WBU-IMCG Forum Recap - Atlanta, GA

NORTH AMERICAN BROADCASTERS ASSOCIATION | SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2018

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John Ball, Turner / WBU-IMCG Chair The lead panel for the Forum was "Cyber Security – How Can Broadcasters Protect Their Operations

The World Broadcasting Unions – International and Keep Their Content Safe". We were fortunate ► WBU-IMCG Forum Recap Media Connectivity Group (WBU-IMCG) con- to again have John Lee, NABA Technical Commit- ► Director-General’s Report vened in Atlanta, Georgia for its bi-annual Forum tee Chair and Digital Engineering Consultant at on May 30-31, 2018. Fox, as the moderator. This sub- ► News from the CBU Turner hosted the ject remains to be high in terms ► NABA Common Metadata event at its Techwood of priority and importance as the Specifications Update Campus for two days increase of cyber attacks contin- ► NABA Announcements presenting and discuss- ues. The panelists were experts in ing important and information security from pro- ► NABA Events timely industry topics. grammers to industry service Participants included providers. This subject will con- broadcasters, satellite tinue to be part of future Forums operators, cyber secu- as our industry evolves into IP rity experts, social ecosystems. media representatives, and equipment suppli- Our next panel, "ATSC 3.0 – NABAcaster ers. There were tours What Does it Mean To A Broad- is published by and for members and friends of the North American organized for both caster", moderated by Sam Broadcasters Association ( NABA ) CNN Center and Intel- Matheny, EVP and CTO, NAB, sat’s Ellenwood facil- focused on the next generation of 205 Wellington St. W., Suite 9C200 ity the afternoon be- terrestrial broadcasting in the Toronto, ON M5V 3G7 Canada fore the forum, as well United States. This very infor- Tel.: +1 416-205-3363 as tours of the Tech- mative panel illustrated the bene- Fax: +1 416-205-2901 wood Campus at the fits and challenges with imple- [email protected] end of each day of the menting ATSC 3.0. There’s a

President Forum. promising future outlook with Richard Friedel terrestrial television that was John Ball, WBU-IMCG Chair, Opens the Director-General Jack Womack, SVP, unanimous with the subject ex- Forum Michael McEwen US News Operations, pert panelists. Editor Ashley Lloyd Spanton CNN, opened the Fo- Staff rum with special remarks in tribute to Dick Tauber, The session on "Contribution Newsgathering Tech- Anh Ngo a long time colleague and friend. Jack commented nologies", moderated by Mel Olinsky, Director, Jenn Hadfield that Dick’s passion for CNN and the industry never Operations, CBS News, focused on the evolution changed over his three decades at the company and of technologies available to news organizations and the endless contributions and high standards he set the growing need to originate IP from the field for newsgathering for the 24/7 News channel. Jack globally. Panelists included technology solution reflected on several stories about Dick, recognizing providers and broadcasters that discussed how to NABA-RRC ROUNDTABLE the tremendous impact he made to the industry and implement the latest technologies, training of staff, as chair of ISOG (the name of the Committee at the and best practices. The need for increased reliabil- Sept. 25, 2018 time). In closing, Jack thanked everyone for the ity and shrinking budgets will depend on the bene- Toronto, ON privilege of welcoming everyone to CNN/Turner fits of technology advancement. and sharing his memories of Dick. Continued on Next Page...

NABACASTER | SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2018

The session on 5G was moderated by meeting viewer expectations and efficien- Jeff Young, Legal and Technical Advisor, Simon Fell, WBU Technical Committee cies as the industry continues to adopt and NHK, moderated the next session on Chair. The very intriguing panelists dis- migrate to IP. "Artificial Intelligence – How is Innova- cussed what 5G is, its promise and some tion in AI Technology Changing Produc- difference of opinions in the timeframes of Following that, the "Future of VR and AR tion Workflows". The promising outlook, its practical implementation. 5G holds a in News and Documentary Filmmaking" especially in the subtitle/captioning area lot of potential and several with gains in accuracy, was examples were shared on how demonstrated live by using our industry could benefit. Google's speech engine Web- This topic will certainly be captioner. We plan to extend featured again in future Fo- this topic in the future to in- rums. clude multiple languages real- time speech to captioning We had an update on the pro- translation. gress of the HEVC Interop- erability Test Program given The "New Trends in Media by Tom Gibbon, Legal and and Video Contribution and Technical Advisor, NHK. The Delivery" session was moder- program is progressing with ated by Michael McEwen, October as the target date for Director-General, North final participant testing hosted American Broadcasters Asso- at Intelsat facilities. There ciation, with panelists repre- have been several challenges senting the range of service/ along the path of testing with solution providers across our securing compliant content industry. The theme echoed and all the related elements. Panel 1.2: Cyber Security - How Can Broadcasters Protect Their the importance of the cus- The program should come to Operations and Keep Content Safe? - Moderated by John Lee, Fox tomer and the comment by its conclusion at the end of Usman at the beginning of the October with test results be- day: "we have moved from ing shared at the next Forum. content to customer as king in the digital evolution". The Nigel Fry, Head Distribution, consumers want ease of use, BBC World Service, provided the "watch when, where, and an update on the WBU- how" is driven by them. Face- Intentional Interference to book, Amazon, Netflix and Satellite Services Working Google (FANGs) have Group Report, followed by changed the landscape in how Martin Coleman, Executive broadcasters/programmers Director, IRG, with the latest need to deliver content, both update on Satellite Interfer- in contribution and to the con- ence Reduction efforts. sumer.

We closed the first day with a Winston Caldwell, VP, Spec- tour of Turner studios and trum Engineering, Advanced wonderful tribute reception in Engineering, Fox, pulled to- honor of Dick Tauber. Our gether the "Spectrum Issues industry colleagues were so and Update" panel. The topic kind and gracious, sharing Panel 2.1: The Future of VR and AR in News and Documentary continues to spark many with fond stories and gratitude to a Filmmaking - Moderated by Anna Bressanin, BBC the North America UHF re- person that touched so many. pack and repurpose of a por- Special thanks to Cen- tion of C-Band spectrum, plus turyLink, Eutelsat, and CNN for sponsor- session was moderated by Anna Bressanin, the wide use of wireless RF equipment ing the reception. Multimedia Editor, BBC. Once thought to used in the industry (microphones, etc). be primarily for the game industry, VR Several delegates voiced concerns that We began day two with a keynote address and AR are gaining traction in movie perceived 5G needs will continue to pres- from Usman Shakeel, Worldwide Leader, shorts and in our news organization to sure satellite industry on frequency hand- Media and Enterprise, Amazon AWS. The provide enhanced viewer experience in back and that this will become a global focus of remarks were the evolving media storytelling. trend. workflows pivoting from end-to-end, Continued on Next Page...

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NABACASTER | SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2018

The next session, "IP Evolution and the can be shared, edited, reviewed simultane- well received and this continues to chart Enabling Opportunities to Integrate Cloud, ously and getting the content to the con- our way forward in future Forums. File Delivery, Data Centers and Satellites" sumer quickly. was moderated by yours We closed the Forum by an- truly. The panel focused on nouncing the Fall Forum host: the ways and means of mi- the EBU in Geneva on Novem- grating and operating seam- ber 29-30. lessly across IP infrastruc- tures to increase efficien- Thanks to our sponsors: cies and the importance of Arqiva, CNN, CenturyLink, shaping our digital strate- Dejero Labs and Eutelsat. As gies including the growth we celebrate the successful need in CDNs. Examples of Forum and the tremendous con- high profile events are cre- tributions, credit goes to Anh ating greater demands on Ngo, Michael McEwen, Vice- CDNs to maintain the con- Chairs Joe Shimizu and sumer expectations of Kazimir Bacic, Tom Gibbon viewing experience. and Jeff Young, the planning committee, the gracious work The final session, "Cloud: of the moderators and panelists, Innovation for News", was and our attendees. As noted in moderated by John Lee, last year's report, the bar was and expert panelists dis- Panel 2.3: New Trends in Media and Video Contribution and D raised and we successfully cussed how our newsrooms elivery - Moderated by: Michael McEwen, NABA raised the bar again for this have changed from the past Forum, with thanks to everyone and now are on an evolu- mentioned above. Special note tionary scale. The panelists shared com- The attendance for both days was at or of thanks to the Turner team for their ments that cloud already plays an impor- near capacity and we received positive warm welcome and southern hospitality. ∎ tant role and noted the benefits of cloud feedback on the sessions, the demos (SES technologies examples. Points also in- 4K HD, Inmarsat, Arqiva, Dejero). The cluded the speed of which a news story range and depth of the panel topics were

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for our collective future. It divisions. In trying to help progress of a Director-General’s Report will be a busy few new technology, with obvious benefits to Michael McEwen, NABA months. citizens, all interested parties should work I am writing this to do no harm to existing and well used report as the We had a very successful WBU Interna- practices. Stay tuned as this issue will oc- “dog days” of tional Media Connectivity Group (WBU cupy some of our best minds over the summer are just -IMCG) Forum in Atlanta at the end of behind us. For May, hosted by Turner. It has been years coming while. The WBU-TC will meet those of us liv- since I have been to the Turner Campus again in person at IBC on September 16. ing in Northern and I must admit I was stunned at their climes, summer facility. With over a hundred people at- We had a TC Meeting on June 19th and a seems all too tending, topics ranged from an explanation Board of Directors' meeting on July 10th, fleeting, even with climate change. Since of the business and operating benefits of both of those hosted by CBS in New York, the last issue of NABAcaster we have had ATSC 3.0, to New Trends in Media and so the summer has not been entirely spent a number of interesting meetings and Video Contribution and Delivery. sitting by the pool or at the cottage. An- events. other TC Meeting hosted by Corus in To- This Forum continues to deliver on cutting The NABA Legal Committee (LC) along edge technology and operations, particu- ronto followed on September 5th, and as with the World Broadcasting Unions’ larly in the area of international collection we begin to gear up for the fall, our agenda WIPO Broadcaster Treaty Working and delivery. John Ball from Turner chairs includes our next Board of Directors’ Group (WBU-WIPO BTWG) are finally this group with support from Joe Shimizu meeting hosted by Bell Media in Montreal seeing possible movement at WIPO on a (NHK) and Kazimir Bacic (HRT). Along new Broadcaster Treaty, which would and a Resilience and Risk Committee with help from the planning group, they Roundtable hosted by CBC in Toronto, protect broadcast signals in the digital age. have created tremendous learning and This could include signals for over-the-air, sharing events for broadcasters and service both at the end of September. Our normal cable, satellite and on the internet for catch suppliers alike. For more details from this committee meetings will continue through- -up services. Signal piracy is an increasing forum, see John Ball’s recap in this issue out the next couple of months. problem, particularly for those who dis- of NABAcaster. The next Forum will be in tribute services internationally, and as we Geneva the end of November. The Radio Committee (RC) is working move to all IP-based platforms it will only on having their 4th Future of Radio and worsen. The WBU Technical Committee (WBU- Audio Symposium (FRAS) and should be

TC) met face-to-face in Manchester in mid announcing the date shortly. The Secre- This is why we have spent many years -June and then went on to spend two days tariat is also working with some of our working with WIPO to realize a stronger at the European Broadcasting Union's protection for the broadcast signal in a (EBU) Technical Assembly. At the TC members’ News Executives on a Next- digital age. But each member country of meeting, Cyber Security was discussed, as Generation News Symposium early in WIPO has their own agenda (as do many well as a statement on the protection of C- the new year. So, some exciting things are NGOs like NABA and the WBU) and so it band for broadcasters. The statement was in the works. is hard to find a consensus. In recent signed off and sent to the Secretaries/ months we have seen a great willingness Directors-General of the WBU, where they Clyde Smith has retired from Fox. As I by member countries to address the issue approved it at their face-to-face meeting in and find a consensus on proceeding to a think most of you know, he has been lead- Tirana, Albania on June 26th. The state- ing our Common Metadata Specifications Diplomatic Conference. ment was then released publicly and can for File Formats for almost five years now. be found on our website here. We will watch very carefully at the WIPO As he retires, we are in the final stages of General Assembly (coming up at the end It is clear that governments and regulators putting these specifications into SMPTE’s of September) to see if they will authorize will be looking to C-band for 5G imple- BXF and IMF standards. Clyde has a ma- a process to have a Diplomatic Conference mentation, so our statement was done to jor overview of the work to date in this in 2019, which would give the opportunity remind them that the band is critical for edition of NABAcaster and says it is now to produce a Treaty that would better pro- both collection and delivery of content and time for our members to implement this tect our signals. Leadership by key players broadcast signals. Currently there are on- work in planning their next cycle of capital and regions like the U.S., the EU, Japan, going consultations and proposed rule investments. Africa, Argentina, Brazil and many others making in the U.S., Canada and indeed Please read the article and discuss within will be critical to success. Broadcasters other parts of the world. It is a complex your company what and how you can im- from all the World Broadcasting Unions and difficult issue with some of our mem- plement this work and reap the workflow need to discuss with their governments the ber companies finding themselves with benefits. importance of this kind of treaty protection opposing interests in different company Continued on Next Page...

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Multiple File Formats were identified as a board for implementation and we believe note out to you all from our President, major operating hurdle by virtually every the rest of the world will get there as well. Richard Friedel (21stCF), but we have member of NABA. We responded with This is a tool whose time has come. included that note in this edition since you work done by Clyde and his group, in part- may have missed it on your summer break. nership with the U.K.-based Digital Pro- We will miss Clyde’s constant presence at Joe was truly a legend and innovator in our duction Partnership (DPP), to create the the TC and Board meetings and the multi- industry and was a huge part of NABA for necessary specifications that met our oper- ple weekly teleconferences. I can’t thank more than two decades. His memory lives ating requirements and then place them in him enough for his leadership, energy and on through those innovations that made SMPTE standards that provide for consis- patience on this project. It is a job very television what it is today. tency and longevity. We are presenting well done. Our best wishes to Clyde and this work to broadcast equipment suppliers his wife Kay as they enjoy their retirement I look forward to the months ahead and and making them aware that broadcasters in Florida. And maybe, just maybe, we can working with you to help realize your will require these specifications when re- talk Clyde into a project now and then. agenda.∎ placing their equipment. The UK has im- Finally, I want to note the passing of Dr. plemented, most of Europe is also on Joseph A. Flaherty (CBS). We did get a

News from the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) Building Resilience to Climate Change

Gary Allen, President, CBU cilities must be a priority for the region. distress, with incredulous content pulled from elsewhere in the world The CBU was proud to host the and labelled as being from one Public Media Alliance (PMA) of our Caribbean territories in 2018 Global Conference and distress, with the shoe on our CBU 49th Annual General As- foot, we knew it was not sembly in Kingston, Jamaica funny. on August 13, 2018. What fol- lows are the opening remarks We only have to recall that it by CBU President Gary Allen, was the indigenous, the credi- CEO of RJRGLEANER Com- ble and the reliable public munications Group. interest broadcasters that were relied upon to restore credibil- The CBU’s Assembly takes ity. place under the theme: “Building Resilience to Cli- That is why we at the CBU mate Change: Business, Tech- were pleased last year to work nology and Content Options with the Canadian Broadcast- for Caribbean Media.” This ing Corporation (CBC/Radio- theme resonates in our land of Canada) and the British wood and water; which is often Opening Ceremony Photo including the Boards of the CBU and the Broadcasting Corporation Public Media Alliance with the Prime Minister, Mr. Andrew Holness hit by drought, floods, hurri- (BBC) in delivering broad- canes and earthquakes. casting equipment to those affected in Anguilla, Dominica and the The catastrophic hurricane season of Sep- I submit to you that, in the absence of in- Turks and Caicos Islands in the wake of tember 2017 was an unwelcomed reminder digenous media as committed to our peo- their hurricane impact – to restore reliable of our vulnerabilities. The public interest ples’ interest as we broadcasters are, the broadcasting. media who are members of our Union region will suffer serious consequences. have always recognised and shouldered We only have to think back to the fact that Over the past year, the challenges of our our responsibility to provide life-saving leaders of affected countries and territories industry have affected all of us who are information to mitigate and assist with like Dominica had to turn to us broadcast- dependent on declining broadcast and print recovery from natural and other hazards ers to speak to their people and keep them advertising revenues. However, I must which may result in disaster. But little calm before and after catastrophic events. take time to note our ongoing concern for attention has been paid to the media’s own the challenges of CaribVision - the re- vulnerability to the added risks of climate When some were making fun of people’s gional and Diaspora channel operated by change – climate-proofing our media fa- adversity and confusing populations in Continued on next page... Page | 5

NABACASTER | SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2018 our partially owned subsidiary company, opening of the CBU Assembly by the cur- While that is done, we appeal for the au- the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC). rent Chairman of CARICOM (and also thorities to ensure that all countries in our Prime Minister of Jamaica) that the dis- region take steps for the prevention of ana- The channel continues to struggle, in spite connect between policy determination, logue television waste material being of having a strong contribution of regional implementation and acceptance, in the dumped on our markets and that our peo- content and being accessed in more than integration movement, often has to do with ple are sufficiently informed and educated two dozen territories in the region as well little or no consistent communication and a about the various aspects of this significant as in global Diaspora communities. lack of information. set of changes.

And yet, after a decade and a half of inten- Without a healthy, reliable and credible We must also draw attention to the con- sive efforts, it has not been able to find a media environment in the region, there is cern we have had in Jamaica, Suriname, viable and sustainable business model, insufficient information on which our peo- and Trinidad and Tobago with some of the largely we believe, because it has been ple can base their decisions and under- content of draft legislation aimed at put- treated as separate from the other regional standing of regional business, education, ting necessary laws in place for Data Pro- integration institutions. disaster management, national security, tection. justice and other imperatives for the re- In spite of its reach and the value of the gion. We will deliberate upon some of these North American, the Diaspora and the issues in our conference, but must make it regional tourism markets, Caribvision still We are at a time of tremendous change for clear that Caribbean media will not yield does not get even the rounding errors in our industry from analogue to digital ter- our editorial independence; we will not the tens of millions of US tourism dollars restrial television broadcasting. Some of reveal sources to any authority and we will spent to woo prospective visitors it reaches our members have started the process not accept a law that will fine or imprison in some of these same markets where our while others are struggling to start. publishers for not meeting Data Protection tourism authorities are spending heavily Laws that breach the fundamentals of a with foreign media. This will certainly be a matter discussed free media and the right of the people to again in our Assembly. We once more call hold authorities accountable. It is our view that together we have to on our regulators and policy makers to strengthen our crucial institutions, if as a collaborate where they can in the region In closing, let me express a note of per- region we are to be stronger. and to take deliberate steps to ensure that sonal thanks and gratitude for the support I indigenous broadcasters are allowed to have received over the course of my first We take note that our leaders of the Carib- transition in a manner that retains their year as your President. In 2019, I look bean Community have again recommitted viability and competitiveness – one that forward to welcoming you to San Andres themselves to a more progressive and de- allows them to enter the full range of me- Island, Colombia where the CBU will liberate integration movement. dia and communications services that the celebrate its fiftieth Assembly. ∎ new broadcast technologies allow. We remind our leaders, represented at the

NABA Common Metadata Specifications for File Formats Working Group Update

Clyde Smith, formerly Fox casters and industry associations such as One of the foundational principles of the the Digital Production Partnership (DPP), NABA-DPP work was to use existing For the past five years, Clyde Smith the Society of Motion Picture and Televi- technology where possible to address these (recently retired from Fox) has been lead- sion Engineers (SMPTE), the Advanced interoperability issues. Therefore, one of ing our Common Metadata Specifications Media Workflow Association (AMWA), the key early activities in this initiative for File Formats working group, who are the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), was an effort to identify already-existing in the final stages of putting these specifi- the International Association of Broadcast standards and activities that could be con- cations into SMPTE’s BXF and IMF stan- Manufacturers (IABM) and Ad-ID, repre- strained to accomplish our goals. In addi- dards. The following is a detailed over- senting the American Association of Ad- tion, the organizations each made plans to view of the work to date and what remains vertising Agencies and the Association of minimize future interoperability issues in to be done in the coming months. We thank National Advertisers (ANA) - identified light of changes driving the industry’s Clyde for all his hard work. key areas in which broadcasters, program emerging business and technical require- producers and distributors, as well as their ments. Each organization then identified What has been done? manufacturing partners, were having inter- and created a roadmap of actionable NABA, working with its member organi- operability issues in file-based program zations - the major North American Broad- exchange. Continued on next page...

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NABACASTER | SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2018 activities to address identified issues. They vironment of specification and standards frame rates, image size, etc.), a specifica- have pursued these activities in order to tion should contain a single set or closely deviation and ambiguity to an environment improve existing, as well as future, work- of compatibility, clarity, and compliance, related set of constraints and requirements. flows and thus minimize interoperability with the attendant benefits of reduced issues. costs and improved automation, accuracy, Early on in this process two specific work- efficiency and flexibility. flow types were identified: What were the challenges identified? 1. Some organizations required imme- The members identified diate support for deliv- challenges in existing ery of completed pro- workflows relating to grams as files for on Metadata, Identity, For- air usage. These or- mats, Content Delivery, ganizations had seg- Standards, Cost, Transcod- mented workflows ing, Specifications, Pack- with separate media aging and Quality. Some process organization members were also con- for each distribution cerned about not repeating channel and require past and current issues as multiple file deliveries they planned and imple- in multiple formats for mented future workflows each program. that could also support the ability to rapidly evolve 2. A second work- and address emerging Clyde Smith during the File Format Education Seminars in 2017 flow type was also changes in the marketplace required for organiza- impacting both business tions that were modi- and technical requirements. Key among Why Are Specifications Needed? fying their workflows to support a these requirements were the increasing There are two primary users of specifica- single unified media processing number of versions required for existing tions: organization, which would receive a workflows, as well as future requirements 1. Groups of companies working to- single delivery and from that create for UHD in 1080p, 2160p, HDR, SDR, gether and non-standards accredited all the required versions for all and support for multiple color spaces. organizations, which represent such forms of distribution including on groups. These groups agree to use a air usage. NABA identified that the development and constrained set of published stan- adoption of Commonly Defined Program dards to meet their specific use case This led to the creating of two classifica- Delivery Specifications, enhanced with requirements, harmonize workflows tions of program delivery specifications: improved metadata and adding the capa- and facilitate interoperability. 1. The first type of workflow would be bilities for machine to machine specifica- supported by Air Ready Masters to tion, fulfillment and quality control, would 2. Single companies that require a support these existing workflows, enable increased automation and accuracy specifically constrained set of stan- while enabling innovation such as at a scale that could address the exploding dards for delivery from a wide enhanced metadata, automated number of versions and variations, while range of external organizations. specification, delivery and Q.C. in also reducing both costs and time to mar- traditional workflows for play to air ket. In an increasingly worldwide market, clar- use cases. ity is the best and simplest way to mini- Another goal of these Commonly Defined mize incompatibility, cost and confusion. 2. The second type of workflow would Program Delivery Specifications would be Standards documents must be used, but be supported by Library Masters in to reduce total costs of acquisition, opera- since standards are created to support a both HD and UHD to support tion and ongoing support for workflow broad set of workflows, often the exact emerging workflows where files are infrastructure, as well as reduce the identi- user requirements may require support of a reprocessed to create Air Ready fied interoperability problems. The adop- specific set of sections and sub-sections Masters, VOD files, files for online applications, OTT files for distribution and use of Commonly Defined Pro- from many different standards documents. tion on platforms such as Netflix, gram Delivery Specifications enhanced In addition, when options exist in these Amazon, iTunes, etc., as well as with improved metadata also reduces the standards, the user requirements frequently internally required versions. total number of specifications across the need to cite very specific sets of parame- industry, in the marketplace and the indi- ters within each of the cited documents. While the requirements for distribu- vidual variations of company specific Whereas a standard often includes more tion versions were obvious, it specifications. Such changes would move than one option or set of parameters (e.g. Continued on next page... file-based workflows from the current en-

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was also deemed important to for Interoperable Master Format Library Masters support internal versioning to (IMF). To address the Library Master workflow,

provide interoperability between NABA, working with the DPP and systems and segments in the Air Ready Masters SMPTE, is supporting the development workflow for both the program To address these requirements, the group and publication of two new specifications. essence and essence proxies has developed program delivery Technical These specifications support both HD and which support the organization’s Specifications for: UHD Library Masters in HDR with color legacy business and technical sub-sampling of 4:2:2 or 4:4:4 (as re- system requirements. 1. NABA Air Ready Master AS-11 X- quested by broadcasters) and the color 8 supporting MPEG 2 space as defined in ITU-R BT 2100. This requirement was based on the fact that since most organiza- 2. NABA Air Ready Master AS-11 X- In one specification, compression is sup- tions cannot migrate all segments 9 supporting MPEG 4 ported with J2k, and the other specifica- of their business to a completely tion supports Apple ProRes. Both specifi- new “green field” workflow over- 3. NABA Air Ready Master support- cations are based on the SMPTE IMF (ST- night, it was deemed important to ing UHD 2067) suite of standards and will be the support internal versioning that first of a new document type referred to as provides interoperability between The first two specifications were published SMPTE Technical Specifications (TSPs). workflow system segments, as as a work in progress at NAB 2016. They TSPs complement SMPTE Standards and well as legacy back office sys- utilize a rules-based approach developed provide support for specific and rapidly tems, that support an organiza- when AMWA and the BBC decomposed evolving business requirements, technolo- tion’s business and technical re- AS-11 into a set of block-based rules. gies and workflows. quirements. These blocks contain standard citations, with all the valid and appropriate modes The first SMPTE TSP has been published To address these challenges, five specific and options, which represent these rules. as document number "SMPTE TSP enabling activities were identified: This approach makes it easier to build new 2121:2018" and is titled "IMF Application 1. The development of commonly specifications and to reuse specific blocks DPP (ProRes)." This specification was agreed-to delivery specifications across multiple specifications to improve created with SMPTE and the DPP in the based on workflow specific con- interoperability at reduced costs. They also lead roles and defined the new document straints to existing standards or sup- support specific requirements for regional process, as well as the specification itself. ported by extensions to standards in business, technical, and regulatory needs NABA worked in conjunction with the development. from these blocks. They express the speci- DPP to create and document business and fication in a software-based approach in technical requirements, and with SMPTE 2. The development of machine read- both a programmer and “Machine on the process and review of the proposed able representations of these specifi- Friendly” way. draft documents. NABA is taking the lead cations to support automated order- with SMPTE and working on a second ing and fulfillment of program con- After extensive and rigorous testing, the X TSP, which will also be IMF based and tent via the SMPTE Broadcast Ex- -8 and X-9 specifications were updated to will support the use of J2k. It is anticipated change Format (BXF) Standard. remove some legacy requirements that had to be completed and published by the end not been utilized and add some required of 2018. 3. The development of machine read- additional functionality. Working with able representations of these specifi- AMWA and DPP, appropriate changes Interoperable Master Format cations to support automated quality were made to the rules base, as well as the The Interoperable Master Format (IMF) control of the resulting files via specification that it represents. was specifically created by the major stu- BXF and EBU I/O Q.C. dios, the Entertainment Technology Center The third NABA Air Ready Master Speci- and SMPTE to facilitate workflow auto- fication, supporting UHD, was developed 4. The development of improved file mation used in producing content for multi in 2017-18, working in coordination with identity to support automated meas- -regional and multi-platform distribution. urement, management and im- major North American Broadcasters’ staff IMF has also been adopted by OTT pro- proved monetization of assets via and based upon their requirements input. viders, such as Netflix, as well as major the SMPTE Open Binding Identifi- This specification provides for the delivery cation, SMPTE IMF, SMPTE and playout of content in 1920 x 1080 with broadcasters, such as the BBC. IMF is UUID and EIDR. HDR and 3840 x 2160 in HDR with color promising to be a universal distribution sub-sampling of 4:2:0 or 4:2:2. The color format that significantly decreases the 5. The development of support for space is supported as defined in ITU-R BT number of duplicate file versions that are efficient, accurate and automated 2100. Compression is supported with mul- needed by video publishers all over the version production based on the tiple codecs suitable for on air playout. world to deliver content to the viewer. utilization of the SMPTE Standards Continue on next page...

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IMF enables efficient and well managed dressed the key interoperability issues it and Parallel Scaling has permitted a two identified as plaguing existing on-air op- and a half hour program version to be fully automated processes required for the production of specific versions supporting erations. Broadcasters may freely adopt rendered in just six minutes. The use of content versioning for cultural and regula- these specifications to see the benefits of component-based essence, rich metadata, tory needs, as well as required technical reduced costs, improved automation, effi- the CPL, OPL and UUID in IMF also fa- differences in frame rate, resolution, color ciency, accuracy, identification and inter- cilitate the analysis of workflow for each operability in their on-air operations today content version enabling predictable/ space, dynamic range, and audio formats, and in their future UHD operations. controllable costs for traditional on- for diverse platform distribution. A key premises or Cloud infrastructure. benefit of IMF is that it allows for very With the creation and adoption of the Li- efficient versioning of content. A single brary Masters, NABA has addressed the The use of SMPTE BXF standards for all IMF package contains a single copy of the key interoperability issues and require- of these specifications, as well as the use audiovisual essence components, and any ments it identified for converged media of UUID, Ad-ID and EIDR, are also key to components of alternative essences, re- operations workflows. Converged media creating and operating highly automated, quired to produce a virtually unlimited operations workflows produce cost effi- efficient, accurate, measurable, cost effec- number of versions by using XML instruc- ciencies through improved automation, tive and interoperable workflows. tions in the Composition Play List (CPL), efficiency, accuracy, identification and for content change requirements and Out- interoperability in content creation, distri- Next Steps put Profile List (OPL) for technical re- bution and storage. With the nearing completion of the full set quirements. of NABA, DPP and SMPTE Specifica- The workflows enable automating the con- tions, efforts in NABA will move forward Since the Library Masters were to be used tent supply chain, eliminate the delivery with promoting understanding and adop- to create Air Ready Masters, VOD files, and storage of multiple duplicative ver- tion across the industry. files for online applications, OTT files for sions, enable greater workflow efficiencies distribution on platforms such as such as for global exchange and reduce QC costs. The NABA Board of Directors are moving Netflix, Amazon, iTunes, etc., the require- In addition, the archive storage require- forward with the planning of new activities ments inherited certain characteristics of ments to recreate multiple versions is re- supporting education and promotion of specifications from those applications for duced. these specifications to enable program parameters such as codecs, color space, producers, distributors, broadcasters and resolution, “native” frame rate, no 3/2 IMF also creates significant economies of broadcast manufacturers to leverage the pulldown, etc. scale. For example, in global versioning benefits of these specifications. ∎ operations, storage savings have been Some have expressed concerns about util- demonstrated to range from 90% to 420%, izing frame-based codecs as opposed to long GOP codecs. To enable versioning, IMF is component based with the smallest component being a single edit unit or frame. The codecs used on these specifications are therefore a higher data rate than long GOP codecs, however this higher data rate is the key to efficient versioning by reuse of common components. This component reuse produces efficiencies for storage, transport, and processing that far outweigh the con- sideration of codec efficiencies.

Benefits Achieved The Simplifying Video File Workflow brochure that was created for the File Formats Seminars. With the creation and Click the image for the full version of the brochure. adoption of the Air Ready Masters, NABA has ad-

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NABACASTER | SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2018 In Memoriam - Dr. Joseph A. Flaherty

Dr. Joseph A. Flaherty died on Aug 7th. We, in the North American Broadcasters Association, share a profound sense of loss with his CBS family and the wider broadcast community around the world. We offer our sincere condolences to Joe’s wife Jan, his five children and eight grand- children for their loss.

As documented by his long time CBS colleague, Robert Seidel, (click here for full article), Joe’s achievements changed how we watched television in ways that fifty years ago couldn’t be imag- ined. Joe brought these ideas to NABA where he spent many years in our Technical Committee and almost a decade as its Chair. He also was a member of NABA’s Board of Directors and par- ticipated in and chaired the World Broadcasting Unions' Technical Committee. He truly had a global presence and influence.

Joe’s vision, knowledge and diligence in seeing his projects - big or small - realized across our industry is a singular achievement that is remarkable in itself. The contributions and impact that Joe made in our industry is a lasting legacy that will keep Joe's spirit very much a part of our ongoing professional experience.

Richard Friedel, NABA President

Antonio Arcidiacono Appointed EBU Director of Technology & Innovation

Antonio Arcidiacono has been appointed as the EBU’s new Director of Technology & Innovation. An internationally acclaimed expert in digital television, satellite communications, IP-based multimedia services and mobile telecommunications, Antonio has extensive experience in conceiving, developing and taking new products and services to market. We welcome Antonio to the EBU!

NABA Legal Committee Publishes Piracy Paper

NABA’s Legal Committee (LC) has recently published a paper with information about battling piracy devices and apps that allow consumers easy access to live channel or on-demand pirated content for their television set. The paper outlines recent cases with respect to piracy devices and apps, along with various approaches that are being explored to address this issue and the next steps industry stakeholders can take to combat the illegal streaming of copyrighted content. The full paper can be read on the NABA website here.

NABA-RRC Roundtable Discussion September 25th at CBC/Radio-Canada in Toronto, ON

The NABA Resilience and Risk Committee (RRC) will hold their second in-person Roundtable discussion on Tuesday, Sep- tember 25 at CBC/Radio-Canada in Toronto, ON. This comes following a successful first roundtable meeting in March, 2018. Chaired by John Moore (Fox), the Roundtable will provide an opportunity to have full and frank discussions about safety, security and risk issues that all of our member companies face. All members from NABA are welcome to attend this meeting. For more information, please contact the NABA Secretariat. Page | 10

NABACASTER | SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2018

NABA Welcomes New Member Microsoft

We are thrilled to welcome Microsoft back to the NABA family as an Affiliate Member. Microsoft has been both an Affiliate and an As- sociate member spanning the late nineties to 2006. Their renewed membership will reside in their Worldwide Media & Entertainment division. We look forward to working with Microsoft on our NABA committees and forums.

Looking Ahead - Key Dates & Upcoming Events

Date Event Location

September 13 - 18 IBC 2018 Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Sept 24 - Oct 2 Assemblies of the Member States of WIPO (58th Series) Geneva, Switzerland

September 25-28 NAB Radio Show Orlando, Florida

September 25 NABA Resilience & Risk Committee (RRC) Roundtable Toronto, Ontario

September 28 NABA Board of Directors (BoD) In-Person Meeting Montreal, Quebec

Sept 30 - Oct 5 ABU General Assembly & Associated Meetings Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

October 1 - 5 CTA Technology & Standards Forum Los Angeles, California

October 2 - 4 ASBU 11th meeting of TV Program Standing Committee & Seminar Tunis, Tunisia

October 2 - 4 ATSC F2F Meetings Los Angeles, California

October 3 NABA Legal Committee (LC) Meeting [ Teleconference ]

October 9 - 11 2018 IEEE Broadcast Symposium (BTS) Arlington, Virginia

October 13 - 14 ASBU 54th Technical Committee Meeting Tunis, Tunisia

October 15 - 16 VSF Meeting Series New York, New York

October 15 - 25 ITU-R WP6A / WP6B / WP6C Geneva, Switzerland

October 17 - 18 NAB Show East New York, New York

October 22 - 25 SMPTE 2018 Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition Los Angeles, California

Oct 29 - Nov 16 ITU Plenipotenciary Conference 2018 (PP-18) Dubai, United Arab Emirates

A complete list of upcoming events is available at: http://nabanet.com/calendar/

The NABAcaster newsletter is available online at: http://nabanet.com/nabacaster/