Business Voucher ■This Is What 4.6 M Look Like

COMPANY REPORT Uplink Provider

Zero Tape – Full HD

• all programming content stored as files • huge file-based electronic archive TELE-satellite Magazine • global content distribution • production and international playout www.TELE-satellite.info/12/01/CologneBroadcastingCenterBusiness Voucher ■This is what 4.6 m look like. of live coverage of German Bundesliga Direct Contact to Sales Manager We’re talking about the diameter of one of CBC’s uplink antennas soccer matches in the new Cologne Broadcasting Center. • fully equipped for HDTV

220 TELE-satellite International — The World‘s Largest Digital TV Trade Magazine — 12-01/2012 — www.TELE-satellite.com www.TELE-satellite.com — 12-01/2012 — TELE-satellite International — The World‘s Largest Digital TV Trade Magazine 221 COMPANY REPORT Uplink Provider ë The new Cologne Cologne Broadcasting Center in Germany

CBC has recently launched one the most modern broadcasting centers worldwide. It goes without saying that such a major project was not put into operation over night, but rather was a step- by-step process spanning several months. “In mid-2010 the first production units were able to move to the new center,” we learn from Achim Pauly, head of Communication & Marketing at CBC. Today, all companies and networks of German media enter- prise RTL Deutschland operate from the new CBC, which is located in premises directly on the banks of the Rhine river. What formerly used to be exhibition halls has turned into a top-notch and one of the leading media and broadcasting centers in the world, even though you’d be hard pressed to notice that right away, with historic facades meticulously preserved. Within the RTL media group CBC is in charge of production, post-production, technology, IT and content distribution. CBC

■Achim Pauly is the head of Communication & Marketing at CBC. Here he is seen right at the heart of CBC, overlooking the inner courtyard of the former exhibition halls on the Rhine river.

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222 TELE-satellite International — The World‘s Largest Digital TV Trade Magazine — 12-01/2012 — www.TELE-satellite.com ■ If you look was responsible for planning and imple- CBC is also the broadcasting center of II are offering their channels in HDTV between the two huge antennas you menting all structures and processes of choice for a number of content provid- at this point,” says Klinke. Naturally, are able to catch a the new broadcasting center in relation ers outside the RTL media group, such each network or channel decides inde- glimpse of Cologne pendently whether or not to offer HDTV. Cathedral, the to production, broadcasting and IT, and as Channel 21, for example, whose pro- city’s unmistakable now runs the operations. gram is also distributed via CBC. “We even have experience with 3D pro- landmark sight. RTL media group is a leading media Not only is CBC in charge of the tech- ductions,” Wilfried Klinke hastens to Media journalist Luo Shigang from corporation whose portfolio consists of nical aspects of broadcasting and play- add, providing further proof of CBC’s Shenzhen (China) is fully-owned free TV channels RTL Tel- out, but has turned into an full-service technical capabilities. up on the roof and puts the sheer size evision, VOX and n-tv, as well as share- provider. According to Fayad, “the new Originally, CBC was an offspring of of the antennas into holdings in RTL II and SUPER RTL and broadcasting center features four fully- the technical department of the VOX perspective. pay TV channels RTL Crime, Passion fledged studios, a range of sets for TV channel, which in its early days was and RTL Living. productions, as well as in excess of 70 positioned as in infotainment channel Mido Fayad heads the broadcasting post-production units. We also produce within the RTL media group and thus department and has some in-depth in- German Bundesliga live coverage for was equipped with state-of-the-art pro- formation: “Here in Cologne our broad- distribution outside Germany. On behalf duction and broadcasting equipment casting engineers and technicians look of Sportcast we offer complete match right from the start. CBC employees after the RTL, VOX and Super RTL net- coverage and produce highlight seg- Wilfried Klinke and Mido Fayad have works for Germany, Austria and Swit- ments in foreign languages.” CBC is live been with the business from those early zerland, as well as the special interest on air on all 34 match days of the year days. When the VOX technical depart- channels RTL Crime, RTL Living and and distributes Bundesliga broadcasts ment became CBC in 1994 they were Passion. In addition, we distribute the to more than 180 countries around the two specialists among 50. These days n-tv news channel from here. Our sec- globe. CBC has a staff of 500, 40 of which are ond location in Munich/Grünwald takes Project manager Wilfried Klinke steps in charge of broadcasting, which at CBC care of RTL II for Germany, Austria and in to add that all technology used is fully is called distribution. A much larger Switzerland.” HDTV compatible. “RTL, VOX and RTL share of employees is needed for con- tribution, which basically means content production. One of the high points at CBC is its electronic archive. “All broadcasts of RTL media group channels are saved in file format,” Mido Fayad explains while leading us to a high-security area of the building which houses the so-called ‘Contentbank’, a term CBC uses for its enormous file-based archiving system. ■ All signals from RTL media 9 petabyte of storage capacity are re- group are beamed to the quired to hold more than 160,000 hours satellites from this spot. These uplink antennas are of content. Burnt onto CDs and stapled located at CBC in Cologne one on top of the other you would end right on the banks of the Rhine river. up with a 16 km high pile of CDs; and that’s without jewel cases! Looking at this impressive electronic archive a question that comes to mind is availability of stored content from

224 TELE-satellite International — The World‘s Largest Digital TV Trade Magazine — 12-01/2012 — www.TELE-satellite.com www.TELE-satellite.com — 12-01/2012 — TELE-satellite International — The World‘s Largest Digital TV Trade Magazine 225 the early days of RTL channels. “We did have digital recordings”, explains project manager Wilfried Klinke, “but back then they were stored on video tapes. Those tapes had been archived in an area covering more than 2,000 square meters and using complex air-condi- tioning systems. In the course of several months we converted that data into files and fed them into our electronic archive.” Achim Pauly adds that “at CBC we have a totally tape-less workflow, with all processes being file-based.” CBC has extended its tape-less workflow even beyond its own premises by setting up a network linking major Ger- man cities, London and New York for exchanging content contributions. This network is based on a fibre-optic back- bone and can be used to hook up studios live on air via video-over-IP. For live coverage from places with no local studios CBC runs a fleet of SNG vehicles. Susanne Jumpelt, head of Broadcast- ing Sales & Marketing, has all the de- tails: “Our SNG vehicles are located in Berlin, Munich and Moscow, as well as two in Colgone. This strategic position- ing allows quick access to almost all places in Germany and Europe.” If you look up to the roof of the multi- storey car park next to the CBC premises an impressive antenna farm soars high into the sky. Of a total of 37 antennas a whopping five feature diameters of 4.6 m and are all used for signal up- 1 link. Mido Fayad, head of the broadcasting department, explains that “four of these giants are in permanent use, with three antennas pointing to ASTRA 19.2E and one to EUTELSAT 9E. The fifth 4.6 m antenna serves as back-up.” So what happens if a heavy down- pour moves through Cologne and reli- able signal uplink may be compromised due to the weather? Will all channels of RTL media group go blank for satellite viewers? “No way, because the weather is under constant observation here at CBC and as soon as a thunderstorm approaches we immediately switch the uplink from Cologne to our outlet in Grünwald near Munich. Their antennas take over all uplink tasks within a mat- ter of split seconds.

1. Project manager Wilfried Klinke in the antenna operating room. He reveals that he’s been a loyal TELE-satellite reader from day one in 1981. 2. One of the workstations in the main switching room. This is where satellite antennas are controlled using CBC’s 2 in-house PilotSat software.

226 TELE-satellite International — The World‘s Largest Digital TV Trade Magazine — 12-01/2012 — www.TELE-satellite.com ■ 13 broadcast playouts in Cologne and the Network Operation Center. 60 distribution channels are monitored and controlled in this NOC. [Photo: CBC/Dirk Schwarz]

228 TELE-satellite International — The World‘s Largest Digital TV Trade Magazine — 12-01/2012 — www.TELE-satellite.com www.TELE-satellite.com — 12-01/2012 — TELE-satellite International — The World‘s Largest Digital TV Trade Magazine 229 stop there. Four diesel generators with an output of 2.5 MW each can take over power supply at CBC in case a power failure in the public grid occurs. “Our emergency power supply is designed to provide enough energy to keep all technical installations up and running,” emphasises Wilfried Klinke. “And it can run endlessly, provided the tanks keep getting topped up with diesel fuel.” Even though to date this contingency plan never had to be activated it just goes to show how diligently CBC makes sure nothing can stop the production and distribution of content. Only the latest technology is good enough for CBC – everything runs with- 1 out tape and this is an ideal base for exploiting alternative distribution channels (such as IPTV, video-on-demand or mobile applications) as well. Even 3D is not out of the question for CBC, since all 1. Maicel Pancke is one of the Viewers will hardly notice anything months are particularly prone to fre- technical components do not only sup- broadcasting engineers in the NOC. other than possibly some interference quent thunderstorms which result in port full HD but are also 3D compatible. for tenths of a second, during which numerous uplink shifts between Munich The future has already arrived at CBC. 2. Susanne Jumpelt (centre) is the head of Broadcasting Sales & Marketing. satellite receivers need to re-sync. This and Cologne. “We have noticed in re- Apart from Teleport services she offers way we are able to achieve extremely cent years that severe weather events 3. This is what the CBC ‘Contentbank’ CBC’s SNG vehicles on the market, looks like. Behind a glass panel there whose transmissions are then received high reliability and 99.999% signal are increasing,” Mido Fayad notes. are rows of stapled data carriers. and distributed via the main switching uplink to the satellite.” The summer Yet, broadcasting reliability does not Mido Fayad, head of the broadcasting room. department, and his colleagues look after this huge content archive.

4. Meet Jürgen Lieder: He manages the main switching room and what he loves most is to coordinate the global playout of German Bundesliga soccer matches. Here he can be seen preparing the broadcasts of the 3 upcoming match day.

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