MEDIA TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION ISSUE 49- • SEPTEMBERi 2021
T&I Award 2021: the story of SR’s public service algorithm Plus • 5G-RECORDS – how PSM can benefit • Rai’s Stefano Ciccotti on technology priorities • Loudness for radio and more...
tech-i | tech.ebu.chtech.ebu.ch/subscribe | September 2021 1 Issue 49 • September-i 2021 6 9 Cover story: The 2021 EBU Technology & Innovation Award was won by Sveriges Radio for its News Values project. Pictured on the cover, clockwise from top left, are Jörgen Bang (product owner), Jessica Axelsson (UX designer), Tobias Sandblad (editorial project manager) and Linnea Längberg (UX designer). Photo: Mattias Ahlm/Sveriges Radio 10 16 Editor-in-Chief: Antonio Arcidiacono Managing Editor: Patrick Wauthier Editor: Eoghan O’Sullivan [email protected] Contents Design: Louise Tait 3 A recipe that works – let’s use it! Printed on FSC certified paper by Antonio Arcidiacono on the benefits of building together Graphius (FSC CO14767) 4 Changing the way Europeans find the news © European Broadcasting Union Visitors to EBU Member sites are offered A European Perspective All rights reserved. The reproduction 5 Being loud about loudness, for the benefit of radio listeners of articles in tech-i is authorized only The EBU has produced new guidelines on loudness and radio with the written permission of the 6 EBU joins GAIA-X to ease cloud adoption for PSM in Europe publishers. The responsibility for views How media can benefit from a new European initiative expressed in tech-i rests solely with the authors. 7 5G-RECORDS: making 5G work for the storytellers The 5G-RECORDS project is tackling production use cases for 5G 8 How EBU Members are doing more with metadata A selection of projects from this year’s Metadata Developer Network workshop 10 An algorithm to promote unique public service journalism Sveriges Radio’s News Values project won the 2021 EBU T&I Award 12 Adapt, invent, evolve – news tools for a pandemic 2021 EBU T&I Award runner-up project from BBC, UK TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION 13 Rai Virtual LIS: an avatar for sign language applications Get an edge 2021 EBU T&I Award runner-up project from Rai, Italy 14 BBC’s new home for radio, music and podcasts • Our goal is to be an incubator to advance media technology. 2021 EBU T&I Award runner-up project from BBC, UK • We catalyse innovations so they 15 Towards a greater understanding of the carbon impacts of video deliver for all players streaming • We stimulate active collaboration so Important new research from the Carbon Trust and DIMPACT that you get more than innovative technology – you get a real 16 In my opinion: Why IP networks and data management are the competitive advantage. top priorities Chief Technology Officer at Rai, Stefano Ciccotti Sign up to receive tech-i magazine, 17 Partner Profiles: 5G-MAG EBU Technology & Innovation newsletters or event alerts: An important player in the emerging 5G-based ecosystem for tech.ebu.ch/subscribe media production and distribution 18 2020: a record year for digital media EBU Members are encouraged to The latest research from the EBU Media Intelligence Service follow and contribute to the work of our Strategic Programmes and 19 In the spotlight: Stephan Heimbecher Communities of Practice. Directorate Technology and Production, Consultant, SWR 20 EBU Business Concepts Model Visit: tech.ebu.ch/ourwork Poster based on the work of the EBU Capability Map group
2 tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | September 2021 EDITORIAL A recipe that works – let’s use it! Antonio Arcidiacono, Director of Technology & Innovation, EBU
In time, I believe, we will see that influence those companies and 2021 marked the beginning of a guarantee the interchangeability new golden age for of suppliers. collaboration among public A great example of this is service media in Europe. The EuroVOX, the EBU-developed launch, in January and July, of transcription and translation tool two related products built by that sits at the heart of these and for EBU Members has new digital news projects. It shown us the sustainable path to doesn’t try to replace the innovation and growth. translation engines but helps In the March 2021 issue of broadcasters to integrate the tech-i, we presented the best supplier for any given use Eurovision News Monitoring tool case and switch between that gives journalists across EBU suppliers efficiently as required. newsrooms – 20 Members and This model can be extended to counting – access to a wealth of other cloud services or indeed valuable content. And in this any procurement or outsourcing, issue (on page 4), you can read including operational. It is highly about the public-facing phase of significant that the EBU is the this project. Since 1 July, visitors first media organization to have to the websites and news apps joined the GAIA-X project (see of participating Members have page 6). This will be a key been presented with a feed, enabler for our collaborative titled A European Perspective, development model, showing selected stories from guaranteeing the security and across the EBU membership, the interchangeability of cloud- translated into the user’s local based applications. EBU language. Members and potentially all These twin initiatives work to media players can benefit from the advantage of both European healthy competition between citizens and EBU Members. suppliers and a multi-cloud In-depth reporting sourced from that collaboration can fruitfully approach. trusted newsrooms helps keep go beyond producing content The other key ingredient in this local audiences informed about together – we can also find recipe for success is pan-European stories, with success by building together. collaboration, both within and content that is selected by local across EBU Members. Our editors to be both relevant and BUILDING TOGETHER colleagues at Sveriges Radio compelling. This acts as a A first key lesson: we must identified this as a critical counterbalance to disinformation control all of the core elements element of their News Values campaigns that exploit fault of the products we develop project, the winner of this year’s lines between communities. At while at the same time EBU Technology & Innovation the same time, editors and controlling the costs. It is clear Award (see pages 10–11). It’s journalists have access to a that EBU Members will need to about having technology teams resource that saves them outsource services to external working in close collaboration valuable time and enriches their companies, both the tech giants with the content creators and own reporting. like Amazon, Google and editorial staff; and it means This project has generated Microsoft and the traditional jointly having access to the considerable excitement, not media technology vendors. But talent that can support new just because of these direct by building together we can developments. benefits, but also because it establish a common position As I wrote above, we are just demonstrates in a concrete way that strengthens our ability to at the start. What we have done for news must also be done for sport, for education, for culture, “A first key lesson: we must control all of the and more. Together we can build the tools and products that will core elements of the products we develop ensure our collective growth and while at the same time controlling the costs.” success! tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | September 2021 3 DIGITAL NEWS Changing the way Europeans find the news Ten EBU Members have launched a new project to overcome language barriers and share diverse news content from across the continent, writes Luis Jimenez, EBU Digital News Lead.
On 1 July 2021, visitors to some of Europe’s most popular news websites were presented with A European Perspective, a new feed showing selected stories from across the EBU membership, translated into the local user’s own language. This ambitious project draws on the combined strength of public service media newsrooms: great journalism, original reporting, and ethical, trustworthy journalistic processes from the EBU Members that participate in the project. All with one idea in mind: get Europe EBU and its Members are trying to been a challenging and rewarding talking. To make this a reality, break the language barrier in experience: “After we started editors at our participating European public service news. exploring the requirements in Members manage to clear the With it we can help Europeans to detail, and the requests from the rights for about 175 reports per understand the realities of other Members and editorial staff week, thus making them available Europeans better.” started piling up, I realized just for other project partners, and The steering group, drawn from how much there was to be done. ultimately their audiences. Users participating EBU Members, There were a few challenging will typically find between 5 and collaborates closely with the parts, like implementing a 17 stories per ‘recommendation Eurovision News team, led by versioning system for the articles box’, and they can access them Justyna Kurczabinska, and the or ensuring that the system could from the partners’ homepages or EBU Technology & Innovation withstand the load after the inside selected news articles. At Department. Everyone involved in launch. Overall, the toughest part the time of writing there are the project has gone the extra was implementing and connecting around 2,000 stories available for mile to ensure that the service every element of the media publication in the Digital News service would deliver on translation/editing pipeline. We Hub that feeds the tool, which is expectations and meet all had to create many different powered by the EBU-developed deadlines. The editorial team behaviours spanning the whole EuroVOX and PEACH. meets twice per week and project to provide editors with full exchanges ideas with Sébastien functionality. Next, we aim to HIGHER PURPOSE Noir, who leads the T&I software expand the media workflow A European Perspective is a engineering team, every Friday. further – support for audio editing, window to Europe because the They also attend the developers’ more straightforward three-step stories selected to appear are sprint reviews where priorities for translations, add more statistics so rooted in diversity. This has been the next cycle are discussed. And that editors can quickly check and still is core to the service. in between these, together they what is currently a hot topic for From COVID-related issues to relay information and ask for their audiences, and polish the environment reports, from lifestyle advice from the core working overall experience.” to economy, the story range being group that convenes every three Now immersed in finding the shown to audiences is vast. weeks. best workflow to editorially Jukka Niva, the Head of Yle process video and audio files, we News Lab, Yle News and Current FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS trust that the possibilities the Affairs, says audience feedback For Pawel Glimos, a developer on Digital News Hub offers are has been 100% positive. “People the EBU Digital News Hub, it has endless. seem to well understand the higher purpose of A European A European Perspective has been made possible through a grant from Perspective and find it valuable. the European Commission’s Multimedia Actions programme. It is The project also has tremendous co-funded by the EBU. If you’d like to join the project you can contact the team via: [email protected] and endless possibilities as the
4 tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | September 2021 LOUDNESS FOR RADIO Being loud about loudness, for the benefit of radio listeners The EBU working group on audio loudness normalization, PLOUD, has produced new guidelines that specifically target radio use cases, writes group chairFlorian Camerer.
We are loud again! Well, we have never been quiet, frankly. We being the intrepid EBU loudness gang PLOUD, which recently celebrated its 13th anniversary. And being loud and active has always been our forte. This time, the efforts of a core team of loudness fanatics, under the subgroup chairmanship of Wolfgang Rein (SWR) concentrated on loudness in radio. There, the shift away from peak normalization has had a slower start than in television. One of the reasons is the heterogeneous distribution landscape, with The two-stage structure of a radio station workflow analogue FM services still omnipresent in most countries. Consequently, producing at −23 of individual movements in Also, the ‘loudness war’, with its LUFS does not mean that the level different contexts; or using the most severe manifestation in pop experienced by the audience is same philosophy for a complete and rock music, affected radio necessarily lower than before. If pop/rock/jazz music album to more than television. A few the alignment is adapted keep the artistically intended level PLOUD members working in accordingly, the consumers get relationship between the tracks public radio stations eventually the same average loudness level, (‘album normalization’); different suggested a separate loudness but can enjoy a much-improved values for the permissible music document to emphasize the balance of programmes, elements loudness level in relationship to the intricacies of radio workflows and and dynamic quality. The latter is a voice, depending on the format of programmes. major benefit, especially for the programme (for example, stations with, for example, classical news, morning show, evening SAME LEVEL music or popular music from concert, radio drama, etc.). These One central mantra must be stated before the outbreak of the are aesthetic choices that should clearly: in essence there is no loudness war (pre-1990s). not be universally cast into a rule difference between television and Generally, the main message of or recommendation and are radio (or any other sector, for that the radio loudness group is the covered in chapter 7 of Tech 3401 matter) when it comes to loudness clear distinction between (on use cases). normalization replacing the peak production and distribution. These This brings us to the published paradigm. Programmes and often areas should be treated separately, documents. The set of also parts of them (like individual with a ‘generic’ programme at −23 supplements to the core loudness music tracks) are generally LUFS being tailored to diverse recommendation R 128 is produced and/or normalized to distribution platforms (like FM, extended with a third on Loudness the same loudness level of −23 DAB, web streaming, etc.). Tri- in Radio, characterized by the LUFS. Period. Let that sink in for a media environments (television, same concise set of directives as moment. radio, online) can now be served the mother document. The Before anyone dismisses this with freely interchangeable aforementioned Tech 3401 level as way too low for the FM content as far as loudness levels Guidelines for Radio Production world, consider the crucial link are concerned, considerably and Distribution in accordance within this ecosystem: alignment, simplifying this exchange. with R 128 provides more in-depth meaning the alignment of the Concerns specific to radio advice how to manoeuvre through studio level to the nominal include: keeping the level the transition to a loudness-based deviation of the FM carrier. relationship between, for example, radio world. The count of PLOUD Without this information, any movements of a symphony when loudness documents is now at statement about loudness levels broadcasting the whole nine, all available via for FM is utterly useless! composition vs. adapting the level tech.ebu.ch/loudness.
tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | September 2021 5 EUROPEAN PROJECTS EBU joins GAIA-X to ease cloud adoption for PSM in Europe As more and more EBU Members aim to take advantage of the cloud, the GAIA-X European initiative, now with the EBU as a member, promises to remove some of the uncertainties and challenges, writes Lucille Verbaere.
GAIA-X was born out of the Furthermore, the initiative could realization, in 2019, that the generate many business dominant cloud platforms were all opportunities for the media owned by non-EU entities, that industry. For example, in France moving data and services from the Alliance Culture Data, a one to another was challenging, project led by BnF-Partenariats, and that full control over the data has identified seven areas in stored in these platforms was which the cultural and creative impossible. sector could greatly benefit from The vision was to foster a cloud trustworthy and secure data ecosystem aligned with European spaces: operational excellence, values and laws, such as GDPR, content providers with greatly commercial performance, product enabling vertical and horizontal fluctuating workloads, such as improvement, segmented chains where data can be easily animation and VFX companies, advertising, customer and market exchanged but still controlled are more and more turning to knowledge, R&D, and open data. within trusted data spaces. It decentralized cloud solutions that Many use cases can be developed should be easy to connect allow them to trade unused in each of these areas: different cloud platforms together resources and decrease their • improved audience insights and switch from one provider to upfront costs. would allow better content another. The 270+ members of Although hyperscalers – the big personalization by media the GAIA-X Foundation – multinational cloud providers – companies; including the EBU – are thus now can today offer simple integrated • the remuneration of rights working together to develop a solutions, cloud migration is not holders could be automated reference architecture, secured straightforward for media and secured; open interfaces, federated companies. Most EBU Members • combatting piracy and fake services, and policies that will worry about interoperability and news becomes easier with ensure European companies can vendor lock-in; and they need to strong end-to-end access cloud platforms that are shift to cloud-native applications authentication guaranteeing secure, interoperable and energy to ensure cost-effectiveness. Data from where the content is efficient, and that guarantee data sovereignty and compliance with coming and to whom it is privacy and sovereignty. GDPR are also key concerns distributed; slowing down adoption of cloud • AI algorithms can be accurately MEDIA & THE CLOUD services from US providers. trained, thanks to qualified and So, what is the relevance of all this secured databases, and used for for media? EBU Members are BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES many applications such as gradually moving to the cloud: With GAIA-X, media companies translations, people France TV has already migrated will be able to adopt multi-cloud identification in video, etc. the group’s financial management solutions that can easily be And there is no doubt that many system and has started to migrate interconnected, configured and more use cases will emerge once the HR system as well as remote decommissioned and are in line the GAIA-X data infrastructure is production systems to a mix of with European values. in place. private and public clouds. In Switzerland, SRG’s online THE EBU, GAIA-X AND YOU distribution is cloud-based, Now is the time to exchange views, define key use cases and including live streaming. In consolidate media-specific requirements. As a new member and the Germany, ZDF has started a big first media company in GAIA-X, the EBU can now promote the cloudification project, creation of a European media data space and make sure the GAIA-X encompassing generic IT tools data infrastructure meets media-specific challenges, starting with along with broadcast-specific those related to real-time and big file transfers. We can also target applications such as editing and participation in EU-funded projects to develop sector-specific online services, now fully cloud- applications and data spaces within the GAIA-X framework. To join the EBU GAIA-X working group, please contact Lucille Verbaere based. ([email protected]). Elsewhere in the media sector,
6 tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | September 2021 EUROPEAN PROJECTS 5G-RECORDS: making 5G work for the storytellers By leading the technical work for the EU-funded 5G-RECORDS project, the EBU can ensure that emerging production tools will be well matched to the needs of public service media, writes Hans Hoffmann.
Between 2017 and 2019, the 5G-Xcast project did valuable work on exploring how emerging 5G technologies could be used in media contexts. The focus, however, was primarily on distribution use cases, so it was inevitable that some of the organizations involved started to consider how 5G could potentially support media production and content creation. Thus, the 5G-RECORDS project was born, funded, like 5G-Xcast, by the EU Horizon 2020 programme. Driving 5G-RECORDS are some An overview of the 5G-RECORDS project key questions: is live production in multi-camera environments EBU itself, which is responsible for of templates for different kinds of possible using 5G? Can we equip the technical management of the events, production could start a sports stadium for live project, three Members are in the quickly. production using 5G consortium: BBC (UK), Rai (Italy) Another deeply innovative infrastructures? Can we develop and TV 2 (Denmark). element of the project relates to higher efficiency in content It is important for the EBU to the need to bridge the worlds of creation workflows? Can we make have a hands-on role in projects 5G networks and IP-enabled it easier for creatives to generate like these, taking proactive steps broadcast facilities. To do this, a content and tell stories? to ensure the needs of public media gateway is needed, and the As the answers to these service media will be to the fore EBU Technology & Innovation questions would be as the technology evolves. There team is leading the work on a predominantly of a technical are fundamental requirements in prototype whose architecture is nature, the project consortium terms of workflows, quality and based on microservices. The work decided that the best approach business aspects, as well as a encompasses both hardware and would be to define some need for standards, to ensure software. fundamental use cases: interoperability between By doing this proof of concept, • Use case 1: live audio production equipment from different the aim is to gather knowledge • Use case 2: multiple camera manufacturers. Without the that can be fed into standards. For wireless studio participation of the EBU and its example, with timing being such • Use case 3: live immersive media Members, there is a risk that an important factor in live media Detailed information about closed proprietary solutions will production, how well will PTP these use cases (and the project dominate. Ultimately, it is about (precision time protocol) perform as a whole) is available on the creating value for EBU Members. over 5G networks? website: www.5g-records.eu With reduced technical SELF-CONFIGURATION resources and R&D capacity at PSM INVOLVEMENT There are several innovative most Members, EBU involvement The 5G-RECORDS consortium aspects to this project, not least of in projects like this is more came together in 2020. As with which is the work on important than ever. From the the 5G-Xcast project, the orchestration, being led by BBC. technical project manager Paola Polytechnic University of Valencia The goal here is that any piece of Sunna to several other staff was instrumental in getting it off production equipment being members who are actively the ground. The EBU played a key connected to a suitably contributing to 5G-RECORDS, the role to ensure strong broadcaster provisioned 5G network would be T&I department is making sure representation, especially in light automatically recognized and public broadcasters will benefit of the liquidation of the IRT could self-configure thanks to the from innovative new ways to tell research centre. Alongside the orchestration layer. With the use stories in the years ahead.
tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | September 2021 7 METADATA PROJECTS How EBU Members are doing more with metadata The EBU Metadata Developer Network held its popular annual workshop in June, once again providing an overview of new tools and approaches to metadata and AI for media, developed by and in partnership with EBU Members. Here we present a selection of the projects that were presented. These presentations and many others are available to view on the website. Visit: tech.ebu.ch/mdn2021
MAPPING AND LINKING PRODUCTION DATA Stuart Jennings, BBC
At the BBC we make a lot of content but have no central means of tracking productions. A story is planned in one system, with video and text content made for it in separate systems. There is no visibility on those links, and no overall view. This means that, for example, we can’t track the performance of the content that resulted from a commissioned story or see general patterns in production over time. Data in COG is centred around ‘events’ Content Origin Graph, or COG, gathers data from production systems and uses a graph database to draw new connections between them, frontend will let decision makers intuitively allowing us to answer these types of questions. explore content production from a bird’s eye view. Data scientists can directly query the database, This is an exciting new project that will help make while an API allows systems to integrate, and a the BBC a truly data-driven organization.
DAM AND MICROSERVICES PROCESSING TO ENRICH CONTENT METADATA Matthieu Parmentier (France TV)
France TV has invested in the development of many content categories (documentaries, news, an open-source microservices platform TV gameshows, fiction, etc.). (media-cloud.ai) to facilitate the industrialization The wise use of AI, where results with a of AI workflows across several cloud providers. confidence level of 100% are difficult to The microservices run in Docker containers and achieve, needs a bit of strategy to eliminate all are orchestrated using Kubernetes. the false positives hidden among the real The platform now runs thousands of jobs enrichments. This is the role of the DAM (data every day to enrich the descriptive metadata for asset management) platform, where all the existing metadata, collected during production, are merged, checked and used to initiate the AI jobs responsible for filling the missing parts. Once enriched, the content metadata is made available to all departments at France TV. Today, AI is used to automatically segment content, generate thumbnails, find credits, and identify contexts for ad breaks.
A screenshot of the France TV DAM (from Perfect Memory) with some metadata filled via AI
8 tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | September 2021 Design principles were applied in the creation of the Face detection is one of the tools that help identify new new BBC content passport chapters DESIGNING METADATA INTO AN AUTOMATING PROGRAMME ORGANIZATION’S DNA SEGMENTATION WITH AI Alice Gregory, BBC (with Ting-I Wu and Blaise Jasper Degryse, VRT (with Marijn Daniels) Galinier) Having to scroll through an episode of a talk show The future of metadata involves not just to find the exact moment your favourite guest or machines but also humans and politics, and it subject appears can be frustrating, right? On VRT can be designed! BBC faces some big metadata NU, the video-on-demand platform at VRT, we challenges that are technical, editorial, provide shortcuts to the start of each chapter an organizational and cultural. Having UX and episode is composed of; and until now, that was service designers collaborate with engineers has achieved by making our editors do the dirty work been crucial in making change happen. of scrolling through the episode. Various design disciplines have helped the BBC In the chaptering project, we use artificial improve how it generates and works with intelligence to extract metadata from our videos: metadata: from the design of a pan-BBC tagging shot transitions are detected, faces are detected tool, to mapping out more user-centric and clustered, subtitles are embedded resulting in workflows. extracted topics, etc. Changes in these metadata The aim is to think creatively to get people to features throughout the episode are valuable care and collaborate along the way. indicators for the start of a new chapter. Once The process started with research, to extracted, these features are then fed to the understand the pain points for the editorial in-house-developed chaptering algorithm, users. This led to the creation of a vision that resulting in predictions of when a chapter start people could rally around, the building of a occurs. Finally, these predictions are presented as conceptual prototype, and the formation of a suggestions to the editing team, who in turn verify network of metadata users and enthusiasts. the results and correct if necessary.
A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO NEWSROOM METADATA Kurt Mathiasen, TV 2 Denmark Multiplatform newsrooms (spread across Production systems provide simple fields and APIs multiple locations) offer the ultimate use case for entering metadata, but internal resources to for leveraging metadata: collaboration – who is implement user-friendly tools for standardized working on what – and reusing parts of what a metadata are a challenge. colleague has already researched. Most systems ‘Copy/paste’ is still widely used – it is simple and have good search capabilities, so the main users feel comfortable with it. Many metadata issue is how to enter the metadata into the services provide impressive UIs (user interfaces) to production flow. demonstrate their capabilities, but often a simple In a small commercial broadcast organization, ‘copy’ (metadata) button is missing. Our message the focus is on revenue, especially from the ‘new’ for manufacturers and service providers is: don’t platforms (VOD), and producing more content. forget the simple functionalities that can be easily We receive much news-oriented media from implemented in a modern (HTML5-based) UI. agencies, social media and freelancers and we Copy/paste and drag/drop from iframes (and want to reuse the metadata already associated other pages) are still tools that are much with that content. Metadata standards are thus appreciated by the users. key, for example the IPTC Media Topics vocabulary.
tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | September 2021 9 EBU Technology An algorithm to promote & Innovation Award H WINNER H unique public service journalism 2021
Jörgen Bang, product owner for SR News Values, reaching out to EBU T&I Director Antonio Arcidiacono during the remote ceremony. Also pictured are UX designers Jessica Axelsson and Linnea Längberg and editorial project manager Tobias Sandblad.
Sveriges Radio won the 2021 EBU Technology & Innovation Award for “News Values, the Public Service Algorithm”. Olle Zachrison, Head of Digital News Strategy at SR, explains how the system both promotes particularly strong SR journalism and streamlines newsroom workflows.
SR is Sweden’s national public and on the website. The diversity new way. In our digital publishing broadcaster and leading audio is considerable, with news from tool, each item is rated in three company, with over 2,200 staff 26 local channels from north to dimensions: stationed in 50 locations around south, a large national newsroom, 1) How high is its general news the country. Representing the sports, science, culture and value? Is it an extraordinary news whole population and covering language services. For traditional event like a devastating forest under-reported areas and issues radio, the various newsrooms fire or suspected terrorist act? Is are central strategic ambitions make their editorial assessments it a standard news piece, which as expressed in our vision: “More for their own broadcasts, is certainly important but not voices and more powerful stories independently of each other. of such obvious impact that it for greater understanding.” However, digitally the most affects everyone? Giving prominence to relevant news items from all 2) How long is the life span? Is journalism of great public service newsrooms are gathered in it a news item that is relevant for value is at the heart of a cross- the same news feed. A good a long time, such as a revealing functional project to create a example is Top News, our main investigation? Or is the life span news algorithm from scratch. news playlist in the app Sveriges short, like a traffic accident or a The algorithm is powered by Radio Play, which constantly sports result? News Values – a system by which updates the audience with the 3) Does the news contain editors rate all audio news stories most important national, local significant SR values? Here we produced by SR each day. The and international news. To have identified a set of distinctive pre-publication rating feeds the provide this service we need public service qualities: are we algorithm that in turn helps us a common standard for news out reporting on location? Are automate and personalize the evaluation: which of all the news unique voices from affected news experience for a wide and items are most important at any people included in the story? Are diverse audience. given moment? we providing our own analysis of News Values is the system a difficult topic? EVALUATING NEWS where SR editors now evaluate Every day, SR newsrooms publish news items as they have always VALUES & TECHNOLOGY around 350 news clips in apps done, albeit expressing it in a The third dimension is what really
10 tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | September 2021 distinguishes SR’s system from important source of inspiration. each side, led the effort shoulder similar solutions in other media to shoulder, which created an houses, and the reason we call MORE TIME FOR CONTENT exceptionally strong backing it our “public service algorithm”. So how can setting news values for the system in the whole Employees from all over the save time for stressed digital company. company have put great effort editors? When rated, each item “Technically, what we have into identifying and formulating gets a numeric score that then done is relatively straightforward the core values that characterize decides its place in the running really,” says Jörgen Bang, strong SR publications. The link order in news playlists and on Product Owner. “Half jokingly, to the company’s mission is clear. sverigesradio.se. This editorial we say that the algorithm itself is The fact that SR has integrated algorithm is now automating understandable if you’ve studied journalistic values of this type the total output from all of SR’s basic maths in high school. into a technical system is 33 newsrooms. This means that, But the central thing is that it something that has attracted instead of having to manually changes how we work with news a great deal of attention in the edit the news mix every time digitally and the jury seems to international media industry. something new has occurred, have understood that.” In the motivation for the EBU editors can devote more time The system of news values Technology & Innovation Award, to enhancing the journalistic stimulates a discussion about Judy Parnall, Chair of the EBU content. how we do our journalism. Technical Committee, called The general news values and It inspires positive change. the system “a perfect example the freshness of the item carry Our evaluation of the project of technical ingenuity being the most weight in the algorithm. has shown something we are combined with public service But a news clip that contains the particularly proud of: that values, helping Sveriges Radio to special SR values – for example the new system encourages better fulfil its mission.” a unique testimony – is given a reporters to get out of the office SR is far from being the more prominent position and so more often, which makes for only European public service is displayed to more listeners. more vivid audio storytelling on company that aims to offer its It also helps our editors in the the reality of people’s lives. It digital users a more personalized national newsroom to quickly also offers future opportunities news feed. At the same time, discover the most important for more sophisticated every PSM organization news from all of SR’s local personalization, such as wants to ensure that its news stations. individually customized news output is credible, factual and playlists and newsletters. comprehensive, in line with the COLLABORATION journalistic mission. For example, The long internal project has HUMANS FIRST BBC News Labs has created been marked by the closest For some, both outside and Cupid, a prototype for editorial collaboration between tech and inside media companies, the curation of a personalized news editorial in the history of SR. word “algorithm” carries negative feed, where SR is cited as an Two project managers, one from connotations, especially in relation to free speech and independent journalism. The term is associated with commercially driven tech products that run without human intervention to maximize clicks and profit. That is why we stress that even though algorithms and advanced programming are important tools in digital journalism, the basis is always the human editor’s journalistic judgment. We will never hand over our news presentation to a completely autonomous system nor personalize to such a degree that our listeners get completely different views of current affairs. SR has a mission to convey the most important news to everyone, and we are Olle Zachrison, Head of firm believers that smart tech can Digital News Strategy at SR help us do our job better.
tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | September 2021 11 EBU Technology Adapt, invent, evolve – news tools & Innovation Award for a pandemic HRUNNER-UPH 2021 Morwen Williams, Director of UK Operations at BBC News, describes how three groundbreaking tools were developed quickly as the first lockdown began, a project that was a runner-up for the 2021 EBU T&I Award.
When COVID-19 hit and the piece in perfect quality lockdown followed, it was afterwards. It makes radio incredibly difficult for BBC News discussion programmes as to continue newsgathering and good as if guests were in the broadcasting as normal. So, studio together. The unique our News Operations teams feature of PreRec is that, at set about developing systems exactly the same time as the to help us carry on for our live conversation is happening, audiences. The three virtual tools it constantly saves and uploads we developed transformed our a quality recording to a secure newsgathering for our teams, server for each contributor. The making workflows easier – and producer simply needs to send delivered better programming for a link to each contributor; they our audiences. click the link on any platform or device and everyone is TOUCAN PREREC connected together in a secure, While the world turned to Zoom, Similarly, discussion online session. it didn’t deliver the right frame programmes and remote PreRec has been used rate for television news interviews television edits meant audio nationally and internationally and had to be converted. This was over the internet and often and it will be used for remote slowed down the entire process, substandard with glitching or production long after the making deadlines even more dropout. Our Programme OB pandemic has passed. stressful. In just three weeks, team was no longer on the some of our engineers invented road and developed PreRec, to VIRTUAL AUDIENCE a new system to avoid all this bring discussions back together Finally, it’s all about the and deliver a better picture: in quality and for tracking audiences – but they couldn’t Toucan was born. Our news packages remotely. It’s used come to any of our buildings. crews navigate to the platform in television and radio across So we enabled them to join us browser, book a session and click the BBC – and was heralded by from their kitchens, lounges and to generate a link. They send that one reporter as “possibly the sofas, to bring reactions back link to the contributor who only most important bit of software into our productions. Originally needs to open it in a Chrome web BBC News has developed” for developed for a discussion browser. The crew clicks record, television audio track. programme, Virtual Audience and each camera is recorded in PreRec allows a reporter to was quickly adapted by many a separate file on a BBC server, file their audio track remotely television and radio programmes already in a BBC News standard while watching the edit over looking to restore that vital format, which saves time. Zoom and have it dropped into ingredient. It harnesses Zoom but feeds audience reaction into the ears of the presenters, so they’re not broadcasting into a vacuum as in the early days of the lockdown. The solution has featured in the media for its creativity and simple ingenuity. At BBC News UK Ops we are proud of our incredible engineers who deliver the news 24/7 on the road and in the studios. But when they can’t do that, they adapt, invent and evolve – and with these three products they kept BBC News and the wider BBC in business and on air during the pandemic.
12 tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | September 2021 EBU Technology Rai Virtual LIS: an avatar for sign & Innovation Award language applications HRUNNER-UPH 2021 A runner-up in 2021 EBU T&I Award, the Rai Virtual LIS platform is an excellent example of PSM using technology to help fulfil the public service remit.Mauro Rossini, Carmen Marino and Andrea del Principe explain how the platform works. The Rai Virtual LIS platform A dictionary module allows users to view enables the production of signs for all words in the database content in Italian sign language (LIS) using avatars to create new opportunities and services for deaf people in contexts where human LIS interpreters are not provided. The platform is based on a real-time graphics engine while avatars and animations are developed by using the latest 3D computer graphics technologies. The results achieved by the platform in terms of fluidity and intelligibility have been positively evaluated by many experts and deaf signers. The use of avatars in this way The provision of tourist makes it possible to foresee a information is a potential application of the Rai Virtual whole range of new services for LIS platform deaf people: sign language descriptions of monuments, artworks, architectural contexts, cultural and tourist information; the translation into sign language, through a virtual actor, of educational content, lectures, training courses and section is dedicated to the to extend the use of Italian sign books; the provision of generation of new content in language for better social information for travellers in sign language by displaying the inclusion of deaf people in railway stations and airports; Italian text and the cultural and didactic contexts, to and on-demand translation corresponding sequence of LIS provide free tools for services for content that, owing signs. Currently about 1,000 experimenting with new forms to the specificity of the topics signs have been digitized, and of communication, and to and lexical complexity, may be the corpus of signs can be facilitate relationships among difficult to understand. expanded incrementally. children, including those with The Weather Forecast communication difficulties. NEW MODULES application downloads weather The platform is currently based In the past year the Rai Virtual forecasts from the Rai national on Italian sign language but it LIS platform has been enriched Teletext service every day and can be extended to include with two software modules: performs an automatic other sign languages in order to Teaching and Weather Forecast. translation into sign language. create an international sign Teaching is a web application The output of the system is a language platform. that allows students to learn video in Italian sign language. Consistent with its public sign language and generate new The translation is based on a service mandate, Rai is content in sign language deterministic algorithm invented considering making the Virtual through the virtual actors. The and patented by the Rai Centre LIS platform available free of application is divided into two for Research, Technological charge to deaf communities, sections: the “Dictionary” Innovation and Experimentation associations, museums, schools, section makes it possible to view (CRITS). universities, public and private all the LIS signs available in the institutions wishing to provide database, animated by the SOCIAL BENEFITS non-profit content and services avatar, while the “Translation” The Rai Virtual LIS platform aims in sign language for deaf people.
tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | September 2021 13 EBU Technology BBC’s new home for radio, & Innovation Award HRUNNER-UPH music and podcasts 2021 BBC’s integrated audio platform was another of the finalists in 2021 EBU Technology & Innovation Award. Lloyd Shepherd provides the background to the project.
BBC Sounds was launched content backend and presents in late 2018 as the new home it back to the Sounds clients in Working on frictionless for radio, music and podcasts the form of feeds; discovery has been a second key at the BBC, giving listeners a • a single user ID, run by BBC area. The BBC produces more personal, relevant experience Account. than 50 hours of new audio every and offering them more control What this means, in effect, is hour of the day, and almost all of and flexibility. Available on web that the Sounds experience is this is available on Sounds. This and mobile (iOS and Android), it unified across all clients, and presents a massive discovery was conceptualized as the audio users can shift their listening challenge for the user. BBC’s equivalent of iPlayer – a single from one platform to another approach has been to focus on home for all BBC’s audio content. seamlessly. They can, for instance, ‘personalized curation’ – mixing It replaced an older product, start listening to a BBC radio together our in-house data iPlayer Radio, which had grown show on their Alexa device, and capabilities in recommendations organically over a number of then continue listening to the and audience segmentation years. iPlayer Radio was turned same show on their phone when with a world-class curation team off in late 2019. they leave the house. At the same steeped in BBC’s traditions of From the start, Sounds was time, because key business logic public service and delightful envisaged as an integrated is contained within RMS, much discovery. We put this work under platform for listening to and of the product is built ‘in the the heading ‘relevance’ – and discovering BBC audio content. API’, meaning that changes can it is an ongoing and detailed Since the initial launch on web be rolled out across clients in a programme of work. and mobile platforms, we have coordinated fashion. Finally, we’ve been focused also launched a TV app as well on making Sounds available as an Alexa skill (for devices that CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT everywhere a user might want use Amazon’s voice-controlled Since launch, the Sounds product to consume it. The experience of assistant). Further integrations teams have focused on three iPlayer has shown how important are in the pipeline. main areas. First, easing user ‘pain carriage deals are to the success points’ such that the core product of public service media platforms. UNIFIED EXPERIENCE is more competitive in the market, We have teams in both product Two things tie all these platforms and user satisfaction increases. and business development together: In the past year our App Store pursuing a range of deals to • a single backend system, called reviews have climbed steadily, bring the Sounds experience Radio and Music Services and in market research Sounds to new platforms – while at all (RMS), which pulls in content is now second only to Spotify for times preserving the unity of from BBC’s scheduling and user satisfaction in audio apps. experience for the individual user.
14 tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | September 2021 SUSTAINABILITY MATTERS Towards a greater understanding of the carbon impacts of streaming Following a year in which video streaming received a lot of media attention owing to concerns that it was a significant driver of climate change, new research from the Carbon Trust is helping to measure the impact, writes William Pickett (Carnstone Partners).
In June, the Carbon Trust energy between the different released a white paper entitled services using the internet. The Carbon Impacts of Video However, this may be overly Streaming. There have been simplistic in modelling the widely varying estimates of the dynamics of internet networks. carbon emissions associated with Increasing the video quality from video streaming. The Carbon standard definition to high Trust worked closely with the definition may double the data DIMPACT* team and participants volume, but is unlikely to have an to produce the paper. They used immediate commensurate impact primary data from participants, on the energy consumption of reviewed the DIMPACT approach, the networks. This was observed and incorporated the latest in the pandemic, where many academic research to provide the telecom operators noticed a most up-to-date estimate of the significant increase in data impact per hour of viewing consumption without any on-demand streaming. increase in energy consumption. More work is needed to gain CARBON EMISSIONS more certainty in how changes to The paper estimated that streaming service offerings will average carbon emissions across ultimately have a real-world Europe for streaming to be 55g carbon impacts. of CO2e (carbon dioxide The findings are aligned with equivalent) per hour. This the results of models run by includes all components involved video streaming are heavily other DIMPACT participants. One in the delivery and viewing of impacted by the locations where of DIMPACT’s founding video content, right down to the the content is viewed. Some participants, the BBC, posted a end-user device, but excludes the countries depend far more on blog article (tinyurl.com/bbc- production of content. While this fossil fuels for electricity co2) that outlines how their own amount of greenhouse gas generation than others and thus modelling shows good alignment cannot be neglected when the the same electricity consumption with the findings. They also total viewing hours of streaming will ultimately emit more carbon. explain some differences in their are aggregated across an entire The second is that each company results, based on using different viewer base, the unit carbon will have a different data sources and assumptions. emissions of streaming one hour understanding of their audience’s This shows that there are still of on-demand content are viewing behaviours, such as the some live questions and variation relatively modest. One hour of breakdown of device types and of modelling between streaming is comparable to basic peripherals being used to view organizations. DIMPACT acts as a everyday activities such as content. More viewing on smaller platform to discuss these boiling a kettle three times, or devices such as laptops and questions and variations. driving a car 250 metres. smartphones will reduce energy The results also suggest that consumption, when compared to *DIMPACT is a UK-based the in-home devices and large television sets. collaborative initiative that has peripherals are where a majority developed a tool to assess the of the energy consumption DATA VS. ENERGY carbon impacts of digital media occurs. DIMPACT participants are A key area for further and entertainment products. A now seeking to understand how development is to examine more growing number of media they can work with device closely how we estimate organizations participate in manufacturers to address this streaming’s share of the energy DIMPACT, and the consortium hotspot. consumption of the internet’s has an ambition to gain a robust There are of course come with infrastructure. The established understanding of, and ultimately some caveats with the results. method currently uses data reduce, the carbon impacts of The first is that the emissions of volume as a way to allocate their digital products.
tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | September 2021 15 IN MY OPINION Why IP networks and data management are the top priorities Trends in both content and the technology used to deliver and consume it point to some key focus areas for public broadcasters in the coming years, writes Rai’s Chief Technology Officer Stefano Ciccotti.
To shape a strategic view of media technology environments, such as connected cars and innovation, we must consider our likely future augmented, virtual and mixed reality (AR/VR/MR) challenges in content production and distribution. ecosystems. Connected cars, that will average a All the trends that had been emerging in recent daily internet traffic of 25 GB (as against 25 GB/ years have, in fact, strengthened because of the month for mobiles), already provide the COVID-19 crisis. opportunity to offer mobility-tailored content First, it’s now clear that moving audiovisual (traffic info, weather forecasts, podcasts). content to OTT is not merely about making linear However, in the future – when autonomous driving channels available over IP. In fact, the share of becomes a reality – the driver will be able to enjoy linear consumption has been continuously audiovisual shows as if in the living room. shrinking, whereas the VOD share has increased Alongside this, VR/AR/MR, that proved to be (24% linear vs 76% VOD, according to the latest powerful tools for staying in touch during the State of Streaming Report from Conviva). lockdown, will enable the evolution of new formats, especially educational and entertainment CONTENT TRENDS ones. Furthermore, it’s important to note the correlation and mutual influence between the development of TWO CHALLENGES content and the evolution of platforms. Especially This proliferation of platforms and content leads to with regard to long-form content, we have two main challenges: the need for future-proof IP recently seen outstanding growth of consumption delivery networks and the centrality of data on big screens (via smart TVs and games management. consoles), globally reaching 73% of overall viewing The overall growth of long-form and high time on a multitude of platforms and ecosystems, audiovisual quality content over smart TVs, both horizontal and vertical. If big screens are fit combined with the increasing pressure on mobile for the so-called ‘long forms’, on the other side traffic for short-form content, have been already smartphones have proved themselves to be suited putting an almost unaffordable burden on existing to the delivery of extremely short content. For IP networks, especially in terms of performance. example, China has seen the emergence of The rise of services and platforms that may either a new genre known as ‘vertical cooperate (e.g., connected cars) or compete (e.g., dramas’, television series gaming) with audiovisual content providers, will designed for mobile only. demand not just higher throughput for end-user They are shot vertically, devices, but also extremely low latency and and episodes range from smarter management of peak-hour traffic. This can one to four minutes. Their be achieved by moving the computing functions success is set to drive the as near as possible to the end user: the edge roll-out of 5G networks. cloud-computing approach. This strategy requires I also believe that tight interaction between all players along the traditional content providers value chain, with special regard to ISPs and should push forward technology providers. the edge of Last but not least, in such a fragmented scenario, innovation by data management will play a central role in guiding distributing their users to the best experience. The demise of third- services in still party cookies (with modern browsers severely unexplored, limiting data-gathering possibilities) and the emerging conflictual relationships between Chinese and American big tech companies and the European institutions are driving traditional content providers to look for alliances aimed at developing AI tools for business intelligence purposes and for fairer recommendation systems. As public broadcasters, we feel the responsibility to prevent Stefano Ciccotti, CTO, Rai - ‘echo chamber’ or ‘filter bubble’ effects, especially Radiotelevisione Italiana when it comes to information services.
16 tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | September 2021 PARTNER PROFILES Bringing the media and telecom industries together Founded just two years ago, 5G-MAG has quickly become an important player in the emerging 5G-based ecosystem for media production and distribution, writes Jordi J. Giménez, the association’s Head of Technology.
Connectivity is becoming increasingly moving towards IP a fundamental element of but are embracing the internet, society, with 5G as one of its in particular for remote and most prominent drivers. For distributed production. 5G-MAG some 5G is no more than a new members are actively exploring generation of smartphones, the role of NPNs (non-public for others it is part of the networks) to offer connectivity expansion of the internet to be for localized use cases and available in any location and on applications. Whether as any device. For us in 5G-MAG, portable setups or integrated the opportunity is to be at with existing 5G networks, NPNs the forefront of innovation in may offer advantages in terms solutions for media contribution, of ensuring QoS, enabling production and distribution, low-latency applications, or backed by standards with a security in connecting and global footprint. managing production equipment The 5G Media Action Group, as well as network features. created in 2019, is a cross- industry association bringing REFERENCE TOOLS together stakeholders from the 5G-MAG has recently agreed to global media and ICT industries. support the promotion and 5G-MAG is the place to discuss Jordi J. Giménez fostering of 5G Media the future requirements and technologies by launching a needs of the media industry programme to develop 5G Media around 5G connectivity and new reference tools. The association use cases enabled by cutting- has kickstarted this programme edge technologies, as well in order to establish a developer as understanding what such deliver free-to-air linear community and to create standards can do for media. television and radio using common open-source reference The association’s work is traditional broadcast tools to support implementation driven by its members, with infrastructure but with a and interoperability of 5G Media a structure that enables technology that can reach technologies. It is expected that addressing commercial, smartphones, tablets, connected these tools may be used in technical and regulatory cars or even home validation, verification, aspects. 5G-MAG members entertainment devices. demonstrations, trials and are able to propose work of Another core topic is about possibly even in commercial significant interest in the form media distribution through 5G services. of work items, the current ones broadband networks, leveraging The target is an end-to-end being: LTE-based 5G Broadcast; their improved technical open platform enabling the media distribution over 5G capabilities and features for implementation of applications broadband networks; and non- media streaming, edge (e.g., media players), service public networks (NPNs) for computing, QoS (quality of layers and network functions to media production. service) management or deliver future television and scalability with multicast/ radio services, as well as new DEVELOPING SOLUTIONS broadcast modes. Features that formats, to any connected The explosion of over-the-top would enable the delivery of device including smartphones, (OTT) platforms and an free-to-air content in mobile tablets, connected cars or smart increasingly competitive media networks or fulfilling universal TVs. Participation is not limited landscape drive the opportunity coverage requirements are also to 5G-MAG members – on the to find new methods to deliver in the scope. contrary, we hope to attract content universally and at scale. On the other side of the media researchers and independent 5G-MAG members are exploring coin, media production and developers into the community. the use of 5G Broadcast to contribution are not only Join us! Visit: 5g-mag.com
tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | September 2021 17 MEDIA INTELLIGENCE 2020: a record year for digital media What impact did the pandemic have on digital media consumption? A new report from the EBU’s Media Intelligence Service highlights the main trends, writes Léa Besson.
2020 was the year of many changes in European citizens’ media consumption. The COVID-19 crisis led to an acceleration in the use of digital media, as illustrated in a new EBU report on Digital Media Consumption Trends. SVOD (subscription-based video on demand) is driving the increase in time spent on non- linear video. The growth was especially strong in 2020. While the pandemic boosted non- linear viewing, in parallel more and more people stated they no longer watch traditional television. The trend is firmly Proportion of people who don’t watch traditional TV but stream or entrenched in the Nordic download television series or movies; % internet users aged 16-75 (Source: markets with more than 20% of AudienceProject Insights 2019 vs. 2020) people stating they are ‘pure streamers’. With respect to the reach of VOD services on smart TVs, SVOD is not the only platform to be boosted by the pandemic: the reach of AVOD (advertising- based video on demand) almost doubled between the beginning and the middle of 2020, to 58%.
MUSIC STREAMING Turning to listening trends, music streaming was one of the clear winners of 2020, showing a dramatic increase in time spent between 2017 and 2020, especially among young people. In Europe, Spotify is the outright Reach of VOD services in Europe by type; advertising, broadcaster, leader in the music streaming subscription, transactional; (Source: Samsung Ads – Europe (UK, Germany, market. France, Spain, Italy); 2020 user behaviour from 31+ million smart TVs) On the spoken content side, podcasts are trendy but usage remain rather low for now. The SOCIAL MEDIA some of the increases had podcast market is also fiercely Social media continues to be started to fade. By the end of competitive, as global platforms important in European lives and this year, and depending on the such as Spotify and Apple is the leading media by ‘time evolution of the pandemic, we Podcasts seek a piece of the spent’ for internet users aged might be able to analyse better action. Nevertheless, some PSM 16–24. Messaging platforms and how this boom in media podcast providers are resisting Facebook reach all age groups consumption will evolve. this competition, as shown in in equal measure. However, while Denmark. DR Lyd, the public the reach of Instagram and EBU Members can download media platform, is the leading TikTok is soaring, Facebook the Digital Media Consumption audio platform there for continues its free fall, especially Trends report by visiting podcasts in terms of reach among young people. ebu.ch/publications and among the 12+ group. As 2021 began, it seemed selecting Research.
18 tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | September 2021 Terhi Nikkilä I have beensaying for years that THE FUTURE? FOR MEDIATECHNOLOGY IN WHAT AREYOUR PREDICTIONS most. 2014 probably stands outthe UHD broadcast over HEVC in Facilitating theworld’s first live with anumberofhighlights. career inbroadcast innovation fortunate to have hadan eventful few thingscome to mind,asIam arrogant insaying that quite a Well, Idon’tmeanto sound SO FAR INYOUR CAREER? YOUR FINEST ACHIEVEMENT WHAT DOYOU CONSIDER AS media. shaping thefuture ofpublic all thosewonderful peopleon am really enjoying working with Programme onProduction andI chair oftheEBUStrategic currently fullyonmy new role as with ARD/SWR. Myfocus there is service mediaby takinguparole returned to my roots inpublic in Munichandearlierthisyear I career thirtyyears agoat theIRT I kicked off my professional RESPONSIBILITIES? WHAT AREYOUR CURRENT AND PRODUCTION,CONSULTANT, SWR DIRECTORATE TECHNOLOGY Stephan Heimbecher Recognizing young talent IN THESPOTLIGHT My dailybike ridesrelease stress THE WORKPLACE. YOUR INTERESTS AWAY FROM TELL USABOUTSOME OF back! Stay relevant! something new. Look ahead, not above), beflexible, bebrave, try with theunpredictable (see appeared onthescene. Keep up from across thepondhave today’s technology. New players experience, whichisenabledby different kindofmedia generations are longingfor a now outnumbered. Younger linear programming, etc.) are with traditional broadcast (i.e., The generations that grew up EBU MEMBERSTODAY? BIGGEST CHALLENGES FOR WHAT, FORYOU, ARETHE trend willcontinue inmany ways. turned upsidedown andthat User behaviour hasalready been distribution andconsumption. turn drive new formats for media for new digitalproducts whichin crystal ball:technology isadriver can say withoutgazinginto the prediction. However, thismuchI days isthat there isnoreliable the onlyreliable prediction these join thepublicservice mediacompany. work was animportantcriterion inherdecisionto opportunity to serve allFinnswiththeresults ofher for ashorttimeat acommercial company. The Helsinki andtheUniversity ofCambridge, sheworked apps. Following herstudies at theUniversity of findability of Yle content onitsonlineplatforms and open-source metadata tool that isimproving the nominated for herwork onadaptingand training an during the2021 Technical Assembly inJune. Engineers andResearchers Award, announced was thewinnerofinaugural EBUYoung Irene Nikkarinen, adata scientist with Finland’s Yle, With thecompany for less thanayear, shewas tech- i years back). stop for personal reasons afew Ribbon Germany (whichIhadto work asthefounder of Red still committed to AIDS charity almost three decades). AndIam actually ran hisfan clubfor especially ofElton John(and I amalsoabigmusicfan, trips openmy mindandform me. regular worldwide (non-business) and foster my creativity. My |tech.ebu.ch |September 2021 19 Stephan Heimbecher OUR COMMUNITY EBU BUSINESS CONCEPTS MODEL© THE VOCABULARY FOR PUBLIC SERVICE MEDIA ANALYSIS
User Need Media User Audience A desire a Media User A person a Media A group of Media Users. has and expects a Enterprise targets A specific case is the Media Enterprise to through its Value "target audience" of a fulfil. experiences Proposition to meet is part of Brand, which is the User Needs. Media Users group of Media Users for interact with the Media whom a Service Offering Enterprise’s Service (or part of) is intended. proceeds in Offerings during Contact Moments through a Touchpoint.
User Journey A succession of Contact interacts during Moments for an individual Media User.
Contact Moment belongs to The timespan a Media User spends on one Touchpoint, executing involves execution of allows consumption of one User Action, often involving one unit of Media Content.
happens at
User Action Touchpoint Media Content A User Action is what a Any way or means for a The result of an editorial Media User can "do" on Media User to get into process meant as a "unit a Touchpoint, e.g. contact with a Service of consumption". It tells a offers offers addresses watch, listen, read, like, Offering of a Brand. It story or shares an addresses share, comment. usually provides access experience by using any to Media Content and combination of moving allows the use of images, still images, sound, several User Actions. text, structured data and interaction possibilities.
fulfills delivered through targeted at
made operable by provides Service Offering A Branded package made available by a Media Enterprise to fulfil User Needs of a target Audience. It is made accessible through one or more Touchpoints, usually providing access to Media Content and allowing a set of User covers Actions carried out at a is recognized through Touchpoint.
provides
Value Proposition Media Enterprise Brand An organization that Owned by a Media Describes why anyone provides media Enterprise and typically should use a specific specific Service used to package a Service Offering. It should realizes does marketing through Offerings to Audiences. collection of Service convince potential Media Offerings, intended for a Users that the Service specific Audience, also Offering is of more value called its target Audience. to them than similar competitive offerings.
is represented by
tech.ebu.ch/business-concepts20 tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | September 2021