Smaller stations still haven’t figured out archiving
Sep 18, 2009 2:42 PM
KHQ, the NBC affiliate in Spokane, WA, uses an Omneon server and Avid Sundance automation tied to a Grass Valley Aurora news editing platform to manage its assets.
Siegel also said developing a searchable archive makes sense for a station group because it makes each property more valuable. When a potential buyer comes in, they will be more inclined to buy when they see not only the physical property and the size of the audience a station serves, but also the value of the archive as part of the overall sale. The archive could also be sold off separately.
“Stations should never underestimate the intellectual property they own and how valuable it can be if it can be accessed and reused easily,” he said. “If a station is managing its assets, now you have more than just a physical building to sell. With the market as fragmented as it is, broadcasters have got to find new sources of revenue. In the case if the footage they shoot everyday, it’s right under their noses.”
Broadcasters must also be proactive and seek out new revenue streams that can fortify the bottom line. One way for them to do this is to sell or monetize the video they’ve already produced for their newscasts and other local interest programming.
“Stations are too busy thinking about getting the story today and don’t put much effort into how it might be used tomorrow,” Siegel said. “That has to change. A lot of stations are simply not doing anything with their assets. Asset management is more than just a buzzword.”
Siegel emphasizes to his clients that designing and implementing a useful archive is not a technology decision, but a business decision — one that should include engineers, station management and the sales and traffic staff, which has to be trained in how to sell an archive.
A little bit of investment capital and planning could be financially rewarding.
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