VERSION
BROADCASTING
REPRO OP SUBS ART
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PRODUCTION CLIENT
M R O F S N TRA W
hen Netflix announced the launch of its streaming service in January 2007, TV entered a new era. The way we watch TV programmes and movies has changed irreversibly, from linear – watching scheduled programming as it is broadcast – to a largely ondemand world, where it’s commonplace to devour an entire series in one go. Intensified competition for eyeballs has created an imperative for broadcasters to re-engineer their viewing experience or fall by the wayside. But that’s only the most visible aspect of a digital transformation that the entire sector has been undergoing, as technology offers new ways to recast every aspect of production and distribution. And project management, once alien to the creative and sales-driven culture of the TV world, has played a key role in that metamorphosis. So what does digital transformation mean in practice?
42 SU M M ER 2021 PROJECT
BLACK YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN
THE BBC
TRANSFORMING OPERATIONS Founded in 1922, the BBC has never stopped evolving. In the 21st century, the pace has quickened and it has taken rapid strides in introducing new digital services, while continuing to provide local, national and international TV and radio services. New director general Tim Davie has espoused a mission statement “to deliver for the whole of the UK and ensure every household gets value from the BBC”. Rachel Baldwin is a programme manager overseeing multiple projects in the BBC’s design and engineering division. The new mission provides a clear focus for the transformation work taking place, she says. “We need to
know that we are serving all audiences in the UK, and so it’s important we have data to tell us that we are doing that. Last year was an amazing year; in the final week of 2020, the BBC reached 95 per cent of all adults in the UK.” There are also four specific priorities that transformation work has to deliver against: “We will renew our commitment to impartiality. We will focus on unique, high-impact content. We will extract more from online. And we will build commercial income.” Much of this work is invisible to the consumer audience. The specific area that Baldwin’s programme addresses is transforming workflows for journalists in the BBC’s news operations. “We’ve delivered a range of projects, providing new tools, systems and products, which help journalists to maximise value to audiences, which
