On Air, a 26-hour global live broadcast will take place on Oct. 16 2025, delivering a continuous stream of original and pre-recorded content managed entirely by university and college students.
The project has been put together by the Global Media and Entertainment Talent Manifesto, with backing from ITV Studios, SMPTE, AWS, Vizrt and Deluxe.
Each participating institution will contribute at least one hour of live programming to the broadcast. Confirmed universities/locations include: Auckland University of Technology (SMPTE), Baltic Film and Media School, Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart (SMPTE), Hong Kong Design Institute (SMPTE), Lycée René Cassin – Biarritz, Medieklyngen – Media Cluster Norway, University of Sao Paulo in partnership with Faculdade Casper Libero, University of Surrey, University of Texas (SMPTE), and York University with Ravensbourne University London as the central hub for master control room, playout control and operations.
The aim is for On Air to give participating students real-world experience, international exposure, and networking opportunities, as well as offering media and entertainment organisations direct access to a diverse pool of future-ready creatives and technologists.
“On Air exemplifies the power of collaboration between education and industry by providing an opportunity to connect with and support the next generation of talent,” said Carrie Wootten, founder of the Global Media and Entertainment Talent Manifesto. “By giving students real-world experience, hands-on learning and visibility among potential future employers, we can help ensure the future of our sector is more innovative, inclusive and sustainable.”
Tim Guilder, head of production technology – ITV Studios at ITV, added: “ITV is committed to helping foster the next generation of talent and we’re proud to be supporting On Air and providing technical support and studio access to this exciting project. The scale of this project will give creatives and technologists more global opportunities to shine.”
The On Air team is looking for a distribution partner and any platform integrators to take the project further. More details about the project are available here: http://mediatalentmanifesto.com/on-air
This article originally appeared on TV Tech sister brand TVBEurope.
