InBroadcast
BMS solutions are powering dynamic changes and
individualised delivery to different audiences
Broadcasting is shifting from a ‘create one distribute to
many’ to a narrowcasting model in which multiple variations of content are
created for distribution to different groups, platforms and ultimately
individuals. The Broadcast Management System (BMS) is an essential component in
this evolution required to streamline and automate workflows. Content is being
delivered directly to the consumer as OTT, on social media, or in packages sold
to third-party platforms. Pop-up channels are created for specific audiences
and events.
This shift impacts every area of the media business – the
nature and structure of IP rights, the scheduling of media and how advertising
packages are put together and sold. However, the change has not been a ‘big
bang’ and while BMS vendors are increasingly implementing digital first
solutions, traditional linear television still represents the largest revenue
source for many of their customers.
“The key to supporting our customers through this change has
been to provide them with a suite of applications and solutions that can handle
both broadcast and narrowcast, non-linear and linear in a single application,”
says Sina Billhardt, product manager, Arvato
Systems. “This is combined with automation in workflows to mitigate extra
workload from the additional variations and an approach to delivering software
and solutions that anticipate and can accommodate future shifts and
opportunities without knowing the detail of what they might be.”
According to Geert Van Droogenbroeck, marketing manager for MediaGenix, the changes make it
essential for operators to recommend content based on usage. “Algorithms are
written to track viewing preferences and content is personalised based on this
information. Metadata becomes all important in creating sufficient relevant
tags to define preference in ever greater detail. AI is being used to process
large amounts of data in a meaningful way on a unique user level.”
He adds, “The more sophisticated this becomes, the more
personal the service will be as the UI will be different for each user. Added
complexity comes when a service needs to take into account both what a user is
watching in a linear / catch up environment and an on-demand environment.”
Another challenge is that the content has to adapt to the
destination communication devices, not just technically, but also from an
editorial point of view. Facebook’s long form story format needs to be
different viewed on web site or a connected TV. “The changes have a huge impact on content
itself,” says Droogenbroeck. “Traditional players have become more creative in
how they package content for a target group. They split content into smaller
parts that fit social and on-demand media, repackage seasons into different
themes or add bonus content for the true fan.
“Media companies need to be able to slice and dice content
for use on different platforms,” he says. “They need to manage rights for new
versions of content that are assembled from many existing content parts. They
will also want to present existing content in new and different ways, and group
titles into collections for selling, planning or re-packaging. This requires a
flexible content-centric system and quick editorial decisions that rely on a
powerful management of media and material workflows and of complex rights and
underlying rights and royalties.”
The BMS should therefore assist producers, curators and
schedulers in managing this complexity and make it simple to connect the right
audience to the right content version.
“Unfortunately, the total revenues of the market remain flat
or show only a limited growth and broadcasters have to survive with lower
incomes per channel,” points out Michal Stehlik, director - product development,
Provys. “This leads to an increased
pressure on the automation of all processes associated with each individual
distribution channel.”
Provys believe that this automation process is possible only
when it is built on a strong foundation of content and rights libraries,
regardless of the type and coverage of the channel. The key to success, it
asserts, is finding the right content to offer, efficiently utilising all
available rights and using information to support further content procurement
or production.
“This is why we think BMS is a key system for transformation
from a linear channel broadcaster to a content centric, multichannel operator,”
says Stehlik. “We guarantee that Provys is the right solution to support this
transformation.”
Just In Time assembly
In general, it is more efficient to package the channel for
delivery at the end of the broadcast technology chain – a strategy which
supports efficient reuse of content. The time when commercial breaks were
compiled onto a single tape, subtitles burnt into the picture and audio tracks
recorded together with the picture, are over. Today, playout automation
assembles all the necessary pieces ‘just in time’ (JIT) with graphics rendered
during playout and no need to use post production resources.
“It is now possible to introduce changes just a few minutes
before transmission and produce multiple feeds with different branding from a
single media,” says Stehlik. “From the BMS system perspective, we first define
the rules and then schedule individual elements as separate objects. We expect
that more and more broadcasters will discover the beauty and power of the
information kept in our system which enables an enhanced, individualised
experience for viewers of the future.”
In many ways, scheduling applications used in broadcast
environments have been applying a just-in-time methodology for a while.
Placeholders are commonly used for content that is not yet available while
workorders, analogous to those used in manufacturing production processes, are
sent to Media Asset Management systems to ingest/create/produce the media.
“The key to making this work is tight integration between
the MAM and BMS systems and an understanding in the workings of both,” says
Billhardt. “This is not common in the industry as few vendors offer solutions
in both areas and on the user side, solutions are often specified and
implemented by different departments. It’s an area where Arvato Systems offers
a unique and valuable perspective.”
Looking a little way into the future, there’s work in progress
to extend the Interoperable Mastering Format (IMF) specification for
advertising. According to Billhardt this has potential to move the JIT assembly
process even closer to the consumer and presents some really significant
opportunities to further push the boundaries on ad sales.
Stream Circle,
maker of the eponymous TV automation platform, also anticipates that the future
lies in network streaming to narrow groups of viewers “provided that we know
their exact profiles,” says CEO Josef Vasica.
Stream Circle works with raw content and, using its own
graphics engine, “is able to assemble the final stream at the very last moment
in the light of the latest available information,” says Vasica.
“Our system functions on the basis of a generic programme definition which is
then enhanced by secondary events, graphics, ads, self-promos, etc. strictly on
a JIT principle.
“IBC2018 can expect to see our latest multi-layered playout
functions with all the latest and greatest features of IP-based television,” he
adds.
Live sports programmes are at the forefront of just-in-time
content assembly, as small segments are created from the live event and used
quickly. Catch-up and on-demand follow
the linear programme with ever shorter delay. A soccer match can be available on-demand
in a matter of minutes after a game has ended.
ProConsultant
Informatique (PCI), which refers to its BMS (called LOUISE) as a Business
Management Solution, says the BMS must be integrated with Business Process
Management (BPM) tools to manage the workflow’s operations and tasks and to
bring significant operational efficiency to media customers.
“Non-linear platforms are going to be more and more
specialised, addressed to precise targeted individuals or groups, based on
their characteristics, with multiple variations of content,” says PCI’s
Laurence Thill.
“In this framework, LOUISE is providing integrated
functionalities to manage these different variations and to personalise the
specific content addressed to the individuals and/or groups of final viewers.
Media companies using LOUISE will be able easily combine all of this
information in order to precisely adjust and feed, non-linear platforms with
the appropriate content addressed to viewers.”
Cleary, all of this must be done in compliance with the
rights and rules associated with each content. Since the rise of non-linear
platforms has significantly changed the rights management needs for
broadcasters, PCI will introduce at IBC2018, a fully integrated module within
LOUISE, which enables users to manage the sale and/or re-sale of rights to
third parties.
International media groups are centralising their content in
a global content management system so that it is ready to be shared by channels
and platforms across the globe. As the media asset management in MediaGenix’
WHATS’ON pilots all video, audio and subtitle flows, the content is ready to be
shared by all channels in whichever region, platform, version or language the
content is needed.
Swiss public broadcaster RTS can, for instance,
automatically create clips for fast publication online. WHATS’ON users open the frame-accurate player
from their WHATS’ON screen and set markers segmenting the content. This facilitates its distribution on any
platform while tracking the various rights on every individual segment of the
content. The system informs users about rights problems and the additional
costs for clearing the content.
At IBC2018, Mediagenix promises to deliver on a new concept
of content itself – one that “breaks down the barriers between interstitials
and products, episodes and programmes, but also between media and nonmedia
content, such as derived products, apps, books, entertainment events.”
This will apparently make it even easier in What’s On to
split content up, assemble new content with constituent parts, schedule
additional content, present it in alternate ways, and group titles into collections
for selling, planning or repackaging.
“The whole exploitation lifecycle will be managed in an
integrated way. With ‘Flights’ you will not need more than one scheduling action
for multiple publication windows on multiple services and platforms,” he says.
“Ultra-dynamic publication with one click of the mouse.”
For IBC, Arvato is focusing on “programmatic advertising”
and bringing the best of online and digital advertising to traditional TV.
“With linear still providing strong revenues for broadcasters and brand safety
for their advertisers, by combining big data on audience insights with smart,
automated placement optimisation, our customers are able to offer advertisers accurate
targeting and reduce waste by controlling reach and frequency on linear
channels for the first time,” explains Billhardt. “Alongside metadata-driven
automated scheduling, we’ll also be demonstrating how the placement
optimisation algorithms in our S4AdOpt application can now also be applied to
promos, increasing viewer numbers and providing further revenue opportunities
for our customers.”
