You've probably noticed that there is a new name on the byline for the Count on IT column.
This is my first appearance as a columnist for TV Technology, and while my predecessor left some big shoes to fill, I'll do my best to pique your interest and hopefully share some useful ideas regarding information technology as it applies to the broadcasting industry in the months to come.
Having a little knowledge about my background may help you understand my perspectives and thinking. My professional training is in electrical engineering, and I worked as an integrated circuit designer in the aerospace industry for about four years when I got out of college.
Like many people with a technical bent, I get a lot of satisfaction from solving problems with technology, especially computers and electronic systems. Somewhere along the line, that passion for solving problems crossed paths with television broadcasting and I've been hooked on TV ever since.
My first job in broadcasting involved doing production and graphics work for a local TV station while I was still in school. From there, I moved on to managing IT for a small group of three TV stations that has since expanded to more than 20. I've now worked in the broadcast industry for about 25 years, with about 20 of those years focused on IT. My day job at Media General is managing IT for the broadcast television group with stations ranging from 100-plus through the top 20 markets.
A big part of that day job is spent trying to solve business problems with technology. As you might imagine, it's usually helpful to understand a problem before you actually try to solve it. Getting a good understanding of broadcast business problems is probably a great topic for a future column (or two), but for now I'd like to focus on the second part of my job, applying technology.
You can't very well apply technology if you don't know it exists so I do my best to follow trade publications and take advantage of other opportunities to stay in synch. One such opportunity is the upcoming NAB convention. While I often feel like a kid in a candy store when I attend "the show," I usually try to narrow my focus to key technology areas that can either improve our existing business models or equip us for what's coming. While your particular business needs may vary a bit from mine, here are some things that are affecting us and may be worth a closer look from other broadcast CIOs or IT professionals.
VIDEO EDITING SYSTEMS
OK, video editing systems aren't exactly new, but the capabilities of PC or Mac based systems continue to rise as the cost continues to fall. File based acquisition and playback systems greatly reduce the need for high quality video interfaces and create pure IT driven approaches to video production. This may make editing systems from traditional vendors seem less attractive, but can the less expensive systems fit into fast-paced production workflows? Glitzy effects and infinite video layers are cool but can a producer monitor the status of projects and get them on the air or on the Web quickly? There have been some changes in the landscape in this area and I'm anxious to see what's new.
COMPRESSION TECHNOLOGY
Bandwidth is expensive so good quality compression is critical. MPEG-4AVC/H.264 has been the buzz for year, but many of the tools needed for end-to-end processing weren't yet available. That has changed and this compression technology is becoming much more practical for broadcast use. I really want to see how H.264 is being integrated into various acquisition, editing, and delivery systems.
ASSET MANAGEMENT
Content, content, content. Between primary broadcast channels, additional DTV channels, the Web, and IPTV, there's a pretty strong trend towards creating and managing more content. That generally translates into more complex archives and asset management systems. These aren't new but many of the systems I've seen were built with cable networks in mind and have price tags to match. The tricky part is finding systems that are cost effective for 100-plus markets as well as the top 10.
STORAGE
At first glance, you might equate storage to asset management but they are different. Like many broadcasters, we've done a pretty good job of eliminating "islands of connectivity."
IP-enabled broadcast systems used to sit on separate LANs and information sharing was done via sneaker net. Those systems are now interconnected and information flows much more easily between them. Unfortunately, we're now having a similar problem with storage.
Graphics systems, editing systems, archive systems and the like each have their own island of storage. These islands are just plain expensive and difficult to manage. The IT industry has addressed this problem with NAS and SAN systems for many years, but I need solutions that scale in size and cost to meet the needs of small and large stations. This is a rapidly changing technology with a plethora of clever solutions.
ALTERNATE DISTRIBUTION
While this is a broadcasting convention (that's the "B" in NAB), the Web, mobile video, and IPTV are everywhere. The trick is to put systems in place that maintain the core broadcasting products but also allow new distribution paths to be used too. Tools that facilitate production and distribution on these platforms are sure to get my attention.
SERENDIPITY
Serendipity is the act of accidentally discovering something useful while you're looking for something else (kind of like Columbus bumping into North America while he was hunting for India).
Some of my best discoveries occur while I'm looking for something else or simply wandering around. I always try to reserve one day for simply walking around the show floor to see what's new. IT or not, it never hurts to be aware of technologies that impact broadcasting. I especially like talking to exhibitors who can't afford a megabooth yet.
You might just find a brilliant solution that's simply waiting for the perfect problem to come along. Count on IT!
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