IRVINE, Calif.—Viant Technology Inc. has announced a new partnership with Ad Fontes Media, the news ratings data and technology company, that will make it the first and only DSP to enable news reliability-based targeting within news inventory on connected TVs.

The integration is designed to address the potential problems facing advertisers who are increasingly worried about associating their campaigns with news content that may upset some consumers in a highly polarized political environment. That dynamic has caused some to pull back from making buys with news outlets.

"Advertisers don't need to avoid news, but they do need better tools to navigate it," said Vanessa Otero, founder and CEO of Ad Fontes Media. "This partnership with Viant gives advertisers a consistent, data-driven way to evaluate content quality. And because our analysis can extend beyond the domain or app level to content as it goes live, advertisers gain a more granular way to target trusted news environments."

To address that issue, Viant and Ad Fontes pair premium inventory access with the content-level intelligence needed to activate it with confidence and precision.

In announcing the offering, Viant said that Ad Fontes Media has built its reputation helping major brands navigate news content with confidence.

"We use Ad Fontes Media to ensure our advertising reaches all audiences across the political spectrum because we make cars for everyone," said Shenan Reed, global chief media officer at General Motors. "Ad Fontes Media also helps ensure that those ads show up in reliable publications."

News audiences are among the most attentive and engaged in advertising, yet the category remains one of the most avoided.

Viant noted that brands pulling back are leaving measurable performance on the table: ads in news environments receive 20% more attention and drive 77% higher brand recall, according to a recent study from Teads and Lumen Research.

With 2026 on track to be the most expensive midterm cycle in U.S. history, the news environment has never been more crowded, more contested, or more consequential for brands trying to navigate it.

By integrating Ad Fontes Media's Reliability and Bias framework directly into the Viant advertising platform, advertisers can now identify and activate against trusted news programming at the content level, connecting that investment directly to real household-level outcomes.

Brands leveraging Ad Fontes' high-quality inventory, which excludes low-quality news through AI-powered segments, typically achieve approximately 60% lower Cost Per Acquisition and 50%+ higher conversion rates within contextually aligned environments.

The partnership directly addresses a persistent problem in programmatic advertising. Brands have long been forced to navigate a market cluttered with made-for-advertising sites, downstream resold inventory, and low-quality content mislabeled as news, leading many to pull back from the category entirely and leaving high-quality, trusted news environments underutilized and underpriced.

"Through Viant's partnership with Ad Fontes, advertisers can reach the most relevant audiences while ensuring their ads appear in trusted, high-quality news environments. This puts premium supply back to work at scale. For brands that have been sitting on the sidelines of news, the calculus has changed," said Richie Hyden, senior vice president of publisher solutions at Viant.

The integration is now available within the Viant ad platform, with activation spanning live news programming across leading CTV publishers.

More information is available at viantinc.com.

MELVILLE, NEW YORK—Chyron has launched PRIME Translate, a new solution that is designed to help regional and local broadcasters to simultaneously produce content in multiple languages to expand audiences.

This orchestrated workflow solution produces highly scalable language translation, including hyper-realistic facial movement and audio of a person speaking, as well as any supporting graphical text overlays, within live production workflows. The result is multiple — and monetizable — localized outputs of the same content, each presented realistically in a different language for local or global audiences.

This complements existing features of Chyron PRIME that support multiple versions of live content including the ability to instantly switch the look of an entire graphics package, adaptive or logic-based parameters and highly customizable and robust controls for playout.

PRIME Translate takes its place alongside these features offering broadcasters a powerful new way to leverage live content.

PRIME Translate operates in collaboration with NVIDIA and its network of technology partners.

At its recent GPU Technology Conference (GTC), NVIDIA announced real-time scalable content localization capabilities via NVIDIA Holoscan for Media and NVIDIA AI for Media’s Content Localization Blueprint, delivered as a collection of NVIDIA and partner AI technologies.

These capabilities translate video, audio and graphics on NVIDIA AI infrastructure. Companies in live media, news and sports can transition from expensive, manual, multi-production business models to software-driven localization at scale. Typically, reaching 80 different geographic markets requires multiple production teams.

Now, with PRIME Translate’s, one-to-many model, broadcasters will unlock new ad inventory, allowing them to sell more hyper-local, high-value advertisements in multiple languages simultaneously.

Leveraging NVIDIA technology, PRIME Translate is the latest addition to an extensive list of time and cost saving Chyron innovations for live production, that were on display this week at the 2026 NAB Show.

Drew Hahn, chief growth officer at Chyron explained that “with PRIME Translate, broadcast news outlets can now serve multiple regions without expensive expansion and can better leverage their existing production capabilities. Likewise, various sports organizations and rights holders around the world can now expand their reach into lucrative new markets.”

“Companies in live media, news, and sports have traditionally been hampered by the expensive, manual processes and multi-production models required to localize content for diverse global audiences,” added Richard Kerris, vice president of Global Media & Entertainment, NVIDIA. “Chyron's PRIME Translate addresses these challenges by leveraging NVIDIA Holoscan for Media and NVIDIA AI infrastructure to deliver real-time, software-driven translation of video, audio, and graphics at scale.”

For more information visit Chyron.com.

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.—Bitcentral will showcase its latest innovations demonstrating how media organizations can strengthen content operations through flexible workflows, hybrid cloud strategies and intelligent automation during the 2026 NAB Show, April 18-22, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The company will highlight its Core News, Fusion and Central Control solutions, each designed to address critical areas of the content lifecycle from production and infrastructure to playout. The products enable organizations to evolve operations based on their specific needs and priorities.

“As AI and cloud strategies continue to shape the industry, broadcasters are looking for practical ways to apply these technologies without disrupting what already works,” said Sam Peterson, COO at Bitcentral. “At NAB 2026, we’re demonstrating how our solutions support greater flexibility across production, infrastructure and playout, giving organizations the ability to scale and adapt with confidence.”

Bitcentral’s Fusion Gateway, which reflects its continued focus on interoperability and collaboration with third-party technology providers, helps media organizations incorporate new technologies while preserving existing infrastructure.

The cloud-based integration framework enables broadcasters to connect content, metadata and workflows across platforms through scalable APIs, making it easier to develop new integrations without disrupting production environments.

Bitcentral will also showcase:

• Core News, which streamlines planning, scripting, editing and multi-platform publishing to support efficient newsroom operations.
• Fusion Hybrid Storage, enabling flexible infrastructure strategies that balance performance, cost, and accessibility across environments.
• Fusion Insights, which transforms metadata into actionable intelligence to improve content discovery and accelerate production decisions.
• Central Control, combining master control and intelligent workflow automation to integrate traffic, assets, scheduling and monitoring for reliable, scalable linear channel operations.

See Bitcentral at 2026 NAB Show booth W2823.

NEW YORK—Amagi has launched Newspulse, an Agentic AI platform that automatically creates social-ready clips, vertical videos, and news bulletins by watching live news broadcasts and scanning VOD libraries.

"The newsroom's historical hesitation around AI has centered entirely on the fear of losing editorial control and brand integrity," said Srividhya Srinivasan, co-founder and CTO at Amagi. "With Newspulse, we are changing that equation. Our policy engine ensures the AI acts strictly within the newsroom's defined guardrails, autonomously handling the heavy lifting of multi-platform formatting. This liberates journalists to focus on the story, and allows broadcasters to aggressively capture younger digital audiences without inflating their baseline production budgets."

The launch comes at a time when 93% of young adults (ages 18–29) get their news via digital devices, and 76% rely directly on social media for news (Pew Research Center), making it increasingly important for traditional broadcasters to either reach those audiences on digital platforms or risk losing them entirely. Yet most newsrooms still stitch together a patchwork of point solutions to repurpose broadcast content—a workflow that inflates costs and burns out editorial teams.

Newspulse eliminates this fragmented approach with a single, unified platform that handles the full pipeline—from broadcast ingest to social publishing. It scans live feeds in real time, identifies individual story segments, and converts each one into publish-ready content for digital channels.

For example, when breaking news unfolds, Newspulse instantly captures the moment and the story. Rather than applying a static centre-crop, the AI dynamically tracks on-screen subjects, lower-thirds, and graphics to intelligently reframe the video into multiple aspect ratios (16:9, 9:16, 4:5, 1:1). In parallel, it generates platform-specific captions., and post information, and publishes the tailored clips directly to the newsroom's digital end points —all within minutes, without an editor touching the timeline. The platform offers human-in-the-loop checkpoints for greater editorial control. Beyond individual clips, Newspulse can seamlessly sequence a series of these stories to generate comprehensive news bulletins of varying lengths.

Crucially, Newspulse places editorial control, brand integrity, and compliance at its core through policy-driven Agentic AI. Newsrooms define their brand voice, stylistic rules, and content priorities—such as focusing heavily on specific regional updates or local sports teams. The AI operates entirely within these guardrails, ensuring that autonomous formatting perfectly aligns with the network's overall mission.

Amagi Newspulse is currently in limited availability testing with select newsroom partners, with general availability expected in June 2026.

To learn more, visit https://www.amagi.com/products/newspulse

NEW YORK—In a notable new analysis of the programming trends that are reshaping the streaming industry, Nielsen’s Gracenote is reporting that sports program offerings across the top five subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services jumped 52% year-over-year (YoY) and that news content on FAST channels was up 58%.

The sharp increase in sports content, which is based on the latest Gracenote Data Hub information, underscores the importance of sports content (live games + related content) to providers’ audience engagement strategies.

In the new analysis, Gracenote found that over the past year, Paramount+ has vaulted past Amazon Prime Video and Netflix to lead in streaming sports programming at the individual game and event level.

Following its acquisition of UFC broadcast rights from ESPN starting in January 2026, the service now delivers more than twice the sports content of any SVOD platform, up 219% YoY. During the same period, the Disney+ sports catalog contracted by 23%.

The new study also highlighted the proliferation of FAST channel, led by news and sports services. Gracenote’s analysis of 2,060 FAST channels available worldwide revealed that sports content on FAST grew 30% YoY. With more than 200 dedicated news channels now available, news programming on free ad-supported streaming services increased 58%. Movies and TV shows available on FAST rose 26% and 24% YoY respectively.

The data comes from the Gracenote Data Hub, which was launched in November 2024. It provides insight into the content available on leading global SVOD services and FAST channels. The resource taps Gracenote Global Video Data, the industry’s most comprehensive database of TV and movie information which powers advanced content search, discovery and recommendations capabilities. Updated quarterly, the Hub’s visualizations reveal how leading SVOD catalogs and FAST channels are evolving over time and what these shifts signal, the company said.

NEW YORK—Fox News Media has announced that it will produce a new 90-second news brief that will air on Fox's owned-and-operated television stations, and will be available to all Fox Affiliated Stations across the country starting on Monday, February 23rd.

Anchored by Fox News Channel's (FNC) Bill Melugin, the Fox News Report will provide viewers with national and global headlines spanning breaking news, politics, sports and entertainment.

Airing daily at 5:58 p.m. ET, the Fox News Report will complement the existing Fox Television Stations' local news programming by providing timely, high-impact news coverage catching viewers up on the top national and global issues driving the day.

Emanating from Fox News Media's Washington, D.C. bureau, the cut-ins air on all 18 owned-and-operated Fox local stations, including those in nine of the top ten largest markets (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, Houston, Atlanta, D.C. and San Francisco). They will also be available to all Fox Affiliated Stations across the country on a daily basis.

Recently promoted to FNC's congressional correspondent, Melugin joined the network as a west coast-based correspondent in May 2021. Throughout his tenure with FNC, he has covered several national news events, including the 2024 presidential election, the wildfire outbreak in California in January 2025 and the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, among others.

Previously, he served as an investigative reporter for Fox's KTTV-TV Los Angeles where he was awarded three local Emmy awards for investigative reporting within a four-year span. A two-time recipient of Radio & TV News Association of Southern California's Golden Mike Award for Best Investigative Journalism, Melugin is also the recipient of three regional Edward R. Murrow awards for hard news and breaking news reporting. A graduate of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, he holds a degree in Broadcast Journalism.

Fox Television Stations owns and operates 29 full power broadcast television stations in the U.S. These include stations located in 14 of the top 15 largest designated market areas (DMAs), and duopolies in 11 DMAs, including the three largest DMAs (New York, Los Angeles and Chicago). Of these stations, 18 are affiliated with the Fox Network. In addition to distributing sports, entertainment and syndicated content, those stations collectively produce over 1,350 hours of local news every week.

SEATTLE—Amazon Web Services (AWS) will feature 56 AWS Partners making various demos that showcase the technologies and use cases shaping the future of the Media & Entertainment (M&E) industry during IBC2025, Sept. 12-15, at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Center.

AWS will demonstrate the latest cloud and AI technologies helping users with broadcast, streaming, media supply chain and monetization requirements. This includes a Builder Zone and Generative AI Zone.

Attendees will learn how M&E companies can adapt to a shifting entertainment environment at scale and within budget by using the latest generative AI and cloud-based tools from AWS and its partners.

Reuters will join AWS in demonstrating live content being captured from the floor of the United Kingdom (UK) Parliament and replicated in near real-time to multiple news organizations at the same time.

The news agency will use the open-source Time-Addressable Media Store (TAMS) API specification and AWS services, including Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3), AWS Elemental MediaConvert and AWS Step Functions.

Reuters and AWS will show how cloud-native collaboration and interoperability can transform the way news is created, exchanged and monetized. AWS will also show how TAMS can be integrated with Amazon Bedrock and the TwelveLabs video understanding models to enable embedding news content.

For M&E companies wanting to leverage generative AI to unlock revenue from their existing content libraries and intellectual property while reducing operational costs and enhancing viewing experiences, AWS will feature demos showing practical use of generative AI workloads. The company will present examples of how to use services like Amazon Bedrock, featuring Amazon Nova foundation models, and Amazon Connect.

AI agents are also helping M&E companies support new engagement features, streamline operations and enhance advertising and monetization opportunities. The AWS booth will include agentic AI demos, showcasing capabilities like Amazon Bedrock AgentCore, Amazon Q, and Kiro to support M&E use cases. This includes demos featuring the latest update to the Guidance for a Media Lake on AWS, which has added agentic AI capabilities from AWS Partners MASV and Nomad Media.

Attendees can explore how AWS services can support their unique needs alongside experts in the Builder Zone. This includes learning to deploy infrastructure across multiple availability zones and regions using Amazon CloudFront and capturing detailed video quality metrics for every frame in your output with AWS Elemental MediaConvert.

The Builder Zone will also feature experts who can discuss Digital Sovereignty at AWS. This includes the AWS European Sovereign Cloud.

Sept. 3, 2025, marked the 10 years anniversary of AWS acquiring Elemental Technologies, now known as AWS Elemental.

The AWS stand will feature a dynamic timeline mapping out a decade of milestones and industry breakthroughs. It will give attendees a look back on the hundreds of features released since the acquisition.

See AWS at IBC2025 Stand 5.C90.

More information is available on the company’s website.

The news production tech provider nxtedition is reporting that it supplied a complete newsroom system to Collective Newsroom, an independent news producer based in New Delhi, India.

The deployment in a new facility delivers high quality journalism to digital, audio and television, in multiple languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Gujarati, Marathi, Punjabi and Telugu as well as English, the companies reported.

Collective Newsroom was founded by four senior BBC journalists based in India, with the aim of creating high-quality impartial news services in seven languages. It also provides all the news content for the BBC services in India, its largest international market. The company now embraces more than 250 journalists across the country.

“We want to create a newsroom operation that is future-proof and flexible, as well as providing all the collaboration we need between our journalists, editors and producers,” said Atul Garg, head of technology at Collective Newsroom. “We saw in nxtedition the functionality we really need, including realtime data and graphics integration, as well as integrated workflows wherever our journalists are working.”

The deployment is a hybrid cloud implementation that is completely scalable, allowing it to respond to rapidly changing news agendas, nxtedition said.

Designed from the ground up to be a story-focused news production platform, nxtedition provides simple and intuitive access to sophisticated workflows, enhancing collaboration and using automation to give the journalists the time and tools to create content.

“We chose nxtedition over other vendors because its all-in-one integrated platform supports both digital and TV production,” Garg said. “Its powerful functionality and ease of use makes it fast to adopt, and its architecture makes it future-proof, whatever the challenges the market brings to us in future. That is what really sets it apart in the competitive broadcast automation space.

“We have the best journalistic talent in India, but we have to stay competitive in the ever-evolving media landscape,” he added. “nxtedition ensures our production capabilities remain top-notch across all platforms.”

For more information on the nxtedition microservices-based production platform and its capabilities, see nxtedition.com.

BOULDER, Colo.—Public Media Co. has launched an initiative funded by a $1.5 million grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to help local public media organizations better understand and meet their communities’ information needs.

“We are pleased to support Public Media Company’s local news initiative,” said Marc Lavallee, director of technology product and strategy/journalism at the foundation. “The initiative will enable local leaders to bolster the local news that is so essential to their communities.”

The initiative is intended to support the growth of newsrooms and expand local coverage at public media groups throughout the country. Public Media Co. is working with several partners on the project to provide insights and support to assist local outlets in expanding news coverage and better connect with their communities, it said.

The grant is aimed at helping local public and independent media outlets, supporters and funders make informed decisions and to access assistance to strengthen local news ecosystems, it said.

“Public media is an important solution to the crisis in local news,” Public Media Co. CEO Tim Isgitt said. “Local public media organizations have earned the trust of their communities over decades and collectively reach 99% of the country. This initiative comes at a critical moment for ensuring communities continue to have access to essential local news and information.”

Public Media Co. managing director Stephen Holmes will lead the project with assistance from research, industry and funding partners. Findings will be made public, it said.

More information is available on the Public Media Co. website.

WASHINGTON—The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau has appointed Andy Hendrickson as its new chief technology officer, tasked with providing strategic and technical advice on technological developments and issues with respect to the bureau’s work. 

The regulator established the Enforcement Bureau’s CTO role “to confront the challenges of modern communications systems, including its revived focus on privacy and data protection,” the FCC said. Hendrickson will work with the FCC’s Privacy and Data Protection Task Force, which Chair Jessica Rosenworcel established to combat issues such as data breaches within telecom, cable, and satellite providers; network outages caused by cyberattacks; and supply-chain vulnerabilities involving third-party vendors that serve regulated communications providers, including cloud providers.

“Andy’s expertise and deep understanding of how communications networks operate, and how they have come to operate with the rapid development of new technologies and new networks, will only enhance our investigatory capabilities,” Loyaan A. Egal, Enforcement Bureay chief and chair of the FCC’s Privacy and Data Protection Task Force, said. “I am delighted that someone with Andy’s background in the private sector is joining the Enforcement Bureau to serve the American public and help protect the communications networks we rely on in so many aspects of our everyday lives.”

Hendrickson was a private-sector technology executive in telecom for more than 20 years, specializing in business and technology transformation. As senior director of technology at Verizon Communications, he was instrumental in the rollout of its 5G network and the engineering and operations of the Verizon Cloud Platform. He has also worked for Esri, where he led global technology initiatives.

He has been a part-time lecturer at Rutgers University, teaching environmental geomatics, and is an active member of such industry groups as the Open Infrastructure Foundation and the Network Time Foundation. He holds dual degrees from Rutgers University’s School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and the School of Communication and Information.

BERGEN, Norway—Vizrt has launched Viz Trio Go, an out-of-the-box 3D graphics creation and control tool that combines compact hardware with the Viz Trio graphics control application and Viz Engine, the company’s graphics platform that enables complete graphics production via NDI workflows.

The company designed Viz Trio Go with smaller production hubs in mind. The offering gives local and regional TV stations and OB van operators access to a high-quality graphics solution at an affordable price, it said.

“Historically, smaller or more regional broadcasters operate with limited budgets and limited resources,” said Ionut Pogacean, senior product manager at Vizrt. “Often one staff member wears many hats.”

“We realize the challenges these stations are facing, including that to remain competitive in today’s current landscape, they must deliver content that is visually engaging, similar to the bigger broadcasters.”

The new offering enables any size broadcaster to create high-quality visuals easily regardless of budget and technical expertise. Viz Trio Go is a plug-and-play solution that accelerates time to air and seamlessly integrates with existing workflows, thereby reducing the need for extensive training or additional personnel, Vizrt said.

The solution comes with free customizable graphics packages modeled on the graphics of top sports and news broadcasters. Templates are easy to modify using the Viz Artist 3D motion graphics design tool, it said.

For news users, Viz Trio Go comes with a free, unique course created by Viz University that’s accessible the minute the machine is turned on. The course covers Viz Trio software, Viz Engine and Viz Artist, it said.

The company also announced Viz Trio Go will be offered at a significant discount with the purchase of TriCaster or Viz 3Play. NVG1 customers can trade in their units for Viz Trio Go and receive a 50% discount until the end of the year, it said.

More information is available on the company’s website.

HACKENSACK, N.J.—LiveU has announced that it will be demonstrating the use of its technologies and connectivity solutions by a number of partners at the upcoming 2024 NAB Show.

At its booth (South Hall Lower booth #SL5105), LiveU reported that it will be highlighting the LiveU EcoSystem’s IP-Positive architecture for story-centric workflows that are being implemented worldwide in this pivotal year for elections and international sports events.

"2024 is set to be a record-breaking year for live production with elections around the world and major sports events, including of course the Paris Games driving unprecedented production workloads,” explained Gideon Gilboa, CPO at LiveU. “As part of the LiveU EcoSystem, it enables interoperability, adaptability and flexible connectivity, allowing us to provide innovative live production solutions that work seamlessly with other best-of-breed technologies. Ultimately, it's all about making it easier for our customers to do what they need to do, producing great content while achieving time and cost savings. By partnering with other vendors on story-centric workflows, we enable our customers to offer cross platform, linear and digital news products, increase collaboration among their editorial teams and become more efficient."

The LiveU IP-video EcoSystem, underpinned by LiveU’s LRT (LiveU Reliable Transport) protocol, is adaptable and open to third-party providers and other IP protocols, including SRT NDI and SMPTE 2110. In addition to a range of solution updates, new integrations on display at this year's NAB Show include work with such companies as Bitcentral, Marshall Electronics, Sony and TAG Video Systems. Other integrations showcased include Dina, Mimir, Dizplai, Tagboard, Marquis and Wolftech.

Other highlights for the 2024 NAB Show include LiveU's Amazon Web Services (AWS) ground-to-cloud solution at the AWS West Hall Lobby and booth #W1701 within the AWS newsroom in the cloud demo, featuring a 13-source production with LiveU field units and cloud channels. 

LiveU will also demonstrate an integration of a Pente Private LTE cellular network with a LU300S encoder and 4K camera mounted on a quadrupedal robot, streaming high-quality live video to the LiveU booth as it roams the exhibition hall.

The demos on display at the NAB Show include:

• Bitcentral’s Core News Production suite is integrated tightly with the LiveU Ingest automatic recording and story metadata tagging solution. Using LiveU Ingest to record everything automatically or selectively, customers can efficiently pick the relevant stories, then trim and push the recorded content into Core New’s Oasis system together with the detailed metadata information. For more information, visit https://bitcentral.com/ or see them on booth #W1913.
• Marshall Electronics HD-SDI based broadcast-quality cameras with reliable video signals, compatible with all LiveU field encoders. Marshall's small-sized and miniature cameras can be easily included in portable kits with an affordable price point for procurement at large volumes. An essential part of global broadcast, sports and professional AV workflows, Marshall cameras are also favored by the public safety market, with their small size suitable for covert operations. For further information, please visit the Marshall booth #C5912.
• Sony is showing the seamless integration between its ENG cameras and LiveU's portable video encoders as a partner in Sony’s cloud production platform, Creators' Cloud ecosystem. LiveU can now be used with Sony’s C3 Portal (C3P), a portfolio of open technology and services, which allows customers to capture, manage or deliver their content. C3 Portal uses mobile 5G/LTE, WiFi and Ethernet to connect cameras to the cloud. For more information, please visit Sony’s booth #C8201.
• TAG Video Systems offers software-based integrated IP probing, monitoring, visualization and analytics solutions. TAG's comprehensive real-time media performance solutions seamlessly monitor LiveU's live video transmission feeds, notify for events per custom set thresholds and visualize them in real-time (see last week's announcement). Together the companies offer seamless live IP video production and playout workflows. For further information, please visit the TAG Video Systems booth #W1655.

To schedule a meeting visit the LiveU NAB Page. 

AUSTIN, Texas—Systems integrator BeckTV has announced that it will be showcasing its facility design, engineering, and installation expertise and services, with a particular focus on its work for sports venues and TV stations at the 2024 NAB Show. 

During the show in Las Vegas between April 13-17, BeckTV engineers will be on hand in Booth C4035 to review the newest technology and trends, along with best practices in system design and integration.

In announcing its NAB Show plans, the company said it offers complete space planning, design, engineering, purchasing, and integration services for nearly any budget — all available in a one-stop shop. The company also has extensive in-house metal, composite, and wood fabrication capabilities to create truly customized solutions.

"With the increasing adoption of SMPTE ST 2110 and AES67 and the push for ever-higher resolutions, broadcasting and sports facilities are looking to modernize their infrastructures or build brand-new ones to take advantage of the latest technological advancements," said Matt Weiss, vice president of business development at BeckTV. "I'm happy to say that BeckTV has been behind many of those projects. They are perfect illustrations of our skill and expertise, which will be on full display at NAB. Any broadcast or sports production engineer who's planning to upgrade will really like what they see."

Over the years, BeckTV has implemented innovative technology for nearly every type of installation, including broadcast and network television stations, cable and satellite facilities, network operations centers, sports and mobile trucks, professional and university stadium venues, and houses of worship, the integrator said.

The company's projects run the gamut in terms of size and technology — from sports stadiums and large network builds to the smallest call letter stations, and from classic baseband video systems to sophisticated SMPTE ST 2110 deployments.

In the recent past, BeckTV has been responsible for infrastructure upgrades and/or new builds for prominent sports venues and several broadcast stations. Sports projects include M&T Bank Stadium, home of the NFL's Baltimore Ravens; Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers; the UFC Apex; Citi Field, home of the Mets; Lower.com Field, home of the Columbus Crew; and Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts. Among its many accomplishments, BeckTV has designed and built the most advanced 4K HDR 2110 deployments in sports and is responsible for the only installed 8K replay systems in NFL venues. 

The company has also worked with major station groups, including Hearst, Tegna, Gray Television, and Griffin Media, completing projects for stations from complete greenfield builds to major system upgrades.

Besides its work with on-site broadcast facilities, BeckTV is also known for its work on outside broadcast (OB) trucks, such as a recently completed flagship OB truck for Ross Production Services. 

As part of its OB work, BeckTV said it can manage an OB truck project and conceptualize and finalize design and documentation of all major broadcast systems, including every individual wire to be installed in the truck. BeckTV can prewire and label all cables at its facility for delivery to the project site. Then, after receiving an empty truck, a BeckTV installation crew can completely integrate all equipment, running the wires, racking the gear, doing all the power and cabling, and performing comprehensive testing to ensure the final system operates as planned. Finally, a BeckTV project engineer and a technician can be on hand to provide event support during the truck's first show, the company said. 

More information about BeckTV is available at www.becktv.com. 

MELVILLE, N.Y.—Chyron will highlight recent innovation for news, sports and cloud production at NAB Show New York, Oct. 24-26, at the Javits Center in Manhattan.

The company will feature advances in data visualization, new AI-enabled task automatization and live production workflows leveraging the cloud.

"Through ongoing product and feature development, we're working to deliver functionality that supports users today and facilitates their shift toward ever more efficient, flexible and scalable operations going forward," said Mathieu Yerle, senior vice president of strategy. "One example, and an exciting element of the Chyron booth at NAB Show New York, is the holistic CAMIO workflow, which delivers on the promise of total newsroom-to-air efficiency by driving not only CG graphics but also video walls, virtual sets, augmented reality graphics, weather segments and more in a streamlined and harmonious workflow."

Chyron also will highlight live production workflows for sports based on its cloud-native, all-in-one production Chyron LIVE.

Highlights will include:

• The latest version of CAMIO, the company's MOS-driven graphics asset management platform, which now integrates with Seven Mountains DiNA, a fully cloud-based NRCS with an on-premises gateway. CAMIO is NRCS-agnostic, integrating with all major NRCS including Avid iNews, AP ENPS, Dalet Galaxy, Octopus Newsroom, and others.
• The robust new data-management capabilities within the recently released PRIME 4.8 accelerate graphics design, data integration and playout for sports production workflows. It also will feature new features within PAINT to enhance illustrated replay and add depth to live commentary.
• Chyron LIVE cloud-native live production application with new security features in LIVE 1.5, including protocol encryption and data backup. Other new features elevate Chyron LIVE's handling of clips, intuitive audio commentary through the LIVE UI, and a more scalable and responsive user experience.

See Chyron at NAB Show New York booth 443.

More information is available on the company’s website.

As sports continue to captivate global audiences, the demand for high-quality, engaging, and easily accessible content has never been greater. And in the dynamic world of sports media, managing and extracting value from vast libraries of live and archived sports video content has always been a Herculean task. 

Advancements in AI, however, are revolutionizing the way broadcasters, content providers, and sports organizations approach media asset management. This article will explore the impressive power of generative and multimodal AI, and this technology’s  role in reshaping the landscape of live and archive media asset management for sports.

Distinguishing Between Generative and Multimodal AI
Generative and multimodal AI are transforming media asset management workflows for sports, albeit in slightly different ways. Generative AI is a specific application of machine learning (ML) that uses deep-learning models to generate high-quality text, images, and other content — usually based on a text input.

Multimodal AI is what’s under the hood. Thanks to this technology, media professionals can now deeply understand a video through its sound, speech, music, images and even context, and then feed GenAI models with accurate descriptions to generate even more metadata. 

When combined, generative and multimodal AI can also produce impressive transcriptions and translations of dialogue in video files in hundreds of languages. By tapping into collective memories, personal learnings, and the notion of space and time, metadata applied through multimodal AI indexing leads users to the exact moment they’re looking for in a sports game, and gives them the precise context they need.

How Generative and Multimodal AI is Enhancing Live Sports Broadcasts
According to Allied Market Research, global artificial intelligence in the sports market was valued at $1.4 billion in 2020, and is projected to soar to $19.2 billion by 2030, expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30.3% from 2021 to 2030. 

Generative and multimodal AI are transforming sports content creation and post production, especially for media asset management. Using the groundbreaking technology, broadcasters, content providers, and sports organizations can speed up analysis, automate routine tasks, rapidly create new content, and boost fan engagement. Moreover, AI frees up creatives from time-consuming, labor-intensive tasks so that they can focus on the jobs that matter the most to them and their organization.

Today, broadcasters, content providers, and sports organizations are using AI in several innovative ways. For example, with generative and multimodal AI, broadcasters can quickly clip and publish match highlights to social media for maximum fan engagement thanks to automation rules. Touchdowns and other plays can be auto-detected by AI and grouped into predetermined smart folders for auto-publishing to channels like Instagram and YouTube during a sports game. 

If a touchdown reminds a sports announcer of a play that happened 10 years ago, AI indexing and semantic search technology makes it possible for producers to quickly pull up an old clip from the archive, to show it side-by-side during the live broadcast. 

Another state-of-the-art application of generative and multimodal AI for sports is multi-language transcription. While this is currently in the early stages, it promises to be especially beneficial for sports broadcasters that receive multiple international feeds. 

In a post-match interview scenario, it’s challenging for sports channels to follow reporters asking multiple interviewees questions in different languages. Viewers want to understand what’s being said in the moment, and with generative and multimodal AI, broadcasters can quickly generate a  multi-language transcription, and push out clips with the correct subtitles for each audience. The technology is also close to producing live transcriptions, and enabling personalized content based on the viewers’ location and their preferred language.

Generative and multimodal AI can also be used to produce personalized VOD highlight packages that appeal to a wider range of viewer interests. Not only does this boost audience engagement, it also helps reduce churn rates. Using AI, broadcasters can automatically tag key people and moments in a sports game and then quickly find those moments within their archive to build highlights offerings. 

Some viewers might be interested in seeing the overall football game highlights, while others only want to watch clips featuring a certain player. Another segment of viewers might only be concerned with the off-field entertainment, such as shots of celebrities in attendance, a fan pitch invasion, and touching kiss cam moments.

Generative and multimodal AI are also being leveraged to personalize advertising content — helping media companies boost their revenues alongside their viewers’ engagement. For example, broadcasters and content providers can change what messages are shown on stadium advertising boards based on a viewer’s geolocation and preferences. 

This  technology is also elevating sports statistics. The NFL is an excellent example of a sports organization that is embracing artificial intelligence. Collaborating with Amazon Web Services, the NFL is leveraging intelligent algorithms and data collection tools to extract meaningful data from games and to decipher patterns in player performances. The data will offer insight into, for instance, how aggressive a defender played, how fast they were, and how quickly a quarterback responded.

Future AI Breakthroughs for Sports
Generative and multimodal AI will evolve to a point where comprehensive descriptions of sports content will be automatically generated. By training natural language models on a specific sport or vertical, broadcasters, content providers, and sports organizations can rapidly generate sports highlights and summaries using the same language that fans use. 

Ultimately, the end game is to make sports content more relevant and engaging for viewers, while also saving content providers significant time and money. Generative AI turns an editing job that used to take hours into a task completed in just a few minutes.

As the demand for high-quality, personalized, and engaging sports content grows, generative and multimodal AI will continue to play a pivotal role in enabling broadcasters, content providers, and sports organizations to produce sports content quickly and more efficiently. AI algorithms are becoming more and more accurate, and by embracing this, broadcasters can adapt to market changes and evolving viewer expectations to elevate the sports fan experience.

AMSTERDAM—In a significant move to bolster its digital video capabilities, Amagi is partnering with Tellyo to offer enhanced live video streaming and editing experience for broadcasters. 

This integration will provide broadcasters with a suite of tools that simplify video clipping, editing, and sharing, especially during live events. By combining Amagi's robust cloud-based broadcast playout infrastructure with Tellyo's efficient video toolset, sports and news broadcasters can expect a more streamlined and enhanced workflow, adapting swiftly to the fast-paced digital age, the companies said

Customer integrations are expected to roll out in the 4th quarter of 2023, with a series of webinars and training sessions planned to help users transition smoothly. 

Amagi and Tellyo have been providing live demos of the integration at IBC2023 at the Amagi Stand #5.A81.

"Amagi has always been at the forefront of innovation in cloud broadcast technology,” said Baskar Subramanian, CEO and co-founder, Amag. “Our collaboration with Tellyo represents a leap forward in providing our customers with cutting-edge cloud-based production control and social sharing video tools. Together, we're reimagining the boundaries of live video production."

NEW YORK—In a major push to expand its free ad-supported streaming offerings, NBCUniversal has launched a slew of new FAST linear content offerings from the company’s brands, including NBC,  Bravo, E!, NBC Sports, CNBC, Telemundo, Universal Studio Group and more.

Amazon Freevee and Xumo Play were named launch partners for content that is scheduled to go live this summer. 

NBCU reported that Xumo Enterprise will power the distribution of NBCUniversal’s new FAST channels on third party services starting with Amazon Freevee. 

The massive launch of new FAST services add to NBCUniversal existing portfolio of channels that include Dateline 24/7, NBC News NOW, and Local NBC and Telemundo news stations.  

“NBCUniversal is in the enviable position of owning a vast array of iconic shows that are not part of our broadcast and cable networks to curate a valuable portfolio of FAST channels,” said Matt Schnaars, president, NBCUniversal Content Distribution. “These channels, with content from some of the most recognizable brands in television, will find an immediate audience in the growing FAST ecosystem, and create value for NBCUniversal, our distribution partners, and our advertisers.” 

“Freevee has grown into a destination for a vast selection of FAST Channels, offering customers a wide selection of programming to stream from nearly any device including the Freevee app, Fire TV, and Prime Video,” added Ryan Pirozzi, head of Amazon Freevee. “We’re honored to be a launch partner for the full slate of FAST Channels coming from the NBCUniversal portfolio and can’t wait for Freevee customers to enjoy nearly 50 new channels, offering endless hours of lean back content to enjoy.”

NBCU describes the new channels as:

• Bravo Vault: From “Shahs of Sunset” to “Flipping Out,” Bravo Vault immerses you in all the high-sheen content and drama you love with our rotating content library.  
• E! Keeping Up: Keep up with each breakup and breakdown from the first family of reality TV, the Kardashian/Jenners. The E! Keeping Up Vault has the episodes and spin offs that created an empire. Relive it all now.  
• Million Dollar Listing Vault: Dig deep into the many seasons of “Million Dollar Listing” from LA to NY, SF to Miami! Bravo’s “Million Dollar Listing” vault introduces you to the best of real estate and all the deals and drama.   
• Oxygen True Crime Archives: Oxygen True Crime Archives is your home for deep dives into infamous cases and binge-watching original series. True crime, all day, every day.  
• Real Housewives Vault: Revisit the Real Housewives that launched the iconic franchise, showcasing the glitz, glamour, and drama of the reality show’s wealthy female stars.   
• SNL Vault: See your favorite characters, sketches, and hosts in an array of “Saturday Night Live” clips.
• Top Chef Vault: Bravo’s “Top Chef” Vault has a rotating library to catch up on and learn the latest in sous-vide, gastronomy and more from the ultimate food competition show.   
• American Crimes: Explore the dark side of the American dream and life behind bars, featuring award-winning series “American Greed” and “Lockup.”
• GolfPass: GolfPass brings together thousands of lessons from the game’s biggest instructors, exclusive series, GOLF Channel news and features, and much more.   
• NBC Sports: Stay updated on the latest sports news with entertaining talk programs, including Premier League Stories and “The Dan Patrick Show”.  
• Historias de Amor: Delightful romantic comedies and emotionally charged dramatic sagas of love and revenge. Based on authentic storytelling, offering familiar content for the bilingual U.S. Latino population.   
• Lo Mejor de Telemundo: Discover recent fan favorites and revisit hits from Telemundo, including dramas, reality, and novelas, featuring popular series such as “El Caso Cerrado,” “El Domo del Dinero,” and more.   
• Noticias Telemundo Ahora: 24/7 Spanish-language news channel from the US Hispanic community’s most trusted news source, featuring breaking news, interviews with leading newsmakers, live reports from major cities across the country and lifestyle content.
• Telemundo al Día: Offering the latest in entertainment and sports news. Content includes shows like “Al Rojo Vivo,” “La Mesa Caliente,” Telemundo Deportes and more.   
• Entertainment Discovery & Fandom Channels: 
• Rotten Tomatoes: The Rotten Tomatoes channel is the one-stop source for movie & TV fans, with fresh takes on favorite scenes, previews of blockbusters, and weekly content highlights.   
• Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Emmy®-winning anthology series created by Alfred Hitchcock features suspenseful and delightfully twisting mysteries.    
• Bad Girls Club: Watch as seven outrageously bold, brazenly misbehaved women attempt to transform their reckless ways. Can they change – or will chaos rule?  
• Lassie: Join Lassie, the Martin family’s beloved canine, and her human animal companions as they embark on adventures. Learn why dogs truly are a man’s best friend in this Emmy®-winning series.  
• Little House on the Prairie: Set in the late 1800’s, the Ingalls family pack up their belongings and venture out west in search for new life in the new land. Starring Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert, watch this family of five adjust to their new home in Plum Creek, on the plains of Minnesota. 
• Made in Chelsea: Follow the sensational lives, loves, and careers of eight high society friends who live in London’s most affluent neighborhoods.   
• Murder, She Wrote: Join mystery writer Jessica Fletcher (played by legend Angela Lansbury), as she solves crimes in this Emmy®-winning drama.   
• Saved by the Bell: Share the inventive schemes and mischievous dreams of these tight-knit friend groups. Watch them grow from Bayside High in “Saved by the Bell” to after graduation in “The College Years,” and later with the next generation in “The New Class.”
• TNBC: Rediscover these laugh-out-loud fan-favorite sitcoms from Teen NBC. These timeless stories about the highs and lows of growing up are relatable for any audience, young or old. Series include: “Punky Brewster,” “City Guys,” “Hang Time,” “Major Dad” and more.   
• The Lone Ranger: The masked cowboy known as the Lone Ranger, and his trusty accomplice Tonto, fight for justice in the wild west. 
• Universal Action: Buckle up and hold on tight! Helicopters, fast cars, and fight scenes are packed into this channel. Here you’ll find riveting shows that are sure to get your heart pumping and adrenaline flowing, such as “Magnum P.I.,” “Knight Rider,” “The A-Team” and many others.  
• Universal Crime: Mystery, suspense, and action culminate in these notable drama series. From the scene of the crime to the courtroom, follow along with some of your favorite stars as they fight for justice to be served. Series include: “Columbo,” “Kojak,” “The Rockford Files” and more. 
• Universal Westerns: Cowboys, gunslingers, and outlaws roam the wild west in these series. Get swept away by these classic tales of heroism and family adventure set against scenic frontier backdrops, such as “The Virginian” and “Tales of Wells Fargo” among many others.   
• Universal Monsters: Blood-sucking vampires, stitched-together monsters, and howling werewolves! From iconic monster movies to modern classics, these films are guaranteed to give you goosebumps, which include titles such as “Frankenstein,” “Dracula,” “The Wolf Man” and more.

These channels join NBCUniversal’s lineup of previously announced FAST channels including NBC News NOW, TODAY All Day, Dateline 24/7, LX, NBC and Telemundo Local Stations, and Sky News International.  

Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, also has a robust FAST channels offering featuring content from across the company’s portfolio.

NEW YORK—ABC News has launched a redesigned ABC News mobile app that offers a number of new features and technological enhancements for improved live streaming, performance, navigation, and search. 

The revamped ABC News app is built on Disney’s proprietary technology, product and design platforms that will improve speed and scalability, and offer increased flexibility for storytelling, the company said. 

The use of those platforms will also speed up the introduction of new features by allowing the ABC News app to benefit from new feature and functionality development across the broader Disney digital portfolio. 

“ABC News is the leader in news,” said Lulu Chiang, vice president of ABC News Digital Content. “We are excited the new updates to our signature digital app will deliver new ways showcase our world class journalism, take consumers deeper into our reporting, and add to the way that audiences watch and read everything from breaking news to our industry-leading election coverage and more.”

Key enhancements include: a new video player; picture in picture and “docking” capability; more seamless integration of ABC News Live; improved EPG and schedule; enhanced video technology and more.

The updated app also offers improved search functionality, introduces “dark mode” to the app for the first time, and provides topical categories to help with discovery of content. 

The improvements will also give ABC News editors and reporters more flexibility in storytelling.

"This latest release is a key step in our strategy to advance our video storytelling on mobile devices,” said Nicole Breskin, vice president, news & entertainment product, Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution. “Critically, the app will also provide new experiences around breaking news and live video to deliver key news coverage when people need it. Our refreshed app is built on our scalable foundation upon which we can innovate and bring ABC News to our audiences in novel ways.”

Ahead of the 2022 Mid-Term Elections, the updated ABC News app will also deliver updates to live, real-time voting result data. 

In addition, election maps will have new design and interaction, and election coverage in the app will provide historical data for the first time – allowing users to examine results from previous election cycles, setting the scene for upcoming mid-term elections and looking ahead to the 2024 election cycle.

Consumers will also be able to take advantage of Exit Poll Filters, letting them examine data through the lenses of demographic information, location, education level and more to understand what decisions different types and sets of voters have made.

The newly redesigned primary app navigation offers one-tap access to “Watch”, “Explore”, “Listen”, “Search”, as well as an updated “My News” section. 

Through easy-to-use personalization, the new ABC News app allows users one-tap access to easily add and change topical interests, and curates those personalized news interests in the “My News” section.

In “Listen” users have will also have access to an updated and improved library of ABC News’ award-winning audio content.

NEW YORK—Syncbak announced today that VUit, its free, ad-supported national hyperlocal news streaming service has reached new carriage agreements with six broadcast groups that will result in 18 new stations and five new markets joining the platform.

The new agreements include: 

• Weigel Broadcasting Co. (WCIU, Chicago; WBND, South Bend, Ind. and WDJT and WYTU, Milwaukee)
• Capitol Broadcasting Company (WRAL and WRAZ, Raleigh, N.C. and WILM, Wilmington, Del.)
• Lockwood Broadcast Group (WSKY, Norfolk, Va., a new market for VUit; WCAV, Charlottesville, Va; WDFX, Dothan, Ala.; WPGX, Panama City, Fla., and WTNZ, Knoxville, Tenn.)
• Marquee Broadcasting (WMDT, Salisbury, Md., a new market for VUit; WNKY, Bowling Green, Ky., and WSWG, Albany, Ga.)
• Fort Myers Broadcasting Company (WINK, Ft. Myers, Fla., a new market for VUit)
• Sunbeam Television (WHDH, Boston, and WSVN, Miami)

The addition of the new stations to VUit’s current availability in more than 160 markets nationwide now means that local news and content from approximately 250 stations—with coverage from nearly 80% of the top DMAs—are available on the VUit platform. The new deals further bolster VUit’s list of local station group partners that includes: Gray Television, Cox, Hearst Television, Heritage Broadcasting, Morgan Murphy Media, News-Press and Gazette Company, as well as leading independent local stations such as WFMZ-TV in Philadelphia and KTSF in San Francisco.

Beyond enabling VUit to grow the selection of hyper-local programming available on the platform, the deals also help this diverse roster of stations to increase audiences and grow advertising revenue opportunities well beyond their local markets, the company said. VUit says its platform “creates new digital growth opportunities for local stations and empowers them to create a custom and unique viewing experience for audiences anytime, anywhere, on any device.”

Jack Perry, CEO of Syncbak, VUit’s parent company, said, “These new deals are the latest example underscoring VUit’s position as the leading streaming destination for local news and cultural content that has appeal on a national scale. The value we offer to stations in scaling their streaming audience and digital revenue is unparalleled. As we continue to expand, we remain laser-focused on our bigger mission and vision: helping every station and station group thrive in the streaming landscape.”

DALLAS—Sports content continues to dominate the growing live streaming space, with three out of five (61%) people who live streamed programming in the last three months saying they live streamed sports content, according to a new study from Parks Associates.

The proportion is even high among those who subscribe to an OTT sports service, with 78% saying they live streamed sports in the last three months. 

Live streamed sports also outpaced other forms of content, with only 36% of the live streamers saying they streamed news content, the second most popular genre. 

Overall, however, a little more than two of five (43%) U.S. internet households live streamed content in the last three months.

“Consumers who subscribe to online sports services or those who subscribe to a premium pay-TV sports package are more likely to livestream,” said Paul Erickson, director of research, Parks Associates. “Right now, sports content is key to drawing and keeping an engaged livestream viewer base. Even with content that benefits from live consumption – such as news and concerts – significantly fewer consumers are livestreaming this content compared to sports. The sports audience is significantly more engaged in live streaming as a whole.”  

The report also found that consumers who regularly livestream content are engaged users. For many, live streamed content is their primary content consumption. Consumers who livestream estimate that live online content comprises close to half of their total online video consumption. Among heavy livestream viewers, on-demand content comprises just over one-quarter of their online video consumption. 

“Offering live streaming content is an opportunity for services to draw both the highly engaged heavy livestreaming audience and livestream-centric older audiences,” Erickson said. “Consumers in the higher age brackets can be difficult to target, but livestreaming is one option that appeals to them, provided the provider delivers the right content.”  

For more information on “Quantified Consumer: Livestreaming: The Next Hot Video Market” report, contact sales@parksassociates.com. 

Despite the increase in cordcutting, drawing viewers away from pay-TV, interest in live news and sports—a staple of traditional linear TV—remains high among older, wealthier viewers, according to a recent study from Leichtman Research Group

When asked the importance of various programming genres, overall, 49% of adults rated news as very important (8-10) and 41% rated sports as very important, LRG said. While neither of these are the highest rated genre overall––that distinction goes to movies at 69%––there are significant differences in the importance of news and sports to pay-TV subscribers versus nonsubscribers. 

The study found that:

• 56% of pay-TV subscribers rate news as very important, compared to 32% of non-subscribers
• 49% of pay-TV subscribers rate sports as very important, compared to 21% of non-subscribers

The rated importance of these genres is also higher among those in the demographic categories that (unsurprisingly) are typically more likely to get a pay-TV service.

News is more important among older age individuals, and in higher income households: 

• 66% of ages 55+ rate news as very important, compared to 48% of ages 35-54, and 32% of ages 18-34 
• 57% with annual household incomes >$75,000 rate news as very important, compared to 45% with household incomes <$75,000

Sports is more important in higher income households, as well as among men:

• 52% with household incomes >$75,000 rate sports as very important, compared to 39% with household incomes of $30,000 - $75,000, and 27% with household incomes <$30,000
• 49% of men rate sports as very important, compared to 34% of women

Going forward, these genres will continue to play important roles in balancing the legacy model with direct-to-consumer offerings. However these options are not mutually, LRG added, as consumers will continue to get the services and content that best serve their households’ needs and budgets.

MIAMI—Noticias Telemundo has announced a new leadership team under Patsy Loris who started running the division earlier this month and is working to expand the news organization’s multiplatform news coverage.

“This is a critically important time for the Hispanic community with the country still in the grips of a pandemic and heading into what will be closely watched midterm elections,” said Loris, executive vice president of news at Noticias Telemundo. “I’m very excited we have assembled a top-notch team of experienced news leaders who will ensure Noticias Telemundo continues to keep Latinos informed with rigorously reported news and innovative storytelling across all platforms.”

The new appointments include Gabriela Tristán who joins Noticias Telemundo as senior vice president of news; Gemma Garcia, who was promoted to senior vice president, digital news; and Vanessa Pombo, who was elevated to senior vice president, business operations, news, Noticias Telemundo announced. 

Gabriela Tristán is a long-time executive with 29 years of experience working in news who recently served as vice president and director of news production at Univision, where she oversaw the daily production and broadcast of all the network’s newscasts. 

Tristán will oversee the editorial and production units of its news programs, including the flagship newscast “Noticias Telemundo” and the morning news show, “hoyDía”. She will also be responsible for special news programming including primetime news specials, breaking news coverage and events. 

An Emmy Award winner, Tristán was part of the team that launched Univision’s “Al Punto with Jorge Ramos” public affairs show and developed the format for “Edición Digital”, the first national newscast to simultaneously air on broadcast television and stream on Facebook Live. 

Gemma Garcia, who has been promoted to senior vice president, digital news, is now responsible for leading and growing Noticias Telemundo’s expanding digital news initiatives. Since joining the network in 2016, Garcia has served as the executive producer of “Noticias Telemundo” and the vice president for network and digital news, overseeing the editorial vision, day-to-day operations and production of Telemundo’s Emmy award-winning national weekday evening newscast.

Vanessa Pombo, who has been promoted to senior vice president, business operations, news. Pombo will manage the news division’s operations and resource allocation, responsible for finance, human resources, legal and sales. Pombo will also oversee studio and field operations production needs. She previously was vice president of production management and business operations and has helped develop new revenue opportunities across the news division. 

Tristán, Garcia and Pombo will report to Loris, who was named head of Noticias Telemundo in November. She succeeded Luis Fernandez, who retired at the end of 2021, and took over as the top executive in the news division on January 1, 2022.

LONDON—Despite negative press and recent Congressional testimony by a whistleblower criticizing Facebook lack of action in stopping misinformation, a recent survey from the Pew Research Center shows that Facebook and its other platforms still dominate the social media landscape for news and information. 

The survey, which offers a number of important findings for news organizations planning their social media strategies, found that about 31% of those who regularly get news from social media get it from Facebook, with another 11% of those regular social media users for news getting it from Facebook’s Instagram and 3% from WhatsApp. 

That would indicate that Facebook’s various platforms (Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp) have about a 45% share among those who get news from social media.  and 

To put those numbers in context, the Pew Research survey also found that the influence of social media as a news outlet remains very important, but is declining. 

It’s survey found that “a little under half (48%) of U.S. adults say they get news from social media `often’ or `sometimes,’ a 5 percentage point decline compared with 2020.” 

Only 19% got their news from social media “often,” a four percentage point decline from 2020, when 23% did. 

In contrast the number of respondents who said they “never” got news from social media rose from 21% in 2020 to 24% in 2021.

Pew asked users of 10 social media sites where they regularly get news on social media and found that about one third of U.S. adults (31%) said they get news regularly on Facebook, followed by YouTube (22%), Twitter (11%), Instagram (11%), Reddit (7%), TikTok (6%), LinkedIn (4%), Snapchat (4%), WhatsApp (3%) and Twitch (1%).

The report also noted that “the majority of regular news consumers of many sites are Democrats or lean Democratic. This may be related to the relatively young age profile of the news consumer base of these social media sites. No social media site included here has regular news consumers who are more likely to be Republican or lean Republican.”

The Pew Research study was based on a survey of 11,178 adults in the U.S. between July 26 to Aug. 8, 2021.

Additional demographic breakdowns and data is available here. 

ATLANTA—The direct-to-consumer service CNN+ has announced it will go live in Q1 2022, and unveiled new details on its programming, its executive leadership and its app strategy. 

The new service will offer eight to twelve hours of live content per day at launch and will feature original content separate and distinct from CNN’s cable news networks. 

The service will also draw on a library of non-fiction series and will be announcing new original series and films later this year. 

Daily programming will offer topical deep dives and lifestyle content from some of CNN’s most prominent talent, as well as from new talent, the company reported. 

Library content from its non-fiction, long form programming will include past seasons of CNN’s award-winning original series and films, including `Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown,’ `Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy,’ `This is Life with Lisa Ling,’ and `United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell.’

CNN will continue to have a single app where CNN+ subscribers can access CNN+’s programing and pay TV subscribers can access the TV everywhere experience. The app will include CNN’s linear TV feeds of CNN, CNN International, HLN and CNN en Español channels, which will be available exclusively for pay TV subscribers. 

If pay TV subscribers choose to maximize their experience, they can also subscribe to CNN+ to access the full CNN+ programming all in one place, CNN reported. 

CNN’s digital news platform--CNN.com and CNN mobile apps--will remain a separate, free offering serving news consumers around the globe.

“CNN invented cable news in 1980, defined online news in 1995 and now is taking an important step in expanding what news can be by launching a direct-to-consumer streaming subscription service in 2022,” said Jeff Zucker, chairman of WarnerMedia News and Sports and president of CNN Worldwide. “As the most trusted and recognized name in news, CNN has unrivaled global reach, world class talent and a deep existing library of content including award winning series and films. On top of a television offering that has never been stronger, which remains at the core of what we do today, we will offer consumers a streaming product that grows the reach and scope of the CNN brand in a way that no one else is doing. Nothing like this exists.”

In terms of executive leadership, key executives include: 

Andrew Morse, chief digital officer for CNN Worldwide, is the executive in charge of CNN+, with oversight of the content, product development and business operations of the platform.

Alex MacCallum, CNN Worldwide’s head of product is the general manager of CNN+, with oversight of product development, customer acquisition and marketing, strategy and growth and revenue operations.

Rebecca Kutler, senior vice president and head of programming for CNN+, is overseeing the development, production and programming of live and taped programs for CNN+.

Courtney Coupe, senior vice president of content strategy and operations for CNN+, is overseeing the strategy, curation and programming of content on CNN+, as well as community management.

Robyn Peterson, CNN Worldwide’s chief technology officer, is overseeing the team of technologists and engineers developing a world class platform and user experience for CNN+.

CNN’s Original Series and Films unit, led by CNN Worldwide executive vice president for talent and content development, Amy Entelis, is developing new series and films for the platform. Vice president of program development Katie Hinman will lead the development and production of external series for CNN+, working with Jon Adler, vice president of program development for CNN Original Series.

ATHENS, Ga.—The Peabody Awards announced that it was expanding its award categories to recognize storytelling achievements across interactive, immersive and new media categories.

It also announced a board of ten newly appointed jurors composed of industry experts who will help with the expansion of the awards.  

In announcing the new awards, Jeffrey Jones, executive director of Peabody explained that “the foundation of the Peabody Awards is honoring stories that matter...With the introduction of digital and interactive media as its own distinctive category, we’re thrilled to be recognizing groundbreaking and important narratives in these digital spaces.” 

The Peabody Interactive Board will identify exemplary projects across an evolving range of formats, including Gaming, Interactive Journalism, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality,  Social Video, Interactive Documentary, Transmedia Storytelling, and more, the organization reported. 

The inaugural awards will be given to legacy media projects that demonstrate the depth of these new formats, emphasizing the foundational standards for future award winners and highlighting stories that have helped define the digital and interactive genres. 

Winners of the awards will be announced later this year in a separate celebration from the traditional spring awards ceremony, along with formal details on the submission calendar, eligibility, and award categories.

“We believe that impactful stories can come from anywhere, in new and evolving forms that push the limits of our understanding of how to tell stories,” explained Diana Williams, chairwoman of the new Peabody Interactive Board. “This expansion of the Peabody Awards recognizes the variety of storytelling media, and the storytellers who strive to move technology and their audiences into new spaces. Our newly minted board is excited to have the opportunity to award and celebrate these creative contributions to the storytelling form.”

MIAMI—Univision has announced plans to begin offering a 24-hour Spanish-language streaming news service targeted to U.S. Hispanics. 

The direct-to-consumer service will mark a notable expansion of streaming news content available to Hispanics. While Hispanics tend to be more active consumers of streaming content and digital media than the general population, they have been generally underserved by streaming services. 

In 2020, NBCUniversal launched the English-language LX digital news network and brand targeted to bi-lingual and younger viewers on its owned stations and on the Peacock streaming service. 

The upcoming Univision service will launch on the PrendeTV free, premium streaming service. 

Details on the service remain skimpy, with no confirmed launch date or name. 

In a general announcement of its new programming, Univision reported that “the new channel will offer live news and breaking stories in digital-friendly formats and snackable storytelling content across platforms.”

The move is part of an ongoing investment by Univision in news content for Hispanics, who are now the largest ethnic group in the U.S. 

On May 17, Univision launched a new studio for its news operations in its Miami facility for live broadcasts of “Noticiero Univision.”

The studio is designed to offer a more compelling news cast with a variety of new technologies. Those include augmented reality interactive graphics and real-time virtual graphics; high-definition LED screens that will provide the most complete storytelling; a new anchor desk with LED accent; multiple HD cameras and more than 100 LED light fixtures. 

The studio will also be used for content that will be available on the streaming news services. 

WASHINGTON—A bipartisan bill is expected to be introduced to Congress in the next few weeks that is designed to make it easier for smaller news organizations to negotiate with Big Tech platforms, i.e. Facebook and Google, according to a report from Reuters.

Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.), the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee’s antitrust panel, said that this is the first in a series of antitrust bills expected to be introduced to Congress.

NAB and other news organizations have been calling for help to deal with big tech companies, who often use news content to draw users but, according to the news organizations, are not sharing enough of the revenue from advertising.

Google announced earlier this week that it had struck a deal with News Corp. to pay to use its content. Meanwhile, Facebook went the other way, pulling the ability to share news content on its platforms in Australia after a proposed law that would require it to pay news outlets whose content drives traffic to their site.

This bill, according to Reuters, would only cover “small publishers.”

For more information, read Reuters’ report. 

BOSTON—2020 has seen U.S. consumers of all ages more focused on the news, and according to a recent report from Altman Solon, broadcast and cable networks are the leading options.

News consumption is up in the U.S. according to the report, with 54% of U.S. consumers saying they are watching more news, while 34% say they are watching three or more additional hours of news per week.

Per Altman Solon, broadcast networks are the top source of daily news for U.S. consumers, with ABC viewed daily by 26% of respondents, followed by both NBC and CBS at 20%. Cable TV had a record-breaking year for ratings, Altman Solon said, with CNN and Fox tied at 17% of consumers viewing daily.

Trust in TV news also saw an increase since the pandemic began. Trust in other news sources like radio, free online newspapers, print newspapers, news websites and podcasts, inversely, were down by 1-3%. Social media, however, saw a decline of 12% in is trustworthiness over the same period, Altman Solon reports.

Still, social media platforms like Facebook and Google News are viewed as some’s top news source, with 15% of respondents citing Facebook as their primary resource and 11% for Google News.

Additional findings from Altman Solon’s report includes that nearly one-third of Americans are willing to pay for reliable news content, with viewers 18-24 more open to paying (53%) than those over 55 (15%); even after the pandemic, 82% of Americans expect to continue to pay for news.

For more information on the report, visit Altman Solon’s website. 

WASHINGTON—News outlets and journalists—in TV, radio and print—have proven crucial in providing information during the current coronavirus crisis. Now NewsGuild-CWA, a union of journalists and communication professionals in North America, is calling on Congress to adopt provisions in future stimulus packages to help protect these new operations.

With COVID-19 causing many businesses to shut down, advertising revenue for many news networks has been significantly impacted. Large media companies, like Gannett, have announced furloughs or layoffs of employees, causing some news operations to work with reduced staffs.

As a way to try and prevent the weakening of news broadcast services, the NewsGuild Executive Council unanimously approved a resolution calling for federal, state and local governments to provide public funds and incentives to keep news operations running.

“We cannot stand by and let news organizations in our communities die,” said Jon Schleuss, NewsGuild president. “Public stimulus funds are the only way to ensure the long-term viability of the news organizations people rely on.”

The resolution calls for the acknowledgement that local, regional and national journalism is recognized as an essential service; that the federal government should establish a publicly-financed fund to support newsrooms and media workers; that employers taking public funds be politically independent, demonstrate financial need, make no layoffs/furloughs/paycuts or interfere with workers’ rights and promote diversity and equity; and other organizational requirements. The full list of demands is available online.

The $2 trillion stimulus package that was passed in March offered provisions that could impact broadcasters—though in most cases not directly because of the service they provided—including allowing businesses with fewer than 500 employees to access forgivable Small Business Administration loans; the deferral of payroll taxes; unemployment benefits and more.

NewsGuild-CWA also launched a petition to drum up community support for its proposal.

“Our country needs a strong free and independent press to provide reliable information and hold our leaders accountable, Schleuss said. “It’s urgent that we take action to protect it.”

All equipment categories in the television industry have changed dramatically in the past two decades, and ENG gear has been right in the thick of that change. First, it went from analog microwave and satellite to digital microwave and satellite, then there was a seachange to systems that use mobile cellular technology.

Microwave and satellite remain part of the ENG signal transmission mix, although there is some turmoil at the satellite end with the FCC’s planned auction of C-Band (3.7-4.2 GHz) frequencies later this year. Satellite companies agreed to vacate more than half of the spectrum, which is expected to be purchased by cellular companies for 5G applications.

The C-Band auction is expected to take place in December, and may generate as much as $15 billion in bids. Satellite companies plan to continue delivering content using their remaining C-Band spectrum, serving more than 100 million private and commercial customers in the U.S., including network feeds to many broadcasters and cable operators.

CELLULAR SYSTEMS

Like many other product categories, the recent development and acceptance of ENG cellular systems drives down costs, improves setup times and ultimately results in a better way to make video.

Dejero has its EnGo 260 mobile transmitter, a 5G-ready system that contains the company’s hybrid encoding technology that can dynamically adjust encoding to make optimal use of available network connections.

“Blending up to eight network connections using Dejero’s smart blending technology, and with latency as low as 0.8 seconds, EnGo delivers exceptional picture quality so remote field teams can capture and transmit live shots even in scenarios where bandwidth may be limited,” said Richard McClurg, vice president for marketing at Dejero. “Smart blending technology aggregates multiple network technologies (cellular, 5G, 4G LTE, 3G, satellite or any other wired or wireless IP connection) from multiple carriers, to create a virtual ‘network of networks’ to enhance reliability and speed.”

Dejero’s CuePoint 100 will also be of interest to ENG personnel. The new low-latency rackmounted return feed server simplifies talent cueing, production and confidence monitoring, and permits real-time teleprompting in the field.

Live sports would have been the backdrop for LiveU’s booth demos at the 2020 NAB Show in Las Vegas, as the company plans to showcase live video production featuring a complete Wireless At-Home Production solution in the LiveU Courtside Studio. Booth visitors could immerse themselves in the dynamic live multicam basketball court and studio, shoot some hoops, and see how the entire production can be accomplished easily, affordably and in high quality using LiveU’s IP video technology.

NEWS INTEGRATION

Dalet will feature its Unified New Operations system that integrates news ingest, production and delivery for broadcast, streaming and social media. All this works more smoothly with Dalet’s recent acquisition of Ooyala’s Flex Media Platform business. In addition to news ingest, production and distribution, the company will also showcase its media asset management strengths with its Dalet Galaxy five MAM system that includes AI.

Ross Video Systems will be at the show spotlighting its news automation systems that run the gamut from the Inception news computer system to Ross’ Overdrive studio automation control system to the Tria News playout server. The company’s product line also includes tightly integrated media asset management and 3D motion graphics components.

Comrex will discuss its LiveShot bonded cellular system that uses an H.264 encoder and a mix of cellular, WiFi, satellite and LAN networks to provide two-way HD video and audio. LiveShot has a latency as low as 200 ms, to provide an IFB connection that works smoothly and naturally over the air.

VidOvation's PRO380 video encoder and transmitter solution is designed for live video producers and newsgathering. The PRO380 has a low-latency H.265/HEVC hardware encoder and also supports H.264/AVC encoding with legacy products. The systems feature eight embedded cellular 3G/4G-LTE modems with a high-efficiency antenna array.

TVU Networks made updates to MediaMind, the company’s story-centric platform. A live demonstration will show how using AI and automation technology, metadata and integration with third-party applications using API within the platform can drive efficiency in live video acquisition, production, distribution and management. “TVU is also going to have its full line of cellular, IP and cloud-based products and services on display and demonstration this year,” said Eric Chang, vice president of marketing. “This includes our cellular transmitters with 5G support. In the past year, 5G has been successfully tested and used with our equipment globally, including in the U.S., China and South Korea.”

At Super Bowl LIV, TVU successfully transmitted from within the stadium in Miami using Verizon’s 5G mmWave network. That product line will also be highlighted in the company’s booth.

4K AND 5G

ABonAir has its AB612 on-camera 4K microwave link to transmit video directly from cameras to media centers or OB trucks wirelessly. The bidirectional AB612 uses H.265 hardware-based encoding for efficient, low-latency transmission. 

5G is a player in the technology mix, but don’t expect it to dominate the ENG experience just yet.

“Due to the cost and effort required to make a full transition to 5G—not to mention the many technical and regulatory decisions yet to be made—it will take many years to implement and to become widely available,” Dejero’s McClurg said. “The 5G experience we can expect a decade from now will likely be much different from early implementations that we are starting to see. From a practical point of view, reliable connectivity will still depend upon a mix of 5G, 4G LTE, and even 3G networks for quite some time.”

Like many fast-changing product categories, newsgathering and production has new and often more efficient ways to get the job done. It can be hard to figure out exactly which products and systems will work for your organization’s unique workflow.

As recently as 10 years ago, microwave and satellite were the predominant technologies used to relay ENG feeds from outside the studio. Today, although microwave and satellite still play a role in ENG feeds for broadcasters, some sort of cellular/IP product is more likely to be the choice when sending reporters into the field.

Over 10 years, cellular/IP products have matured, stabilized and improved, to the point where it has become the technology of choice for fast-hitting remote news feeds.

Derana TV, Sri Lanka’s premium entertainment channel, has deployed LiveU technology throughout its news operations – Ada Derana – for ongoing newsgathering, in Sri Lanka and abroad. Ada Derana, considered to be the country’s most unbiased and comprehensive news property, will use multiple LiveU units to cover the presidential election, scheduled for 16th November 2019.

Madhawa Madawala, Executive Director and COO, at Derana TV, said, “Choosing LiveU has been an extremely smart and strategic decision – equipping us with a technology that can travel places with us. We have a news team of 100 people geared to deliver the most accurate and timely information and LiveU’s contribution to this has been massive. We, as a media channel, constantly look for technologies which make our workflows and life, in general, easier. LiveU has surpassed our expectations and helped us reduce production costs.”

“Derana TV is one of our key customers in Sri Lanka and we share a strong relationship with them. Derana has always trusted LiveU for their newsgathering technology, which makes us very proud. We are committed to provide excellent support to our customers in Sri Lanka in association with our local partners and will continue to keep our promise of delivering unfailing technology”, said Ranjit Bhatti, Director of South Asia, LiveU.

Puritha Wijewickrama, General Manager IT, at Derana TV, added, “Our channel – or any media channel for that matter – is ever-growing because, fortunately or unfortunately, we never run out of news. In such a scenario, it’s imperative that we’re equipped with the best to stay ahead in the industry. The support provided by LiveU has always been great and we can also rely on its robust technology, which has never failed us. We plan to use their LU600 HEVC units widely during the upcoming election to provide a compelling experience for our audience.”

The studios at CTV Vancouver Island in Victoria, British Columbia recently went through a complete 16:9 SD to full HD upgrade which included re-wiring the entire station and replacing the control room switcher and studio cameras. The systems integration was performed internally by the Bell Media integration group (CTV Vancouver Island is owned by Bell Media).

After broadcasting in SD for 18 years, the equipment overhaul brought about a sudden and noticeable change to the station’s staff as well as viewers.

HXC-FB80 HD studio cameras, along with HXCU-FB80 CCU units and HZC-RCP5 camera remote control software were selected as the main studio pedestal cameras. Two cameras sit on Vinten pedestals and are equipped with Canon wide angle lenses. The cameras are used for CTV’s 5:00pm, 6:00pm, and 11:00pm newscasts.

The Sony FB80’s were brought in for testing after cameras from another vendor never properly white balanced during testing in the studio. “We contacted Sony after that, and they quickly brought in one of the HXC-FB80s for us to look at,” said Kyle Lancaster, director and multi-skilled journalist, CTV Vancouver Island. “We set it all up, had the cameras rigged up the same way, fired them up, white balanced them all, and it looked amazing – right out of the box without any tweaks. We put our new camera on TV that night and purchased three as part of our HD upgrade. Even before we upgraded, we could see the difference in color reproduction when we were just broadcasting SD.”

CTV mentioned that the true-to-life color reproduction was the first thing they noticed about the cameras’ performance. “It just pops on screen. The difference was immediate, and everyone was extremely excited about the change. We even got a few phone calls from viewers congratulating us on our new HD changeover,” said Lancaster.

“The color matching was excellent,” reported Kirk Duncan, multi-skilled journalist, CTV Vancouver. “There was barely any difference between the two camera settings and looks. Out of the box, they looked the same. That was my favorite thing about our new cameras – the ease with which they were set up and ready to go. The menus were easy to navigate. We went through and adjusted what we needed to change without additional assistance. We could figure it out, and everything really did look great right out of the box.”

As a small station without dedicated studio camera operators, ease of use is critical. “We don’t have the people to sit there and doctor the cameras with every shot,” explained Lancaster. We need cameras that you can white balance and are ready to go. Or add a couple of pre-sets and go. These cameras have been that for us and more. You’re able to pull them out, do your pre-sets and rest assured they’ll perform reliably every night.”

Thanks to the HZC-RCP5 software, the HXC-FB80’s can be controlled from remote locales as well as the local control room, which means the video supervisor for CTV nationally can digitally shade and color the cameras from CTV headquarters in Toronto. Optical filter wheels for neutral density and color correction can also be controlled using the application. Gamma functions enable the user to fine-tune tonal values as well as control contrast and detail.

When the cameras first arrived, the CTV video supervisor in Toronto tweaked the settings so that the new cameras were consistent with national CTV standards. He remotely adjusted one camera’s pre-sets for each newscast, and Duncan and Lancaster copied those presets to the other -FB80s. “We've got about four different recalls on each of the cameras. As we move the cameras around the studio over the course of each newscast, we can just recall the different settings that we need for each position,” said Lancaster.

The cameras at CTV Vancouver Island can also be controlled using the HZC-RCP5 camera control software running on a computer at the station. This enables the on-site technical director to control various camera pre-sets based on a specific set or shot and have access to all the shading and recalls. The TD switches and keys in graphics for the nightly newscasts from the Victoria-based control room.

“That's been a huge thing for us to be able to have our TD shade the cameras from his position,” said Lancaster. “On the virtual panel we see the shaders as they would appear if they were physical remote controls.”

The settings that CTV Vancouver Island employs are also affected by the facility’s giant row of windows. “At our studios, we’re shooting basically into a window,” explained Lancaster. “Our studio environment changes depending on the time of day or the weather. We needed a camera set up that could be easily adjusted to accommodate whatever changes nature may throw at us like cloud cover or a setting sun. The cameras can compensate for that and not make it as apparent that there’s a window behind our talent.”

LOS ANGELES—The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers this year is honoring Cristina Gomila Torres, managing director of Content, Technology & Innovation, at Sky, with its prestigious Progress Medal—the first to be awarded to a woman—during this week’s 2019 Annual SMPTE Technical Conference & Exhibition at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel.

The award honors an individual for his or her outstanding technical contribution to the progress of engineering in the motion picture, TV or motion imaging industries. The medal is bestowed for an invention or R&D that has resulted in a significant advancement in the development of motion picture, TV or motion imaging technology, according to SMPTE.

Gomila Torres, who joined Sky this year, is being honored for her leadership and contributions to advances in several areas, including the science of algorithms where she holds multiple patents in video coding and other media technologies.

I had a chance to sit down with Gomila Torres this morning at the SMPTE conference and talk to her about what it means to receive the Progress Medal, where women are today in M&E industry, what areas of research interest her today, what the industry can do to attract more young people to its ranks, especially to technical careers and what organizations like SMPTE can do to encourage young women to pursue motion picture, TV or motion imaging careers.

(An edited transcript:)

TVTechnology:Congratulations on being named this year’s recipient of the Progress Medal. What does that honor mean to you, especially since you are the first woman to receive the award?

Cristina Gomila Torres: It’s very emotional. When I thought of all my peers getting me to this level of recognition. My first thoughts were for all the people who helped me on the journey to get here and also for all of the women in this industry who have not been visible for all of these long years and have contributed strongly.

So, I felt really for all of them a lot of weight and responsibility.

TVT:You hold patents for video coding and many other media technologies. What areas of research interest you the most today?

CGT: I started my career on media formats, where the focus was about getting the best possible images to the consumer, focusing on video quality. And I have progressively moved toward what would be the best consumer experience.

Quality is certainly important, but it’s not the only thing. It’s all about how we convey content. How do we make it available everywhere? How do we provide a seamless viewer experience and surprise them with different types of content?

This is today an area that requires harnessing many fields of science. It’s not just one of them. It goes from transmission, but it also goes to machine learning techniques, to cognitive science. Everything that puts the consumer in focus.

TVT:Can you elaborate a bit on how you will leverage these various areas, such as machine learning and cognitive science, to come up with something that achieves what you envision for the consumer?

CGT: We are trying to make the entertainment experience for consumers unique, easier—because we have more and more content to offer them, and at times that can be overwhelming to find what you like—and then mostly we need to listen to them.

What do they like? How do they consume content? And all of the different types of experiences they are looking for. That can go from the current types of content to augmented reality or many different things.

TVT:You brought up unique experiences. Given growing bandwidth availability and other technical advancements do you foresee someday being able to personalize the entertainment experience for individual viewers?

CGT: The future could be much more of a personalized experience. I think there is no doubt about it. We want to better understand the people we serve. We are all very different. So that is not easy. As you said, it has challenges. How are we going to be able to bring all of that content to them? But that is part of the challenge and why we have many years ahead.

TVT:At Sky, where you are managing director, Content Technology and Innovation, one of your responsibilities is the transformation of the existing content supply chain. Can you tell me what your highest priorities are for this effort and why?

CGT: The content supply chain in a media company is the heart of everything. We care about content from acquisition up to delivery for all the processing and enrichment that it goes through, I think it is very important when we look at the future to eventually challenge the established workflows, think about what we could do differently and for that really rely on the new technologies.

I am talking about using the cloud, for example, for everything to scale and for flexibility. I am talking about machine deep learning and all the areas of computer science to assist the editors and the creatives to be more efficient and to make the process more robust.

So, I think that there are plenty of opportunities to introduce new technologies in workflows that have been there for many, many years that sustain the industry.

TVT:How would you characterize where women are today on the technical side of the motion picture and television industry?

CGT: I have seen a major shift during my career. I think right now we are at a moment when the value of diversity is fully recognized, and I think that will encourage many women to step up and prove their value while being true to themselves.

I think in a few years we will see a major change in women taking on more leadership roles and being more visible and really proving that you can think from a different angle and that also brings value.

TVT:What should the Media & Entertainment industry in general—and organizations like SMPTE specifically—be doing to encourage more young women to consider technical careers in TV and motion pictures?

CGT: I think that for many years we have failed to communicate in terms that are attractive to the next generation. If you look at them, it’s all about content. They create content. They consume content all around us. That’s the same thing we do. So why aren’t we connecting?

I think that we need to find ways to communicate that are appealing. Maybe you are doing a YouTube channel, and maybe I am broadcasting sports. But are we that different? Aren’t we looking at creating experiences for people, and why is that not the common future?

So, I think we should approach the young generation, first on their terms, and try to listen because they are the future of consumers, too. But the foundations are the same. When I think of media and entertainment, it’s for me something that the next generation should embrace.

TVT:I have often thought that young people with an interest in technology think first, maybe solely, about careers with companies like Google, Facebook, Apple, etc., and maybe our industry is yesterday’s news in their minds. What are your thoughts about that?

CGT: Come on. It’s all about images and content. As I said, you can create your YouTube channel, or you can start broadcasting. But it’s all about how we transmit images and ultimately experiences. And I think we can find common ground that motivates us all.

I think we have talked for too long about our industry being only about engineering. But what it takes to get a film out there is much more than engineering. It’s creative. It’s many different things. Again, I think we should communicate about that more and more.

TVT:Specifically related to young women, what things could an organization like SMPTE be doing to attract young women to the technical ranks of the motion picture and TV industry?

CGT: Definitely we should not show pictures of our workflows. I talked to you about the value of the consumer experience. So, maybe the way to attract women is to talk much more about the impact of what we do—about the emotions we create when our images get out, like on the night of the Super Bowl. How many emotions there are among the followers of sports.

Or, when we get a new movie at the cinema. You should look at the faces of the kids. I would put more emphasis on the impact of the images that we carry. Let’s talk about news for example. We should think about how to fight fake news and bring good content to the people.

Let’s think more about that, and then in the many different areas—whether in science or art—that are required to do that.

TVT:Would you like to add anything else?

CGT: It’s an incredible period to be alive. I would like to thank all my peers in this community from who I have learned a lot and enjoyed every single moment.

WASHINGTON—A hearing on C-band spectrum, titled “Repurposing the C-Band to Benefit All Americans,” has been scheduled by the House’s Energy & Committee and its Communications & Technology Subcommittee for Tuesday, Oct. 29, at 10 a.m.

The use of the C-band spectrum in the 3.7-4.2 GHz band is currently used by broadcasters and satellite operators, but is being considered for possible use by 5G.

“The FCC must repurpose the C-band in a manner that promotes competition, spurs the 5G revolution and yields revenue for important priorities here at home,” said Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J), Energy & Commerce Committee chairman, and Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.), chairman of the Communications & Technology Subcommittee, in a joint statement. “There may be a need for legislation to reduce uncertainty and benefit Americans.

“What we don’t want is the Federal Communications Commission to become mired in litigation that slows 5G deployment. We must ensure the American people benefit from this process, and we look forward to discussing these important issues at the hearing next week.”

Information regarding the hearing, including a livestream, will be available on the Energy & Commerce Committee website.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – June 19, 2019 – TVU Networks, the global technology and innovation leader in live IP solutions, today announced its partnership with Stringr, the premium video marketplace for custom, high-quality, video content. Stringr’s network of professional and amateur videographers is now available through the TVU Global Grid, the Cloud platform for content owners to contribute and pull video, enabling assets to be shared and sold on a global scale. The relationship leverages Stringr’s robust network of videographers and the established global presence of the TVU Grid distribution platform.

TVU Grid is an IP-based switching, routing and distribution system. With TVU Grid, stations can route live video streams over IP networks to one or more Grid-enabled news stations anywhere in the world with sub-second latency. Using its TVU Global Grid platform, users can exchange, share, and sell video content. Users can view public video sources that are available around the world, and request to take the stream and make it available for their own viewing audience. For a demo of TVU Grid, watch here.

Stringr allows users to access its content library and request custom footage from over 90,000 videographers around the world. In addition, broadcasters, publishers and brands in the U.S. and U.K. can access Stringr’s livestreaming function, which launched earlier this year. Users will now be able to put out requests through TVU Grid, and as a videographer in Stringr’s network begins sharing live footage, it will be transmitted directly to TVU Grid.

“The TVU Grid is used by thousands of newsrooms around the world,” said Brian McNeill, COO and Co-Founder of Stringr. “Integrating Stringr will give TVU users all the benefits of our platform, without having to flip between the two, therefore saving time, cutting unnecessary costs and maintaining content quality.”

The Stringr/TVU Grid workflow is seamless. A joint customer requests video from Stringr. When one of Stringr’s 90,000+ videographers goes live with video matching the request, the feed is sent through Stringr, straight into TVU Grid. From there, the joint customer can take the feed just as they would for any other TVU content.

“By incorporating Stringr’s network through TVU Grid, our customers have the best of both worlds – high-quality, low latency live video distributed through TVU Grid with the extensive Stringr videographer marketplace,” said TVU Networks’ CEO Paul Shen. “The combination enables our customers to deliver breaking news faster than ever before and opens up monetization opportunities for their own content. It makes the live production process much simpler with a streamlined workflow while providing greater flexibility and more options for dynamic content.”

A mutual customer brought the two companies in touch with one another, and the opportunity to partner grew from that initial connection. Both TVU Networks and Stringr executives saw the value in a solution combining TVU Grid’s access to global live coverage with Stringr’s ability to source live footage. “The combination of these two products allows our partners to get more live coverage, quickly, cost effectively, and within the same workflow they’ve always used,” added McNeill.

TVU Networks and Stringr are currently working with a major cable network and plan to expand to other partners shortly.

WAYNE, NJ (June 17, 2019) – JVC Professional Video, a division of JVCKENWOOD USA Corporation, today announced WFIE, the NBC affiliate in Evansville, Ind. (DMA #103), is using its ProHD Studio 4000S live sports production and streaming studio to produce breaking news and local sports coverage for the web. Owned by Gray Television, the station originally purchased the system last summer in time for high school football season.

“We had been considering the idea of streaming live high school sports on our website, and JVC’s studio-in-a-box solution seemed like an affordable way to consolidate the equipment needed for multi-camera productions,” explained Jason Gravens, news operation manager for WFIE. ”The 4000S gives you the basics of everything you need to make a ballgame happen.”

Rack mounted into one of the station’s live trucks, the system anchored three-camera productions for five high school football games and two-camera productions for three high school basketball games. “If you’re a sports fan, you want to see replays – without it, the production is missing a key element,” Gravens added. “The built-in replay feature in the 4000S is fantastic. Just having it included in the unit itself is great.”

Although only available to streaming audiences, at times WFIE had about 1,000 people watching the games. Following its successful sports coverage, the station decided to use the 4000S to produce breaking news updates for the WFIE website and other social media platforms.

An old conference room at the station was converted into a small studio, with the 4000S and an audio mixer positioned on a small table. Beth Sweeney, WFIE evening anchor, has been trained to be a one-man band for the productions, operating the 4000S and audio mixer while reporting live news updates for the WFIE website and other social media platforms.

One of the station’s older ENG cameras is mounted on a tripod, and a mic is positioned above Sweeney on a C-stand. The small studio also includes a basic three-point lighting system, plus an extra piece of WFIE’s current news set mounted to the wall as a backdrop.

When the station wants to stream an update, the equipment is turned on and still images or graphics are loaded into the 4000S using a flash drive. The 4000S has a built-in CG, but WFIE imports its own station graphics. Sweeney makes sure the mic is off and puts a slate on the screen. When she is ready, Sweeney opens the mic, switches to the camera, and begins the webcast. Once the update is complete, she returns to the slate, kills the mic, and ends the stream.

While the sports directors tend to use the touchscreen for switching, Sweeney prefers the keyboard and mouse. Gravens said the control flexibility is a big positive, because the 4000S operator can use whatever interface works for them. He also said the built-in multi-view was helpful in training Sweeney how to use the system. “In fact, the whole system is very user friendly for someone who’s not necessarily a trained TD,” he added.

Earlier this year, JVC introduced the CONNECTED CAM Studio 6000S, a six-input model that supports NDI® and SRT streaming protocols. Both the 4000S and 6000S offer automated multi-channel instant replay and slo-mo, as well as an integrated sports CG for scores and timers. Other features include an integrated audio mixer, four layers of DSK, production switcher with automated switching mode and choice of transitions, and full PTZ control for the JVC KY-PZ100 robotic PTZ production camera.

ABOUT JVC PROFESSIONAL VIDEO
Headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey, JVC Professional Video is a division of JVCKENWOOD USA Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of JVCKENWOOD Corporation. The company is a leading manufacturer and distributor of broadcast and professional video equipment, as well as D-ILA front projection systems. For more information, visit JVC’s website at http://pro.jvc.com or call (800) 582‑5825.

TV18 Broadcast Ltd., one of India’s most popular television broadcasting networks, has signed a multi-year lease agreement for more than a hundred units of LiveU’s flagship LU600 HEVC solution. The units are already stationed in various locations in over 20 Indian states to support TV18’s entire network of channels, including CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz, CNBC Bazaar, CNN-News18, News18 India, New18 UP/Uttarakhand, New18 Bihar/Jharkhand, News18 Bangla, News18 Odia, News18 MP/Chhattisgarh, News18 Rajasthan, News18 Punjab/Haryana/HP, News18 Gujarati, News18 Assam/NE, News18 Kannada, News18 Tamilnadu, News18 Kerala, News18 Urdu and News18 Lokmat.

The TV18 group chose the reliability and stability of LiveU’s IP bonding technology to stay ahead in its newsgathering operations, upgrading their entire fleet of portable backpack solutions to HEVC. The deal was overseen by LiveU’s local partner, Lamhas, which provides 24/7 service and support throughout India.

Mr. S. Venkatraman, VP of Teleport and Newsgathering of TV18 said, “We operate the biggest news network in the country and have robust newsgathering systems. We have been using LiveU units for field newsgathering for the last six years. Exploring and identifying innovative solutions for capturing and transmission live video feeds have always been our focus. With HEVC being the industry standard for video compression, the transition from H.264 to H.265 was a logical step, coupled with the reliability offered by LiveU’s hardware-based encoding, even in low bandwidth regions. Having the latest technology at our disposal will give us an edge in the newsgathering process as well benefit us in the long run. We deployed LU600 units in the recently concluded General Election coverage in India and were satisfied with the field performance.”

“TV18 continuously works on network synergy to enhance our broadcast and digital operations across the country. Our collaboration with CNN provides us with the edge in obtaining visuals of international stories at the earliest possible time. We are actively working with LiveU’s Matrix platform for the sharing of live visuals between our broadcast centres,” continued Venkatraman. “We will be working closely with LiveU in our expansion process.”

Mr. Rajesh Sharma, VP of Technology and News Operations of TV18, added, “Support from partners and service providers is very critical to us while we manage highly intensive news operations. The size of our network, and our 24/7 newsgathering operations across the country, calls for a very proactive support system. We are satisfied with the relations and responses from M/S Lamhas and LiveU. We look forward to a long-term cooperation and business association with LiveU.”

“TV18 is one of our most esteemed customers and we were committed to ensure that all their stations were equipped with the latest cutting-edge technology. With over 100 units deployed across 20 states, this is a huge project. We believe that only LiveU and Lamhas are equipped to provide the resources and manpower needed to support its full implementation. We look forward to our continued success together,” said Mr. Ranjit Bhatti, Director of South Asia, LiveU Ltd.

Photo caption: (from L to R) Mr. S. Venkatraman, VP of Teleport & Newsgathering, TV18 with Mr. Ranjit Bhatti, Director at LiveU - South Asia

New Zealand’s leading free to air broadcaster, TVNZ, is upgrading its fleet of LiveU portable transmission units to LiveU’s LU300 HEVC and LU600 HEVC, ensuring the highest-quality live video performance. The deal has been overseen by LiveU’s long-term partner in the region, Pacific Live Media, which provides ongoing service and support.

The NZ broadcaster has been using LiveU since 2015 with multiple units deployed around the country as well as in New York, London and Sydney. The units have been used for all major news and sports events, including royal and state visits, covering political campaigns and elections, as well as the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Sydney, Rio Summer Games in 2016, and the recent yellow vest protests in France. The upgrades come in time for this September’s Rugby World Cup in Japan where LiveU will be used to cover all the action around the games and even serve as disaster recovery backups for the fiber transmission of the games themselves. TVNZ started looking at cellular bonded options at the 2012 Summer Games in London.  

Andrew Fernie, General Manager of Operations, News and Current Affairs for TVNZ, explained, “We had been interested in the technology for some time, but it really came to a head before the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England. After testing the equipment, we were impressed by LiveU’s LU200 small-form factor, ease of use and video quality and started spreading the units across the country. The catalyst for the major growth in pushing these units out were the changes we made to the newsgathering and news operations teams across the entire country. In 2017, we introduced a centralized editing model, taking all the contribution servers and combining them into a main content and production server in our main newsroom in Auckland. This meant that all the content could be streamed or sent via store and forward into the main server; we could then get all the content out to our linear and digital channels almost immediately. We were able to create a team of video journalists who could operate from the remotest regions using a small camera and a LiveU unit.”

Fernie continued, “LiveU has completely changed our business. enabling us to cover every story quickly and cost-efficiently with no need for SNG trucks. We can truly go anywhere with this system, even broadcasting live from the remotest Pacific islands using LiveU as the encoder combined with a Satellite IP system. In terms of future big events, TVNZ has secured the exclusive rights to broadcast the next America's Cup in 2021 and we’re already planning our LiveU deployment.”

Yaal Eshel, LiveU’s VP Sales, said, “This is an excellent example how TVNZ has transformed live newsgathering and sports coverage using small portable LiveU units for live streaming and advanced store and forward capabilities. We’re delighted that TVNZ is rolling out our latest HEVC technology and look forward to continuing our long relationship.”

LiveU is presenting its full range of live IP video uplink services and streaming solutions at BroadcastAsia2019, Suntec Singapore, 18-20 June 2019 (Stand 6D2-01).

WASHINGTON—For broadcasters, closed captioning has moved beyond being an FCC requirement checkbox. As the number of viewing devices and screens multiply exponentially, closed captioning has evolved into a service both hearing and hearing-impaired viewers take for granted to help them beyond just understanding the spoken word.

Citing a recent study that noted that 80% of viewers who use captioning are not hearing impaired, Suzy Rosen Singleton, chief of the CGB Disability Rights Office for the FCC, noted that “captioning really has become ubiquitous and is a huge benefit for the general population.”

Singleton made her comments during an FCC forum on best practices for closed captioning for news, what the commission terms “electronic news techniques,” a methodology for converting prompter text to captions. The forum included representatives from the FCC, broadcasters and the deaf and hearing impaired community that debated the latest developments and challenges in light of the commission’s release of its best practices document in 2015. That document outlined four main tenets for improving ENT:

• Captions must be accurate and reflect the dialogue and other sounds appearing on the screen;
• Captions must be sync-ed as much as possible to the dialogue that is being spoken;
• Captioning must run the full length of the program and that captioning must end before commercials or the next program begins, and
• Placement of captions on the screen must be appropriate and not block other visual information.

Compared to scripted programming, where captioning can be done in advance, the issue of captioning live news in real time presents its own set of challenges, which were first outlined by the FCC more than 20 years ago. In 1998, the FCC banned the four major broadcast networks and their affiliates in the top 25 markets from using ENT for captioning and that ban remains in place.

For stations outside the top 25, the FCC allows the use of ENT for captioning, but in 2014, additional requirements were added including defining the type of programming that could use ENT—in-studio produced news, sports, weather and entertainment programming. For breaking news where live real-time captioning may not be immediately available, stations must provide news crawls and other textual information to viewers. Stations are also required to provide staff training and appoint an ENT coordinator in charge of compliance.

CONSTANTLY UPDATING

At the forum, FCC officials noted that further improvements to ENT best practices were needed since they were released in 2015, including more accurate scripting for weather, better understanding of local obligations toward emergency information, as well as training that provides a consistent approach across all stations, as well as public information efforts.

R. Lantz Croft, news operations manager, WBRC-TV in Birmingham, Ala., noted the effect that social media has had on improving ENT.

“Because of digital properties and social media, we are constantly updating our material and content throughout the day, so the material that is moving for closed captioning more closely matches the conversation that is happening over traditional audio,” he said.

Using ENT for closed captioning has also resulted in less ad libbing/off the cuff remarks among news, weather and sports anchors, according to Brett Jenkins, EVP/CTO for Nexstar Media Group.

“Each segment has a script attached,” he said. “Before ENT was in practice, there used to be more ad libbing. The reality is that those sections are not as ad libbed as they use to be because we now require the meteorologists and sportscasters to do more scripting of their segment in advance.”

When it comes to doing real-time captioning for live breaking events, Jenkins noted that some things haven’t changed, however.

“We simply pick up the phone and go to live captioning, there is no other way to do it,” he said.

Digital technology that allows reporters to use mobile devices and tablets to connect to prompting systems has had a significant impact on ENT, according to Kelly Williams, senior director of Engineering and Technology Policy for NAB.

“I’ve seen a real significant change in the workflow of how news has happened and how the workflow of news is produced,” Williams said, adding that he thinks that behavior is still an issue.

“When monitoring compliance, it’s a shared responsibility through the entire newsroom staff,” he said. “The line producer needs to make sure that when they go upstairs to put their show on television, that complete scripting is just as important as the video.”

Jenkins said Nexstar runs periodic audits to monitor compliance.

“We do all the things before and during production to try to make sure we get it right,” he said. “We go through training and we have producers and even news directors checking scripts and approving them and making sure stories don’t run if they don’t have a script,” he said.

AUTOMATED CAPTIONING: READY FOR PRIMETIME?

Although more vendors are now offering AI-enabled voice recognition software for live captioning (also known as automated speech recognition, ASR), the consensus at the forum was that the technology is still not ready for primetime.

“At NAB, we saw vendors that are getting really close to having software that can do voice recognition and turn that into a script,” Jenkins said. “But the mistakes are still there and the software is not at a point now that it is going to be able to replace how we are doing it.”

Advocates for the hearing impaired community noted the importance of public outreach as well as a more deliberate approach when using automated technology for captioning. Claude Stout, executive director, Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Inc., noted a “great hue and cry” over some stations’ use of ASR for live news captioning recently.

“We did have some deaf people who spoke up loudly on social media, who were furious that there were some local news, weather and sports programs that were starting to use automated speech recognition-generated captions,” he said, adding that “Deaf people recognize when they see bad captions.”

Christian Vogler, director, Technology Access Program, Gallaudet University, talked about a new project the D.C.-based university—which primarily serves the deaf community—is conducting to evaluate the effectiveness of closed captioning. The five-year research project, funded by the National Institute on Disability and Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research, started in October 2018 and focuses on captioning quality metrics,

“It is my goal to investigate in great detail how people with hearing loss perceive and understand closed captioning, and how they perceive and understand the programming, and how that relates to coming up with some potential objective closed captioning quality metrics,” he said. “Basically, the project's goal is to determine how to measure those four of the FCC's captioning quality categories—synchronicity, accuracy, completeness and placement.”

Along with close monitoring among station staff, the general consensus is that stations could do a better job communicating about captioning to their viewers.

“We want to see local TV stations do more outreach and more education with the community,” Stout said. “Not just the deaf and hard of hearing community, but the hearing community, because many of them are using captions in bars, restaurants, public places, and there are many people for whom english is a second language.”

Petaluma, Calif. — Point Source Audio (PSA) announced that it has appointed China’s EAD and South Korea’s Capstone Pro to be distribution partners for its SERIES8 and EMBRACE™ microphones as well as its CM-i series of patented in-ear headsets. The appointments come on the back of an expansion effort in response to increased sales and product awareness outside of the USA for Point Source Audio. These partnerships further expand the company’s worldwide reach, which now includes international partners in the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan Italy, Norway, Finland and France, among others.

“We’re excited to be working with both Capstone Pro and EAD,” said James Lamb, President of Point Source Audio. “The creative community in these regions is massive and our products fit their needs. Our goal is to continuously improve our customers’ experience around the world in every aspect and we are confident that our new partners will help achieve that.”

Integral to achieving this growth trajectory in the Asia Pacific region is also the appointment of AS Audio APAC Pte. Ltd. as the manufacturer’s representative in the territory. Based in Singapore, the company, led by Alex Schloesser, will support the Asia Pacific business and develop its distribution network. AS Audio will also handle all technical and sales support for Point Source Audio throughout the APAC region.

Schloesser comments, “Developing and growing the PSA business is a rewarding and enjoyable task. Wherever we take the products, they shine and stand their ground with the competition. I very much look forward to be taking PSA into APAC.”

Point Source Audio is a manufacturer of specialty sub-miniature body-worn style microphones and patented lavalier mounting systems specifically designed for theatre applications. The company creates value-added solutions through intelligent designs, driven by market demand — examples include their IP 57 rated waterproof models and unique headsets which retain the position of the microphone capsule regardless of performer activity.

About EAD
Established in 1997, Guangzhou Donghui Digital Technology Development Co, Ltd is a professional audio and video integrator and distribution company. The company is headquartered in Hong Kong with branches in Guangzhou and Beijing. For more information, visit their website at www.ead.cn.

About Capstone Pro
CAPSTONE PRO, led by founders Kevin Kim and Jesse Park, both veterans of the professional audio industry, was established in 2018. The company distributes pro audio brands including Point Source Audio throughout Korea. For more information visit their website at www.capstonepro.co.kr.

About Point Source Audio
Point Source Audio (@PSA_audio) manufactures and distributes worldwide their SERIES8, EMBRACE, and CONFIDENCE collection of miniature microphones—a unique line of headset, earworn and earmounted microphones known for their robust bendable boom and waterproof features. The company also holds two patents for the EMBRACE concealable microphone as well as the patent for the world’s first modular in-ear comms headset that is supporting the hearing health for audio, lighting and camera techs using headsets everywhere from sports to space. Founded in 2004, Point Source Audio is headquartered in Petaluma, Calif. For more information call (415) 226-1122 or visit www.point-sourceaudio.com. Follow the company on Twitter at www.twitter.com/PSA_audio.

Rome, Italy (March 7, 2019) –Cartoni, the Italian leader in premium camera supports for the broadcast, film and pro-video industries, is proud to celebrate the SDS Tripod, with a global contest inviting users from around the world to share how they use their Cartoni system.

The contest coincides with the start of NAB 2019 on April 8, 2019.

“Camera operators all over the world have fallen in love with our patented SDS Tripod technology, which gives them the speed they need to capture incredible shots,” explains Elisabetta Cartoni, President and CEO of Cartoni.

Designed for camera operators on-the-go, the SDS Tripods are a set of patented tripod legs that allow camera operators to set up and fold their tripod in an instant. Available in 75 and 100mm, the SDS Tripod legs have a payload capacity of up to 60kgs (132 lbs). The patented SDS Tripod is equipped with a single lock that secures all stages and allows all the legs to be deployed simultaneously for extremely fast set up. The SDS Tripod features a patented dual-stage spreader which can be deployed for extremely high or low shots (50 mm-155 mm or 19.7 in.-71 in.) while maintaining torsional rigidity and stability no matter the payload. Using an innovative ring system, camera operators simply pull the ring and both the 3 legs and spreader close in a single motion! The SDS Tripod sets up & folds in an instant! Moving locations is now easy and quick. 

"I found myself using the SDS tripod mainly for wildlife documentaries. In shooting a documentary, I have to work in total silence and the SDS has been an excellent partner. It’s very fast. With one movement, I can lower or raise both stages. It’s extremely silent as all of the parts slide in a perfect fluid movement. The spreader has an amazing extension and there is a very handy cord that you can pull to close the legs for fast, easy transport,” says Italian Cinematographer Paolo Sodi. 

From April 8 – June 8, 2019, Cartoni users are invited to submit in-use pictures or a short video showcasing how Cartoni heads & tripods supports their passion. Judges will select five finalists and feature the photos and videos across social media and invite the public to vote on the top three winners. Winners will receive a SDS Tripod system with FOCUS fluid head and have the opportunity to test and get a first look at upcoming Cartoni product launches.

For full contest terms and conditions, please visit https://inside.cartoni.com/sds-tripod/. For more information on the SDS Tripod, join Cartoni at NAB 2019, Booth C9020 (Central Hall). Register for free by using code LV2933.

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BRISTOL, England—Traditional broadcast’s days as king could be numbered. Projections in viewing hours per day by Rethink Technology Research’s Rethink TV service indicates that SVOD viewing is likely to match that of traditional broadcast across the globe by 2023.

In its report, “The Rise in SVOD Viewing to Swamp Traditional TV by 2023,” Rethink TV sees the 478 million subscribers of SVOD today to grow to 743 million over the next four years. It projects that China will have the most SVOD subscribers, but that North America will continue to drive the largest dollar volume. That group is expected to watch between 2-3 billion hours of ad free SVOD per day, while traditional ad-based TV will decline to similar numbers by that point.

The U.S. market, which combines paid SVOD and vMVPD services, is projected to grow from 146.5 million to 236.6 million during that time frame. Europe and Asia will be about even in SVOD revenue, but with prices in Europe much higher as Asia’s market features a large number of Advertising VOD streamers.

Chief among the subscribers in this projection is Netflix, which with an estimated 194 million SVOD subscribers globally by 2023 would make up 26 percent of total global subscribers. In the U.S., Netflix currently makes up 44 percent of subscriptions but is only expected to be 31 percent of increased U.S. subscription levels by 2023 as new streaming services like WarnerMedia and Disney+ are launched.

Netflix, Amazon and other U.S. services have a presence in Europe, but other local broadcasters and pure play SVOD players like Maxdome, Sky, Zatto and Rakuten TV will result in a more spread out distribution of users.

Elsewhere, China’s projected growth of 245 million subscribers will make up 72 percent of the Asia Pacific region, though average monthly spending for streaming will be just $2-$3. Latin America’s growth, meanwhile, is expected to be driven by one of either Netflix, America Movil’s Claro TV and Televisa’s Blim.

WASHINGTON—With the goal of bringing the cinematic community together to encourage collaboration and innovation, the NAB Show will host its inaugural Birds of a Feather (BoF) education and networking programming during this year’s convention.

BoF is designed as a series of eight themed, hosted, non-commercial sessions that bring together subject matter experts, creatives, technologists and production crews for the movie and TV communities to examine mutual topics of interest through interactive and conversational presentations.

Interested organizations or individuals can submit an application to host a BoF meeting on a topic of their choosing, subject to the overall program guidelines.The session spots are limited and will be awarded based on submission date, relevance and with an eye toward a balanced program. Completed applications are due by Feb. 28.

The BoF program will take place April 8 and 9, featuring four one-hour sessions each day. The program is free to attend for NAB Show registrants.

To register for the NAB Show, visit www.nabshow.com.

RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J.—The latest models of TVs from Samsung are now available, including the company’s QLED 4K and 8K lines. Samsung describes the 2019 models as its largest screen size offering ever with models that offer TVs from 43 inches to 98 inches.

The range of offerings for Samsung’s QLED 4K and 8K TVs are designed to meet the specific needs of any household, per the company’s press release. The QLED 4K line features four models—Q60, Q70, Q80 and Q90, available in sizes from 43-82 inches—while the Q900 represents Samsung’s 8K offering and features five available sizes from 65-98 inches.

Among the special features of these latest offerings is the Ultra Viewing Angle technology available in the Q80 and Q90 models. Ultra Viewing Angle restructures the TV’s panels so the backlight passes through the panel with lights evenly on the screen with the goal of reducing glare and enhancing color. The Q80 and Q90, as well as the Q70, also offer Direct Full Array technology featuring a panel of concentrated zones of LEDs that automatically adjust to provide deeper blacks and purer whites.

All of the QLED 4K models and the Q900 8K model TVs feature proprietary Quantum Processors that can upscale lower resolution content to match either 4K or 8K pictures, as well as optimizing sound quality based on the content on the screen. The Quantum Processor 8K, specifically, is also able to boost the sound experience by tailoring audio settings to a room’s layout, per Samsung.

The new models will also provide updated Smart TV capabilities primarily based on discovering and watching content. An improved AI algorithm for the Universal Guide takes a user’s subscription services, favorite content and TV viewing habits to establish customized viewing recommendations. Users can also use the New Bixby feature on the 2019 models and are expected to soon be able to control their TVs via voice controls with an Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant device.

Samsung’s OneRemote now has Far Field Voice capability so customers can control their TV even when they are away from their remote.

Additional features for the QLED models include offering iTunes movies and TV shows and Apple AirPlay 2 support; Real Game Enhancer for improved gaming experience; and a greater variety of artistic options for the TV’s ambient mode.

Samsung also unveiled updates to its Frame and Serif lifestyle TVs. The new models provide QLED picture quality in addition to new Smart features.

For a full breakdown of Samsung’s 2019 QLED TV lineup, visit samsung.com.

HOLLYWOOD—A news set is where the foundation is laid for all the stories reported to the public and serves as the stage for those reporting them. Because news reporters are the very people we hear from and connect with while consuming the headlines, it is important that they are presented in a flattering way.

News reporting in a studio is all about even, soft light—or least it has been traditionally. Part of the sophistication in lighting is the specific shape but despite the goal of news being about delivering dramatic stories, it doesn’t light that way for talking heads. Instead, the quality of light on people reporting in the studio is soft and the ratio is pretty even. We aren’t talking 1:1 here—you definitely want some shape and falloff—but we aren’t lighting for drama in the newsroom itself. The attention is on the material.

THE SOFT TOUCH

Every unit is up on a grid if you are in the studio for news. Each unit should be programmable from the ground as well, to allow easy control for things such as dimming, color balancing and striking. Sets are usually made up of LEDs but some still have fluorescent units lining their grids. Either way, you want to be using softboxes or soft panels. These are units that already have diffusion on them.

Depending on how much punch you have, you may be able to add a softbox on top of that to double-break the light for a really nice quality on the face. A great example that gives you punch and softness is the ARRI Skypanel. These or a variety of units from Litepanels, Rotolight, Fluotec and more, serve as great tools for broadcast. With these, you can avoid having to build a whole other rig comprised of separate shaping and softening tools in front of the light.

For a single reporter or a desk of two, ideally you have a single, soft key light that catches the eyes. If they face each other, you want to implement a technique referred to as “crosskeying.” This means that two key lights are up across from each talent and not only key one person but can also simultaneously backlight the other.

Extending from around the key light in both directions, are fill lights. Here is where you dial in how even or dramatic you want the face of the talent. Fill light will determine how much contrast and shadow detail you have.

You can also utilize several soft top lights that will bring up the ambience and serve as fill. In fact, it’s very popular and elegant to have large soft units directly above and it’s a great place to start. Having bigger sources will also help avoid specific reflections in glass tables and other set pieces. Instead, you can create large soft reflections that create nice highlights and hide sources.

Again, you don’t want to draw any attention to the lighting. As long as the talent looks great—and remember, perfectly even light is ugly—then you’re in a good place. Take away some fill light so they have some depth to them and throw in a backlight from up and behind to separate them from the background.

Lastly, you can also have background lights between the talent and background to light the backdrop behind the talent. This is optional and gives you control when it comes to bringing up exposure on particular set pieces. This is the place to implement a subtle use of color too. If you have some kind of LED wall or screen behind the talent, then that serves as its own set light and shouldn’t need any extra punch.

DETAILS MATTER

Having things like screens or practical LEDs incorporated into the set design can really add to the look of the studio. The studio should be thought of as the “home base” of a network and the details matter. When you have lights and screens in the set itself, it naturally adds highlights to the image. In a space where talent is lit very softly, this does wonders. However, it is important to ensure these don’t draw the viewers’ eyes and feel only slightly more intense than any key or backlight. You want to keep the attention on the talent at all times.

News broadcast has, with many other forms of television, evolved to a higher level of sophistication in terms of look. With soft, strategically placed units, this is easily achieved. It used to be a world of hard, super even light, which we connect to older times in television. Now we have the ability to go very soft while still shaping and controlling our shadows and highlights. Not only that, but we’re able to do so with fewer tools because of how quickly our lighting technology has advanced over time.

Julia Swain is a cinematographer based in California.

It works in gaming, it works in retail. Heck, it even works when it comes to M&Ms.

Study after study proves that a major key to success in 2018 is customization.

Yet for one European news media service, an inflexible legacy distribution system was blocking the way to such customization.

That was the reality that Euronews was facing. A pan-European news organization with multiculturalism at the heart of its DNA, Euronews was founded nearly 25 years ago by 10 European public broadcasters looking to cover world news from a European perspective in multiple languages 24/7. But this network — seen as groundbreaking when it launched in 1993 — was being held back by an inability to adapt programming to the specific needs of individual countries.

So this pioneering broadcaster began searching for an answer to two key questions.

•How does a multilingual broadcaster better serve a segmented audience in the wildly diverse digital environment of 2018?

•How does one better reach an audience while juggling complex multilingual content production on one hand and managing intricate multiplatform distribution on the other?

In other words, how do you reach an Italian teenager surfing on her mobile phone while simultaneously connecting with a 70-year-old multilingual professor looking for over-the-air breaking news in Ukrainian?

Connecting with Audience via Customization

“We have been operating a ‘one size fits all’ policy since launch because that was the limit of the software we were using,” said Duncan Hooper, digital editor in chief for Euronews. “We found that we could no longer take our brand or product further so we [made a change] to help us break out of those limits and to create a specific identity for each channel with content customized for each audience.”

For Euronews, now the continent’s biggest news channel, that change came in the form of a new broadcast infrastructure with customization at its center.

The result: weeks after the launch, Euronews was already producing more than double the amount of television content that it did under its legacy infrastructure. Additionally, by synchronizing the production of content between its television and digital platforms, Euronews is now producing 20% more content for their digital channels and managed to grow traffic to their website by 66% since the beginning of 2018.

For Euronews, the answer came in the form of a new production and distribution platform that allowed it to transition from a single multi-language channel to 12 separate cross-platform channels that can now be individually tailored to local audiences.

After its installation in fall 2017, Euronews is now generating adapted content with enhanced graphics across TV, social media and the web. The broadcaster is able to set up a separate identity for each of its language channels and deliver pictures and graphics in different languages for audiences in 165 countries.

Journalists and other editorial and creative personnel have more individual control over their content. Under the new system, journalists can now access any video, graphic or script created by another reporter and directly customize that content on the platform. Collaboration between departments is proving to be seamless.

“Journalists can collaborate better, share content seamlessly, and transform an original story with minimal effort to adapt it for each language and audience,” said Francois Schmitt, Euronews COO.

And dependency on technicians is reduced. Using this new system, Euronews can now store all assets in a single, unified environment, which allows for a smooth, automated flow of content from ingest to output.

Now, the 500 users that work at Euronews offices in Athens, Brussels, Budapest and Lyon are connected and collaborating on a single platform. The solution — called Dalet Unified News Operations — handles production, orchestration and delivery of stories in a way that was not possible for Euronews a year ago.

Euronews is now able to adapt its output to the needs of the consumers it serves, “empowering the uniqueness of our multiculturalism,” said Michael Peters, CEO of Euronews. The new production platform is transforming Euronews into a robust, agile and innovative organization, he said.

“[We are becoming] the first glocal news brand by reinventing our approach to broadcast journalism from production to distribution,” he said.

Detractors said Euronews’ multiplex approach to news coverage lacked the ability to adapt programming to the specific needs of individual countries. That’s no longer the case. Now, Euronews is producing double the amount of television content that it did under its outdated infrastructure. By synchronizing the production of content between its TV and digital platforms, Euronews is producing 20 percent more digital platform content than before the adoption of the Unified News Operations solution.

“The most positive thing about the Dalet system for all the journalists has been their empowerment,” Hooper said. “They are no longer reliant on other people to make things happen since they can create content and publish online, on social and on TV. They then have the power to adapt the content to tell the story that they want to tell rather than having to tell the same on each platform regardless of language.”

“[This technology] has enabled us to give more individuality to our storytelling.”

Euronews’ strategic transformation project has been nominated for an Innovation Award at IBC 2018. Lauded as one of the most coveted awards in the media industry, the competition celebrates technical and creative excellence, acknowledging collaboration between organizations like Euronews and Dalet to achieve clever and innovative solutions for real business challenges.

Arnaud Elnecave is vice president of marketing for Dalet. 

Additional Resources

Euronews Customer Story— The world's first "Glocal" Media: a strategic transformation with Dalet

Dalet Unified News Operations Solution — Discover Dalet’s story-centric, integrated news production and delivery solution for TV, radio, web and social

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Pay TV operators serving the Middle East and Asia-Pacific will soon have a new satellite in place to reach subscribers with Monday’s successful early morning launch of SES’ SES-12 satellite aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket.

“More content. More immersive viewing experience. Blazing internet speeds. Reliable cell coverage. All of these dynamic customer requirements can now be met with the successful launch of SES-12, which will provide incremental high performance capacity and offer greater reliability and flexibility to our customers,” said Martin Halliwell, CTO at SES.

[Read: SES, INDEMAND Partner On Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship In 4K On PPV]

The new satellite, designed with six wide beams and 72 high throughput user spot beams, will join SES-8 at 95 degrees east. It will be used for video, fixed data, mobility and government applications. Equipped with a Digital Transparent Processor to improve payload flexibility, SES-12 is one of the largest geostationary satellites SES has ever launched, the company said.

Built by Airbus Defence and Space, SES-12 will replace the SES NSS-6 satellite, joining SES’ network of seven geostationary satellites and 16 MEO satellites across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. Along with SES-8, the new satellite will reach 18 million TV homes once in place and operational.

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ACTON, Mass. — SeaChange has announced its new cFlow solutions portfolio. The company describes it as a comprehensive set of video management and personalization tools for video providers.

“Broadcasters have built their primetime lineups for decades to create a ‘flow’ from one show to another, and between content and ads, to keep audiences watching and returning,” said Shankar Nagarajan, SeaChange VP of product management.

The cFlow portfolio is aimed at enabling OTT video providers to create personalized content flows to improve viewer engagement and unlock the potential of anytime, anywhere multiscreen services, he said.

The new portfolio repositions SeaChange to help its customers navigate the march towards personalization of television and capitalize on this change, Nagarajan added.

The SeaChange cFlow portfolio includes four solution families that can be used together or standalone, including:

• cContent content management: Simplifies the design and management of complex content workflows, provides metadata enrichment needed to match the right content to viewers and scales as subscriber numbers grow;
• cBridge offer, session and transaction management: A set of back-office management capabilities, including offer creation, pricing, packaging, promotion and multiscreen session management;
• cAds ad management: Tools to develop and manage monetization through targeted, personalized advertising across multiple channels and devices; and
• cView viewer experience: Client software that provides a consistent, personalized look, feel and experience across mobile devices, smart TVs, connected TVs and set-top boxes.

SeaChange this year is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and the expertise in management of video and creating engaging viewer experiences acquired over that history is enabling the company to infuse “that experience into every element of cFlow,” said Nagarajan.

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WASHINGTON—About six months after Hurricane Maria made landfall and nearly four months after an initial trip to the islands, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has announced a follow-up trip to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to review recovery efforts of the islands’ communications facilities.

Pai will visit the islands with members of the FCC’s Hurricane Recovery Task Force as part of its efforts to learn from the devastating hurricane season in 2017 and apply those lessons to future disasters, as well as continuing to support ongoing recovery.

[Pai Visits Puerto Rico, Comments on Recovery Effort]

Recovery efforts that have already been made by the Commission since Hurricane Maria have included advancing the territories’ nearly $77 million universal service funding, accelerated the post-incentive auction transition to support broadcasters, granted temporary waivers of Lifeline’s recertification rules, expedited the experimental license for Alphabet’s Project Loon to provider internet access, approved targeted and flexible E-Rate support to restore connectivity in schools and libraries, and granted more than 500 waivers and requests for Special Temporary Authority to re-establish communications in affected areas.

“I look forward to leading a team to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to get a firsthand assessment of the situation on the ground,” said Pai in the FCC’s announcement. “It’s important to learn what has worked well and what could be done better—and to apply those lessons to future storms.”

[FCC Allows Early Repack in Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands] 

Pai will visit Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands from March 7-10.