TV Tech 509 - May 2025

Welcome to the May 2025 issue of

I T ’ S A L L I N W H E AT N E T- I P

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SPORTS • CONTENT CREATION • NEXTGEN TV 3 p.

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S E E KING SOLUTIONS AT

NAB Show Industry players double down on problem-solving tech as tariff concerns loom

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contents

May 2025 volume 42, issue 05

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26 Optimism Clashes With Tariff Anxieties at 2025 NAB Show

Vendors take a ‘heads-down’ approach amid an uncertain business climate

By Fred Dawson

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ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith Won’t ‘Close the Door’ on Politics As ‘First Take’ host refuses to rule out running for president, NAB chief Curtis LeGeyt celebrates convention as a hub for storytellers

By Phil Kurz

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EdgeBeam Seeks to Give TV a National Footprint

Ownership rule changes, 1.0 shutoff date crucial to successful rollout

By Tom Butts

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How Newsrooms Are Reinventing the Use of AI

Integrating the tech should lead to a rethink of newsgathering, panelists say

By Janet Connor Kahler

24 Local Sports Rights:

press conferences

Déjà Vu All Over Again

As cable RSNs face troubles, broadcast is sports TV’s comeback kid

By Mark Hallinger

26 Will FAST Be a Game-Changer For Sports Television?

Industry veterans see a role for free streaming channels

By Mark Hallinger

28 Finding Drama Off The Playing Field

Producers generate excitement from the backstories behind the game

By Tom Butts

30 Gomez Warns That FCC

Is Straying From Its Mandate Democratic commissioner criticizes inquiries into DEI, public media

By Nick Langan

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in the news

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• Grass Valley • FOR-A • Sony • Ross Video • Evertz • EVS • Panasonic

23 25 27 29 31 32 32

best of show awards

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nab show shots

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Credit: © NAB

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Cover Images: © NAB; Getty Images / cerber82

Tariffs Were the Talk of NAB Show The business of NAB Show is business and the economy has always been one of the main topics of discussion. But nowhere was this more evident than at the 2025 gathering last month.

Like so much of the world economy, the Media & Entertainment sector has been hit hard by forces beyond its control in recent years—from the 2008 recession to COVID-19. But we’ve adapted and persevered, using technology and brainpower to adjust. The industry was already moving to the cloud before the pandemic but social distancing required us to move faster and adopt more cloud-based production techniques, including remote and virtual production.

The cloud is great for processing, distribution and content creation but when it comes to capturing content, we still need hardware, from cameras to tripods, lighting, power supplies and mics. We also still need transmitters, switchers, routers, etc.

That’s why so much of the discussion on the floor at this year’s NAB Show was about the tariffs that were announced by President Donald Trump less than a week prior to the show. In addition to a blanket 10% tariff on all imports, (except for Canada and Mexico), reciprocal tariffs were also imposed on a number of countries, including an eventual 145% tariff on China.

The Trump administration’s handling of the tariff plans tanked the stock market and caused great consternation and fear worldwide on how they would impact global trade, with many economists predicting a recession in the U.S. by the end of 2025.

Despite the president’s support for tariffs— which in our opinion are wrong and ignore the realities of today’s global economy—our industry will have to adjust to the uncertainCredit: Getty Images / Chip Somodevilla ties which have been created by his policies.

Nobody I spoke with at the show supported President Donald Trump announces his tariff plans at the White House on April 2. the tariffs. None said they would bring manufacturing to the U.S. in response. And some of my respondents were candid about increased prices.

Dan May with Blackmagic Design, based in Australia, said the tariffs could affect the company’s business, talking about how the company had to adjust its prices on its website just prior to the show.

“We own our own factories in Australia, Singapore and Indonesia,” he said. “The current tariffs as of right now are 10% for Australia, 10% for Singapore, 32% for Indonesia. But, because of the way we manage our prices and margins, we do have to pass those on.”

Telycam, a China-based manufacturer of POV cameras, is a good example of a company that could be greatly affected. The company is making a major push into the U.S. market and spokesman Mike Nann said prices could increase, but that they’re confident they will succeed, noting the company’s product differentiation.

“If prices had to go up, I still think we can be very competitive,” he said. “But it has created a lot of uncertainty.”

Nann made those comments on the last day of the show, hours before Trump announced a 90-day pause on implementing the tariffs (except on China). This kind of back and forth that is creating such uncertainty—which can be as damaging as the tariffs themselves—was perhaps the most appropriate ending to an otherwise successful show.

Tom Butts Content Director tom.butts@futurenet.com

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Vol. 43 No. 5 | May 2025 FOLLOW US

www.tvtech.com twitter.com/tvtechnology CONTENT Content Director Tom Butts, tom.butts@futurenet.com Content Managers Michael Demenchuk, michael.demenchuk@futurenet Senior Content Producer George Winslow, george.winslow@futurenet.com Contributors: Gary Arlen, James Careless, David Cohen Fred Dawson, Kevin Hilton, and Mark R. Smith Production Managers: Heather Tatrow, Nicole Schilling Art Directors: Cliff Newman, Steven Mumby ADVERTISING SALES Managing Vice President of Sales, B2B Tech Adam Goldstein, adam.goldstein@futurenet.com Publisher, TV Tech/TVBEurope Joe Palombo, joseph.palombo@futurenet.com SUBSCRIBER CUSTOMER SERVICE To subscribe, change your address, or check on your current account status, go to www.tvtechnology.com and click on About Us, email futureplc@computerfulfillment.com, call 888-266-5828, or write P.O. Box 8692, Lowell, MA 01853.

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in the news

Broadcasters Urge FCC: Hit ‘Delete’ on Ownership Rules The Federal Communications Commission’s call for public comments and suggestions on outdated regulations that should be eliminated has prompted a slew of fillings from broadcasters urging the agency to abolish its ownership caps and a host of other regulations.

The FCC’s docket for public comments called “In Re: Delete, Delete, Delete” (Docket 25-133), part of a wider push for deregulation, has become one of the most active on the agency’s website, with over 910 filings in mid-April. Those comments include lengthy filings and letters from the National Association of Broadcasters, the Society of Broadcast Engineers, state broadcasting associations, America’s Public Television Stations, PBS, Nexstar Media Group, Sinclair, Gray Media, Mission Broadcasting and many individual TV stations.

“If there was ever a proceeding tailor-made for broadcasters, this is it,” NAB wrote in its filing. “Due to history—broadcast stations were the first regulated entities placed under the FCC’s purview—and a general lack of will, to date, the Commission has consistently failed to modernize, let alone delete, delete, delete, the myriad antiquated and ineffective rules that apply only to the nation’s free, over-the-

The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers has issued a call for technical papers for its 2025 Media Technology Summit, Oct. 13-16, at the Pasadena (Calif.) Convention Center.

The society will accept 300- to 400word paper abstracts until May 31 on a variety of potential topics, including:

air broadcasters … This is a major policy failure that NAB has long urged the FCC to correct.

“But now, with Delete, Delete, Delete, the Commission has an historic opportunity to correct course, bring rationality to its regulatory regime, and make television and radio broadcasting stronger and more competitive,” NAB argued. “To be successful in this critical endeavor, however, the FCC’s first step must be eliminating the national TV ownership rule and local TV rules.”

NAB also urged the FCC to reduce rules that impede the transition to NextGen TV, to sunsetting ATSC 1.0, update EAS rules and reduce paperwork and rules relating to children’s programming, EEO and other areas.

Credit: FCC, © NAB, Getty Images

Survey: Share of Homes With a TV Antenna Falls to 19% Homes with access to live TV channels via antenna declined from 32% in 2020, according to a major new survey from Horowitz Research.

A major new survey of consumer video subscriptions offers the TV industry some mixed messages, with data showing ongoing drastic declines in pay TV subscriptions and antenna usage coupled with notable increases in streaming.

The “State of Media, Entertainment, and Tech: Subscriptions 2025” report, from Horowitz Research, found that homes with access to live TV channels via a TV antenna declined from 32% in 2020 to 19% in 2025.

Even more precipitous declines were recorded for traditional pay TV providers, with the number of homes with MVPD

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SMPTE Issues Call for Tech Papers Ahead Of Annual Gathering

subscriptions falling from 81% in 2020 to 44% in 2025.

The Horowitz study found that homes using TV antennas toward lower-income households and older consumers. As of early 2025, antennas were used in 26% of homes headed by someone 50 or older, but only in 10% of homes headed by someone aged 18-34. Only 9% of homes with incomes greater than $100,000 a year had an antenna, while 26% of households with incomes below $50,000 used antennas.

Meanwhile, new data from Horowitz showed the share of homes with subscription video-on-demand services rose from 70% in 2020 to 81% in 2025, and households with free streaming services jumped from 52% to 70%.

@tvtech.bsky.social

Emerging and disruptive technologies, including AI and automation, 5G and next-generation connectivity, blockchain and decentralized media systems and robotics, control systems and machine vision.

Content creation and production innovation, including virtual, augmented and mixed reality production, immersive and interactive media experiences and next-generation content creation workflows.

Media infrastructure and distribution, including cloud and edge computing solutions, IP-based media systems and networking innovations and evolution of streaming, OTT and hybrid delivery models.

Compression, processing and optimization, including advanced codecs, compression techniques and standards, AI-powered signal processing and media optimization and HDR, color science and imaging technologies.

Hardware, display and capture technologies, including cutting-edge display, projection and viewing systems and photonics, sensors and optical technologies.

Industry, security and sustainability, including sustainable media production and green workflows, cybersecurity, privacy and infrastructure resilience, standards development and industry evolution, and cloud workflows and their role in sustainability.

Abstracts will be reviewed and authors notified from June 1-30. Final manuscripts and presentations are due Sept. 30.

For more information, visit smpte.org.

in the news OPINION

April Brings Good Omens For ATSC 3.0’s Future Trio of developments show the tide is turning for NextGen TV, ancillary services Second, EdgeBeam Wireless— Proponents of ATSC 3.0 received the 3.0-based datacasting joint three pieces of good news in April venture of E.W. Scripps, Gray that bode well for the future of Media, Nexstar Media Group NextGen TV and ancillary services. and Sinclair—appears to be The most important advancing. During a fireside chat, development is the release of a which I moderated at NAB Show, public notice seeking comment executives from the four station on the National Association groups reported that EdgeBeam’s of Broadcasters’ petition for executive leadership and sales rulemaking that asks the Federal team will soon be in place; the Communications Commission Phil Kurz joint venture will likely secure to halt ATSC 1.0 transmission its first datacasting customer before the end in the top 55 markets by February 2028 and of the year; and other broadcasters have remaining markets two years later. approached EdgeBeam about offering some 3.0 Broadcasters backing the standard say capacity for its datacasting service in exchange they cannot deliver on ATSC 3.0’s full list of for a piece of the pie. (See story, page 18.) benefits until the legacy digital TV service Finally, the 3.0-based Broadcast Positioning is shut off or seriously curtailed and the System (BPS)—a possible complement to overwhelming majority of sticks in markets and backup for satellite-based GPS—has are dedicated to NextGen TV. logged some successes, which were in focus I made several inquiries on the floor of the during the Public Media Venture Group’s 2025 NAB Show about the manufacturing TechConnect 2025 conference just prior to capacity and tower rigging crews needed the NAB Show, during the NAB Broadcast to meet NAB’s proposed deadlines and was Engineering and IT (BEIT) Conference and on assured that would not be an issue. the show floor at the Futures Park.

What will be an issue are objections from There were three big BPS takeaways the Consumer Technology Association, lowfrom the show. First, the NAB and major power TV broadcasters and multichannel broadcasters, including and Sinclair, talked video programming distributors (MVPDs). about successful BPS tests they’ve run or The cost of making necessary broadcast and currently are running; second, the National cable TV infrastructure changes, as well as Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) forcing consumers into a non-backwardsis well aware of BPS and its successes; and compatible transition, will likely be high on third, show attendees could see a working the list of concerns in comments they’ll file in demo of BPS, which combined precise timing response to the public notice. delivered from an eLoran (enhanced longHowever, it’s hard to imagine NAB would range navigation) transmitter to a station have sought a rulemaking without proposals on Black Mountain outside Las Vegas that that address these issues in its own back was transmitted as part of a 3.0 signal and pocket. received in the West Hall in the Futures Park.

All of this happened against the backdrop of an FCC that opened an inquiry into a GPS complement/backup in March.

While it’s possible any of these three 3.0 developments could be derailed, it’s getting harder and harder to imagine a future in which NextGen TV doesn’t benefit viewers, broadcasters, businesses and even the government for decades to come.

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FCC Notice Seeks Comment on NAB’s NextGen TV Proposals The Federal Communication Commission’s Media Bureau is seeking comments on a major filing by the National Association of Broadcasters that proposes significant rule changes to speed up the transition to NextGen TV aka ATSC 3.0 broadcasts.

In a February filing, the NAB proposed the FCC mandate a two-phased transition deadline. In the first phase of the NAB proposal, full-power stations in the top 55 markets (reaching about 70% of viewers) would be required to transition fully to ATSC 3.0 (i.e., end ATSC 1.0 simulcasting) in February 2028, with limited waivers for smaller and noncommercial stations if necessary. In

the second phase of the NAB proposal, stations in the remaining markets would be required to transition fully to ATSC 3.0 in February 2030.

The FCC is seeking comments at Docket 16-142 on the NAB filing and on a report submitted by NAB summarizing efforts undertaken as part of the Future of Television Initiative (FOTVI).

In addition to the issues raised in those filings, the FCC also said it seeks comment on “any additional issues that are important to resolve before, or in the context of, any transition, whether or not those issues are raised in the Petition or FOTVI Report.”

nab show review

Optimism Clashes With Tariff Anxieties at 2025 NAB Show Vendors take a ‘heads-down’ approach amid an uncertain business climate

Credit: © NAB

By Fred Dawson

Whether you’re in the air or out for a swim, the last thing you do when you hit bone-rattling turbulence is slow down.

That was the state of mind at the 2025 NAB Show in the wake of the Trump administration’s April 2 “Liberation Day” tariff announcement.

“It’s on everybody’s minds,” said one vendor CEO, speaking on background to express the widely felt anxiety. “But our customers and suppliers are all telling us the same thing: they’re staying the course with their budgeted plans until they have reason to do otherwise.”

It was anybody’s guess how long that “steady-as-you-go” attitude would guide M&E sector activity. With the sudden imposition of a 90-day delay on those “reciprocal tariffs” announced on the show’s last day—followed by conflicting messages on tech tariffs the following weekend—the heads-down focus on the business at hand was up against the head-spinning threat of a turbulence-induced

global economic stall-out ahead of any resolution of the tariff questions.

As it was, the dominant goal on people’s minds heading into the annual Las Vegas gathering, April 5-9, was to mitigate the intensifying turbulence unrelated to tariffs that was at least partially responsible for a 10% drop in attendance from 61,000 in 2024 to 55,000 this year. Whether by way of regulatory relief or the potential returns on cost-saving and revenue-generating technology advancements, the need for new ways forward dominated exhibit hall and meeting room discussions.

PROBLEM-SOLVING SUPERSEDES PURE SALES AGENDAS For industry suppliers, it’s no longer just a matter of selling good technology; it’s about helping customers work through the business challenges, Glodina Lostanlen, chief revenue officer at Imagine Communications, noted.

“The challenge is to find the returns.

“If you look at the FAST channels and the investments made in digital set-tops, our cus-

BY THE NUMBERS Registered Attendees:

55,000

Countries Represented: 160 First-Time Attendees: 53% Exhibitors: ~1,100

(125 first-timers)

SOURCE: NAB

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tomers—all the big brand names—are telling us, ‘We invested a lot in digital and we’re not seeing the returns,’” she added. “At the same time, the linear business is under pressure because of the fragmentation. We really have to help them make the most of everything they have.”

Imagine is pursuing that agenda on both the playout and monetization sides of its product portfolio. One recently implemented case in point entails how the company tailored its SureFire ad server and linear TV decisioning platform to help New Zealand’s state-owned commercial broadcaster TVNZ derive higher ad revenues from digital programmatic advertising operations utilizing the Google Ad Manager (GAM) supply-side platform.

Using SureFire, TVNZ can book contextually relevant ads from its linear inventory to fill empty ad breaks in digital streams. “Our SureFire solution understands the context of the linear, and it brings the linear broadcast rules into the ad decisioning,” Lostanlen explained.

“So the GAM will propose several ads, and there is some intelligence with background

nab show review on what the linear program is to tell GAM to pick the best ad.”

Across NAB Show exhibit halls, the pall of uncertainty was countered by an eye-popping array of cost-saving and revenue-driving vendor solutions impacting every facet of the business, from creation and production to distribution and monetization. Breakthroughs abounded on every front, many enabled by generative and other permutations of AI, which, along with machine learning, have gone from the hypeand-wonder stage to being baked-in components permeating the M&E landscape.

AI MESSAGING GIVES WAY TO TOUTING CLOUD SOLUTIONS Indeed, despite the pervasive presence of AI, it didn’t come close to getting as much attention as it did last year. What mattered to sellers was getting across to buyers the ways their solutions were facilitating broadcasters’ shift to and use of the cloud.

Zixi, for example, was focused on communicating the role it is playing in the cloud transition beyond supplying low-latency contribution transport. “This show is an inflection point for us,” Zixi CEO Mark Aldrich said.

Citing partnerships with AWS, Amagi, Ateme, Videon, Magnifi.ai, Red5 and many other suppliers, he added, “We’re an accelerant to helping the industry move from satellite to IP in an elegant way.”

Innovations enabling scalable, reliable and secure live video delivery with 4K/HDR formatting at the lowest possible total cost of ownership have contributed to diminishing resistance to the cloud, Aldrich noted, as customers experience the benefits firsthand.

OTT SUPPORT MOVES CENTER STAGE

example, what can be done with AI-enabled speech-to-text “is incredible,” Driscoll said.

Stanza, Telestream’s captioning software solution, at present only supports the generation of English captions from speech spoken in other languages, but an expansion to translation across multiple languages is on the road map.

As for new developments unrelated to AI, Driscoll pointed to several advances impacting the firm’s PRISM waveform monitors, SPG9000 sync pulse and test signal generators and iQ Intelligent Video Management System, all of which are facilitating use of SMPTE 2110 and the transition to HDR in mainstream production. For example, the SPG9000 sync pulse support for 2110 and SDI in one box has been enhanced with added redundancy, supporting automatic switchover to secondary timing resources when a primary source like the Global Navigation Satellite System malfunctions.

Advances impacting PRISM include color banding that ensures conversions from HDR

“If you look at the FAST channels and the investments made in digital set-tops, our customers—all the big brand names—are telling us, ‘We invested a lot in digital and we’re not seeing the returns.’”

GLODINA LOSTANLEN, IMAGINE COMMUNICATIONS

Telestream, too, pointed to broadcasters’ transition to IP as the industry trend with the greatest impact on product development.

“We’re seeing a lot more processing in the cloud and distribution on ABR [adaptive bitrate used with OTT streaming],” said Matthew Driscoll, Telestream’s vice president of product management, in areas related to quality control in postproduction, distribution and monetization.

AI support, as heavily promoted by Tele­ stream last year, is a given component across much of the company’s product portfolio but was barely mentioned in the firm’s NAB Show messaging this year. “AI is a big factor in automating our workflows,” Driscoll said, noting the generative AI applications complement the firm’s use of machine-learning tools over the last 15 years.

Of course, normalizing AI in workflows only means there’s much more to come. For

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to SDR don’t end up with major chromatic distortions. The iQ enhancements involved expedited troubleshooting through the centralized ARGUS live A/V, captioning and SCTE 35 ad-marker monitoring system.

REAL-TIME MULTILINGUAL CAPTIONING Many solutions in the multilingual captioning domain—much of it enabled by AI—were on display at the show. They included significant advances brought to light by ENCO, which exhibited a product line impacting automated broadcast and production workflows involving automated live translation, virtual production, audio compliance, playout, cloudbased web streaming and more.

“We’re lucky to have been playing in a lot of different markets since our inception, which gives us the ability to see how different markets capitalize on the same technologies,” ENCO Product Design and Solutions Manager Bill Bennett said. “For example, we’re able to see how generative AI used in writing advertising copy can be used to convert text to synthetic speech.”

Having introduced on-premises language translation from English to Spanish text last year, at this year’s NAB Show ENCO extended its enTranslate platform’s capabilities to support translating dozens of languages in real time, on-prem or in the cloud. The company also demonstrated a new version of its enTranslate mobile app, letting visitors who scanned QR codes on display in multiple locations view text translations of the on-stage commentary in seven different languages.

Now, ENCO is applying its R&D skills to turning those translations into audio output in real time, Bennett said. “We’re using the same processing-intensive GPU hardware acceleration we’re employing to perform the text translations for the AI re-speaking conversion to audio,” he noted.

NEXTGEN TV DEVELOPMENTS Discussion among broadcasters rolling out ATSC 3.0 was dominated by current moves to get the Federal Communications Commission to set a date certain to sunset 1.0 by the end of the decade. The momentum towards this goal was best illustrated less than a week after the show ended, when the FCC issued a request for public comment on a 1.0 sunset proposal submitted by NAB earlier this year (see p. 8).

The Advanced Television Systems Committee booth in the West Hall had a more international theme after last year’s announcement that Brazil had adopted the physical layer standard of 3.0, ATSC President Madeleine Noland said.

“Our booth was a hub of energy and excite-

ment, boasting a 30% increase in visitors over last year and showcasing the broad and growing support for ATSC 3.0,” she told members in her postshow memo. “It was also notable that Brazilians attended the show in force, as the second-most represented country at the show after the U.S. With the initial launch of DTV+, largely based on ATSC 3.0, scheduled soon for Rio [de Janeiro], excitement about the possibilities in Brazil continues to expand.”

In addition to new consumer products on display at the ATSC booth, tech demos revolved around advanced features including immersive TV and an increased emphasis on gaming.

Executives from the nation’s largest station groups also discussed the details behind the launch of EdgeBeam, a new 3.0 datacasting service (see p. 18), while technical discussions about using 3.0 signals as a backup to GPS (aka Broadcasting Positioning System, or “BPS”) took place during the four-day Broadcast Engineering and IT Conference.

As broadcasters move live production to the cloud, they’re discovering new ways to use streaming technology to address cost and monetization

challenges. One groundbreaking development with major implications for maximizing streaming flexibility was quietly displayed by Dolby, one of many vendors offering ultra-low latency streaming solutions at NAB Show.

For the first time anywhere, Dolby was demonstrating it’s now possible through its OptiView platform to implement streaming at whatever level of latency and directional flexibility is required for any given live distribution scenario through point-and-click commands on a management dashboard.

“Dolby OptiView is a fully managed service that supports interactive streaming over WebRTC at sub-half-second latencies, High

Credit: istockphoto

Credit: © NAB

nab show review Efficiency Streaming Protocol (HESP) at 1 to 2 seconds or conventional HLS platforms at higher latencies,” Dolby Senior Product Marketing Manager Rose Power said.

In all cases, streams are managed through the OptiView Player software, which uses APIs that work with any browser or client software used by the chosen transport protocol. The managed service assigns streaming operations to the appropriate CDN infrastructure, including an Oracle Cloud Infrastructure network optimized for WebRTC and HTTPbased CDNs for HESP and HLS. Power said OptiView users can activate Dolby’s ServerGuided Ad Insertion (SGAI) technology to enable targeted full- or partial-screen ad placements in line with performance parameters of the chosen streaming technology.

Clearly, judging by everything on display at this year’s NAB Show, broadcasters entering the NextGen TV era have all they need to leave the limitations of the old OTA environment behind, with one exception: They need to see uncertainty giving way to coherency in U.S. trade policy. ●

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nab show welcome

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith Won’t ‘Close the Door’ on Politics As ‘First Take’ host refuses to rule out running for president, NAB chief Curtis LeGeyt celebrates convention as a hub for storytellers

By Phil Kurz

ESPN host Stephen A. Smith told an audience at NAB Show’s Welcome Session that he is open to the possibility of running for U.S. president in 2028.

“I have no desire to be a politician … but I am no longer going to close that door,” Smith said on stage during an interview with Mike McVay, president of McVay Consulting.

Smith, host of “First Take,” recently inked a $100 million, five-year contract extension with ESPN and until recently had joked about making a run.

However, over the past few weeks, he said, he’s “had no choice but to get a bit more serious about it.”

Credit: © NAB

‘BOTH SIDES BAD’ Smith told McVay and those gathered on the Main Stage in West Hall that he has been approached by “people on Capitol Hill,” governors and others about a run.

Smith—whose memoir is titled “Straight Shooter”—threw shade on both political parties, the Trump administration and politicians in general, saying they put their interests above the people they are elected to serve.

He described the Democratic Party as “an absolute mess.”

“It’s leaderless for a variety of reasons,” he said. “And it’s disgraceful, as far as I’m concerned, because there is no excuse for it. They veered this country in an extreme direction. They were so busy talking about the MAGA right, they didn’t look at themselves looking like the MAGA left.”

Meanwhile, Republicans shouldn’t forget what they are about and rest on their laurels from an election that gave them both houses

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of Congress and the presidency, Smith continued.

“One party should be purged, and the other party should watch themselves because there is a midterm election coming up,” he said, “and how you feel sticking out your chest, thinking you’ve got it made right now. In a

prospective employers; you’re scaring … the American citizen.”

‘STORIES INSPIRE US’

The session opened with Perry Sook, Nexstar Media Group chairman and CEO and chair of the NAB Board’s Executive Committee, welcoming the audience and introducing NAB President Stephen A. Smith, host of and CEO Curtis LeGeyt.

ESPN’s “First Take,” told an NAB Show audience he “Stories inspire us,” “had no choice but to get LeGeyt said in his remarks. a bit more serious” about “They connect us in ways talk of a presidential run. that nothing else can. …

In the past year, Americans wept as we grappled with the personal impacts of wars in Gaza and Ukraine.

We were inspired as we watched heroes battling blazes that rippled through California neighborhoods and communities rallying together to rebuild in the aftermath of hurricanes,” he said.

“And we escaped, into the silver screen and our phones, as your storytelling swept us away to magical lands to defy gravity, and our sports heroes thrilled us in a chase to break a decades-old NHL goal-scoring record. Stories—whether real or fantasy—are the invisible threads that weave our shared human experience.”

At the heart of that experience, he said, are little over a year you could find yourself on content producers, broadcasters, filmmakers the outside looking in all over again.” and virtual reality pioneers. And each year, Smith criticized President Donald he said, nearly $17 billion in business is Trump over a “haphazard” approach to generated through connections made at implementing tariffs. “Tariffs are not a bad this convention. “Nearly 1,100 exhibitors thing,” Smith said. “I just think the way he is spanning 12 football fields will display their imposing them has been disastrous. latest innovations on our show floor.”

“He is coming across as somebody who is Karen Chupka, NAB executive vice president devoid of having a plan,” he continued. “If he and managing director, Global Connections and has a plan, he is the only one who seems to be Events, showed off a new NAB Show logo that aware of it, and he’s not thinking about the “represents the evolution of the event to meet ripple and collateral effect it ultimately has. the needs of its diverse community.” ● © NAB “You’re scaring the markets; you’re scaring

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nextgen tv

EdgeBeam Seeks to Give TV a National Footprint Ownership rule changes, 1.0 shutoff date crucial to successful rollout

At a standing-room only press conference, four of the nation’s most prominent broadcast groups detailed plans to launch EdgeBeam, a joint venture to provide expansive, reliable and secure data delivery services via ATSC 3.0, aka NextGen TV. The heads of Gray Media, Nexstar Media Group, E.W. Scripps and Sinclair discussed the nationwide network during a session moderated by Phil Kurz of TV Tech.

They touted the business opportunities that could arise by using ATSC 3.0 spectrum to transmit data, comparing the inadequacy

of wireless IP with the one-to-many advantages of broadcast.

“The internet is architected for one-to-one streaming of video on high demand, [but] it’s not scaling the way that we hoped it would,” Nexstar President and Chief Operating Officer Michael Biard said. He cited Netflix’s glitchy broadcast of the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight.

“Doesn’t happen in a broadcast context where you’ve got one stream going to everybody.”

EdgeBeam will be able to deliver data nationwide to any device with an ATSC 3.0 receiver, such as cars and trucks, drones, marine vessels, phones, tablets or TV sets.

ATSC 3.0 is available to about 76% of the country. To get a nationwide footprint, the executives are hoping for deregulation

Credit: istockphoto

Credit: © NAB

By Tom Butts

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Michael Biard

nextgen tv

Credit: © NAB

Christopher Ripley

of ownership rules to help groups better compete with Big Tech and wireless. “[T]hey’re all allowed to have national footprints, but … this industry is not. National footprints are more efficient,” Sinclair President and CEO Chris Ripley said. “The antiquated rules that the industry lives under stymie innovation. We formed EdgeBeam to solve one of those issues because, together, we do have a nationwide footprint.”

Equally important in the advancement of datacasting via 3.0 is the proposed shutoff of ATSC 1.0. The NAB has petitioned the Federal

Input 1: ST2110, 8192 x 4320 @ 60fps

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Adam Symson

Communications Commission to approve a February 2028 sunset in the top 55 markets.

A shutoff would allow broadcasters to use more of their spectrum, Ripley said. “When you sunset 1.0 in 2028, you go from 9 Mbps in excess spectrum to probably something close to 100, a significant increase in spectrum available for datacasting.”

Biard added that a shutoff in 2028 “is critical to igniting the ecosystem and messaging to folks who haven’t thought about building for 3.0 yet. Once they know that that’s coming, it’s no longer a sideshow;

PQ, Rec.2020, 4:4:4, 12 bit

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Pat LaPlatney

it is the standard through which all of our broadcast stations will operate.”

Scripps President and CEO Adam Symson said, “Datacasting represents one of the most important ways for broadcasters to create additional revenue to also help support the role we play in local markets with the news, sports and critical services that we provide in the communities across this country.”

Pat LaPlatney, president and co-CEO of Gray Media, said that by the proposed full shutoff of 1.0 in 2030, more than 90% of the country could be within reach of ATSC 3.0. ● © NAB

reimagining local news

How Newsrooms Are Reinventing the Use of AI Integrating the tech should lead to a rethink of newsgathering, panelists say

By Janet Connor Kahler

Credit: © NAB

Traditional media companies are seeing the benefits of using artificial intelligence in their newsrooms, but the use of AI needs to be more than just adding technology.

Integrating AI needs to come from a whole reimaging of newsgathering.

At the “Broadcasters Survival (or Reinvention) Plan: Local Content, Smart Tech & Bold Innovation” panel, Joe Croney of The Washington Post’s Arc XP spoke with Stephanie Slagle, vice president and chief information officer at Graham Media Group, and Michael Newman, Graham’s director of transformation, about how Graham Media integrated Arc XP’s content management system in its television stations to help move from a platform-first approach to newsgathering to a story-first approach.

Over the past decade, television stations have needed three different newsrooms: one for broadcast, one for digital and one for streaming, which required a big staff as well as expertise on specific platforms. That’s just not sustainable in the current economic climate, Slagle said at the

NAB Show session, so Graham Media leaders went out into the field with their journalists to see what tools they need to easily turn a broadcast story into a social media post and also a streamed story that can be updated quickly with little effort.

Newman said the stations needed to free up time so journalists could spend more time in the field producing high-quality content rather than waiting in the van or in the newsroom.

AI IMPROVES PROCESS Technology from Arc XP helps crumble these roadblocks and allows reporters to own their stories rather than handing them off to an editor or digital specialist to get the piece into a usable form. Arc XP’s AI isn’t creating content, but it is improving the process so journalists can create better content that connects with the community.

“If your content can easily be done by AI, then it’s probably not worthy content,” Croney said. “If it doesn’t cost anything to produce it, it probably isn’t worth anything.”

So Graham Media leans on Arc XP’s technology to improve fact-checking, create

From left, panelists Michael Newman and Stephanie Slagle of Graham Media Group and Joe Croney, Arc XP.

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different versions of stories, transcribe video, run teleprompters and track talent.

Graham Media even created its GMG Spark video, which was sent out internally to its journalists to demonstrate how AI can improve, not eliminate, their work. “People are using this tool, and no one has come back to us and said it hasn’t improved their work,” Newman said. “The team also encourages users to create apps within the system, and a Graham employee in San Antonio made one for SEO optimization.”

Graham Media is also seeing the potential of AI to create hyperpersonalized content that users, especially younger ones, have come to expect. And the company is using it to create hyperpersonalized ads, too.

“Currently our advertisers are taking a stab at personalizing ads, but most of it really isn’t personalized,” Newman said.

Slagle encouraged media decision-makers to involve journalists when exploring or testing technology and get as much feedback as possible. These leaders need to be honest about what’s working and not working, Slagle said, and to absolutely check back to see if journalists are actually using the tools. ● © NAB

Grass Valley Taps New CEO, Launches ­Connected Products

By Alyson Trager, SmartBrief

Grass Valley Executive Chairman Louis Hernandez Jr. announced the appointment of new CEO Jon Wilson at the company’s Grass Valley Forum event, held during NAB Show.

Wilson has been with Grass Valley since 2023, serving as president and chief operating officer. As Wilson received the key to the Grass Valley Media Universe from Hernandez, he shared his vision for its future: focusing on the customer experience and creating solutions that span the entirety of the company, from AMPP to hardware.

Ian Fletcher, chief technology officer,

Grass Valley Executive Chairman Louis Hernandez Jr., left, presents CEO Jon Wilson with the “key” to the Grass Valley Media Universe as Sinclair’s Del Parks looks on.

and Adam Marshall, chief product officer, announced the launch of several products to help Wilson achieve his goal of increasing the company’s connective ecosystem of

hardware, software and cloud technology.

Grass Valley’s new LDX 180 camera has a 10K imager, offering a cinematic lens with very little noise. In combination with the wireless LDX 110 RF and the roaming freedom of the LDX 135/150 5G, the 100 camera series seamlessly blends together innovative transmission capabilities through the base station to drive down installation efforts and infrastructure costs.

“With the introduction of the 180 … you have the creative freedom with our 100 Series product form to pick and choose the right camera for any shot, any emotion, across the entire portfolio with the same speed and ease,” Marshall said.

Live production was again emphasized with the smallest production switcher available, the new K-Frame VXP, a 5-rack-unit switcher that includes a 48 x 24 native UHD, IP and SDI I/O in a single form factor.

In line with Grass Valley’s goal of connectivity, the VXP uses the same I/O as the rest of the range of switchers, so users can scale up or down based on production needs. ● © NAB

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Credit: © NAB

press conferences

business shifts

Local Sports Rights: Déjà Vu All Over Again As cable RSNs face troubles, broadcast is sports TV’s comeback kid

By Mark Hallinger

Credit: © NAB

The sports rights landscape has changed enormously in recent years, in part due to the events surrounding Diamond Sports Group.

A formerly constricted market was set loose, opening sports rights deals to local broadcast, where they generally hadn’t been for ages.

For the last few years, a fairly steady parade of deals have been announced between broadcasters and local professional teams, college leagues or even broader professional leagues like the WNBA. “(Re) Building a Sports Business on Local Broadcast,” part of NAB Show’s Programming Everywhere Conference, provided a status report on the still-developing market, one that is potentially critical to local broadcast in general.

early innings — bottom of the second, top of the third. They generally agreed that sports need to cultivate new fans as they had done in the past, by being broadly available in mass media and broadcast. And teams have to adopt again to an ad-based model versus a distribution model.

Scott Shapiro, executive vice president of corporate development at Sinclair, said, “[With] the eyeballs definitely ahead of the monetization, it feels early with lots of opportunity and lots of risk.”

Ratings are generally very good, Lawlor said. “One of the reasons why we got into sports was because it drives some of the larg-

est viewing of any genre. We’ve all seen the numbers from two years ago when 96 of the top 100 shows on TV were live sports. That plays itself out in local sports, too.”

‘THE NUMBERS ARE HUGE’

Pat LaPlatney, president and co-CEO, Gray Television, concurred, noting an Atlanta Braves game that had 10x the ratings of the comparable period in the past. “In terms of time period, there is no comparison; the numbers are huge compared to what we had in there.”

Shapiro said he had been generally impressed with the younger skew of broadcast viewers and mentioned cross-promotional tie-ins with local news.

He described the future of streaming as “TBD for now,” though that opinion was not universal. Some of the panelists felt strongly about the complementary nature of streaming and linear.

Frank Cicha, executive ‘SECOND INNING’ vice president, programPanel Moderator Glen ming, Fox Television Dickson, contributing Stations, said it was a editor of TVNewsCheck pleasure to not be competasked what stage the ing with teams as with the brave new world of sports RSN model. “We say, ‘How broadcast rights was in. do you want your brand?’

“It’s the second inning,” We’re letting the teams said Brian Lawlor, presplay a heavy role.” ident of Scripps Sports, Rick Young, senior vice picking up on a baseball president, head of global metaphor. He said some products, LTN, couldn’t of the first deals brought say which inning this new back to over-the-air world of local sports is broadcast are only a few in, but he said LTN has years old. “It feels like it’s been working with many still very early; a lot of the broadcasters since the teams that had been with start of metaphorical regional sports networks spring training. Live Me(RSNs) for decades are sort dia Command services can of looking at the landconnect a main market scape, trying to figure out with additional markets. if over-the-air is a good “Sports is really valuable platform for them.” and fits customization,” The panelists agreed From left: Panel Moderator Glen Dickson, TVNewsCheck; Pat LaPlatney, Gray Television; Frank Young said. ● © NAB that we’re still in the Cicha, Fox Television Stations; Rick Young, LTN; Brian Lawlor, Scripps; and Scott Shapiro, Sinclair.

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press conferences

FOR-A has introduced its IMPULSE solution, which consolidates functions provided by FOR-A products into one host machine.

IMPULSE (Integrated Media Platform with UnLimited StructurE) features signal processing, multiviewer, switching, graphics, audio mixing and a media player as software function nodes.

Operators can connect nodes by using the platform’s graph editor to create production pipelines. Because it’s a software-based solution, it’s easy to reconfigure the pipelines depending on the specific application, FOR-A America President Satoshi Kanemura said.

“Until recently, live production has required purchasing large-scale physical equipment and combining a variety of devices,” Kanemura said. “We are introducing a fully

software-based platform that’s easy to change as you like depending on the application.”

There were several issues FOR-A wanted to address immediately, he added: the shortage of technical talent, efficient use of equipment resources and streamlining workflows. The system supports distributed production environments, enabling collaboration across multiple locations and allowing remote control and adjustments from anywhere, Kanemura said.

Kanemura introduced past SMPTE President Robert Seidel, whom he called “Mr. ST 2110.” Seidel said that when SMPTE was just starting to roll out the 2110 family of standards, it was envisioned facilities would be connecting a series of boxes all strung together over an IP network.

“But things have changed a little bit in technology,” Seidel said. “We’ve seen a massive improvement in processing power within

FOR-A America President Satoshi Kamemura, left, with SMPTE Past President Robert Seidel.

Credit: istockphoto

By Mark Hallinger, TV Tech

GPUs [that] enables a whole new thinking and process that will allow us to process a lot more in a single box. Why not move all of these other functionalities into the box?”

FOR-A said the IMPULSE platform can be deployed seamlessly on-premises, in data centers or within public cloud environments.

For cloud deployments planned for future delivery, IMPULSE will allow users to scale instance sizes on demand. ● © NAB

Credit: © NAB

FOR-A Streamlines Functions With IMPULSE

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emerging platforms

Will FAST Be a Game-Changer For Sports Television?

Industry veterans see a role for free streaming channels

By Mark Hallinger

NAB Show’s “FAST Play: How Free AdSupported Streaming is Changing Sports Broadcasting” session was rife with references to the viewing habits of twentysomethings and the seemingly indefatigable ability of sport—particularly live sports—to draw an audience. It was also filled with optimism.

Chris Smith, moderator and staff writer at Sports Business Journal, set the table with a query, asking the room about where FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) stands, and why.

Cathy Rasenberger, president of Rasenberger Media/Sports Studio Inc., founded her company in 1998. She has successfully helped launch 28 cable networks and more than 20 FAST channels. She said that just last year, her company purchased a free streaming outfit out of Europe for rebranding as freelivesports.tv “Some people might ask why, at this time in my career, I’m getting behind sports and FAST,” Rasenberger said. “I started in my career with ESPN, so I’m seeing the full arc.

I know that live sports draws viewership and advertising, and it’s going to do the same thing for FAST.”

Credit: © NAB

GOING WHERE THE VIEWERS ARE Jonathan Vu, senior product manager, ad products, ad tech and FAST/AVOD at the NFL, said the league’s perspective is to meet the fans where they are, a perspective that factors in cord-cutting and new viewing habits.

“If you know where the games are, you’re going to go there,” Vu said. From a FAST perspective, he said, the NFL gives all of its avid fans and more casual consumers some access to the ecosystem. “Whether it’s highlights or whether it’s original content behind the scenes … we definitely look at it as another angle to get folks to come in to our ecosystem and enjoy the NFL,” Vu said.

Miguel Lorenzo, vice president of sports content at NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, said the Spanish-language programmer looks at FAST as additive and complementary. “It’s part of finding ways

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From left, “FAST Play: How Ad-Supported Streaming Is Changing Sports Broadcasting” panelists Miguel Lorenzo, Jonathan Vu, Cathy Rasenberger, Shawne “Lights Out” Merriman and Chris Smith.

to maximize content on all platforms; [we’re] looking at a combination.”

Consumer data gained from FAST is critical and a real opportunity for revenue growth.

“More personalization and localization has an impact on revenue,” Lorenzo said.

Vu also saw the ad business benefitting from more data, but Rasenberger cautioned that the lack of consistent data could be an issue. “The arrival of more live sports will be a sea change,” she said. “A new uniform standard of advertising will emerge.”

SUCCESS IS NOT SO FAST Shawne “Lights Out” Merriman, a former Minnesota Vikings linebacker, is immersed in FAST as co-founder and CEO of Lights Out Sports TV, a streaming service offering diverse original content, sports movies and live sports channels, including fishing, rugby, motocross, chess and more.

He understood players in the sports broadcast world being a bit hesitant to embrace FAST. “The monetization is still being figured out, it will catch up but it’s

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still early.”

Merriman wants to grow his FAST business and he is committed to this. “There has to be a slow, Mack truck-style turn to FAST for some,” he said. “The ones who .will win long-term don’t say no (to FAST), they’re starting that turn.”

He added that FAST is an opportunity for leagues and other players who have trouble getting the attention of the big outlets. He calls himself a partner with leagues just getting started and likes the opportunity to allow these entities to do proofs of concept.

Discoverability was one of the last subjects considered. Merriman, who has never spent a cent on marketing, said the big driver for him has been marquee events, often in the fighting sports.

Rasenberger and Vu both mentioned “leaning into the partners” to accomplish this, with the former also now using an AI tool to personalize the consumer EPG. Lorenzo also cited working with partners, but also mentioned tentpole events such as Olympics or World Cup as huge opportunities. ● © NAB

Sony’s VENICE Extension System

Sony Brings It All to NAB Sony is using NAB Show as a launchpad for a variety of new products across several different production sectors, most prominently live production solutions, news and production workflows, imaging solutions and virtual production.

Kicking off the show with a packed press event Sunday morning, the company highlighted a variety of offerings, including its new HDC-F5500V Super 35mm 4K CMOS system camera for live production; the VENICE Extension System Mini, allowing a VENICE 2

sensor to be extended from the camera body via a cable; and the OCELLUS camera tracking system, a marker-free tracking system for virtual production.

Brand new at the show, the HDC-F5500V is a Super 35-mm 4K global shutter CMOS system camera for live production features a global shutter imager, PL lens mount, viewfinder slide mechanism and common color­ imetry with 2/3-inch 5500 and 3500 cameras.

Additionally, an optional software license adds virtual iris capabilities for brightness control and VND capabilities for increased depth of field control.

Causing a big stir at the press event was

Credit: istockphoto

By Clive Young, Mix

a small unit—the VENICE Extension System Mini, expected to be available this summer.

Roughly 70 smaller than the previous extension system, the Mini allows a VENICE 2’s sensor to be separated and extended from the camera body via a detachable cable. Further, stereoscopic clips can be captured for Spatial Content Creation and VFX background capture by using two Minis side-by-side.

Virtual production pros involved in spatial content creation will want to learn more about the OCELLUS camera tracking system. Expected to ship in the fall, the marker-free solution, designed for both indoor and outdoor use, is intended for broadcast and cinema applications, and uses four sensors on a sensor unit to track feature points on video signals.

Of course, there’s plenty more to see at the Sony booth, including the new HDCP50A compact and lightweight POV box camera; new 16.5-inch BVM-HX1710 and BVM-HX1710N 4K professional monitors; HawkREPLAY, an instant replay broadcast solution for on-premise, hybrid and remote production workflows; software updates from Nevion; and lots more. ● © NAB

Credit: © NAB

press conferences

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sports content

Finding Drama Off The Playing Field Producers generate excitement from the backstories behind the game From left, moderator Hannah Taylor, The Lippin Group, and panelists Sara Rea, Hello Sunshine; Lauren Fisher, Religion of Sports; Trevor Gill, Vice TV; and Whit Jackson, Wasabi Technologies.

is ‘Free Solo,’ the story of Alex Honnold, the climber who made the free ascent of El Capitan. It’s an ‘edge of the seat’ kind of adventure with a really interesting human story behind the whole thing.”

Matching the type of content with the right platform is also an import­ ant factor when deciding how to cover sports; both long-form documentaries and TikTok snippets have their value, according to Fisher.

“I think people crave that level of depth; people want to go deeper,” she said. “They are craving authenticity and craving getting closer to the people. You may see them on social to get the high­ lights, but then that opportunity to be intimately connected with athletes and teams is an insatiable kind of thing.”

JUSTIFY YOUR CHOICE

all at the same time,” Rea said. “When they take off the gear, they’re humans, just like everybody else.”

Credit: © NAB

By Tom Butts

Avid sports fans know that when it comes to the game, the score is important but some­ times the story behind the game is just as exciting. That was the theme of “Beyond the Game: Original Content Driving Viewership Off the Field of Play,” part of NAB Show’s Sports Summit.

Moderator Hannah Taylor, communications strategist for The Lippin Group, joined Lauren Fisher, vice president, creative director at Religion of Sports; Trevor Gill, vice president, sports development/executive producer at Vice TV; Sara Rea, head of unscripted at Hello Sunshine; and Whit Jackson, vice president of media and entertainment at Wasabi Technol­ ogies to discuss innovative storytelling tech­ niques broadcasters use to up their game.

Panelists discussed what drives fans to want to learn more about their favorite athletes. “The stakes are always there with sports, the highs and the lows are just there, and they’re relatable and aspirational

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GOING BEYOND THE GOATS Deciding who to profile can also impact how media companies approach story­ telling. “There’s only so many GOATs, like you run out of GOATs kind of quickly,” said Fisher. “We don’t want any of our shows to be a one-and-done thing. What does that mean? It doesn’t mean doing the same show over and over and over again, but building a relationship.”

Gill emphasized the personal approach when profiling star athletes. “It’s a long-term relationship,” he said. “It’s time and trust — there’s no magic formula, just relationships.”

The best storytellers can also bring atten­ tion to endeavors that may not get the kind of attention that’s focused on professional leagues, according to Jackson. “One thing that really appeals to me is some of the un­ discovered stuff that you’re exposed to,” he said. “One of my favorite sports-type movies

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Before deciding who and how to cover athletes up close and personal, media producers need to justify their approach, Rea said. “Why does the world need this now?” she asked. “What’s the current relevancy of this story? You have to have great characters, you have to have great access, but you also need to be at a time and place that can resonate with people and making sure that you lean into the story, to ‘wear it.’”

The rise in women’s professional sports has prompted companies to alter their approach to fit today’s reality. Fisher noted how media coverage has evolved over time.

“The dialogue around women’s sports used to be almost charitable, which was really annoying,” she said, adding that subjects such as equal pay are “super im­ portant, but the way we want to approach storytelling is with great stories and great athletes that are doing amazing things and let the rest fall into place.”

The ebb and flow of competition lends itself well to the drama of storytelling, Gill said.

“The stakes in sports are just natural for story­ telling. Whether it’s four quarters, two halves, a six-month season, you can build a story so naturally through there,” he said. ● © NAB

press conferences

Ross Celebrates New Solutions and 33 Years of Growth In its opening keynote at NAB Show, Ross Video unveiled a host of new solutions and improvements to its offerings, highlighted many successful deployments, celebrated 33 straight years of growth and entertained the audience with some fun spoofs on Area 51 and Ross Socks, which are now in their ninth iteration.

In what has become a tradition, Ross’s chairman and CEO, David Ross, began by discussing company results for the last year, reporting: “I’m proud to share that 2024 was our best year ever. Thanks to team Ross, we achieved 33 consecutive years of orders growth and yet again, we’re twice as big as

we were just five years ago [in 2019].”

Ross also highlighted the company’s environmental progress.

“Last year, we set a goal of having a carbon-neutral factory by 2025, and I can confirm that our factory is carbon neutral, not at some date in the future, but right now,” he said. “This might be the first carbon-neutral factory in our industry.”

During the keynote, Ross demoed a number of products, including Carbonite HyperMax, XPression, Ultrix, Media I/O, OverDrive and RPM openGear UI and the work of its Rocket Surgery design operation, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Solutions relating to cloud-based production, graphics, motion graphics, weather, robotics, switchers, newsrooms,

Ross Video Chairman and CEO David Ross at the company’s NAB Show opening keynote.

augmented/virtual reality and other products were also demoed and used in the lavish keynote production.

The company also rolled out the ninth interaction of Ross socks, using its graphics and virtual reality technologies to depict an Area 51-style landing of a UFO. Several executives dressed as “Men In Black” modeled the socks. David Ross declined to say if the new socks are made of extraterrestrial materials. ● © NAB

Credit: © NAB

By George Winslow, TV Tech

TeleScope: A Jib Like No Other Telemetrics has redefined studio production workflows with a new robotic jib. The TeleScope is an industry first robotic jib combined with a robotic roving platform (OmniGlide®) allowing the whole system to be easily controlled remotely.

The TeleScope provides unparalleled sweepingly smooth movement with dozens of safety sensors to avoid collisions with set pieces and crew.

Credit: istockphoto

This unique next-generation production tool is available now in multiple sizes to fit in any production environment. Your productions deserve the best. See what it can do for you.

The Leader in Camera Robotics sales@telemetricsinc.com • telemetrics.com 29

MADE IN USA@tvtech.bsky.social | www.tvtech.com | May 2025

regulatory climate

Gomez Warns That FCC Is Straying From Its Mandate Democratic commissioner criticizes inquiries into DEI, public media

By Nick Langan

At an hourlong Q&A panel at NAB Show, FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez criticized several recent initiatives introduced under Republican Chairman Brendan Carr.

Gomez, a Democrat, noted that she had paid personally to travel to Las Vegas due to a recent executive order banning such spending. (Republican Commissioner Nathan Simington’s previously scheduled appearance was canceled.)

WHO HAS AUTHORITY OVER DEI?

Credit: © NAB

The panel’s moderator, Joe Flint of The Wall Street Journal, asked if Gomez was concerned about actions by Carr and President Trump such as an executive order aimed at eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices.

“If we are going to get into the business of policing DEI practices, I want to see where in the statute we have authority to do so,”

Gomez said. She also criticized the recent shuttering of U.S. international broadcast outlets like Voice of America and Radio Marti.

Gomez also expressed concerns about investigations into public broadcasters, which she described as “fishing expeditions” to find reasons to defund their operations. She said there was little evidence of wrongdoing and expressed support for public broadcasters.

“If we start permitting consolidation of broadcasters at large, public media will become even more important for coverage of really local community information and news,” she said.

TECH, NOT POLITICS SHOULD DRIVE AGENDA She expressed similar sentiments about the administration’s executive order questioning the independence of several government agencies. She said bodies like the FCC and Federal Trade Commission need to act as experts driven by technological decisions in the public interest, not by a political agenda.

“It’s particularly important for media regulation,” she said.

She said she was not concerned about being the lone Democratic commissioner once Geoffrey Starks departs, adding that is it is important to continue speaking out. “I cannot allow this to continue without raising alarm bells, and I really hope I’m not alone in doing that.”

She was asked if broadcasters and the National Association of Broadcasters itself should be more outspoken, specifically about the FCC’s news distortion proceedings. She said there is a chilling effect.

“These parties all have to operate in this environment, and sticking your neck out is not the easiest thing to do,” she said.

Gomez said she personally works well with Carr but wants to see the FCC avoid actions outside its statutory authority.

“I would really love to see the commission pivot away from these culture wars and focus on our core mission, which we can do on a bipartisan basis,” she said. ●

FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez at an NAB Show Q&A session with moderator Joe Flint of The Wall Street Journal.

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press conferences

During its NAB Show press conference, Mo Goyal, senior director, international business development, live production for Evertz, emphasized how its technology helps media companies create, deliver and capitalize on their content.

“It’s about enhancing elements that help [broadcasters] not only create the stories, but move the stories around the facility, help them finalize that story and then deliver that story to the end users,” he said.

New products launched at the show included the FRCX-2000 Real Time Live Frame Rate Conversion, which can move content between 50 Hz and 59.94 Hz. “This helps us bridge the gap between North America and Europe and Asia, and be able to move content very quickly

and do it in a live form,” Goyal said.

“With our FRCX-2000, we can now handle not only SDI but 12G SDI and UHD, as well as doing conversion for IP facilities, both in the uncompressed world of SMPTE ST 2110 as well as the compressed world of HEVC or H.264,” he added.

Goyal also discussed the development of the JPEG XS codec and how it is becoming critical for live sports production.

“We see JPEG XS as a very critical part of remote production, moving signals from point A to point B,” he explained.

“There are a number of advantages to taking that approach.

“JPEG XS is a very versatile codec, meaning that it can be deployed in both a hardware application or hardware solution, as well as software, and we still don’t give up the quality or the latency,” he said. ● © NAB

Mo Goyal, Evertz’s senior director, international business development, live production.

Credit: istockphoto

By Jenny Priestley, TVBEurope

Credit: © NAB

Evertz’s Emphasis: Create, Deliver and Capitalize

@tvtech.bsky.social | www.tvtech.com | May 2025

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press conferences

EVS’s MediaCeption will provide Al Jazeera with a unified workflow for its newsroom.

EVS Inks Content-Management Deal With Al Jazeera

By George Winslow, TV Tech

Video technology solution provider EVS announced a major agreement Sunday with Al Jazeera Media Network to deploy its MediaCeption content management solution across five key locations: Doha, London, Washington, D.C., New York and Sarajevo.

The solution, which is designed to speed up the international news organization’s content production, boost efficiencies and improve collaboration, is scheduled for installation in the second quarter and to go live in Q3.

As part of the deal, MediaCeption will provide Al Jazeera with a unified workflow designed to efficiently manage and edit live and near-live news content. Each location

Panasonic Looks for ‘Synergy’ Across Market Segments

Credit: © NAB

By Mark Hallinger, TV Tech

Under the banner “Amplifying Innovation and Maximizing Our Impact,” Panasonic launched several new or updated products and reaffirmed its commitment to the evolving worlds that demand quality audio and video content.

“The B2B and B2C markets are growing due to demand for quality content, and in pro video production and live streaming demand is also rising,” said Toshiyuki Tsumura, executive vice president of Panasonic Entertainment & Communication Co., and director of its Imaging Solution Business Division. He announced a 20% increase by 2027 in “synergy,” products that can be used across market segments.

Chris Merrill, director, product management at Panasonic Connect, spoke next and focused on the numbers 3.0, 2.6 and 16.6—

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3% being the recent increase in the number of camera operators; 2.6% the increase in the size of the broadcast market; 16.6% as the rate of streaming’s growth.

“What we’re hearing is that there are not enough qualified people to create the shows we need,” Merrill said. Panasonic’s response to this challenge is its continued focus on integrated ecosystems, automation and AI assistance where it can help, and simplified connectivity, he added.

Product launches included the AG-CX370 handheld camcorder, which builds on the established AG-CX350 to offer a compact, lightweight design and energy-efficient operation for production, broadcasting and streaming applications. Upgrades include 12G-SDI output for high-quality streaming, GENLOCK input for broadcast-quality synchronization in multicamera systems, and a four-channel audio input to support up to four external microphones.

@tvtech.bsky.social

will have the capability to ingest multiple live feeds, browse, edit and share news packages from a centralized storage system, and seamlessly play out news as events unfold. The comprehensive solution includes EVS’s XS-VIA servers, the new media asset platform VIA MAP and the storage system XStore.

“We are pleased to work with EVS to bring MediaCeption into our news production ecosystem,” Ahmad Al Fahad, executive director of technology and network operations at Al Jazeera Media Network, said. “EVS’s proven track record of delivering fast and reliable solutions, combined with their global technical support presence, gives us the confidence to meet the challenges of modern news delivery.

The deployment of MediaCeption will not only enhance our operational efficiency but also bolster our ability to deliver high-quality, timely content to our viewers around the world.”

Added EVS CEO Serge Van Herck: “This partnership highlights our commitment to innovation, reliability, and customer success, and we look forward to supporting Al Jazeera as they continue to set the standard in global news broadcasting.” ● © NAB

Panasonic has also updated its KAIROS live production platform version 1.8, which offers multiunit control for KAIROS Core, integration with graphics platforms such as Singular.live and Viz Flowics, and expanded support for various resolutions, including 16:10 and 5:4.

Also new are several plug-ins to support Media Production Suite and the WX-AM800 Beamform Ceiling Array Microphone, which detects and captures speakers’ voices from above for clear, natural communications in corporate and higher education applications. ● © NAB

Director, Product Management Chris Merrill at Panasonic’s NAB Show press event.

TV Tech congratulates its Best of Show Award winners for the 2025 NAB Show! Nominations were judged by a panel of industry experts on the criteria of innovation, feature set, cost efficiency and performance.

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[1] Accedo Accedo Insights [2] Actus Digital Actus X [3] Adder Technology ADDERView Matrix [4] Adobe Generative Extend in Premiere Pro [5] Akta Media Content Platform [6] Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media Quality-Aware Resilliency (MQAR) @tvtech.bsky.social | www.tvtech.com | May 2025

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[1] Apantac ST-2110 Receiver for Smart Display Module [2] Appear X5 [3] Ateliere Creative Technologies Ateliere Live [4] Avid Wolftech Go Mobile App [5] BirdDog Technologies KBD [6] Bitcentral Fusion Insights [7] BitFire BitFire Platform [8] Black Box DESKVUE PE IP Multi-Source Receiver [9] Blackmagic Design PYXIS 12K

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[10] Blackmagic Design URSA Cine Immersive [11] Boland Monitors X4K 42HDR-OLED [12] Boris FX SynthEyes 2025 [13] Bridge Technologies VB440 AV Sync Generator [14] Canon USA Optical Unit for 4K Field Box Lenses [15] Cinnafilm Tachyon LIVE [16] Clear-Com FreeSpeak ICON [17] Cobalt Digital ARIA AUD-MON Audio Monitor [18] Comcast Technology Solutions Cloud TV Platform @tvtech.bsky.social | www.tvtech.com | May 2025

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[1] Core SWX MoXIE [2] CueScript CSMPPB Perfect Balance Plate [3] Dalet Pyramid [4] DJI RS 4 Mini [5] Dolby Dolby’s Server-Guided Ad Insertion Solution [6] Dream Chip Technologies GmbH AtomTwo [7] EditShare Ultimate EFS Field [8] ENCO enCaption With Speaker Identification [9] ENENSYS Teamcast Vortex III

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[10] Evertz NEXX With FX-LINK [11] Fincons Group and NBCUniversal NBC Telemundo NextGen TV Broadcast App Evolution [12] FOR-A IMPULSE [13] GatesAir ATSC 3.0 Modulator [14] Global M SDVN Gateway [15] Grass Valley Event Producer X [16] Guangdong SIRUI Optical Co. SIRUI 20mm T1.8 1.33X S35 Autofocus Anamorphic Lens [17] Haivision Falkon X2 [18] Harmonic XOS Advanced Media Processor [19] Hollyland Technology Cosmo C2 [20] IHSE USA Draco XStreme KVM Extenders @tvtech.bsky.social | www.tvtech.com | May 2025

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[1] Imagine Communications SNP-XL All-in-One Media Processor [2] Interra Systems ORION With Multiviewer [3] LiveU LiveU IQ (LIQ) [4] LTN LTN Channel Distribution [5] Magewell Modator 2U [6] Maxon Studio [7] Mediagenix Humanized Semantic Search [8] MediaKind Multiview [9] Miri Technologies X510 Dual-Celluar Bonding Network Router [10] Moments Lab MXT-2 Custom Moments

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[11] NETGEAR Engage Controller [12] LucidLink New LucidLink [13] nxtedition XR/Mixed Reality Studio Control [14] OBSBOT Tail 2 [15] OpenDrives Atlas Platform [16] PTZOptics Studio 4K [17] Quantum Scalar i7 RAPTOR [18] Riedel Communications DSP-1216HL Desktop SmartPanel [19] Ross Video Carbonite HyperMax [20] Sandisk Extreme PRO With USB4Portable SSD [21] Saramonic K9 Dual UHF Wireless Mic System @tvtech.bsky.social | www.tvtech.com | May 2025

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[1] Solid State Logic System T Cloud [2] Sony Electronics BVM-HX1710 & BVM-HX1710N Monitor [3] Synamedia Senza [4] TAG Video Systems QC Station [5] Techex tx darwin [6] Telemetrics TeleScope Robotic Jib System [7] Telestream Vantage [8] Telos Alliance Linear Acoustic AERO Enterprise [9] Telycam Explore [10] Teradek Prism Jetpack

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[11] ThinkAnalytics ThinkMediaAI [12] Tightrope Media Systems MediaScribe Media Accessibility & Transcription Service [13] Veritone Discovery: AI-Powered Media Discovery & Analytics for Broadcast [14] Verizon Private Network With Enterprise AI [15] Vinten Versine 360 [16] Vislink DragonFly V 5G [17] Wheatstone Near-Instantaneous Failover for Arcus Console [18] Zixi Zixi Platform With Market Switching @tvtech.bsky.social | www.tvtech.com | May 2025

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nab show shots

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2 Myrna Mary is shown reading in front of Ikegami’s news HDK-X500 HD portable camera system.

Credit: © NAB

1 Brandon Traina, director of operations at Madison Square Garden, with “Spike,” a Vision 60 ground drone from Ghost Robotics.

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@tvtech.bsky.social

3 Scott Johnson, aka “Squirrel,” poses next to his buggy car with Insta360 X4 8K 360 Action Cams attached.

4 The panel “ ‘Fire Country‘ and the Boom in Broadcast Procedurals (Again!),” featured, l. to r., Yelena Chak, CBS Entertainment; Tony Phelan and Joan Rater, co-creators, ‘Fire Country;’ Bryan Seabury, CBS Studios; and moderator Elaine Low.

5 Astronaut Tracy Dyson (at podium) converses with colleagues on the International Space Station via Johnson Space Center’s new live Ultra HD switching and routing capability at the BEIT Conference opening.

I P PRODUCTI ON • L I GH TH O US E S TATI O NS • AI OR ML? D AN IL 3.0 AZ SC 30 BR AT p.

| September 2024 I BC I N R EV I EW • EXCLUSI V E A I SU RV EY •www.tvtech.com L ED F R ESN ELS C OF IB ST AT BE W . 6 O p SH

equipment guide audio & intercoms www.tvtech.com | October 2024

Are We CONTENT PROTECTION There Yet? PLUS equipment guide cloud-based production

Keeping the pirates out

The rocky path to peak streaming

>> Pushing the boundaries of live captioning 1

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and translation. Meet enCaption Sierra CAPTION 2024 | www.tvtech.com | 101EN XXXXXXXXXX

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