LONDON—BBC, BT Sport, Channel 4, Channel 5, ITV, Sky and UKTV will no longer accept shows delivered on videotape as of Oct. 1, 2017, according to the Digital Production Partnership.
“By choosing a date that is nearly a year away, everyone has the time to plan for the end of the use of tape,” said DPP Managing Director Mark Harrison. “The DPP will coordinate the change process, working with broadcasters, suppliers, producers and post houses to ensure a smooth transition.”
Standardized file delivery began in the United Kingdom Oct. 1, 2014, when broadcasters there adopted AS-11, the common spec established by the DPP in collaboration with the Advanced Media Workflow Association. Since that time, according to the DPP, more than 25,000 programs have been delivered as AS-11 DPP files.
While some tape delivery of programs originally commissioned on tape or being delivered close to transmission will continue, the DPP, British broadcasters and playout vendors and planning for the complete removal of tape from the workflow.
In the months ahead, the DPP will provide common guidance on key areas such as the delivery of programs close to transmission, and the process for lines booking and lines record. This new guidance will be released to the industry in an updated version of the DPP Producers Guide to File Delivery, to be published next year.
