Sky News Australia Taps Grass Valley for Cloud-First Newsroom Upgrade

Control room
(Image credit: Grass Valley)

MONTREAL—Grass Valley has announced that Australian News Channel (ANC), operator of Sky News Australia, has deployed Grass Valley AMPP to transform its newsroom production operations as part of the move to a new national headquarters.

The deployment replaces a long-standing legacy system with a cloud-based production architecture, enabling more than 250 journalists, editors, and producers to collaborate through browser-based workflows. The platform now supports the delivery of over 1,500 hours of content each week across broadcast and digital platforms.

“This transformation has fundamentally changed how we operate as a newsroom,” said Jesse Hicks, deputy head of operations and innovation, Sky News Australia. “Our teams can access editing tools from anywhere, collaborate in real time, and turn around content faster without compromising quality. It gives us the flexibility needed for modern news production while maintaining the reliability required for a 24/7 environment.”

ANC deployed the AMPP ecosystem, as part of a relocation project replacing an SQ based news production system from Grass Valley’s Quantel lineage. The solution includes Framelight X for browser-based editing, Playout X for cloud playout, and integrated asset management, ingest, and storage services. Journalists can now create and edit content directly in a web browser, removing reliance on physical workstations and accelerating production workflows.

The new workflow also supports fully distributed production, enabling teams to work across the newsroom, field locations, and remote environments. By streamlining processes and reducing manual tasks, ANC is reporting improved efficiency and its employees have been able to spend more time on content creation.

“Undertaking a full newsroom transformation alongside a headquarters relocation is a complex challenge,” said Jon Wilson, CEO, Grass Valley. “ANC took a clear, strategic approach – moving to an integrated software defined model that delivers greater flexibility, scalability, and resilience across its operations. This project reflects our long-standing partnership and a shared commitment to modernizing news operations live production.”

Since going live in November 2025, the platform has delivered continuous 24/7 operation without downtime, demonstrating the reliability of cloud-based production at scale. As an early adopter of AMPP for newsroom workflows, ANC continues to work closely with Grass Valley, providing operational feedback that informs ongoing platform development.

George Winslow is the senior content producer for TV Tech. He has written about the television, media and technology industries for nearly 30 years for such publications as Broadcasting & Cable, Multichannel News and TV Tech. Over the years, he has edited a number of magazines, including Multichannel News International and World Screen, and moderated panels at such major industry events as NAB and MIP TV. He has published two books and dozens of encyclopedia articles on such subjects as the media, New York City history and economics.