Battling the cost crunch
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM, By Scott Blair
Full automation still requires a director/operator to take the show to air, but it does so by controlling all or most of the peripheral devices needed for the show. Medium to large broadcasters who are doing major control room upgrades or who have mandates to control costs on a larger scale are good candidates for these systems.
Production assist
Production-assist automation does not control the production switcher so it is less costly. In this workflow, one or more peripheral devices are controlled through the automation, with video servers and graphics devices such as CGs and clip servers being the most commonly controlled. As with full automation, the production-assist system is linked to the NRCS rundown and receives the same information. MOS, VDCP and Infinit Intelligent Interface (III) are the usual common control protocols used in both types of automation; however, some smaller automation systems have the advantage of interfacing with the production devices and the NRCS natively. The scalability of the production-assist systems gives any broadcaster the ability to add automation into the workflow incrementally as time, money or workflow demands. Major networks like CBS and ESPN all the way to smaller broadcasters find value in production-assist automation solutions.
Why to invest in automation
A station owner or general manager is really influenced by two factors when it comes to making an investment in news automation and mapping out potential ROI.
Figure 1. In this illustration of news automation synergies, the green color represents common points in the reasons to add news automation. It helps demonstrate an economy of scale. If a broadcaster adds automation as a part of an infrastructure upgrade, it can also receive cost savings through reduction of head count while still maintaining or improving show quality.
The first is whether the broadcaster wants to upgrade to new equipment, going from a tape-based workflow to a file-based workflow. (See Figure 1.) By design, file-based server systems streamline the process of getting news clips to air. Many have a simple user interface that allows an operator to build playlists and play out manually, or use GPI triggers or machine control to play out clips via the production switcher. However, an automation system adds much more value than simple machine control. Automation controls one or several production devices, and the flexibility of editorial control is retained by the producer by dynamically linking the automation playlists with the NRCS.
The second ROI or budget influencer is the requirement to reduce the number of manual interventions needed to get a newscast on the air. Video servers, graphics devices and robotic cameras are built to be controlled manually or by various forms of automation. Automation can provide a single point of control for one or several production devices, and with that, the number of manual tasks is reduced, and staff can be repurposed as needed. An example is an editor in a tape-based workflow who is called upon to load tapes and play out clips as part of the show going to air. In a file-based workflow with automation, the editor continues to edit late-breaking stories for that show or the next.
As a news director, the production quality of the show is as important as the editorial content. In a typical fast-paced show, an increased number of manual tasks inserted into the show often means a higher opportunity for error. The automation ROI for the news director is not measured in dollars, but in the quality of the end product. Automation linked with the NRCS rundown and controlling production devices reduces the number of fingers touching buttons and eliminates repetitive and complicated production cues.
Figure 2. Automation ROI example
Click to enlarge
With automation, these tasks can be executed accurately and repeated with the same accuracy from show to show. So for the news director looking to improve the watchability of the newscast, automation can play a large part in creating a seamless flow from the new open to the end break, without compromising editorial flexibility.
Adding an automation component to your news production, whether it is a large switcher-based automation system or production-assist system, can add extra efficiency and increased productivity to the newscast and the bottom line. The amount of automation and ROI will be determined by the size and economics of the newscast production and the amount of efficiency that is desired. (See Figure 2.)
Today's economic condition is forcing broadcast owners to take a hard look their operations and be creative in seeking profitable avenues. News automation systems can help the budget-conscious owner or general manager realize improved quality and a better bottom line.
Scott Blair is product manager, news automation, for Avid Technology.
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