MEDIA TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION ISSUE 46- • DECEMBERi 2020 Meet 2020’s T&I Award winners
Plus • CR42: the control room reimagined at RTBF • Unlocking the potential of AI for data journalism at France tv •The growing problem of Cyberattacks on EBU Members and more...
tech-i | tech.ebu.chtech.ebu.ch/subscribe | December 2020 1 Issue 46 • December-i 2020
Cover story: Pages 5 to 9 of this issue feature articles from the winners 4 6 and runners-up of this year’s EBU Technology & Innovation Award. The cover photo shows the award itself in front of a touchscreen user interface for Control Room 42, from joint winner RTBF. HACKED Editor-in-Chief: Antonio Arcidiacono Managing Editor: Patrick Wauthier Editor: Eoghan O’Sullivan [email protected] Design: Louise Tait 9 10 Printed on FSC certified paper by Graphius (FSC CO14767)
© European Broadcasting Union All rights reserved. The reproduction of articles in tech-i is authorized only with the written permission of the Contents publishers. The responsibility for views 3 A natural vaccine for misinformation expressed in tech-i rests solely with the authors. Antonio Arcidiacono on amplifying the reach and accessibility of PSM’s trusted content 4 News and events 5 Control Room 42: the control room reimagined RTBF has created a software-based control room 6 Unlocking the potential of AI for data journalism New data-based tools for journalists at France Télévisions 7 Licence to roam: Yle’s mojo-enabled reporters Mobile journalism has become the norm for regional news operations 8 Automated subtitles on a 24/7 news channel TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION Get an edge NPO has broken new ground with its Autotitling Live solution 9 Putting clearer audio at the fingertips of all viewers • Our goal is to be an incubator to Next Generation Audio trials at BBC seek to improve accessibility advance media technology. • We catalyse innovations so they 10 Stuff happens (to EBU Members too) deliver for all players Cyberattacks, both random and targeted, are becoming an • We stimulate active collaboration so that you get more than innovative increasing problem technology – you get a real 11 Partner Profiles: ETSI competitive advantage. Setting standards for tomorrow’s broadcasting models Sign up to receive tech-i magazine, 12 An increasingly complex picture for video codecs EBU Technology & Innovation newsletters or event alerts: tech.ebu. David Wood on the proliferation of coding systems ch/subscribe 13 Sustainability Matters: Shooting drama sustainably in France
EBU Members are encouraged to The measures taken for a recent France TV series follow and contribute to the work 14 Original content dominates for PSM VOD platforms of our Strategic Programmes and The latest research from the EBU Media Intelligence Service Communities of Practice. 15 In the spotlight: Sinan Soyturk Visit: tech.ebu.ch/ourwork Head of Media Technology and Operations at TRT, Turkey
2 tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | December 2020 EDITORIAL A vaccine against misinformation
Antonio Arcidiacono, Director of Technology & Innovation, EBU
I believe that we are on independent information the cusp of a revolution sources. in media innovation in EBU Members are in a Europe. At its core, this position of strength to vision is about taking the deliver on this vision: original and trusted PSM in Europe produce content produced by strong trusted digital public service media content delivered via (PSM) and amplifying its trusted digital platforms. reach and accessibility What has been missing using automatic – until now – is strong translation and digital collaboration. recommendation, Throughout 2020 we leveraging the have been working on continuous and tangible leveraging the tools progress in artificial developed in the EBU intelligence. This recipe, PEACH and EuroVOX applied first to news projects to offer – first to content, can also prosper journalists and editors, in the domains of but hopefully later to the education and public – access to the entertainment. It is one latest news produced by of the key means by Europe’s biggest network which EBU Members can of newsrooms. remain strong in the face of increasing competition VALUING DIVERSITY from global media Language barriers can be technology companies rendered invisible by the with deep pockets. application of translation Europe is changing. tools; and diversity can Tensions are bubbling to be assured through the surface and often recommendations spilling over as generated not with the misinformation (and communities by a multi-cultural goal of driving simply sometimes deliberate and multi-generational society more and longer consumption disinformation) fuels means that the ability to but built on public service polarization, populism and personalize content and make it values. The PEACH protectionism. This is happening understandable in multiple recommendation engine against a backdrop of languages becomes crucial. And provides a way to guarantee a significant demographic it is here that the EBU and its neutral and open offering of changes. European countries Members can have a massive content. are seeing a growing proportion positive impact. EBU Members invest almost of their populations coming EUR 20 billion annually in from other countries and TRUSTED INFORMATION Europe. However, this co- cultures; at the same time, As a starting point we have the development and sharing of improvements in health and aggregation of multiple trusted content, products and services wellbeing mean that the 65+ sources of information. The is not just an economic age group will often represent ability for a European citizen to imperative; it is also a way of 25% or more of the population access content coming from serving the interests of citizens by 2030. These are the different cultures and while securing cultural diversity. audiences that PSM must languages, but made available I firmly believe that educating continue to reach and serve in their own preferred language, new generations to the real while at the same time represents not only a wider value of media is the best life redoubling efforts to reach choice but also a unique assurance against future younger audiences in general. democratic weapon attempts to polarize The gradual replacement of underpinned by the ability to information and is the natural national and uniform compare trusted and often vaccine against misinformation.
tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | December 2020 3 NEWS & EVENTS
Recommendation on cybersecurity for media vendors and systems The EBU Media Cybersecurity (MCS) group has just published a new version of R 143, a recommendation that outlines a set of cybersecurity safeguards that media companies and media vendors should apply when planning and designing their products and services. It is composed of a comprehensive and detailed list of vendor and Three new faces on the EBU product security requirements. The EBU recommends that Technical Committee 2020-2022 media companies require Elections for a new Technical The screenshot above shows potential vendors to declare Committee (TC) took place the full Technical Committee their ability to comply with during the 26th EBU Technical 2020–2022 at its first virtual R 143 when responding Assembly on 6–7 October, later meeting. to tenders or requests for in the year than usual and online Pictured are, from left to right technology, by completing for the first time. The new TC and top to bottom: the security controls assertion includes three newly elected • Karl Petermichl, ORF (Austria) spreadsheet attached to members and one change • Gino Alberico, RAI (Italy) the recommendation. Media among the leadership team. • Michael Eberhard, ARD/SWR companies can then define Judy Parnall of BBC was re- (Germany, Vice-chair) their minimal vendor system elected to serve a second term • Per Björkman, SVT (Sweden) acceptance level with full as chair of the TC. Michael • Thomas Saner, SRG SSR awareness of the potential risks. Eberhard, from German (Switzerland) broadcaster SWR/ARD, was • Brian Wynne, RTE (Ireland) R 143 is available for download elected as one of the two vice- • Judy Parnall, BBC (United at https://tech.ebu.ch/groups/ chairs, the other being Olli Sipilä Kingdom, Chair) mcs#deliverables. from Finland’s Yle, now serving a • Michael Nugent, ERT (Greece) second term in the role. • Olli Sipilä, YLE (Finland, Vice- The three new members of the chair) RTBF and TC are Sinan Soyturk of TRT in • Sinan Soyturk, TRT (Turkey) Turkey (see page 15), Frédéric • Kazimir Bačić, HRT (Croatia) France tv joint Brochard of France Télévisions, • Frédéric Brochard, FTV and Karl Petermichl of Austria’s (France) winners of T&I ORF. • Galina Fedorova, RTR (Russia) Award 2020 This winners of year’s EBU Technology & Innovation in Finland, and a BBC trial to allow UK viewers to Award were announced during the Technical adjust the relative levels of the television audio mix Assembly, held online in October. As two projects to their needs. received an equal score when independently Antonio Arcidiacono, Director of the EBU’s assessed by members of the Technical Committee, Technology and Innovation Department said: “The it was decided to have joint winners. The winning large number and quality of the projects submitted projects were Room 42, a software-based control shows that even in these difficult COVID-19 times, room designed by Belgium’s RTBF, and AI-based the skills and creativity of our Members’ engineers tools for data journalism developed at France have not been checked.” Télévisions. The EBU Technology & Innovation Award was Three further projects were named as runners- created in 2016 to recognize, encourage and up, having also received an equal score. They were support outstanding technical solutions developed an AI-driven system for the automatic creation by Member organizations. of media subtitles from NPO in the Netherlands, Articles on the two winning projects and the the standardized mobile journalism kits – ‘MoJos’ three runners-up can be found on pages 5 to 9 of – used extensively by Yle’s regional news teams this issue of tech-i.
4 tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | December 2020 EBU Technology CR42: the control room & Innovation Award H WINNER H reimagined 2020 Belgium’s RTBF has created a software-based control room that symbolizes the digital transformation of broadcast production, allowing users to design the interface that works best for them, writes Hugo Ortiz. Control Room 42 – or CR42 – way, whether they are producing Automation and manual control was born out of RTBF’s desire to television, radio or digital are natively mixed in the same reinvent its working methods by content. ecosystem, shared by all users, taking advantage of the latest On the front end, we have enabling the construction of technological developments on replaced traditional equipment complex scenarios specific to the eve of the construction of its with a unified universal user each production, while retaining new Mediasquare production interface. On the back end, all the the improvisation capabilities facility. CR42 represents a new processing is done by real-time essential for news production. approach for creating flexible, software cores running on IT CR42 offers a lighter, more easy-to-use and universal media servers. flexible and more scalable tool production control rooms, that adapts easily and quickly to adapted to the convergence of EXTREME CUSTOMIZATION user needs. It becomes possible media. Each interface can be built from to start a simple production in a In a classic production a blank page, programmed in a few minutes with just one environment, the user works at a simple and user-friendly way. The operator, and dynamically grow technology workstation operator can customize their tool this production as additional dedicated to a single specific to the extreme, deciding what operators come in. task and must learn the priority and visibility they want Using compressed IP streams proprietary techniques of the to give to each function. They for monitoring feeds, CR42 can equipment manufacturer. CR42 can then concentrate on getting be used for remote production, allows each user to configure on air with an intuitive tool that is allowing the control room to be their multi-task workstation in controlled at the touch of a moved away from the studio. the most appropriate and ideal fingertip. Control interfaces can also be accessed from home through the internet, something that has emerged as a key feature during the COVID-19 crisis. CR42 symbolizes the digital transformation of broadcast production. All its core processing is done by real-time software running on standard servers, removing the need to renew expensive dedicated equipment that requires complex learning. Audio, video, live graphics, lighting, interactive sets, virtual reality: all these elements are integrated and controllable within a customizable single paradigm. With CR42 we can rapidly build What’s behind the touchscreen? and test new ideas in a real CR42 brings together several software building blocks. On- production environment. Its role Hertz’s Artisto provides the real-time audio engine; the live as a laboratory projects RTBF graphics and virtual studio environment come from Smode; and into a digital future, where the the user interfaces and video core are designed using synergy of artistic and TouchDesigner. While processing is done on uncompressed technological talents enables us signals in the data centre, audio and video transport to the to achieve our ambitions of control room is handled via Dante and NDI on the RTBF campus modern public service, in line network. with the expectations of our audiences.
tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | December 2020 5 EBU Technology Unlocking the potential of AI for & Innovation Award H WINNER H data journalism 2020 Journalists at France Télévisions were provided with new ways of telling stories during the 2020 municipal elections thanks to a newly created team dedicated to leveraging AI technologies. Matthieu Parmentier explains what was done. At the start of 2020, France could be empowered with new respective speakers, these tools Télévisions decided to create a information and analysis. allowed the production of new department. Called DaIA – As political campaigning began meaningful statistics for each Data et Intelligence Artificielle – it across 36,000 French cities, debate. All of this information consists of a team of about fifteen almost 200 debates were hosted was made available to data specialists: data scientists, data on the regional channels of the journalists. Combining data from engineers, data analysts. It France 3 network. The several debates enabled new functions as a centre of excellence candidates took these stories to be told, making use of at the service of the company’s opportunities to raise a very wide data visualizations such as project teams, collaborating with range of topics. The debates charts, timelines or maps. all of France tv’s research units were thus ideal source material This system also benefited and subsidiaries. for testing a range of tools and from experience gained through The rise of AI tools has created techniques that would enable research carried out previously powerful new possibilities for the comparative analysis across in the Information Department, classification and analysis of thematic, geographic, political, the Innovation Department and content. At a time when the Big and demographic axes. To be of the MediaLab on the subject of Tech companies are developing maximum use to journalists and indexing and the rapid ever more sophisticated AI-based editors the analysis needed to availability of content for the offerings, it is critical for public take place quickly. editorial staff. service media organizations to Face recognition was combined The analysis tools are now are equip themselves with their own with text recognition – applied to in production, available for other resources. Such resources must the ‘lower thirds’ or captions – to applications. Beyond political be adapted to the needs of identify the speakers. Speech-to- debates, the same tools help producing media content on a text technology was used to with describing content and day-to-day basis. This was the conduct automatic transcription extracting insights to enrich driver behind the creation of the of what they said. Natural metadata. They can serve new department. language processing was used to concrete use cases such as analyse the vocabulary, both to indexation, recommendation or POLITICAL DEBATES detect noteworthy terms and for marketing. They were used, for The municipal elections that took categorization of topics. example, to analyse the 16,000 place shortly after the creation of sentences written by France tv the DaIA team provided an DATA VISUALIZATION employees asked to describe opportunity for a first research By recognizing and classifying their work experience during the project to explore how journalists topics associated with their COVID-19 lockdown.
Left, face recognition combined with text recognition to identify speakers; above, the new DaIA team at France tv. 6 tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | December 2020 EBU Technology Licence to roam: Yle’s & Innovation Award HRUNNER-UPH mojo-enabled reporters 2020 Jarno Tahvanainen explains how mobile journalism – ‘mojo’ – using standardized kits, has become the norm for Yle’s regional news operations.
Yle operates more than twenty regional newsrooms around Finland. Distances are vast, yet Yle aims to be where people are in their daily lives. Our vision is to increase the use of lightweight devices and mobile production methods to reach this goal. We strive to get out of our editing suites and into the world. The less our reporters and visual journalists sit inside, the better! The organization has developed the skills, workflows, Jarno Tahvanainen (right) on the mobile and tool sets needed for mobile multicam production journalism over several years. Voters’ Sofa ‘Mojo’ has become a natural part of our everyday operations. standard way of operating in are still telecommuting. Yle plans Mobile phones, along with regional offices. The Yle mojo- to acquire dozens more mojo location-independent media community already comprises sets for those working remotely. asset management and editing over 350 members, and training We are currently working on a environments, are used on a is provided on a regular basis. new version that will be even large scale to produce footage Mojo equipment is not only used more user-friendly for those who for all of Yle’s platforms. by mobile journalists, but also by have no previous experience of videographers in their daily work the mobile filming gear. STANDARDIZED KIT alongside traditional ENG During spring 2020, Yle’s To make all this happen, mobile equipment. Also, mobile multi- regional news desks did on equipment and workflows must camera productions are already a average more than 250 mojo be simple and standardized. common way to produce live productions per month. The Each Yle mojo set is identical so streams from all over Finland. figure includes gathering that technical support is available The most extensive mobile footage, editing stories and live and malfunctions are easier to production to date, “Voters’ broadcasts. Since there are some resolve remotely. Finland’s long, Sofa”, included 12 episodes 200 journalists working on cold and dark winters are filmed in ordinary Finnish homes regional news, mojo challenging for mobile devices in across the country in 2019. The production is an integral part of many ways. Ensuring the series brought voters and content production. There are functionality of the equipment in parliamentary election some 70 standardized mojo all conditions is an important and candidates together in the equipment sets in use in regional ongoing development process. ordinary citizens’ living rooms. news. Software upgrades and rapid The production method made it Mobile journalism is about hardware development require possible to shoot the multicam- more than the convenience and constant monitoring and series in small spaces, over a technical advantages of response and keep our experts short period with a small lightweight gear. It enriches busy. The core team consists of production crew. storytelling and allows us to individuals with technical, react quickly. It also frees other journalistic and visual skills. Their READY FOR COVID-19 journalistic resources for wider most important asset is listening Mojo readiness ensured a smooth news coverage. Mobile journalism carefully to users’ wishes and transition to working remotely in is a community-driven way of ideas. regional news desks when working and we are more than We have come a long way in COVID-19 broke out; every happy to share our experiences more than four years of journalist had a smartphone, and learn from others. Contact development. The novelty cloud-based video editing tools, us directly (jarno.tahvanainen@ inspired by a few active people and proven workflows already in yle.fi) or participate in the EBU
Ronnie Holmgren Ronnie has expanded to become a place. Most of the regional staff T&I Slack hub!
tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | December 2020 7 EBU Technology Automated subtitles & Innovation Award HRUNNER-UPH on a 24/7 news channel 2020 Always at the vanguard when it comes to subtitling technology, Dutch broadcast organization NPO has broken new ground with its Autotitling Live solution. Erik Buitinga describes the journey taken.
NPO Access Services provides accessibility services, including SDH (subtitles for the deaf or Spraaklab output with hard of hearing) for seven punctuation: “Anyway, television channels and the NPO what does this mean?” Start streaming platform. We have quite a history when it comes to applying speech technology to subtitle production. The 2002 Winter Olympics marked the full-scale introduction of speech recognition software for live subtitling and the kick-off for re-speaking as the single mode of production for both live and pre-prepared content.
EARLY AUTOMATION In 2009 NPO participated in the NEON project. The aim was to run video through speech-to- text, speaker diarization and was very ASR-friendly: excellent as a preference it was alignment processes and present audio quality and professional authoritative. Acceptance was the outcome in a UI as editable speakers to boost transcription the keyword. However, all subtitles. As a demo, NEON was quality, predictable subject solutions offered were a success; as a production tool it matter allowing lexicon unacceptable. Only after was nowhere near competing customization, and large introducing a fixed five-second with traditional modes of amounts of training data for delay on the broadcast signal, subtitling and their throughput machine learning (ML) purposes. enabling in-sync subtitle times. But from 2012 onwards We also knew this next step delivery, were results rated as we deemed automatic speech would be as controversial as it adequate. recognition (ASR) technology was ambitious. The accessibility Eventually, the Spraaklab mature enough to deploy community questions automatic solution came out as a ‘winner’ ‘assisted subtitling’ – ASR-based subtitling, as it clearly fails to offering 24/7 automated subtitle production – on meet professional standards at subtitling on NPO Politiek. It applicable content only. times. On the consumer side, runs as a redundant system in Until recently NPO employed surveys indicated our target our media gateway hosted by the now defunct eCaption audience could tolerate local service provider MyBit. service. It provided a web-based automatic subtitling for some Input is SDI video, output is authoring platform for ASR- time, but not all the time, and subtitles in the Cyclone, Newfor generated subtitles and a fully only if it had sufficient quality and EBU TT-live protocols. The automated subtitle workflow for (i.e. low on word errors and system is tunable. pre-prepared content servicing in-sync with audio). So, we were Since its implementation in political news channel NPO in for a treat. October 2019 the system has Politiek. (This was presented at been enhanced with a the EBU MDN Workshop 2018.) FIVE-SECOND DELAY punctuation model and an ML When NPO put out a tender We involved both groups, loop was set up using our own for Autotitling in 2018 we knew editors and audience, in datasets. that, as a channel, NPO Politiek validating and ranking examples What can we say after one had the potential to take the from different vendors at year of service? It is not flawless, next step, to fully automated different stages of the project. but it is pretty neat, and it will subtitle delivery. The content Their voice was not decisive, but only get better.
8 tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | December 2020 EBU Technology Putting clearer audio at the & Innovation Award HRUNNER-UPH fingertips of all viewers 2020 Recent BBC trials have used Next Generation Audio technology to put the television viewer in control of their audio experience, greatly improving accessibility. Matthew Paradis (BBC R&D) and Lauren Ward (University of York*) describe the project.
The Accessible and Enhanced AUDIO OBJECTS benefits go beyond this, as user Audio trials represent a great Using Next Generation Audio trials show, with young normal advancement in personalized (NGA) codecs is what makes this hearing listeners seeing the audio – putting the viewer in possible. Our approach allows advantage of adapting the audio control of their broadcast audio content producers to embed the to their preferences and listening experience. The project narrative importance of different environment. Production teams, successfully developed and audio objects into metadata. too, see this as “liberating for the tested a novel approach, This improves on previous content creator, who could make providing the viewer with a approaches, where content a mix more like the one they love simple, single-slider control with producers were not as involved. without having to worry quite so which they can adjust the Our approach ensures that much about those with hearing complexity of the audio mix as producers’ creative intent is difficulty or in a noisy easily as changing the volume. retained while comprehension of environment” (production staff By engaging directly with the narrative is maintained for survey participant, 2019). production teams and end users, the viewer. By giving the audience the this approach addresses an This work represents a big step tools to adapt the media to their ongoing broadcast challenge: to forward in accessibility, which our individual needs, broadcast improve the experience for research shows is welcomed by content can not only be more viewers with hearing loss. viewers: 92% indicated they accessible, but also offer a more Hearing impairment affects the wanted to see more content like inclusive experience. In the words ease with which one in six people this. The first trial, in 2019, of Gabriella Leon (pictured in the UK access audiovisual reached an audience of over below), deaf cast member of the content. Hearing impairment not 6,200 and gained high-profile long-running medical drama only causes the sounds in the media attention. Responses were series Casualty, “the potential of world around you to be quieter overwhelmingly positive, with this technology is incredibly but can often cause speech to 84% of respondents saying the exciting!” become jumbled and control made a difference, mostly We are grateful to the unintelligible, particularly when either making the content more colleagues who worked with us there are many other competing enjoyable or easier to on this project: Ben Shirley sounds. This is why increasing understand. (University of Salford), Dafydd the volume doesn’t necessarily “We are in charge of what we Llewelyn (Casualty Producer), make the content easier to hear, and I think that’s quite Loretta Preece (Casualty Series understand – it just makes empowering.” These were the Producer) and the Casualty everything louder. To make words of a participant in a hard- post-production team. content accessible, audiences of-hearing focus group in 2018, need to be able to adjust the describing what this type of *Lauren Ward was at BBC R&D and level balance of different audio audio personalization offers. The University of Salford until June 2020 objects.
The BBC series Casualty was used to trial the new approach. A single slider controls the complexity of the audio mix.
tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | December 2020 9 CYBERSECURITY Stuff happens (to EBU Members too)
Cyberattacks on EBU Members, whether specifically targeted or as victims of a scattergun approach, are more common than you may think. VRT’s Gerben Dierick, co-chair of the EBU Media Cybersecurity group, describes some of the most frequently used techniques.
It has been five years since a devastating cyberattack took TV5MONDE’s television broadcasts off air, defaced their social media accounts and crippled their IT systems. Big media players like Sony Pictures and HBO have also made the headlines, suffering serious HACKED reputational and financial damage after cybercriminals spread unpublished media content and confidential data online. Luckily, no EBU Member has generated such headlines until now.
RANSOMWARE Taking files hostage using payment of salaries or invoices. successful attacks were possible ransomware is still one of the Some of these have been because production staff did not most popular techniques for successful, resulting in losses up have or take the time to follow cybercriminals looking to make to several tens of thousands of basic security measures. We’ve money. Their strategies range euros. seen cloud-based broadcast from casting a very wide net equipment, accessible from to infect random internet users DATA LEAKS anywhere, still using the default to patiently infiltrating a large Several Members have password. network. accidentally disclosed sensitive IT staff also need to keep up: we Most EBU Members will have data. Programming mistakes in must ensure that software is kept had to dispose of infected web applications have allowed up to date and that VPN access systems on their network, miscreants to steal personal data. is possible only with multi-factor restoring the encrypted files from Luckily most of these issues can authentication. Last, but not least, a backup. But sometimes these be fixed after being reported by every user has to be careful, for attacks stumble upon production well-meaning ethical hackers. example not to be tricked into systems, potentially disrupting Many Members have had to send disclosing sensitive data, not to the production workflow. One reports to their national data reuse passwords, and to follow all EBU Member saw its TV playout protection authority, and at least security guidelines. machines infected, but fortunately one was actually fined following a Join MCS group (tech.ebu.ch/ the malware did not target the data breach. groups/mcs) to hear about EBU MXF files containing the media The above examples are by Media Cybersecurity (MCS) content. Another Member had a no means broadcast-specific: events, projects and publications. network share containing music such attacks can happen to If you are a Chief Information files encrypted and was briefly any organization or even any Security Officer (CISOs) from unable to play music on one of its internet user. Often the attacker an EBU Member, join the MCS radio stations. does not realize he has acquired CISO group (tech.ebu.ch/groups/ Exploiting gullible computer access to a broadcaster’s cybersecurity_ciso) to regularly users is another way online system. Nevertheless, sometimes share information and experience criminals cause damage and steal broadcasters are a specific target. with peers, develop best practices money. All EBU Members are We have seen attempts to change and contribute to making the seeing these attacks, some very the content of web pages, leak media industry more secure. generic, others targeted at high unaired content, influence radio Videos from the recent Media profile staff. Unfortunately, most music track selection, and steal Cybersecurity Seminar 2020 are Members will have had employees sensitive data from journalists. available to view at: tech.ebu.ch/ accidentally disclose their login The blame for all of these mcs2020 credentials. The result is typically incidents lies with the Contact Lucille Verbaere multiple attempts to change cybercriminals, but sometimes ([email protected]) for more banking details to divert the we make it far too easy. Some information.
10 tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | December 2020 PARTNER PROFILES Setting standards for tomorrow’s broadcasting models In our latest Partner Profile, ETSI CTOAdrian Scrase discusses the role of 5G in broadcasters’ evolving strategies for wireless content creation, distribution and consumption.
Established in 1988, ETSI – the 3GPP and ETSI, 5G has plenty European Telecommunications to offer broadcasters looking Standards Institute – produces for greener, more sustainable globally recognized technical alternatives to traditional ‘high- standards for ICT-enabled tower, high-power’ transmission systems, applications and paradigms. The speed, capacity, services that are widely mobility and security of 5G are used across all sectors of also of interest to broadcasters industry and society. Officially in the realm of content creation, recognized as a European including OB and studio-based Standards Organization, our production. outputs include standards for fixed, mobile, broadcast and 5G FOR MEDIA DISTRIBUTION internet-based communication A major area of interest for the technologies. ETSI’s 900+ JTC – and a current focus of international membership 3GPP standardization activities includes companies from the – is the distribution of linear manufacturing and service television and radio services sectors, regulatory authorities using 5G radio and core network and government ministries, technologies. An example of SMEs and start-ups, alongside this is the ability to distribute universities, R&D organizations free-to-air services over cellular and societal interest groups. networks to devices that are receive-only. A number of ETSI AND THE EBU Adrian Scrase, CTO of ETSI 3GPP specifications address ETSI’s close partnership with broadcasters’ requirements, the world’s leading public including receive-only mode service media alliance dates devices and services, extended back more than twenty-five numerologies for large inter-site years. Today we are united with distances, and new core network the EBU and the European interfaces and content transport Committee for Electrotechnical scheduled for deployment within mechanisms. Standardization (CENELEC) in a the next decade – that is already To explore this topic further, Joint Technical Committee (JTC) the subject of considerable an ETSI specification based on that coordinates the drafting international research efforts. 3GPP Release 16 is scheduled and maintenance of technical In an era of fragmented to be published by the end specifications used by broadcast content consumption, the of 2020. Titled 5G Broadcast transmission and reception television and radio industries System for linear TV and radio systems, including consumer are looking beyond the services; LTE based 5G terrestrial equipment. The scope of this limitations of traditional broadcast system, this new standardization work embraces distribution models to satisfy specification is intended to television, radio and services, today’s audiences. Viewers help broadcasters leverage the including DVB and DAB as well and listeners expect to access fast-evolving capabilities of 5G as other terrestrial, satellite and content wherever and whenever mobile broadband to engage cable platforms. they wish. To reach the largest with their audiences. Leveraging ETSI is also one of the audience possible – including existing 3GPP standards to founding partners of 3GPP, those in areas not currently enable the deployment of linear the body that unites regional covered by 4G – broadcasters media services, the specification standardization organizations are focused on providing [ETSI TS 103 720] also offers to develop technical standards the best quality content and user equipment and network for advanced mobile service experience to users implementation guidelines to communication technologies. without being tied to a specific support broadcasters, vendors These include 5G and its technology. and infrastructure providers with eventual successor 6G – Standardized globally by timely rollout.
tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | December 2020 11 IN MY OPINION An increasingly complex picture for video codecs David Wood looks at the new options for video compression and which of them broadcasters may use.
Deciding on the video compression the aforementioned JTC1. technology – or codec – to use for The earlier 2013 codec from the broadcasting used to be relatively same joint activity, H.265/HEVC2 simple. The relevant standardization (which we might think of as MPEG-6), bodies seemed to have joined forces, has not had such a large take-up as and the trajectory of improvements the preceding codec developed in seemed predictable. Not any longer. 2003, H.264/AVC3. There is an The internet world of multiple video argument that this is due, in part, to codecs, and arguably more difficult the more complex licensing choices, may be coming to our sector. arrangements with H.265/HEVC. There Will packages of some or all of the were separate groupings of licence different candidate video holders. Yes, the licences needed to be decompression systems be needed for available on FRAND (fair, reasonable, future generations of broadcast and and non-discriminatory) terms, but broadband receivers, or will there be a interpretations of the word ‘winner’ or ‘winners’? ‘reasonable’ can differ. In short, there was uncertainty about how much it COPING WITH COMPLEXITY would cost to include HEVC decoders Over the years, some of the basic in equipment. The take-up has been compression techniques have less than originally expected. remained the same, but the total complexity of the processes of OTHER OPTIONS? compression and decompression has The options may not stop with H.266/ risen proportionately with each new VVC and antecedents; there are other generation of codecs. Nevertheless, prospective codecs too. There is the coping with the increased complexities codec developed by the Alliance for as they came along did not prove Open Media, the AV1 codec (published insurmountable. Moore’s law of in 2019), the older VP9 codec, and integrated circuits observes that the additional codecs developed in the amount of space needed on a circuit ITU-T/JTC1 activity, EVC and LC-EVC. board for a given number of gates The MPEG sister committee, famous reduces by half every 18 months. More for still image compression, JPEG, has complex new codecs could be also developed a codec. And there is introduced at appropriate intervals. more. In the final stages of the H.265/ New television systems usually used HEVC work, former MPEG leader the most recent codec that could be Leonardo Chiariglioni set up a new readily implemented in hardware separate body, MPAI, to develop an “Yes, the decoders. AI-based codec system – arguing that licences needed 1990 saw the birth of the then the advantage will be that licence revolutionary MPEG-1 DCT video costs will be known up-front. to be available compression system, driven by the Taken overall, it may be difficult to on FRAND (fair, new IEC/ISO JTC1 standardization imagine a future converged media committee. Since then, new delivery world where multiple reasonable, compression systems have been decoders are not needed in consumer and non- developed and agreed in JTC1 at equipment. This may be something we almost regular intervals, each about cannot avoid. But perhaps the future discriminatory) 50% more bit-rate efficient than the would be an easier world to terms, but last. 2020 sees the publication another understand if there were a simpler ‘descendent’ of MPEG-1, which by my naming system for the codecs, so we interpretations reckoning would be MPEG-7 if the do not have to find ever more of the word naming system had not been changed. superlatives for each future It is formally called H.266/VVC1 and is generation? ‘reasonable’ can the result of joint work by two 1 Versatile Video Coding 2 High Efficiency Video Coding differ.” standards’ organizations, the ITU-T and 3 Advanced Video Coding 12 tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | December 2020 SUSTAINABILITY MATTERS Shooting drama sustainably in France Mathieu Delahousse of Secoya Eco Tournage describes how a television series shot on location in and around Strasbourg embraced sustainability through a range of measures.
When it came to shooting the FINAL ASSESSMENT second and third episodes of the France Télévisions police Disparition Inquiétante Episodes 2 & 3 Together we saved: drama Disparition Inquiétante, series producer Stéphane 13,800 Strano (of the independent From 13 November 2019 to 4 March 2020 9,900 production company De Caelis) Production crew ≈ 45 people decided to embrace sustainable 3,400 production. To assist with this, Number of sets: 41 72.7% Grand Est region and 9,900 he engaged the support of Strasbourg recovered Secoya, a consultancy that waste =1.1 tonnes CO2 specializes in advising and The “Eco-assistant”: Equivalent to one year of mentoring productions in Raised awareness: gas-fired heating for a three- their environmental transition room apartment in Paris. processes. >50 technicians/actors The project involved The “Eco-manager”: supervising the sustainability >500 extras Engaged: >50 service providers aspects both internally, with the production and technical 279 Integrated: on the rubbish 6 partners production teams, as well as with external Sorted: bins stakeholders such as service Generated media coverage of the sustainability actions providers, local institutions, etc. Saved: not 1.2 t of waste incinerated The aim was to optimize the implementation of concrete and targeted actions that would achieve the project’s ecological goals. in this region; the additional regard to waste management. costs implied; their ecological This involved optimizing THE FOUR RS PRINCIPLE impact; and their contribution waste recovery, favouring the The starting point was the to awareness-raising and local economy and fostering application of the “four Rs” communication. structures that employ social principle to all departments and Proposals were submitted workers. This made it possible stages of the production: across seven themes: food, to address the issue of waste • Reduce – waste, rubbish, waste, energy, mobility, reduction and the value of transport responsible purchasing, sorting while talking about • Reuse – integrating the logic of carbon and social impact. inclusion via service providers. the circular economy They included, for example, The initiative generated • Recycle – think about the end- establishing a partnership with significant coverage in both the of-life of sets and materials Ecosia to offer the team an specialized and general media from the outset alternative search engine that (weekly trade magazine Le • Reinvent – question habits and takes account of the impact Film Français, business channel behaviours to enable change of digital technology. With the B-Smart, newspaper La Nouvelle A letter outlining the aims set design crew, we worked to République, etc.). of the project was sent to all adopt an approach based on the With the filming of these two stakeholders to raise awareness, circular economy with regard episode, De Caelis Production provide information and secure to the scenery (rental, reuse, has demonstrated that an their engagement. Subsequently upcycling, donation, etc.) thus ecologically responsible project each department was provided minimizing the generation of involves above all defining the with a document setting out waste. motivations for the commitment, how it could contribute to the from which the objectives will application of the four Rs. And LOCAL ECONOMY emerge and which will enable finally, concrete actions were We also worked with institutions the appropriate actions to be evaluated with respect to: and communities to integrate put in place. their merits for this production local resources, particularly with
tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | December 2020 13 MEDIA INTELLIGENCE Original content dominates for PSM VOD platforms The rise of VOD platforms is among the most significant developments in media distribution of recent years. Léa Besson here shares insights from a new report published by the EBU.
The video-on-demand (VOD) landscape has undoubtedly changed over the years, as have audiences’ consumption habits and their expectations. Like other market players, public service media (PSM) have adapted to those changes by putting effort into their VOD players, especially in terms of content. The well-known maxim that ‘content is king’ also applies to VOD platforms. It’s no surprise, therefore, that 90% of EBU TV Members now stream online- only video content on their players. This content, only available on their on-demand platform, encompasses a wide variety of genres, from news to fiction and children’s EBU based on data from 36 TV Members programmes. Entertainment is the least well-represented genre when it comes to online-only content. Online-first is also a popular strategy in PSM VOD offers, with three quarters of the EBU TV Members releasing content on their VOD platforms before it appears on their linear channels. This content strategy applies especially to fiction, factual and children’s programming. These approaches that prioritize Members’ online platforms are set to develop further: most plan to increase their online-first and online-only EBU based data from 37 TV Members offers in the coming year. And this is not only to please young particular, are at the centre of platforms tend to distance audiences, with 50% indicating their catch-up offer, especially themselves from linear television that they target a general entertainment shows, and are services. Channel brands are audience with their online-only often made available indefinitely. typically not the preferred way content. In contrast, acquired content to display content. tends to have less availability on CATCH-UP IS CORE catch-up, pointing to difficulties These insights are drawn from While online content is gaining in securing on-demand rights. the recently published report ground, PSM VOD players While catch-up television on the PSM VOD Landscape still rely strongly on their remains the core of PSM VOD from the EBU Media Intelligence catch-up portfolio to offer a platforms, the fact that content Service and Media Department. wider catalogue to the public. tends to be grouped by genre See: ebu.ch/publications/ Their original programmes, in and format indicates that such research
14 tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | December 2020 OUR COMMUNITY Conference videos on demand A selection of recent additions to our rich library of videos from EBU Technology & Innovation events, available to Members from: tech.ebu.ch/presentations
THE FUTURE OF CONTENT AUDIO DEFINITION MODEL BLOCKCHAIN IN MEDIA TECHNOLOGY AT SKY FOR ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS MICHELLE MUNSON (ELUVIO) CHRISTINA GOMILLA (SKY UK) Technology foundations and How remote and cloud-based A webinar addressing producers developing a new substrate for production deployments have and implementers of innovative a decentralized media supply accelerated. audio content and technology. chain.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Sinan Soyturk HEAD OF THE MEDIA TECHNOLOGY AND OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT, TRT, TURKEY
WHAT ARE YOUR CURRENT RESPONSIBILITIES? distribution speeds are growing exponentially. Recently, I have been promoted to Head of the Individuals become producers of assets and sources Media Technology and Operations Department at of information in place of organized media TRT. I am managing broadcast engineering, companies. The production and consumption broadcast IT, and studio and media operations with behaviour of future generations and the instruments a team of 1000+. Alongside that, I am responsible they use will be completely different to what we for technical investments. have today. We’re thinking and talking about reinventing the wheel in terms of how we can adapt WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER AS YOUR FINEST our workflows and infrastructures to rapid ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR IN YOUR CAREER? technology evolution, but maybe soon the wheel will I would say the best decision I have made so far is to become irrelevant. Isn’t it the right time to switch move from the manufacturing sector to the drive mode off and fly mode on? We must work on broadcast industry. However, I hesitate to use the ‘drones’ of media technology by adapting to the term achievement because, first, it’s never personal, new paradigm shift. The future will be more digital there are other people involved, and in general it is a and more mobile with its tools such as virtual and never-ending process. We set goals both in our augmented reality, artificial intelligence, machine professional and private lives and try to reach them. learning, cloud, and 5G. It’s like climbing to the top of a mountain: I’ve always wondered what was behind the mountain. From WHAT, FOR YOU, ARE THE BIGGEST what I’ve seen so far, behind a mountain there is CHALLENGES FOR EBU MEMBERS (OR PUBLIC always another mountain. BROADCASTERS IN GENERAL) TODAY? The COVID-19 pandemic brought new challenges WHAT ARE YOUR PREDICTIONS FOR MEDIA and opportunities to our industry. I think, during the TECHNOLOGY IN THE FUTURE? year we did well on the transformation of workflows, As parents, unless we limit kids (aged between two remote work and production. Latency, compression, and seven in my case), they can spend five to ten efficiency and costs are areas we should work on. hours a day in front of tablets, mobile phones and TVs. In contrast, I remember my childhood playing TELL US ABOUT SOME OF YOUR INTERESTS with wooden sticks, sand and stones in the garden AWAY FROM THE WORKPLACE. from sunrise to sunset. What a big change! Media Spending time with family is crucial. I like playing volume, content formats, entertainment levels and chess, cooking and walking in nature.
tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | December 2020 15 26-28 January 2021, online
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17 February 2021, online
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23-25 March 2021, online
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Join us and the industry’s leading experts for technology updates, strategic insights and real-world use cases, plus demonstrations and networking. tech.ebu.ch/events16 tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | December 2020