Judging by the number of trade publication articles and speaking sessions that focus on the topic, you’d think that the entire media and entertainment industry is focussed on cutting carbon costs. But is that really the case? True, broadcasters have set ambitious targets to reach net zero, the streaming giants are following suit, and they’re putting pressure on production companies to reduce their environmental impact and include sustainability messaging in the content they produce. Carbon emissions have even become a critical consideration in planning new studio builds. But not every part of the production chain is putting the environment first.
Appear – Protecting our fragile planet: the media & broadcast industry’s journey towards a greener horizon
In an era of unprecedented technological advancement, the media and broadcast industry plays a significant role in shaping how we perceive the world. However, this sector, like many others, faces a pressing challenge: the threat to our planet’s delicate ecological balance. As concerns about environmental sustainability escalate, our industry needs to take bold steps to minimize its own impact on the environment and pave the way for a greener future.
Agile Content – How encouraging user engagement can help OTT companies decrease their ecological footprint
As we approach the end of the summer, marked as the warmest ever recorded, it’s clear that focusing on the environment and sustainability is crucial for all organizations and businesses. The TV and media industry has a dual responsibility. On one hand, it’s crucial to provide the public with accurate information about the situation, and on the other hand, it’s equally important to address the sustainability impact of producing and distributing TV and video content.
Accedo – AI’s role in the OTT industry’s pursuit for sustainability
Technology is set to play a crucial role in the fight against climate change by helping us to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance energy efficiency, and promote sustainable practices. Is there potential for AI to also play a part in this? Google DeepMind certainly thinks so and is using the latest AI developments to help fight climate change and build a more sustainable, low-carbon world. But although AI has received a lot of attention since the launch of the large language model, ChatGPT, last year, AI and machine learning (ML) are not new concepts. Content creators, technology vendors, and service providers in the video industry have been using ML for some time. The difference now is that generative AI models have become more advanced, and are now being used by a wider audience. If organizations like Google DeepMind aim to use generative AI to fight climate change, can the video industry also use generative AI to optimize systems, create more sustainable consumption habits, and reduce the industry’s carbon impact?
BTS: Behind the Scenes – The Impact of Diverse Talent in Broadcasting
In recent years, the emergence of new distribution models such as AVOD, SVOD, and FAST channels have disrupted the traditional television market. These newer platforms offer viewers greater flexibility and choice and are rapidly gaining popularity among younger audiences. To stay ahead of the curve, broadcasters need to diversify their channels by developing content specifically tailored to these new platforms and consumers, whilst simultaneously meeting the needs of existing audiences.
But is the current mix of talent behind the scenes diverse enough to cover all perspectives, when creating and managing next generation channels?
Sustainable Broadcast Transmission
Despite the continuing growth in audiences for streaming content, the established broadcasters remain popular. Indeed, market predictions are that, while streaming services will gain viewers and revenue, traditional linear television will remain stable; Statista even suggests a slight rise in daily viewing hours.
Content Choice and Sustainability
In recent years, the choice of video services has multiplied, as large media organisations add a plus symbol to their established brands and roll out new platforms. In addition, many incumbents in the VOD space are now supplementing their main subscription models with AVOD options. In some cases, these ad-funded tiers will be differentiated with new content, but at the very least they will require new versions of the original media files with markers for ad insertion. Linear TV has not been left behind, evolving its offering with more content choice, and diversifying with themed FAST channels.
Rohde & Schwarz: BaM Shortlist – Publish
TH1 from Rohde & Schwarz takes a radical approach to high-power transmitters, reducing energy consumption, increasing resilience and unlocking new revenues.
Content Protection – more things to consider
The recent IABM report on content security trends in conjunction with our good friends at Axinom made for some interesting reading. As Roger Thornton mentions in his summary article, perhaps the most surprising takeaway is the discrepancy between a stated intention to invest in content, and a far lower priority in investment in content security technology to safeguard against the theft of that content, especially given the financial, operational and potentially creative resources that will be required to produce or acquire it. As Roger summarises, this seems counterintuitive, but budgets are finite and it could be argued that prioritizing content over business processes is where dutiful media providers should concentrate their majority resource.
The Argosy family
Argosy was founded in 1984, originally to supply broadcasters and systems integrators with cables and connectors. Today we are known as infrastructure solutions specialist and have rapidly expanded our portfolio in recent years, with an extensive range of products and services, including racks, power management, conversion devices and KVM technology – and we serve a number of industries alongside broadcast – such as Pro-AV and IT.