communicate without boundaries

Enabling news broadcasting from remote locations

May 26, 2014

The world of outside broadcasting has been with us for many years. Intrepid reporters standing in some remote location in a far off land, or sports broadcasters at a foreign stadium, reporting a race or a game as it happens. These things are, more or less, taken for granted and have been for a long time. But what of the technical wizardry that is going on off camera? What actually makes it possible to send back live spoken broadcasts or video images for broadcast on a domestic TV channel?

Broadcasters like CNN or Al Jazeera need broadcast communications solutions enablers. These teams of technicians work furiously to connect the satellite news gathering units to the main distribution centres. The pictures can then be circulated worldwide so that it is possible to see virtually live coverage of an event happening in real time. There will be a slight time delay of course but it is possible to turn on a domestic TV set on one side of the world and hear and see a reporter speaking live into the microphone from many thousands of miles away.

The service provided by such communications enablers is vitally important, especially in this age of instant messaging and global television news reporting. It is not enough to find out what happened yesterday or a couple of days ago. The demand for up to date news anywhere and everywhere in the world is now phenomenal. The sound has to be crystal clear with video images to match, and these companies deliver just that.

Continuous broadcasting is possible through the use of fully managed playout solutions. They generally use state-of-the-art teleports along with diverse connectivity to broadcast and switching centres. It is possible to deliver broadcasts or whole programs for playout from studios via a number of different media solutions: on a CD, over fibre links, via the Internet, or via satellite links. The key, underlying factor always in play is speed – the news broadcasting business is highly competitive and they all fight over breaking news stories, trying their best to broadcast a newsworthy event before anyone else gets hold of it.

So, it is clear that broadcast communications solutions enablers are a vital part of the news and live events transmission service. They can make their product instantly available to global audiences, including scheduled, occasional, or one-off events. Typical solutions include Internet Protocol Television, also known as IPTV – live online broadcasts of football matches are a good example. In addition there is occasional use capacity, contribution feeds and playout solutions.

If you need a satellite provider who understands playout solutions talk to Talia. We have recently addedEutelsat Hot Bird 13B alongside our existing provision with Arabsat Badr-4 providing greater coverage across North Africa and Europe.