subscription model allows mixers, editors and producers to scale their toolset in real time. Whether tackling immersive upmixing for a streaming series or mastering a single track for release, subscribers can activate the appropriate plan for a specific project, pause it when the work is complete and restart it whenever new demands arise, according to the company.

The Post Plan delivers Nugen’s full suite of audio post-production tools, including VisLM, Halo Upmix, Halo Downmix, Halo Vision, Paragon, LM-Correct with DynApt, ISL with DSP extension, DialogCheck and more. It’s designed for dialogue editing, loudness compliance and multiplatform delivery for surround and immersive workflows.

The Producer Plan offers Nugen’s essential music production plug-ins, including MasterCheck, Paragon ST, ISLst, SEQ-ST, Stereoizer, Monofilter, Visualizer and others and is ideal for mixing, mastering and pre-production.

A key advantage of these new subscription options, Nugen says, is the ability for audio professionals to align plug-in costs directly with client billing. Instead of absorbing the expense of a full bundle purchase, users can activate a subscription for the duration of a specific project and invoice it as part of the production budget. This model supports freelancers, independent studios and project-based teams who need access to high-end tools without committing to long-term licenses, according to Freddy Vinehill-Cliffe, Product Specialist for Nugen Audio.

“Subscriptions can make it easier to align software costs with client work, helping you access the tools you need when you need them, without a large upfront investment,” he said. “Now, your plug-in subscription can be part of your per-project costs, paused during projects that don’t require the tools and then restarted when one of the solutions needs to come to the rescue.

Both plans are now available at https://nugenaudio.com/subscriptions/

Nugen Audio will be in Pod P27 at the show.

MUNICH, Germany—Rohde & Schwarz announced today that it plans to introduce “a new addition to its transmission portfolio designed to optimize efficiency, secure long-term investments, and simplify daily operations” at the 2026 IBC Show, Sept. 11-14 at the RAI Amsterdam.

Although it didn’t identify the new product or where it fits into a broadcasters’ RF infrastructure, the company said it falls in line with the company's IBC focus on “emphasizing operational efficiency and sustainable technology evolution.” Alongside this launch, Rohde & Schwarz will also host its Innovation Theatre at its booth, offering presentations on new business fields and emerging industry trends.

Rohde & Schwarz says it will also demonstrate its terrestrial transmission solutions featuring native support for 5G Broadcast and ATSC 3.0. The company says its transmitter platforms and software-defined receivers allow broadcast network operators to seamlessly adapt to changing standards and enable the deployment of new services such as datacasting, Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT), and multimedia emergency warnings.

As satellite network operators face the challenge of updating critical space-to-ground communication links, the company says its R&S PKU100 Ku-band uplink amplifier showcased at the event provides a viable migration path from legacy tube-based systems to a highly efficient solid-state architecture. The solution allows for a direct 1:1 replacement of aging tube amplifiers within existing configurations, significantly reducing installation effort. By upgrading to this technology, satellite networks achieve immediate improvements in reliability and operational efficiency, while integrated self-monitoring capabilities minimize maintenance requirements and lower the total cost of ownership, according to the company.

"For decades, Rohde & Schwarz has built a reputation in broadcasting founded on innovation and reliability," says Steven Edwards, Vice President, Broadcast Distribution at Rohde & Schwarz. "Our latest TV, radio, and satellite solutions deliver exceptional performance while meeting growing technical and audience demands. At IBC 2026, we are proud to showcase our next-generation solutions, ensuring our customers' investments remain secure and adaptable for decades to come."

Rohde & Schwarz will be in Booth 8.B70.

WASHINGTON—IndyCar and Fox Sports will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding this weekend by presenting the Freedom 250 Grand Prix from the National Mall and surrounding streets.

(Race coverage begins Sunday, Aug. 23, at 1 p.m. ET on Fox and FS1. Pre-race coverage starts at 11:30 a.m. ET.)

While the broadcaster is devoting a bevy of broadcast and production tech to covering the race, the real highlight is the nation’s capital, historic architecture and storied landmarks as drivers run the circuit past the U.S. Capitol, down Pennsylvania Ave. and along the National Mall. Some 250,000 race fans are also expected to attend, adding to the spectacle.

“All credit to making this race happen goes to the president of Penske and to our CEO,” said Michael Davies, executive vice president, field and technical management and operations for Fox Sports. “This was their vision. They wanted to do this to have IndyCar contribute to the celebrations for the 250th, and that's how we're going to treat it.”

The backdrop for the race played heavily into coverage planning efforts. “Of course, there’s a competition afoot, but we really made an effort to have each shot show off the iconic nature of where we are,” he said.

OWL Cam and Washington Monument
Among the 90 cameras the broadcaster will use to cover the race is a newly designed specialty camera dubbed OWL Cam, mounted to a 4D gimbal for four-axis stabilized shots and suspended about 12 to 13 feet over Pennsylvania Avenue.

Fox Sports constructed a special arched truss over the street with a track for OWL Cam to follow. As the race’s main straightaway, Pennsylvania Avenue will see drivers reach speeds of around 180 miles per hour as they pass beneath the camera.

“The camera itself is going to be able to crawl from one side of the arch to the other,” Davies said. “But more importantly, its 4D gimbal will allow the camera to pan and swivel as the cars go underneath.”

Conceived in a Washington bar and drawn on the back of a beer coaster, OWL Cam will give the broadcaster a view of the Capitol as it looks down the straightaway, he said. Fox Sports worked with JitaCam (Jib in the air Cam) to bring the camera concept to fruition.

JitaCam started with an inverse jib widely used to fly over crowds at combat sports and other events. As the broadcaster’s “go-to people for specialty cameras,” in Davies words, the company souped up the setup to meet Fox Sports’ vision, adding the gimbal and the ability to crawl. “They basically pieced it together with different things that they own and rented to make it a reality,” he said.

Five hundred feet above the race, on the observation deck of the Washington Monument, Fox Sports is positioning a camera and operator to capture the massive crowd expected to attend.

“Interestingly enough, there’s a piece of fiber up there that we found out about from one of our video guys who does pool work,” Davies said. “It doesn’t get more iconic than that, looking all the way down the National Mall to see 250,000 people."

Drones and Beyond
Once again, Fox Sports will work with drone partner Beverly Hills Aerials to capture race action with the help of drones. As would be expected, flying a drone in the nation’s capital, especially when heightened security is always a concern, required Fox Sports to secure many government approvals.

Seeking those approvals began months ago, and only days before the race, when Davies was interviewed for this article, did the Fox Sports executive vice president express confidence that “our aerial profile is complete.”

Aerial shots from drones are critical to race coverage at this point because “it just wouldn’t look like the same kind of race” without them, he said.

“This is how far drones have come over the years,” Davies said. “They've become not a nice-to-have, but something that is essential to the sport.”

In all, Fox Sports will deploy some 90 cameras to cover the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, consisting of multiple manned and robotic cameras along the streets, including a swift-panning robotic camera it first used in March, during the Java House Grand Prix in Arlington, Texas.

Fox Sports will also deploy in-car cameras, which “have been a huge part of what we’ve been reimagining for IndyCar,” Davies said. The broadcaster has doubled the number of in-car cameras used.

“We now have two cameras and two simultaneous feeds out of every car,” he said. “We’ve added some positions, including the ‘Top Gun’ position, which basically looks back at the driver to see the driver’s helmet, as well as the driver’s eye view camera.”

However, it’s not simply the in-car cameras but also the graphics paired with those shots that create the biggest impact on viewers. “The graphics that go with them allow viewers to really stay focused within the context of the race in watching the cars,” he said. “The graphics communicate where the car is on the track, its speed, its position and the turn that is coming up.

“When you take an in-car [camera], you not only take the camera, but you also take the graphics that go with it,” Davies said.

RF Environment and More
As with other races, RF plays a critical role—not only for video transmission from in-car cameras but also telemetry sources, communications between drivers and crews and production comms. However, unlike in other locales, the federal government in Washington makes extremely intensive use of RF to support its communications needs.

Fox Sports contracted with BSI, an NEP company, for in-car camera transmission and “everything else,” said Davies. BSI began three months ago working on every facet of frequency coordination, including securing Special Temporary Authority (STAs) from the FCC to meet the broadcaster’s needs.

“Nothing has been left to chance in terms of making sure that all the stakeholders, from law enforcement to government security to everything else, are on the same page with us in terms of all the frequencies that we use,” he said. “Coordination definitely was not an afterthought.”

The broadcaster will produce race coverage on site with its production partner Indy Motorsports Productions, using the Penske Entertainment-owned company’s flagship HD5 production truck. For its pre-race coverage, Fox Sports will work from a Game Creek production truck, he said.

For its audio coverage of the race, the broadcaster will continue to rely on two mics in the car—one at the front of the vehicle towards the engine and one onboard the car. “One of the things we’ve been working on is separating the audio both in IndyCar and NASCAR to expand the audio. It’s always great to hear that separation of audio in street races. It’s fantastic,” Davies said.

Contemplating the upcoming Freedom 250 Grand Prix, Davies reflected on the race’s historic nature.

“You know, back in the late 1700s and early 1800s they used to run horses by the White House,“ Davies said. ‘For five years, they had a horse track—that was the racing that used to be in D.C.. We’re looking forward to bringing back horsepower to Washington, D.C.”

CESSON-SÉVIGNÉ, France—Broadpeak is launching Multiview as a Service on broadpeak.io, the company’s SaaS platform at the 2026 IBC Show, Sept. 11-14 at the RAI Amsterdam. The fully managed self-serve SaaS offering enables broadcasters, streaming platforms and broadband providers to launch user-curated multiview experiences for live events with greater speed and simplicity.

Multiview allows audiences to choose their preferred layouts and watch multiple channels, live events or camera angles simultaneously, creating a richer viewing experience designed to increase engagement, encourage longer viewing sessions and help reduce subscriber churn, the company said.

“Multiview has quickly become one of the most requested capabilities for premium sports streaming, particularly across a huge summer of live sporting events, but the cost and complexity of deployment have prevented many providers from bringing it to market,” said Jacques Le Mancq, president and CEO of Broadpeak. “Bringing Multiview to broadpeak.io removes those barriers and makes sophisticated viewing experiences accessible to a wide range of service providers via a nimble, cost-efficient model.”

Broadpeak says its cloud-based service significantly accelerates time to market. Customers can introduce Multiview across a broad range of devices through a flexible, usage-based SaaS model, eliminating upfront CAPEX investment and aligning costs with service usage.

Broadpeak also manages the underlying infrastructure and provides continuous service supervision through its team of video streaming experts. Proactive monitoring helps ensure consistent service performance, while detailed KPIs enable customers to optimize their service settings over time.

Broadpeak will be in Booth 1.F83 at the show.

KINGS PARK, NY—MultiDyne Video & Fiber Optic Systems will demonstrate its expanding camera robotics and motion control portfolio at IBC2026, Sept. 11-14 at the RAI Amsterdam. The show marks the first time MRMC (MultiDyne Robotics Motion Control), will exhibit as part of the MultiDyne organization, since it announced the acquisition of the assets of MRMC in June.

MRMC will be in Stand 12.H11, complementing MultiDyne’s separate Hall 11 stand (11.C12) and giving the combined organization two points of presence at the show.

MultiDyne says its strategy is to grow MRMC across all three of its established market areas: broadcast, film and commercial production, and rentals, all of which will be represented on the MRMC stand. New MRMC products are in the early stages of development for 2027

Neil Maycock, Managing Director, MultiDyne MRMC says its primary message at IBC is one of strength and continuity.

“IBC gives us an important opportunity to reinforce that MRMC remains the same innovative business our customers know,” he said. “We have preserved the respected MRMC brand along with its core technologies, intellectual property, manufacturing capabilities and key engineering expertise. Customers will see familiar faces, established products and the same commitment to exceptional engineering and support.”

MRMC says it will focus on three product ranges, including Cinebot Nano, which brings MRMC’s professional motion-control capabilities to filmmakers, content creators and smaller production teams in a compact platform. The nine-axis robot supports cameras up to 7kg and offers one meter of reach. PushMoco control allows operators to physically position the arm and record keyframes, while included Flair Lite software provides an accessible path to creating precise, repeatable camera moves. The system can operate on a pedestal or optional track and can be mounted to tripods, tables, carts, vehicles or in an inverted configuration, extending high-end robotic cinematography into productions.

The StudioBot range brings MRMC’s robotic-arm expertise directly into broadcast production, combining smooth multi-axis camera movement with precision, repeatability and production automation. Available in several configurations, StudioBot is designed to help broadcasters move beyond static studio camera positions and create more dynamic content while supporting virtual and automated production workflows, according to the company. Its Robokam software provides centralized graphical control for creating and editing shots, moves and playlists, with support for controlling multiple robotic systems and executing predefined movements or complex sequences without requiring programming expertise.

Rounding out the exhibit, MRMC’s Slidekamera extends the company’s portfolio from robotic arms into precision rail-based motion systems. The range spans modular sliders and PTZ camera movers for applications ranging from single-camera productions to large multi-camera studios, delivering the stable, fluid movement required for broadcast, videography, live events and other production environments. Of particular focus is ATLAS, which features modular configurations that can support creative cinematic moves as well as repeatable and automated studio workflows.

A helicopter crash in northern Kenya killed all seven passengers on Wednesday, including a Florida-based executive with Telemundo.

José Alberto Suárez, president and general manager of Telemundo 31, Telemundo 49, and Telemundo Ft. Myers-Naples was among those killed. Suarez worked at NBCUniversal Telemundo’s parent company for 18 years.

Over his 25-year career, Suárez also served as president of other stations including Telemundo 33, Telemundo Fresno, Telemundo Las Vegas, Telemundo Utah, and Telemundo San Antonio. He also worked at NBC Miami as executive producer of non-news programming and specials, including daily entertainment shows, according to NBC Digital.

He had received numerous awards during his career, including a Lone Star Emmy, a Suncoast Emmy, three Emmys for Best Daily Newscast, as well as several Associated Press awards.

The helicopter was owned by Lady Lori Kenya company, which released a statement Wednesday evening confirming the crash and expressing its condolences to the victims. The company said the cause of the crash was unknown and that it would be investigated by authorities.

NBC Newsgroup Chairman Cesar Conde, NBCU Local Chairman Valari Staab, and Telemundo station Group President Jose Cancela expressed their condolences in a joint statement.

“We are heartbroken to learn the tragic news that José was killed in a helicopter accident in Kenya. José was an exceptional colleague who cared deeply about his teams, the communities they served and the important role our stations play in people’s lives. He brought energy, humor, warmth and a strong sense of purpose to his work, and his impact was felt far beyond the stations he led. Our hearts are with his loved ones, and with all of José’s colleagues and friends who are grieving this terrible loss.”

At the 2026 IBC SHow, Sept. 10-14 at the RAI Amsterdam, QuickLink will introduce StudioEdge 4K, the first 4K model in the StudioEdge lineup, and new native 4K 60fps support for StudioCall. Designed for professional production environments, StudioEdge 4K combines native 4K 60fps StudioCall ingest with NVIDIA powered AI upscaling for contributors joining from widely used communication platforms. Whether a guest connects through StudioCall, Zoom or Microsoft Teams, StudioEdge 4K enables production teams to deliver a consistent 4K output.

Also at its IBC booth, QuickLink will unveil how StudioCall contributors can now deliver native 4K 60fps when using a compatible video device, allowing productions to preserve the resolution and frame rate of a caller’s native 4K source. These 4K feeds can be output from StudioEdge 4K over 4K SDI and NDI, providing seamless integration into modern broadcast and live production workflows.

For contributors joining through platforms where native 4K is not available, StudioEdge-4K uses NVIDIA-powered AI Upscaling to intelligently enhance HD video to 4K. This enables production teams to maintain a consistent high-resolution output while continuing to connect guests through familiar communication platforms.

StudioEdge-4K gives broadcasters, media organizations and enterprise users a flexible way to incorporate remote contributors into professional 4K workflows, combining native 4K contribution, NVIDIA-powered AI video enhancement and professional 4K SDI and NDI connectivity, the company said.

QuickLink will be in 7.C19 at the RAI Amsterdam.

BALTIMORE—Carol Kellum was named vice president and general manager of Sinclair-owned KPTM Omaha, a Fox affiliate, and KHGI-KFXL Lincoln-Hastings-Kearny, Neb., an ABC-Fox duopoly.

Kellum had been general manager of KTVO Kirksville-Missouri-Ottumwa, Iowa, and KQHA Quincy, Ill.-Hannibal, Mo. Her move to Sinclair’s Nebraska operation represents a return to the company, which formerly owned KTVO and KQHA.

She replaces current VP and GM John Hannon, who will retire at the end of August.

“Carol is an experienced and accomplished broadcast leader with a strong understanding of local markets, station operations and the importance of serving viewers and advertisers across every platform,” said Rob Weisbord, chief operating officer and president of local media, Sinclair. “We are thrilled to welcome her back to Sinclair and know her leadership will be a tremendous asset to our teams in Omaha and Lincoln-Kearney. We also thank John for his years of dedicated service and leadership and wish him all the best in retirement.”

Kellum had been KTVO’s general manager for 11 years and also ran KQHA from 2008 to 2011 and again starting last September. Sinclair sold the two stations to Rincon Broadcasting Group last September.

“I’m excited to return to Sinclair,” Kellum said. “They are forward thinkers and understand the dynamic changes our industry is experiencing and will continue to experience. I look forward to working with the talented teams at KPTM, KHGI and KFXL and building on their strong commitment to the communities they serve.”

As the world of broadcast TV news moves into the AI era, station groups like Scripps are using the technology not only to help improve news coverage and viewer engagement, but also to reform and enhance how reporters and anchors spend their days—focusing on new workflows and adapting to how consumers stay informed.

That was the impetus behind Scripps Media’s announcement several weeks ago that it would adopt a “digital-first” approach to news coverage, in which it would prioritize streaming breaking news rather than waiting for scheduled daily newscasts. This approach reflects the reality of how consumers get their news—a development that is long overdue, according to Dean Littleton. Littleton recently became president of media for Scripps, combining leadership of the company’s enterprise television and broadcast operations in a newly created role.

The company plans to roll out its new process to a dozen of its smaller markets, with plans to increase deployment to all markets over time.

'We've Got to Change Our Business'
The changes were revealed at the same time the station group announced that 268 positions across the company were being eliminated. Littleton says Scripps had to make these changes, noting that core revenue across its approximately 60 local broadcast TV stations in more than 40 markets and 22 states is down 30%–50% from 20 years ago. The station group announced a nearly 5.4% drop in core revenue in its latest fiscal quarter, compared to the same quarter a year ago.

“A year ago we sat down and said, ‘We've got to change our business,’” Littleton told TV Tech. “So we took a step back and said, ‘What is our true north?’ And our true north is journalism. It's the journalism that will sustain us.

“So we looked at all of our processes and completely set about reinventing all of them with a focus on the consumer and how they consume content across broadcast, digital, streaming, and social platforms.”

Littleton says today’s news production process isn’t all that different than what it was 30 years ago and that, despite past promises to focus more on digital and streaming, broadcasters were not moving forward fast enough.

“I remember sitting in these meetings talking about strategy, and as much as we would walk out of those meetings and all say, ‘We're digital-first,’ we'd go right back to working on our 5:00, 6:00, or 10:00 newscast,” he said. “Meanwhile, the consumer left the party in large part, and that's been a mistake. I think we lost sight of the consumer.”

Littleton also wanted to move beyond the walled garden of a station news “app,” calling that approach “overly simplistic.”

He says Scripps needs to go where consumers are when it comes to news—giving them access to “journalism that's delivered on the platforms of their choosing, in formats native to that platform, and delivered on a schedule that fits the consumer's schedule.”

Littleton emphasizes that Scripps is increasing its focus on local news despite the recent layoffs by tapping into new AI processes that automate more of the production process.

“We are essentially reallocating resources from the production of newscasts to the development of journalism,” he said. “[We’re] moving resources from the process of creating the traditional newscast, and then investing in resources to create original reporting in our markets.”

Littleton says he wants to increase the number of reporters in local markets and believes Scripps will expand its local coverage rather than reduce it, as some critics have claimed.

“We'll see more reporters and MMJs, not fewer, with them having geographic beats so that they build expertise, and their stories are told with relevance and context in the communities that they serve,” he said. “And these communities that they're serving often are communities that have been 'news deserts' up until the point that we assigned a reporter.”

“At the end of this process, we'll have more MMJs and reporters overall than what we have today,” Littleton added.

Scripps has developed a new workflow to support its digital-first approach, according to Littleton.

“We've invented a whole new process for operating our newsrooms, where a story gets completed, and the story immediately goes into the live stream,” he said. “The technology that we've built constantly ‘stacks’ and ‘restacks’ the shows on the live stream, and the stories are prioritized based on tags that human beings assign to those stories, so the technology knows how to prioritize the content.

“Therefore, my experience as a consumer watching that live stream at 2:00 in the afternoon is different than it would have been at 1:00, because as new content has moved into the stream, the technology ‘restacked’ it based on priorities that human beings gave it,” Littleton added.

New Role: 'Executive Reporter'
Along with more automated production processes, Littleton also says the management of how news is handled is changing, with the creation of a new “executive reporter” role in each newsroom.

“This person leads the reporting resources inside each newsroom, they have a reporting background, and so their goal is to help improve the storytelling and the journalism, and their focus is on that all day long,” he said. “So we've had to rethink how management works in our newsrooms to support what is an entirely new workflow and process inside our buildings.”

To put the power of AI behind its new news workflow, Scripps developed its own news production platform called "Stacker," according to Christina Hartman, vice president of emerging technology operations at Scripps.

Producers working with Stacker create templates based on their focus—whether it be news, weather, business, or sports—and connects those subjects to local community concerns so news reports better reflect local issues.

“Stacker is the platform we built that is responsive to a template that a producer builds, as a reflection of the content strategy of the newsroom, whether it’s heavy on weather, leading with community connection stories, etc.,” she said. “The producer sets the template, and then Stacker as a platform will read what stories we have available and meet the criteria for slotting in the platform, and then it produces a draft or suggested rundown based on that daypart's template.

“It allows the producer to intuitively move stories around if they don't like the suggested order, or if they want to change some of the timing content, they could do that really easily through the platform,” Hartman added.

Better Use of Time
Hartman reiterated Littleton’s assessment of the need to use AI to free up a reporter’s time during the day.

“The amount of time that our reporters have been able to spend being in the field versus doing the shooting, editing, and versioning for social media and the web—the time spent actually with news gathering has shrunk, and the day has gotten longer,” she said. “We remind people that more and more of your day is going to things that aren't why you got into this business.”

Given the level of automation now involved in news production, Hartman stressed that everything aired is still approved by humans.

“Nothing is published or goes to air without human review and affirmative approval, and everything that we publish or take to air is originally reported, substantively written, and reviewed and approved by a human journalist,” she said. “What we have brought AI in to assist with are really the production components: the versioning, the metadata tagging, the sort of rough-cut edit, and the layout of the rundown in a suggested capacity. So from a guardrails point of view, it's structurally built into the process.”

As Scripp’s chief advocate for AI development within the company, Hartman shares her initial skepticism about AI, noting that when ChatGPT was launched nearly three years ago, her first thought was, ‘how do I keep this as far away from our newsroom as possible?’

“It's why I proposed forming AI governance,” she said. “So we started from sort of a ‘protective condition.’” she said. “What I found though is that if I was writing the guardrail and the rules around use of AI, I better know what I'm doing and be using it so that I can understand what the traps and the and the pitfalls were.”

Hartman responded to criticisms that Scripps is using AI as an easy way out to justify downsizing its news staffs.

“If this were purely a financial exercise, there are many other models that that I will tell you candidly would have been so much easier to pursue,” she said. “We could have dripped down to five-minute newscasts. We could have killed reporting and reporting roles, and maintained the facade of a newscast where you have talent that isn't even local, putting on the appearance of a local broadcast. But none of those alternatives would be true to Scripps’ value and Scripps’ promise to its communities.”

With a digital-first approach, a news story is not a finished product, but rather an evolving element that Littleton believes can help make viewers part of the narrative.

“What we are now seeing our newsrooms do with this process where you create a story and you immediately upload it and it goes into the stream, that happens throughout the day so viewers get to go along with the reporter as they develop a story,” he said. “[As the reporter] walks out of the newsroom, they record video that explains what their story is for the day, and as that story gets updated, those videos are created, and they go into the stream also. So the person watching at home gets to go along with the reporter as the story develops throughout the day.”

The fact that news workflow is being built around AI is not new, but technical changes are just one factor in the decision to the shift, according to Hartman, who characterized the new direction as “as much cultural as it is technological.”

SAINT PAUL, Minn.—In another example of how public broadcasters are reshaping their operations in the wake of Federal funding cuts, Twin Cities PBS will become Minnesota PBS on September 1, 2026, with the addition of KSMQ.

The change extends regional and national PBS programming to nearly 350,000 new viewers, including those in Austin, Rochester, Winona, and throughout seven southern Minnesota counties.

The transition to Minnesota PBS comes just over a year after the elimination of federal funding for public broadcasting in July 2025. Without that funding, KSMQ faced the growing possibility that the station would go dark after more than 50 years on the air.

The creation of Minnesota PBS will prevent that from happening. It will preserve public media in southern Minnesota and maintain trusted news and local shows for communities throughout the region.

In addition to continuing local programs, Minnesota PBS will provide southern Minnesota viewers with dependable access to more options than ever before: regional and national PBS programming, legislative coverage, high-quality children's content from PBS KIDS, and critical health and safety alerts.

The organization will also continue programming the Minnesota Channel, a service for all public television stations in the state that has originated from Twin Cities PBS for the past two decades.

"As a public media organization, Minnesota PBS will be dedicated to reflecting and serving communities across the state while celebrating the local perspectives that make each community unique," said Sylvia Strobel, Twin Cities PBS president and CEO. "Minnesota PBS will be a trusted neighbor to every community it reaches – a welcoming and accessible local news and entertainment source that belongs to all of its viewers."

"KSMQ has informed, inspired, and strengthened the cultural fabric of the communities we serve for generations and our transition to join Minnesota PBS ensures that we will deliver trusted, local programming for years to come," said Kathleen Harrington, chair of the KSMQ Board of Directors. "We are deeply grateful for the continued support of our viewers, members, and donors. This transition honors your long history of support by ensuring ongoing access to public broadcasting for our communities."

Beginning September 1, Minnesota PBS will operate under its new name across all its broadcast channels in the expanded service area. At that time, viewers will find more information about the organization at MinnesotaPBS.org.

Until then, viewers can continue accessing current programming and services from both Twin Cities PBS and KSMQ.

More information about Minnesota PBS and the upcoming transition can be found at TPT.org/MinnesotaPBS.

OSLO, Norway—During IBC 2026, Bridge Technologies will be showing a significant new feature option for its VB330 and VB220 compressed monitoring probes: the ability to play out transport stream (TS) files across IP networks.

The new functionality transforms the probes from passive monitoring tools into a far more comprehensive, expansive broadcast asset - allowing broadcasters to fulfil a full range of regulatory and compliance activities, as well as vastly improving their technical, operational and strategic decision making.

The company will be showing the new capabilities at Booth 1.A71 during the show between Sept. 11 and 14 at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Center.

The TS playout feature builds upon the existing recording capabilities of the probe, introduced last year and allowing for round-robin and alarm-triggered recording of up to 200 streams, with an inbuilt clip editor for export.

The new TS playout feature takes a recorded stream and plays it out to any TS receiver, supporting bitrates up to 100 Mbps per stream with up to 12 simultaneous playouts and a total throughput of 1 Gbps (or 2 Gbps with ST 2022-7 redundancy activated).

The probes support both Single Program Transport Streams (SPTS) and Multiple Program Transport Streams (MPTS), as well as both Constant Bit Rate (CBR) and Variable Bit Rate (VBR) files.

Streams can be played once or set to loop with adaptive handling to avoid continuity counter errors and can be sent to either multicast or unicast destinations. For multicast delivery, the probe can also monitor its own output using its full built-in analysis toolset. Files can be uploaded via the web interface, and recordings made by the probe can be used directly as playout sources.

This makes it invaluable for production engineers seeking to set up networks for live events, in environments where speed is of the essence.

With this signal generation feature, engineers can generate test content for live events before cameras are in place - allowing them to verify the wider network architecture ahead of time.

Crucially, the probe makes use of PTP network synchronization to achieve highly accurate playout timing – achieved at a LAB-grade standard with much lower PCR jitter than in comparable systems, thus preventing buffer synchronization issues at the receiver side and minimizing latency. This ensures accurate, error free flow along the full broadcast chain, even in environments where the network has been integrated and coordinated on an ad-hoc basis, such as when the production feeding the distribution network originates from OB trucks, temporary pop-up studios, and fast-turnaround event setups.

“Live production brings increasing challenges in terms of the speed with which the setup must be introduced, and the accuracy and reliability with which it must deliver on the day,” explained Bridge Technologies Chairman Simen K. Frostad. “With TS playout, network engineers can generate a test signal and validate their entire distribution chain ahead of time - even before cameras, switchers or encoders are in place. But we also have customers right now using this functionality not just for setup, but on-air too. It is crucial to effective operations."

"This new development in our distribution side probes marks a really important evolution in their role, placing them front and center in a broadcast engineer’s arsenal and taking them far beyond their original monitoring roots,” he continued. “It takes functions that would normally be deployed on separate devices and condenses them into a single box. This results in a single interface and a more streamlined workflow, reduced space and energy requirements, and lower operational costs. It fully reflects Bridge’s central ethos - using our unrivalled understanding of IP network behaviour and appliance engineering to deliver increasingly more functionality with increasingly less physical infrastructure”.

The inclusion of this feature reflects a broader push by the company to develop tools that go far beyond simple alarming and monitoring and instead become holistic parts of the wider broadcast chain, incorporating deep diagnostics, proactive network management, reporting and compliance, practical production tools (in the case of the VB440), and now signal generation for network and broadcast setup.

Furthermore, this expansion within the VB330 supports a wider industry trend which has seen broadcast as a whole begin to converge across compressed and uncompressed environments, eroding the distinction which once existed between production and distribution as separate arenas and disciplines.

More information about Bridge Technologies and its products is available at www.bridgetech.tv