SANTA MONICA, CALIF.: CBS has joined Warner Bros. on creating a new syndie distribution platform, according to ascent Media Group, the company charged with provisioning the system. Ascent said the system will target North American broadcast stations and builds on a platform previously established for Warner Bros. That system, the Global Digital Media Xchange, or “GDMX,” has been in place since 2004.
The new arrangement provides capital investment and technology upgrades for delivering standard- and high-definition programming. The current system requires that the “two streams achieve the same goal,” Ascent folks said.
“Combined with better compression techniques, additional storage capacity and optimized transmission technologies, the new platform hopes to provide many benefits to syndicators and stations at a critical time in the adoption of HD,” Ascent said.
The service footprint will include a guaranteed minimum of 800 stations and encompass the nation’s top 100 domestic markets. It’s expected to launch later this year.
