Before the internet transformed virtually every facet our lives, broadcasting was the only way to disseminate information to the masses in real time.

The invention of radio and television were both revolutionary in their own ways, delivering audio and video into millions of homes worldwide. News, sport and other content was immediately accessible, making the public more informed and entertained.

The story of both technologies is one of iteration. The quality and variety of modern radio broadcasts would be unrecognizable to a listener in the early 20th century, while color, satellite and new standards have created modern television.

But broadcasting is on the cusp of a revolution. 5G will change how events and programs are captured, produced and transmitted to people around the world. Broadcasts will become more interactive, more innovative and more efficient.

In this post we showcase some of the top 5G use cases that you can expect to see within the broadcasting industry in the coming years.

1. Remote production

5G offers faster speeds, greater capacity and lower latency when compared to previous generations of mobile networks. Although it’s possible to carry out remote production using 4G, the superior bandwidth and reliability makes remote production a realistic proposition for broadcasters.

Traditionally, live outside broadcasts have required a team of camera operators, production staff and directors on-site. In addition to intensive labor costs, the deployment of an outside broadcast truck and the use of satellite capacity increases expense considerably.

5G remote production reduces the number of staff required on-site and the need for a truck as camera feeds can be sent instantly to a centralized production hub. This reduces costs and allows production teams to work across multiple events on a single day. This results in greater quality for consumers.

2. Network slicing

Network slicing will be crucial for remote broadcasts in the future. At present, the limited number of users on commercial 5G networks means there is little risk of broadcasters not having sufficient capacity to transmit their programs.

However, as the number of 5G subscribers increases over the coming years, there will be a need to provide a guaranteed level of throughput. Network slicing does this by effectively fencing off part of a 5G network for a particular application. In effect, broadcasters will be able to request network slices in the same way they currently book satellite capacity.

3. Greater creativity

But it’s not just about cost effectiveness. 5G networks will increase the variety of creative options open to producers. 5G-enabled cameras—free from the constraints of wires—will allow operators to roam freely across a studio space or a sports venue, capturing images that would previously have been impossible to record.

Feeds can then be sent back to an outside broadcast truck or to a remote production hub across the 5G network. This is of particular value to sports broadcasters, who can use the same camera for pre- and post-event content and to cover the event itself.

4. Mobile production

In 2004, BBC News gave journalists 3G phones so they could live stream reports and events in the field. The idea was not to replace conventional camera crews, but allow reporters to provide reports before the production team arrived. Naturally, quality was sporadic, but advances made in both mobile technology and networks since has given rise to an entire field of mobile journalism (mojo). Smartphones are now capable of capturing, editing and even streaming live images. Glen Mulcahy, expert trainer at the Thomson Foundation, believes that “By 2020, when 5G goes mainstream, mojo will dominate news.”

5. Better streaming for users

The same characteristics of 5G (speed, capacity and latency) that will aid production will also benefit end users. 5G will support higher quality streams in 4K Ultra-High Definition (UHD), while the densification of networks through micro infrastructure such as small cells will ensure mobile users can actually watch them in the quality for which they were intended. 

Meanwhile, lower latency will also ensure that live events—such as news, election debates or sport—are shown as close as possible to the moment they are captured. This will reduce the risk of a neighbor’s screaming or a rogue notification spoiling an imminent goal, wicket or touchdown.

6. Multicast streaming

The constraints of 4G networks meant that significant efforts were placed into multicast streaming. Whereas the majority of streaming is achieved using unicast transmissions, which send content to an individual user rather than many users, multicast is similar to conventional broadcasting in that it sends the same transmission to multiple devices. Multicast promises to maintain the same level of quality, even as the number of viewers increases, without requiring additional spectrum or capacity. Operators benefit from greater efficiency and cost effectiveness.

Although the greater capacity of 5G (and limited adoption) has made the immediate need for multicast streaming redundant, increasing numbers of 5G subscribers and more data-intensive streams will place more strain on networks in the future. According to Ericsson, there will be 2.6 billion 5G users by 2025, consuming an average of 24GB a month—growth driven by video. 

7. Immersive entertainment

Verizon showcased its 5G tech in real-time rendering of effects from "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker." The network partnered with Walt Disney Studios’ StudioLAB for a demo at the premiere afterparty in Hollywood, where guests were able to interact with Sith troopers in real-time.

Two actors played the troopers working in a remote location 15 miles away. Those who took part in the demo could approach a screen and interact with the two Sith troopers. The troopers were able to react in real-time. 

“Both the StudioLAB and Verizon believe 5G will fundamentally change everything about how entertainment media is created, distributed and consumed,” said Nicki Palmer, chief product development officer at Verizon. 

“The speed and low latency of 5G can unlock incredible creative capabilities,” added Ben Havey at Disney Studios StudioLAB. “We want to give storytellers early access to this new technology so they can continue to bring unparalleled experiences to audiences around the world.”

And in November, EE streamed a 360-degree augmented reality (AR) Bastille concert from Birmingham New Street station to Edinburgh and Liverpool. 

8. Remote broadcasting

The greater reliability of 5G means that mobile networks could be a more cost-effective way of providing traditional broadcasts to remote areas. The construction of a 5G network can be more efficient than maintaining expensive bespoke broadcast infrastructure such as radio and television masts—and has the added benefit of delivering ultrafast mobile internet. 

This, in turn, could increase the economic argument for rural 5G. As part of the 5GRuralFirst trial in Orkney, the BBC created a dedicated radio app for residents of Stromsay—an area with poor connectivity and digital radio coverage—to ensure the technology is fit for purpose.

9. Personalized broadcasting

Personalization is viewed by many within the industry to be the future of broadcasting. Viewers will be able to select from a variety of video and audio feeds, as well as on-screen graphics and other elements. 5G will enable these experiences over mobile networks, with standards bodies working on standards that allow for the personalization of broadcasts. And object-based media standards break down broadcasts into different modules, which are displayed according to factors such as user preference and device. For example, it might be that one viewer prefers a sign language presenter while another might have a smaller device or slower connection.

10. Advanced advertising

The transition of broadcast from a one-way transmission to a two-way conversation will provide opportunities for broadcasters to offer more personalized advertising experiences that rival online giants. Sky already does this in the U.K. through its AdSmart platform, but the sheer amount of data possessed by mobile users make this an audience treasure trove for 5G broadcasters.

5G will not only create a massive captive audience for advertisers, but will allow for more advanced creatives that attract attention and make it possible to deploy algorithms that display the most appropriate creatives in real time. For broadcasters struggling with declining commercial revenues—5G represents a significant opportunity.

This story originally appeared on TVT's sister publication 5GRadar.

The TVB’s Alt Forward 2020 Conference went down Oct. 1, and saw Emily Barr, president and CEO of Graham Media Group, saluted as Broadcaster of the Year, honored by both local broadcast trade association TVB and B+C. 

Steve Lanzano, TVB president and CEO, kicked off the virtual conference. 

Bill Gannon, VP & global editor-in-chief, Broadcasting & Cable, called Barr “simply world-class” and saluted her for not only her sterling leadership at Graham Media, which has KPRC Houston and WDIV Detroit in the group, but for Barr’s industry-wide contributions as well. “It’s obvious to all of us that Emily has truly set the bar for the rest of the television industry,” said Gannon. 

Barr challenged the local broadcast community in five words: “We must all do better.” 

She noted that 2020 has been challenging for everyone, and pushed broadcasters to be better communicators and better human beings. 

She spoke of holding public officials accountable, saying a “free and vibrant press is essential to our democracy.” She mentioned broadcasters’ “obligation to cut through the morass of misinformation,” and to push for better measurement of viewership and digital consumption. “It’s time for us to control the data and the relationship with our viewers and users,” said Barr. 

She pushed stations to be “the watchdogs every community needs to function fairly and equitably,” and to diversify their ranks, from entry-level on up to executives. “We do not adequately represent this country,” said Barr. 

Besides KPRC and WDIV, Graham Media Group includes WSLS Roanoke, KSAT San Antonio, WKMG Orlando and WJXT-WCWJ Jacksonville, as well as Graham Digital and Social News Desk. 

Barr spoke in favor of “boutique companies” in this era of scale. “Saying scale is the only path to success fails to consider the nimbleness we possess,” she said. 

Despite the challenges of the nation and the industry, Barr ended on an optimistic note. “It is a privilege to be a local broadcaster today and every day,” she said. 

COVID-19 has compelled broadcasters to use home-based workers extensively. In doing so, both sides have had to endure lower-quality performance and productivity in content creation, plus the reduced capabilities available to home-based users compared to those working in production centers and studios. 

These problems have arisen because a typical broadcaster’s network infrastructure was never designed to serve so many remote connections and functions. Add the inferior cybersecurity available to home-based users (and the incursion risks this poses to broadcasters), and working from home has been a necessary workaround at best.

Fortunately, there is an available, feasible, and affordable IT solution to all of these problems. It is the innately secure communications protocol known as Teradici PC-over-IP (Teradici PCoIP). 

In place of traditional two-way data communications, Teradici PCoIP compresses, encrypts and transmits only video pixels from the broadcaster to home-based/remote users. The actual file remains within the broadcaster’s domain, with any interactions going through a secure interface that keeps the content safe. 

On the home workers’ display screens, everything looks the same. The video quality is lossless and color accurate, while the entire experience of connecting from any remote location via PCoIP looks and feels like using a conventional computer at work. Video editing performance is unaffected because Teradici PCoIP technology can deliver full-motion video up to 4K at high frame rates to home-based/remote computers.

Teradici PCoIP has been adopted by many industry players including Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) of Star Wars fame. Because PCoIP sends pixels rather than complete files, its bandwidth requirements are relatively small. This is why ILM uses PCoIP to share dailies between its San Francisco headquarters and collaborators worldwide. Doing so avoids sending proprietary video files as large as 100GB or larger over the internet.

On August 11, 2020 at 2pm eastern, Teradici Technical Marketing Principal Ian Main will share how Teradici PCoIP (and other Teradici products) can provide broadcasters and their home-based workers with a secure, efficient, and scalable virtual work environment. He will also detail how ILM and other users are using PCoIP today, and how easily broadcasters can implement PCoIP in their own IT infrastructures.

To register click here.

In this webinar, experts with Audinate and Solid State Logic will share perspective on how Dante helps provide a more powerful, stable environment for the broadcast world. 

 This highly informative Webinar will discuss and demonstrate the following:

In addition to many common questions we hear from broadcasters, representatives from Audinate and Solid State Logic will take questions, time permitting, at the end of the webinar which can be submitted using the attendee console.

If you find you’re unable to attend, or have a question that you would like us to be aware of before January 14, you can send it by clicking here. We will be sure to either answer your question live during the webinar (time permitting)

 A follow-up email with a link to watch the presentations On-Demand will be sent to everyone who registers within 48 hours after January 14.

Speakers

Phil Kurz is a contributing editor to TVTechnology. For more than 30 years, Phil has covered the television and non-broadcast video markets. During that time, he has served as the editor-in-chief of three different industry magazines and helped launch several successful e-newsletters on television technology-related topics. Phil also has written well over 1,000 articles, columns and editorials on technology topics. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia with a bachelor and a master’s degree in journalism

Patrick’s career has spanned live production, recording, broadcast, installed sound and automation industries, especially in the adoption of new technological innovations. He excels at explaining not only the theoretical aspects of new tools, but also in bringing practical advice and instilling confidence for new systems to run as planned. Over the last five years, he has been active with Dante licensees and their adoption of AES67 and ST 2110. In his current role at Audinate, Patrick leads training efforts around the Dante audio-video network solution.

Responsible for the strategic planning and realisation of Solid State Logic’s Broadcast product portfolio, Tom has been the driving force behind the company’s shift to networked solutions. He specialises in the design and integration of networked / AoIP systems and works with a comprehensive engineering team to specify, develop, manage and deliver SSL’s Network I/O and System T ranges.

FRISCO, Texas—Kids will have a first-hand opportunity to experience a little bit of what goes into a career in broadcasting and broadcast journalism in the soon to be opened KidZania.

KidZania is a 85,000-square-foot indoor space that will open at the Stonebriar Centre in Frisco, Texas, designed to give children a look at a wide variety of different professions. This is the first KidZania taking place in the U.S.; it has previously been held multiple times across the globe.

Dallas TV station WFAA is running a studio as part of KidZania that will allow children to run a show, operate a camera, produce, field report and anchor.

Other professions that will be apart of the event include firefighters, doctors, bankers and more.

KidZania opens on Saturday, Nov. 23. More information is available at KidZaniaUSA.com.

WASHINGTON—In this latest series of articles on the FCC’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on EEO rules, the National Association of Broadcasters takes a stance that is shared by other broadcasters who have publicly commented in the ECFS database—that there is no evidence of discrimination in broadcasting that justifies additional regulation or that more EEO rules will actually increase employment diversity.

The NAB filed their reply comments as part of the FCC’s request for reply comments on the commission’s Equal Employment Opportunity Compliance and Enforcement Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.

“Instead of imposing more top-down, unproductive obligations, the commission should focus its efforts on practical measures that will directly impact diversity,” the NAB said, such as increasing public awareness of EEO opportunities and industry education.

The NAB also took a stand against a proposal suggested by a group of EEO supporters that called for more frequent EEO audits. Rather, the NAB said, the FCC should minimize the unjustified burdens of EEO audits by eliminating audits for small broadcasters.

“The record does not contain a shred of evidence of discrimination in broadcasting,” the NAB said in their comment filing. The NAB said that the group relies on conjecture to argue that intentional discrimination is a widespread problem in broadcasting and that it demands additional regulation.

“Moreover, to our knowledge, the commission has conducted tens of thousands of reviews of broadcasters’ EEO programs since the rules became effective in 2003, without one finding of discrimination,” the NAB said.

As other broadcast groups have done in this proceeding, the NAB also raised the question of constitutionality. “The existing rules already push the boundaries of constitutionality. No previous version of the commission’s EEO rule has survived judicial scrutiny, and the current rules persist in part because they have never been challenged,” the NAB said.

“[I]mposing more rules, especially the collection of data about the racial and gender composition of a station’s workforce on Form 395-B, could threaten their sustainability,” the NAB said. Thus, the commission should be extremely wary of imposing additional EEO requirements.

Comments on the FCC’s EEO proposed rulemaking can be seen in the commissions’ ECFS database using Media Bureau Docket Number 19-177.

BURLINGTON, Mass.—The rise of social media, digital and smartphones as go-to sources of news and information for millions of consumers is transforming how broadcasters view their role as a critical source of news, weather and sports, says Ray Thompson, director of Market Solutions, Broadcast & Media at Avid.

“Just repurposing stories that go out over traditional OTA [over-the-air] broadcast won’t cut it,” he says Thompson. “Having a social/digital strategy is a requirement as data shows more and more people rely on mobile and social platforms for their news/sports source.”

To register for the “Social Media Platforms –Profit or Problems” webinar, Nov. 21, click here.

Thompson and Craig Wilson, product evangelist, Broadcast & Media at Avid, will present their perspectives on the evolution of TV newsrooms as they leverage social, digital and mobile Nov. 21 at 1 p.m. EDT during the “Social Media Platforms –Profit or Problems” TVTechnology webinar, sponsored by Avid Technology. (Full disclosure: I am moderating this hour-long webinar.)

In the past, journalists focused their efforts on creating news stories for TV or one particular news show or bulletin with specific deadlines, says Wilson. “Now they need to be able to produce across many platforms and meet almost instant deadlines.”

No longer do journalists hold stories till airtime. Today, they are looking to publish as soon as they have information and then refine and update the story throughout the day as well as produce a package for the evening news, says Wilson.

As a consequence, workflows and the thinking of journalists and news managers are changing in newsrooms. “Journalists now have lots of competing demands for their time, and it requires a new, creative mindset to deliver throughout the day on these platforms and then on-air,” adds Wilson.

One workflow strategy that’s popular among stations is merging traditional TV news teams with digital/social media teams into a single unit. “Even if they are not merged, stations want them to collaborate and to be as efficient as possible so they can pool their resources and deliver the biggest bang for their buck in terms of content production,” adds Wilson.

While disruptive to traditional TV newsroom workflows, these new platforms offer broadcasters that leverage their full potential benefits that extend far beyond bringing news to consumers faster, says Thompson.

“As producers develop content, they may be publishing to different social, web and app platforms that are built to cater to different demographics,” he says. “This can help stations realize higher ad rates and higher CPMs as the ads served are easier to deliver to a specific audience and demographic group.”

The availability of analytics about consumers of news on these social and digital platforms enables broadcasters and other content creators to deliver metrics to ad buyers looking to reach different groups with ads, he says.

“To be successful, content creators and publishers must deliver a TV-like experience –meaning no buffering—to any device, anywhere, anytime, then measure both the network –meaning reliability--and the playback, including who is watching, for how long and potentially where, and last but not least, develop a more catered experience based on the types of content and shows a user is watching,” says Thompson.

To register for the “Social Media Platforms –Profit or Problems” webinar, Nov. 21, click here.

1. What is the status of 5G in broadcasting at the moment?

It’s a very exciting time. The broader industry is beginning to understand what 5G can bring in terms of features. With a higher bit rate and extremely low latencies, the cloud will be closer to the end-user than it has ever been so far. In combination with capabilities such as extreme programmability (software-defined networks), virtualization (virtualized, cloud-native functions), advanced QoS management (slicing) or multi-access edge computing, 5G brings a unique set of enablers. From a business perspective, this will ultimately enable long-awaited uses: high levels of personalization, shared experiences, highly immersive experiences from an end-consumer perspective. From a B2B standpoint, 5G should also enable the deployment of cost-effective solutions for applications such as contribution and Digital News Gathering, remote production, content delivery. 5G will probably have a much more transformative impact than one might imagine.

Beyond the promise, the industry now needs to work together to make this happen.

2. How will 5G impact broadcast media?

We shouldn’t only consider broadcast media when thinking about 5G. If you look at what 5G is providing, many features are definitely important, including content services—not only live TV and video-on-demand, for example, but also gaming, augmentation and many others. So, we see 5G as a kind of platform on which services of different natures can co-exist, including from a delivery standpoint, at a level that has not been seen before. It’s a considerable opportunity for media companies, including broadcasters, to deliver multiple experiences. For instance, we see 5G as a fantastic platform to deliver transmedia experiences. 5G should be a platform enabling significant innovation when it comes to content services, dealing with churn, subscription-fee erosion and the attraction of new subscribers for service providers. Content, and access to content, will continue to be a key stake in terms of value proposition to the end consumers. Considering what 5G enables, 5G is likely to emphasize the necessity for strong ecosystems. We will likely see a new era of consolidation happening in the marketplace for both services and contents providers.

3. What is the business case for developing 5G in Europe?

There isn’t one business case, but multiple business cases! Both for consumer and professional services. Beyond consumer services, we strongly believe that 5G has great potential for the enterprise market. Just think about the fact that it will soon be possible to deploy completely virtualized, cloud-native core networks. And think about the capability for massive numbers of IoT connections, combined with edge computing capabilities. Actually, 5G should allow a significant lowering of the barrier to entry in terms of investment for enterprises that need their own infrastructure for private uses. This opens the door to new entrants, whatever it is about, infrastructure or service operation.

15/10/2019

4. What is b<>com’s work in this area?

b<>com is strongly convinced that the enterprise market is a significant business opportunity. We have developed our own “5G-Ready” core network solution. We call it the “Wireless Edge Factory” in partnership with Aviwest for contribution, DNG and remote production applications.

We also have significant expertise related to cloud-native virtualization, orchestration, energy consumption optimization. Moreover, b<>com has been granted a frequency licence for test purposes and we have developed an experimental test platform, which we call “Flexible NetLab.” This test platform is open to third parties who want to test their own equipment and solutions. We are currently investing in developing advanced edge capabilities for uses such as augmented reality, edge AI, content processing as few examples. Our particular expertise lies in thinking, building and experimenting with customized implementations for industries such as Industry 4.0, Health, Defence and Content Services Delivery, including broadcast.

5. How will it impact the competitiveness of European broadcasters?

5G is a no brainer. At the moment, it is fundamental for European broadcasters to get familiar with 5G and understand how 5G can be used as it will impact the way content services are delivered and operated over the next five to 10 years. 5G specs are still evolving; there will be new releases and it’s an incredible opportunity for broadcasters to ensure their needs will be addressed by future evolutions of 5G specs. We will definitely take part in this. We also believe that it is key to learn about 5G by doing and experimenting. For that reason, we will be happy to support the development of POCs and field trials.

Ludovic Noblet is Hypermedia Director and CEO of b<>com licensing.

Created in late 2012, the b<>com Technology Research Institute is a tech provider and an innovation accelerator for every business that uses digital to increase its competitiveness. The IRT, which came about from a public/private partnership, brings together top experts from industry and academia at its Rennes campus, and its sites in Paris, Brest, and Lannion. 

Cypress, CA, June 17, 2019 – FOR-A Corporation of America announces the appointment of Mike Buchanan as Western Regional Sales Manager. Buchanan was most recently an executive with the Burbank-based systems integration firm, SIT Group, and was previously with Kramer Electronics. He will be based out of FOR-A’s Cypress, California office.

In his new role, Buchanan will be responsible for sales in CA, OR, WA, NV, UT, ID, AZ, NM, CO, WY, MT, AK, and HI which comprise FOR-A’s western United States region. He reports to Ken Truong, President, FOR-A Corporation of America.

“Given Mike’s history at some of the industry’s leading systems integration firms - supervising customer liaison, on-site project management, and writing proposals; managing the U.S. distribution channel and large accounts for Kramer; and experience as Sales Manager at broadcast supplier Bittree, he has a well-rounded view of our entire business,” said Truong. “He’s managed world-class, million-dollar projects from start to completion. Plus, he has a proven history of setting goals and seeing them through. We’re eager to share his talents with our current and prospective customers.”

Buchanan also looks forward to bringing his specific combination of talents to work at FOR-A. He has extensive experience selling complete solutions and project managing mission-critical PRO/AV and broadcast projects and background managing nationwide sales territories for established broadcast and PRO/AV manufacturers. Using that skillset, he’ll further develop partnerships between FOR-A and its consultants, system integrators, and end-users. His goal is to build upon FOR-A’s reputation of high-quality product, proven reliability, and excellent customer service by being easy to reach, knowledgeable about the product line, and striving to be a resource for his clients and co-workers.

“FOR-A has a rock-solid reputation,” said Buchanan. “We’re moving forward aggressively with our 12G and IP infrastructure technology. I plan bring the full breadth of FOR-A’s products and knowledge with me as we help customers invest in the video production infrastructure of the future.”

Another core mission for Buchanan will be to promote the success of FOR-A’s recent integration with third party graphics, replay systems and production servers, including partner products such as: the ODYSSEY Insight video server; the ClassX content creation and graphics playout solution; Variant Systems Group’s Envivo Replay sports and live event replay solution; Media Links’ IP Media Gateway, Fujitsu’s IP-HE950 H.265/HEVC real-time video encoders; and InSync's frame synchronizer, frame rate converter, and up/down converters.

“FOR-A makes a comprehensive range of world class products, including a single-link 12G switcher and the FA Series of signal processors which are recognized as the gold standard in video processing, as well as significant new partnerships. Making those areas shine will be the key to my success.”

Buchanan can be reached in the FOR-A Cypress office at (714) 723-1100 or via email at buchanan@for-a.com.

WASHINGTON—Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.) had broadcasters' back at a Hill hearing this week, with an assist from commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel.

During questioning at a House Appropriations Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee hearing on the FCC's budget, and after much talk from legislators as well as FCC chair Ajit Pai and commissioner Rosenworcel about the importance of 5G—freeing up spectrum, streamlining tower citing—Amodei shifted to a related topic.

He said that, having talked with broadcasters in "his neck of the woods," some of that "old technology" is "kind of the doomsday infrastructure" when others fail.

He said while the government is spending time and money to make sure new 5G networks are as bulletproof as possible," at the end of the day they might not be, and there was that other, he said he didn't want to call them "rabbit ears," technology.

He said he planned to follow up with the FCC on what it was doing for that other, "doomsday" infrastructure.

Amodei said that online has great possibilities for both good and evil, but given that it was a constant target, "was there any thought [at the FCC] about saying, 'hey, wait a minute, if that goes down, we can still switch over to those folks that we took care of when we were repacking so that, if we have to, we can turn on the radio or tune to the emergency broadcast network 'old style.'"

He asked if the FCC was looking at that. Pai said "certainly we are. We share that concern," then talked about coordinating with other agencies on network security.

Amodei then asked for Rosenworcel's input, after pointing out that "especially when you add the rural element into it, when push comes to shove, sometimes the only thing is that old technology sitting on the mountain top that gives you something."

Rosenworcel could have been channeling the National Association of Broadcasters (except NAB would likely argue that with ATSC 3.0, broadcasting is both old and new tech): "When we have fires in Northern California and floods in Nebraska and Hurricane Sandy, we do have to remember that most people turn to their broadcasters to learn what's going on," she said.

"And when the power goes out," she added, "your phones are hard to charge. We have to be mindful that a radio with batteries may feel awfully old school, but it may be one of the most important things we have around."

Rosenworcel said the FCC had to make sure it protects such "old school" but vital technology. 

DALLAS—Construction and connectivity work on the ATSC 3.0 Single Frequency Network (SFN) being installed in the Dallas-Fort Worth Designated Market Area, American Tower announced in January.

The SFN, a collaboration of American Tower, Sinclair Broadcast Group, Univision Local Media, Nexstar and Spectrum Co., consists of four existing American Tower sites located around market in both metro and suburban sites to maximize signal strength across the DMA.

“The construction phase went quite smoothly,” said Ed Tiongson, Director, Product Innovation for American Tower. “With these ATSC 3.0 deployments, it’s critical to draw on expertise to synchronize SFN towers effectively, including integrating the network components, such as antennas, transmitters, and radios for optimum signal delivery.”

[Read: Dallas ATSC 3.0 SFN Buildout Nears Completion]

The towers, electrical power, fiber network and transmitter buildings at sites in Fort Worth, Denton and Garland, Texas, were upgraded for TV. A pre-fab building was also added in Garland, and a point-to-point microwave link between the Denton and Fort Worth sites was also installed, the company said.

The work included upgrades to networking, internet exchange, fiber and data center connectivity as well as three-phase power. Comark transmitters and exciters also were added at each site, the company said.

The main transmission tower site in Cedar Hill, Texas –currently the main 1.0 transmission site—received an upgrade of ATSC 3.0 transmission equipment, rounding out the four-site SFN, American Tower said.

With the 3.0 SFN infrastructure in place, validation testing of RF design and link budget will begin. Evaluating operational workflows is also on tap. “Once the RF measurements are validated, we will be able to scale for additional sites in the future as business needs dictate,” said Jim Leifer, Senior Manager, Broadcast Operations at American Tower.

March 1 is targeted as the date the SFN will light up, said Mark Aitken, Sinclair vice president of Advanced Technology and President of ONE Media LLC, in a recent Q&A with TVTechnology.

“The holdup on this one is the MVPD notification process, and the FCC is a stickler on making sure we run out the 120 days,” said Aitken.

For comprehensive source of TV Technology’s ATSC 3.0 coverage, see our ATSC3 silo.

HUNT VALLEY, MD.--Fresh off the rollout of a multistandard DTV receiver chipset with support for ATSC 3.0 at the International CES 2019 in Las Vegas, Mark Aitken, president of ONE Media LLC and VP of Advanced Technology at Sinclair Broadcast Group is greatly encouraged about the prospects for ATSC 3.0.

Taking center stage for ONE Media at the annual consumer electronics extravaganza was the rollout of a receiver chipset capable of receiving 12 different digital television standards, including 3.0.

But Aitken’s enthusiasm extends well beyond the favorable reception the receiver chipset received at the show. The exhibit also featured a new broadcast radio head designed to integrate the inherent efficiencies and effectiveness of one-to-many OTA broadcasting into 4G and 5G wireless data networks.

Aitken–a long-time proponent of offloading the one-to-many portion of wireless network operators’ traffic to broadcast—says the broadcast radio head was favorably received by representatives of wireless networks and their suppliers in Las Vegas.

In this, the first of a two-part interview, Aitken talks about the multistandard DTV receiver chipset, the new broadcast radio head, LTE Broadcast and 5G and how 5G standards development envision integration of multiple wireless networks. He also provides an update on his offer to give away 1 million of new receiver chips to any vendor that promises to build them into mobile and portable devices.

(An edited transcript.)

TVTechnology:How would you characterize the reaction coming out of CES 2019 to ONE Media’s rollout of two multistandard DTV receiver chips with support for ATSC 3.0?

Mark Aitken: I would say I was startled by the level of activity and positive feedback.

What I mean by that is we had various meetings set up with Korean, Taiwanese, Chinese, Indian and U.S. companies—makers of dongles, set-top boxes, TV sets and gateways.

The discussions were not just about the chip. The other thing that was in the room as a backdrop for the chip was Saankhya had almost a dozen different applications of software-defined receivers. They ran the gamut from USB dongles and tablets to satellite radios and modulators.

Alongside of that was a product we are in the process of developing as a direct result of our conversations on the convergence of broadcast and broadband. We showed a prototype broadcast radio head.

TVT:What’s that?

MA: A broadcast radio head is a small, outdoor-mount utility device, not at all unlike an LTE radio head, except supporting broadcast.

We were involved in designing that for a customer deployment. The idea is pretty simple–a box that can sit on a tower alongside LTE and 5G that is designed to tie into the data network, the intelligent network of a telecom operator. In the 4G world, it’s the “EPC” [Evolved Packet Core]. In 5G, it’s the new 5G Core architecture.

The point is we are headlong into defining the interconnect of Next-Gen Broadcast to the world of telcom as a supplemental download or auxiliary download or however you want to view it—but a broadcast spectrum-enabled device that allows the conveyance of telcom data across an ATSC 3 waveform.

By the way, I almost hate to say ATSC 3 because with the implementation that is being prototyped and coming into a proof of concept we are supporting parts of the ATSC 3 standard that are extensions that will be enabled and signaled via the bootstrap. So, we are already evolving the standard.

TVT:So, from a wireless operator’s point of view, does this broadcast radio head fulfill what you have talked about for a long time: a technology that enables an operator to offload its one-to-many data traffic to broadcast, thus preserving a significant portion of its wireless network?

MA: Absolutely. It is being designed as a replacement to the very poorly conceived, very poorly implemented multicast mode in the LTE environment.

It’s known to the consumer as LTE Broadcast. It’s eMBMS [Evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service].

But eMBMS is a unicast-enabled multicast mode of operation, and it is unicast-enabled because it can’t stand on its own as a broadcast waveform. It lives in the unicast environment and demands the ability to do lost packet replacement knowing there is going to be lost packets replaced versus a designed broadcast standard that is meant to stand on its own.

We are doing all of the plumbing. We are involved in India, not just with the chip development, but we are also a member of the telecom standards organization in India, TSDSI [Telecommunications Standards Development Society, India].

They are working at defining the standard that would allow anybody to a take a non-3GPP [Third Generation Partnership Project] broadcast radio—and I call it a radio because that’s how the telcom guys like to think of it—and tie it into a 3GPP access network. We are defining all the attributes that allow this non-3GPP radio to be integrated into that network.

TVT:What about 5G? It seems like you will be going head to head against what operators plan for 5G broadcast.

MA: Well, these go hand-in-hand. What we are doing is providing an invaluable supplemental feed that is actually aligned with the 5G standard.

TVT:Let me clarify what I was asking. I guess it’s a matter of perspective because I know some broadcasters—and you specifically—have talked about 3.0 being an integral part of a future 5G network. But I don’t know if the wireless industry has shown it is receptive to that and will let broadcasters play in their sandbox.

MA: Look, part of this is a matter of who owns the spectrum. Part of this is a matter of who controls the network.

So, the 3GPP spectrum I am talking about is “TS22.261, Release 16.” http://www.3gpp.org/news-events/3gpp-news/1831-sa1_5g. There are all kinds of pieces to this puzzle, but it [broadcast spectrum] is one of the many.

TS22.261 is the 3GPP technical standard and system aspects that define service requirements for 5G systems. It’s known as Release 16, and it’s not finished yet. But from its inception, Release 16 has continued to address the requirements to work in conjunction with 3GPP and non-3GPP systems.

There is an absolute recognition that 3GPP doesn’t live in the world by itself. There are other standards, and the true nature of 5G has nothing to do with specific spectrum.

You say 5G, and there are some people who think it is 20 GHz, or it is millimeter wave or it’s 60 GHz. People jump to the spectrum side of it, and there is some spectrum that is being opened up for advanced radios.

But at its heart, 5G is about convergence. 5G is about multi-radios. 5G is about how do we assemble all of the available radio assets into a unified environment? How does a telco fully utilize WiFi, how does it fully utilize all the efforts that are going on in CBRS [Citizens Broadband Radio Service].

How do all of these things get pulled together in one place? That is what this 5G spec is all about. It’s about convergence. It’s about heterogeneous networks—that’s the fancy term. Hybrid networks is an easier one to think about. And we have talked for so long about this convergence of broadcast and broadband—I don’t know how many different ways I have tried to describe it, but it goes much deeper than simply it’s [3.0 is] IP-enabled.

But I can tell you that if it weren’t IP-enabled, there would be no discussion on the table.

Great, it’s IP-enabled. That means the same stuff that flows across the carrier’s [spectrum] can flow across our spectrum. Check that box off. Well, how do you control that? How do you put that as an active, living mechanism under the control of a network operator? We are doing that work.

And I say all of that because if you walked into the room [at CES] and you could have the big screen TVs and the very same 3.0 chip doing ATSC 3 on one screen and ATSC 1 on another screen. If you wanted, it could have been DVB-T, DVB-T2 or ISDB-T. It could have been some of the advanced DVB satellite [standards]. It could be any of those.

But the point is in the background of that was this whole vibrant discussion of what if broadcasters were doing something more than television. There’s a shock.

I always have to draw people’s attention to the fact that ATSC was building a television standard. We were engaged in ATSC because we wanted a broadcast standard.

What you have in ATSC 3 is a broadcast standard, a broadcast television standard, but by nature of elements that were foundational—and by the way ours, I mean down to the IPR [intellectual property rights]—we ensured that we were not precluded from doing the other things we knew were possible with a newly baked, green field broadcast standard. Now we are beginning to explore those areas.

TVT:What sort of things?

MA: A very simple example, if you want high-speed mobility, an 8K FFT [fast Fourier transform] is not good enough. 8K gets you up to 100-plus mph. But what if you want a broadcast standard that can operate at Autobahn speeds or will support bullet trains? What if you have a broadcast standard that is more than just automobiles?

Well, you need a 2K or 4K FFT—neither of which are in the ATSC 3 standard, but are fully possible if you want to create a modulator that will do a 4K FFT for example—and a receiver that will process a 4K FFT.

Guess what. We have a software-defined radio. So, we can literally create a waveform on the front end and demodulate that waveform on the backend because both ends of that are software-defined.

We are doing simple stuff first, but it will advance to different coding techniques, different modulation schemes. We are crawling. We are just starting down the road.

So, in the background in this room [at CES], there was this radio head on a big tripod and an antenna attached to it that was demonstrating to people that there are products being envisioned and prototyped and that are going to be deployed that fit directly into the mobile network operator environment.

I choose those words carefully because it wasn’t until we were having discussions with one of the major providers to the telco industry, as we are describing this, that they said you are describing an architectural element.

We said, you are absolutely right. This is building a mobile network operation a bit differently. It’s just the primary architectural element is broadcast, not unicast. It’s not to the exclusion of unicast.

TVT:A couple of years ago at the ATSC annual meeting, you made an offer to provide 1 million ATSC 3.0 mobile receiver chips for free to mobile or portable device makers. Did your CES chipset rollout get you any takers?

MA: We had a couple of conversations with dongle manufacturers who wanted to know how they would take advantage of our offer. So, we’ve now got two vendors with whom we’ve had that first level of discussion. We are getting down to how we make that happen.

I can’t give you all the details of that, but the criteria for that was simply that it’s a party that commits to putting a million of these chips into mobile and portable devices, and that is a fairly broad range of products. And they may not all be ATSC 3.

In Part II,  Mark will discuss his concept of a "broadcast market exchange," content security within ATSC 3.0 and Sinclair's plans for Next Gen TV deployment in 2019. 

For a comprehensive list of TV Technology’s ATSC 3.0 coverage, visit our ATSC3 silo.

Tokyo, Japan, November 1, 2018 – Given a mandate from the country’s Ministry of Information and Communications Technology, Nepal Television, the national broadcaster of Nepal, must fully upgrade to high-definition by January of next year – which also marks the broadcaster’s 34th anniversary.

By January 31st 2019, Nepal Television will be running three HD studios, replacing all of its current equipment from SD to HD. As of that date, all new equipment must be installed and on-air so that Nepalese viewers can enjoy HDTV broadcasts from the country’s national broadcaster.

The selection was made in October to work with FOR-A’s Southeast Asia office to fulfill the networks’ quick turnaround, future 4K upgrade path, and budgetary requirements. Nepal Television will utilize two FOR-A HVS-2000 2 M/E video switchers for two of its studios, one HVS-2000 3 M/E video switcher for a biggest production studio, and dual-channel FA-9520 signal processors for frame synchronization, color correction, and up/down/cross/aspect conversion. The Nepal Television has been using HVS-390 video switchers in two studios, including one regional studio in Kohalpur.

Nepal Television will also upgrade the master control room (MCR) and program control room (PCR) for its two national channels (NTV and NTV PLUS) to full HD. Nepal Television will use two FOR-A MFR-3000 routing switchers - one in the Master Control Room and one as a redundant router. In the program control room, FOR-A’s MFR-1616 routing switcher will serve as the upstream router, the HVS-100 as the on-air production switcher, and FA-9520’s for all signal processing.

“FOR-A is known for the ruggedness and reliability of its product range and its modern design,” said Mr. Chinta Mani Baral, HOD, Engineering and Mr. Hari Prasad Bhandari, Chief of Studio Transmission and Maintenance of Nepal Television. “From video switchers, to routing switchers to signal processing, we were able to deal with one premier manufacturer in Japan, which was a big benefit to us. They’re able to meet our pricing and tight turnaround time and make sure we’re fully HD by January 31st 2019. We expect to enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship with FOR-A for a long time.”

About FOR-A

NEW BERN, N.C. –Hurricane Florence may have flooded the studios of WCTI, the Sinclair Broadcast Group-owned ABC affiliate in New Bern, N.C., and knocked local power out, but that didn’t keep the station from restoring service to its viewers within a day and a half.

“We were forced to evacuate at WCTI at 8 o’clock on that Thursday night [Sept. 13],” recalls Sinclair SVP of News Scott Livingston. “Then we switched into our Myrtle Beach feed…. Then we went dark due to the storm.”

However, before the station went dark, viewers were advised to continue tracking the storm on the WCTI website and social media pages. Traffic to the destinations spiked when the station went off air, says Livingston.

Broadcasters throughout the Carolinas, eastern Georgia and Virginia began preparing a week or more before what was once a Category 4 hurricane made landfall. For Sinclair, preparations included prepositioning satellite trucks at the transmitter sites of its stations threatened by Hurricane Florence.

In the case of WCTI, Sinclair dispatched a satellite truck from WPEC, its CBS affiliate in West Palm Beach, Fla., along with a satellite truck operator, operations personnel and a group news director, to the station’s transmitter site –a precautionary step to restore television if the studio was affected, he says.

By time the intensity of the storm had subsided in New Bern and power was restored on Sept. 15, the WPEC crew was making final preparations to resume over-the-air coverage to New Bern viewers with the help of Sinclair’s Hurricane Florence mothership at WJLA in Washington, D.C., its digital desk and sister stations around the region, says Livingston.

“The [the crew from WPEC] made it out to the truck around 10:30 [a.m.] on Saturday morning,” he says. “They put the dish up, and we were transmitting around 11:45 [a.m.] and then went wall-to-wall till 6 o’clock.”

As WJLA was wrapping up 30 hours of continuous coverage of the storm, which the station streamed and made available as a backup to Sinclair stations affected by the storm, it began producing coverage for viewers in New Bern. That special feed was beamed from D.C. to the WPEC satellite truck in New Bern and broadcast by WCTI.

“We had a triple box,” says Livingston. “The big box had reports from the field crews of WCIV [contributed via SNG feeds to D.C. from two other Sinclair satellite trucks]. We had radar in another of the boxes, and in the third box live pictures from sister stations and other sources because on Saturday the storm was still impacting South Carolina.”

While Livingston describes the triple box as “fairly simple television,” he says the important thing was that WCTI “was where it was happening—at the intersection of news, literally.”

WJLA remotely produced New Bern newscasts all day on Saturday, Sept. 15, as well WCTI’s evening newscast the next day, its morning show on Sept. 17 and newscasts throughout the week.

Since late last week, WCTI’s newsroom has begun operating out of a trailer Sinclair sent to the station, says Livingston. In the immediate aftermath of the storm, the station’s newsroom took up temporary residence at a local community college.

Hurricane Florence flooded WCTI’s studios with six to eight inches of water, requiring carpet to be ripped out, and sheet rock and damaged equipment to be replaced.

While the station sustained damage, there was no loss of life or injury to station personnel, a silver lining for which everyone involved with Sinclair is grateful, he says.

Although it’s never desirable to get hit directly by a storm like Hurricane Florence, the event gave the station’s news department and Sinclair the opportunity to prove its mettle.

“It was certainly a defining moment for the station and a defining moment for our news organization to be able to pull off what we did,” says Livingston. “I couldn’t be prouder.

The National Association of Tower Erectors has designated Wednesday, May 9, as the second-annual Tower Technician Appreciation Day.

The event coincides with OSHA’s National Safety Stand-Down Week, and NATE encourages member companies and stakeholders to use this day to host events to pay tribute to the technicians they employ.

“NATE is ecstatic to declare Wednesday, May 9, 2018, as a day to honor our industry’s most precious resource, the tower technician workforce,” said NATE Chairman Jim Tracy of Burley, Wash. “Today’s skilled technicians are expected to possess the diverse skill set necessary to safely deploy and expand universal broadband, public safety communications and ubiquitous 5G coverage across North America, while repacking the broadcast spectrum. NATE is proud to highlight and salute these dedicated technicians who work tirelessly to meet both our present and future communications needs.”

[Read: Confessions Of A Tall-Tower Worker]

U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Chair John Thune (R-SD) said, “They don’t have an easy job, but thanks to their dedication and unique skill set, the United States is continuing to expand its wireless broadband footprint, and we’re in a much stronger position in the race toward 5G.”

You’re probably reading this as you finalize your plans for NAB in Las Vegas. You booked your travel, with an itinerary that spans maybe a couple days. And NAB is likely only one of the stops in those plans. But even seasoned travelers can’t quite imagine what it’s like to put on an 18-day event, with 2,914 Olympic athletes, halfway around the world.

I’m talking, of course, about the 3,000 people at NBC Olympics who flawlessly delivered 2,400 hours of Winter Games in February -- about 126 hours each day, and more than any previous Winter Games. Across 7,000 miles. With a 14-hour time difference.

These are the same people, it’s worth noting, who headed to PyeongChang a week or so after they wrapped up a little sporting event we know as SuperBowl LII (go Eagles!), in Minnesota.

Viewers tend to think of the Olympics as something that happens every two years. But for the people who bring the Games to our screens -- from on-air talent to production, engineering to IT, and everyone in between -- it’s a considerably shorter timeframe. Their travel itineraries stretch across weeks and months, not days, and almost always require a passport. Talk about “Passion.Connected”! (That was the slogan for this year’s Winter Games. Get it? P-C? PyeongChang?)

The point is, it takes a certain kind of person to make a life commitment like that. I say “life commitment,” because most of the people on the NBC Olympics team are repeat performers themselves. There’s a magic that happens, when your job involves telling the stories of the athletes who train their bodies at a level the rest of us would consider utter torture.

There’s a magic that happens for those of us who build the technologies that power the Olympic Games, too. It’s partly the challenge of incorporating more and more IP and cloud techniques, designed to simplify the delivery of live and on-demand video, and partly the sense of excitement that comes with working with such a uniquely talented lineup as the NBC Olympics team. This was our 10th year as a technology partner with NBC Olympics, and the technological trajectory over that decade is worth a much longer article!

How Much Gear Did It Take to Put on the Winter Games?

Now think about the amount of gear it takes. Gear that ensures a reliable production of live and file-based Olympics coverage, with a deployment model designed to be rapidly configured. Gear that stretches the notion of scalability -- in this case, of IP-based infrastructure -- to deliver premium content between multiple venues, in South Korea, and the NBC Olympics properties, in the U.S.

That’s where we come in, at least in part (NBC Olympics counts many of us as technology partners.) Cisco eats, lives, works and breathes in the world of IP infrastructure. It was IP technology and routing that enabled the remote Olympic venues to work directly with NBC Olympics studios and control rooms in PyeongChang and Stamford, lowering the equipment footprint in Korea while supporting the capability to send more content back to the U.S.

Another and super cool part of our role in this year’s Games was to keep the 3,000-person NBC Olympics teams, connected. Connected in real-time, using Cisco’s Collaboration Endpoints in the broadcast areas, the athlete’s village, and the venues.

To bridge the distances, NBC Olympics installed Endpoints in the hallways, in their facilities at the PyeongChang International Broadcast Center and at their HQ in Connecticut. The intent was to generate a real-time, always on “water cooler effect,” connecting NBC Olympics staff with high-fidelity audio and video. Happy to report: It worked!

Here’s another behind-the-scenes factoid: It took 99 sea containers to carry all the gear it took to put on this year’s Winter Games. Part of what was inside is known as “RIBs,” for “Racks-in-a-Box.” I’m not sure how many RIBs held Cisco equipment, but, we made the trek in some of those 99 containers.

The RIBs were originally shipped from Rio de Janeiro, where the previous Summer Games were held, to Stamford, Connecticut, where NBC Olympics is headquartered. There, they underwent rigorous testing, modeling and configurations, with a goal of being completely ready (including a significant climate difference) ahead of time. RIBs essentially solve for faster, cleaner setup, from one Olympic Games to the next.

Needless to say, it takes a great deal of confidence to send more content back to the U.S. than any previous Winter Olympics, with essentially the same technology and operational footprint as the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. You need to know that the broadcast and IT infrastructure will perform reliably, at massive scale.

It’s an infrastructure boundary that’s blurring, which is a trend you’ll assuredly see at this week’s show. We’re living and working in a moment in time when new levels of trust, between traditional broadcast engineering, and traditional IT, are vital. Simply put, there’s a lot more IT in broadcast these days, and there’s a lot more broadcast in IT.

This is the 10th year Cisco partnered with NBC Olympics, to connect the necessary backchannels of “storytellers,” behind the scenes. To say that it’s an honor would be a masterpiece of understatement. I’m repeatedly awestruck by the camaraderie, professionalism and raw tech talent that flows, when putting on something as big as the Olympics. It’s as demonstrably impressive as the athletes we’re there to capture and convey to the world.

What happens next? Japan. Those 99 containers will float to Tokyo next, which, incidentally, is where NBC first broadcast the Olympics, in 1964. There, they’ll be received yet again by the behind-the-scenes army of NBC “Tech-Olympians.” They’ll get there months and weeks ahead of the Opening Ceremonies, on July 24, 2020. To the everyday viewer, that’s 28 months from now. An eternity! To the teams who make all that show up on your TV, tablet, smart phone, though, work is already underway.

This is the fourth in a six-part blog series preceding the 2018 NAB Show. Click here to read more about what broadcasters will be talking about at this year's show. 

About the Author: Roger Sherwood is a seasoned digital media leader, known for his ability to transform new and transitioning media sectors from chaos to cohesion. A degreed electrical engineer, his passion is the crisp communication of complex technologies -- like the vast landscape of Internet Protocol. A relentless advocate of customer experience, he’s known for an unshakable belief in questioning things, and pursing the power of simplification. Currently, his mission within the overall IP transition now facing broadcasters is to build bridges between traditional broadcast and IT people. 

LONDON—The news desk phone rings: a downtown building is on fire. But, as a 21st century news gatherer, you already knew that… you’re watching a live stream from the scene, found on your twitter feed.

This is daily reality for professional journalists.

Gavin Mann

Eyewitnesses are now the first to break stories. Broadcasters’ 24-hour news channels once ruled the roost. They had armies of news gatherers, squadrons of helicopters and fleets of SNG trucks.
Now, billions of people are walking around with an HD video camera and a live-point sitting snugly in their pocket.

Smartphone users, streaming video from the centre of the action, are now key to many major news stories. From terror attacks to big sporting events, footage is shared through apps made by firms like Facebook and Twitter.

Crucially, those consumers can reach their audience directly – cutting out the journalists in the middle. According to Pew Research, 62 per cent of Americans now get their news on social media.

Traditional broadcasters cannot hope to compete with the camera angles, perspectives and speed of on-location content. Nor can they compete on cost: consumers are prepared to ‘work’ for free – they even pick up the cost of cameras and data!

But broadcasters do need to keep pace – if they’re to stay relevant.

GET ON THE PITCH–COMBINE THIS NEW SOURCE WITH TRUSTED BRAND AND EDITORIAL

Don’t try to compete with the whole internet. The key to success is embracing the new opportunities – blending the video into a coherent narrative – then working with the right players in the ecosystem to get it watched.

Facebook, Amazon, Google, Twitter and Apple are webscale businesses with huge platforms and audiences to match. These “superplatforms” are setting the pace. They own the customer, they can aggregate behaviour and make inferences. For content providers seeking eyeballs, the superplatforms can turn on – and off – the tap arbitrarily. At the moment, perhaps fortunately, they are driven by something greater than simply competing with Broadcasters.

It is still trusted broadcasters – such as the BBC or CNN – that consumers trust to cover, validate, contextualise and develop stories.

Broadcasters must give customers a reason to keep coming back. Achieving that is still an exercise in trust, loyalty and brand – supported by new technology and new outlets.

UNDERSTAND YOUR AUDIENCE–INTIMATELY–HELPING CURATE THE RIGHT CONTENT

Digital consumers now expect their favourite brands to “know” them; this is now as true for broadcasters as it is for internet bookshops.

The superplatforms have a head start – their businesses are built on an intimate understanding of their audience. Broadcasters have sometimes been slow to respond, but gaining individual insight into customers is now key. This means tailoring services, content and marketing for each user.

Equally crucial is the integration of analytics. The editorial product can be constantly refined based on insight from real customers.

Live on-location content offers valuable insight into people’s viewing preferences. Broadcasters can use analytics to find out what people are viewing, where they are finding it and what topics or angles interest them the most. TV networks must use this insight to optimise their viewer engagement.

THINK LIKE A SUPERPLATFORM

The superplatforms draw strength from the scale of their user base, the range of content they support and the sheer capability of their underlying “webscale” platforms and operating model. A powerful combination that allows them to iterate quickly, and fail fast; providing open spaces where good ideas can flourish. The most successful work with their partners to mutual benefit – by balancing their stakeholders’ talents and sharing user insights. They demonstrate that a rising tide lifts all boats.

But the media landscape is also fast evolving. The rules of today’s game will change – and not always in your favour. “Do you want to be the landowner or the tenant farmer?” – As one senior TV exec eloquently put it.

That means while it’s important to collaborate, it’s essential to retain leverage and hence avoid being completely dependent on others for future success.

Big broadcasters have the most to lose – and for them, operating their own “webscale” platform – plus having the operating model and scale to operate it effectively – are essential to continued success.

This story originally appeared on TVT's sister publication TVB Europe.

ALEXANDRIA, VA.—What is “broadcasting”? There was a time, decades ago, when broadcasting was simple: You got a license from the government, built a transmission facility and flung as much power into the ether as you were allowed.

Then came cable TV systems, which had a pipeline into homes that could carry programming that was never actually flung into the ether—most in this industry now consider that as much broadcasting as any call-letter TV station.

Cable networks were similar enough to television stations that broadcast networks acquired cable networks and successfully incorporated them into the overall business. One shining example of this was ABC’s acquisition of ESPN, and both willingly refer to the other’s content.

Now we have over-the-top entities such as YouTube, Vevo, Netflix, Amazon Prime and others that compete for the same eyeballs as TV stations and cable networks. These are starting to be referred to as “broadcasters,” but are they really broadcasting?

There’s no question that many of these newcomers provide at least some of the functions that old-line broadcasters do. For example, YouTube, Netflix and Amazon all produce their own programming, some of which is well-regarded throughout the industry. Even the programs that aren’t winning awards resemble traditional network fare close enough as to be indistinguishable from what you might watch on ABC, Fox, CBS or NBC.

However, is the creation of broadcast-quality content what makes an organization a “broadcaster”? I don’t think so. There are plenty of independent, government- and company-owned studios that can produce lovely quality video, but would never consider themselves broadcasters.

To broadcast, you need to have a path to deliver television content to viewers. If you don’t own the path (as call-letter stations and cable networks do), then you must at least have some control over it—enough control so that you can reliably provide programming as promised.

This is an entirely different beast from traditional broadcasting however, even if the same viewers who watch traditional broadcasting willingly embrace this “over-the-top” variety. This new form of broadcasting does something that the traditional model can’t do: With OTT, people can watch the content they want, when they want. That is a powerful advance in content delivery, and it’s here to stay.

Still, there will always be programming that only traditional broadcasters can deliver with an immediacy that even OTT can’t deliver. The Super Bowl, the president accepting the results of an election, a terrible weather disaster—these are things that will cause viewers to tune into a live broadcast from a call-letter TV station or established cable network, even if it is the live stream from that program provider. Amazon Prime is not going to carry the Super Bowl live… at least not anytime soon.

So, is OTT and web streaming broadcasting? I think so. YouTube even has its own studios, using the same sort of equipment that you’d see in any TV station or network facility.

All that said, the articles in the June issue of Broadcast Engineering Extra celebrate the science of traditional broadcasting. As new paths open to viewers, it’s a good idea to make sure your current house is in order before seeking alternate ways to reach an audience.