Channel in a box
May 1, 2010 12:00 PM, By Peter Levy
The openness of a digital channel in a box allows you to stay competitive with viewers' changing needs.
Revenue sources from the Web and newspapers, such as obituaries, are starting to appear on digital tiers. New or nontraditional advertisers are also interested in the lower costs to air ads on digital tiers.
The ability to ingest and display local information on the station's digital tier system with virtually no station involvement creates a high ROI. Several systems available today allow a fully automated workflow solution, allowing the broadcaster to start the workflow with a third party inputting the information, which is then pushed to the station's Web page and then directly to the on-air display system. This type of automation workflow provides a turnkey website and digital tier presentation, which doesn't need to be managed by the station.
FCC compliance is an area that is still under review on the digital tier. If you select a system today for the digital tier that includes the three primary FCC mandates — EAS notifications, closed captioning and children's programming — the future costs associated with these items on the system will be controlled, and broadcasters will not have to worry about integration issues in the future.
One additional consideration may be the capability of the system to stream your channel to your Web page and to mobile TV spectrum in the future. The efficiency of the system configuration and output should be carefully analyzed. If the broadcaster can use the same system for creating its digital tier and mobile TV applications, many efficiencies in both personnel and financial resources will be realized.
Summary
To be successful on the digital tier, broadcasters must be as flexible as possible in content and platform, having the ability to change programming quickly to match local viewers' and advertisers' changing needs and viewing habits. The system must also be transparent with the other equipment and content at the station, allowing the station personnel to create content once and push it out to a variety of platforms including the digital tier.
Broadcasters should consider digital tier products that operate on an open platform with nonproprietary software and equipment that is flexible enough to adapt to a variety of content. The open platform of a true digital channel-in-a-box system allows the broadcaster the flexibility to air its brand, change programming easily and as often as required, and to stay competitive with the rapidly changing needs of its viewers.
Investment in an automated digital channel system — which capitalizes on the station's current look, staff, and branding — will create a high-quality local digital programming channel. This will satisfy the FCC's demands for local digital programming while generating additional revenue at a low cost of production.
If stations use the right combination of products and services by virtue of an open-platform, content-agnostic digital channel in a box, they will be able to optimize their return on investment and generate a profitable “new” revenue source with their digital channel programming.
Peter Levy is the president of Weather Metrics.
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