Migrating to an IT-based broadcast infrastructure

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Mark Errington is CEO of ON-AIR Systems.

Mark Errington sheds light on some of the challenges of migrating to an IT-based infrastructure and how they can be addressed

Most, if not all, broadcasters use IT equipment. Do they use it as part of the broadcast infrastructure though? The answer is most likely yes, even if it's only in the simplest form.

Maybe it's e-mail exchanging thoughts and information, maybe it's spreadsheets with scheduling and billing information or maybe it's state-of-the-art workflow management and playout systems.

Whatever the situation, it's also still possible that not all of the end-to-end processes are IT based, and it may be that equipment hasn't been thought of as IT, because it replaced a process that was traditionally performed by specialised broadcast equipment.

Nowadays, there's truly a convergence of IT, telecoms and broadcast, both in the way of addressing audiences, and in the way of creating the infrastructure to address them. There's talk of tapeless workflows, low-cost disc-based storage, sharing, re-purposing, integration and format standardisation.

What does this mean to a broadcaster that's looking at how to change their existing workflow? Where should you start? What will create the biggest revenue increase or cost saving, and will anything done now have to be re-worked again in the future?

There's no ideal starting place, but there are a couple of basic business rules that apply as much here as with any other project. Taking the first step is often the hardest part, and taking the project in manageable pieces is essential.

The other key determinants in making sure that minimal re-working is required in the future and a truly integrated solution is arrived at are open standards in file formats, data exchange and software. It also helps to work with companies that specialise in key areas, and those that are open to integration with other specialists (rather than trying to be a jack of all trades).

The starting point for migration may be determined by the key project success factors, and measured in increased revenues or in cost savings. To increase revenues you need to increase advertising, whether targeted or linear, increase sales of content, whether wholesale or retail, and increase pull through such as SMS or web sales. To save costs you must be able to do as much or more, with fewer people, lower running costs, and less specialised equipment.

So, to work out where to start you really need to break down the workflow, and decide where you will get the best project return:

1. Content acquisition, creation and re-purposing

2. Storage

3. Schedule creation, reporting and rights management

4. Playout

5. Compliance recording

Content acquisition, creation and re-purposing requires a review of studio and camera equipment, quantity of third party supplied material, and the number of outputs for each piece of material.

In more depth, this also requires a review of quality assurance procedures, file formats (that are needed and can be used now and in the future), the recording of metadata information and the speed of transferring files (compared to the speed of working with tapes, and for network sizing and management). Key decisions at this stage are whether an asset management system is required, or whether this can be added later, and the openness of file format so as not to restrict the editing and playout options.

Storage requires a review of operating systems, edit system sharing, speed of storage and file transfer, and a fit into asset management and playout workflows.

Schedule creation, reporting and rights management, is probably the area where IT is being used. Having this integrated into the asset management and playout system is key, so a review of integration and file exchange and information is critical.

Playout is also an area where IT may well be used, but not appreciated. This is also one of the areas where it's believed that specialised broadcast equipment is required, although with current playout technology, all of the functions can be performed on IT rather than broadcast specific equipment.

A video server is in fact a PC, and even though it replaced the functions of a VTR, it's only a specialised PC, not broadcasting equipment. The playout systems must be capable of handling branding, secondary events, integration to all of the other aspects of workflow, and creating logs of everything that has been broadcast.

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