Michael Ritchie

It's not just us at The Channel Store who think that the TV 📺 business as we know it is under a disruption moment in many aspects. About #DTT, now also Ofcom, UK independent communications regulator also confirms the obvious. The solution is to embrace 🙌 the FAST model = IP streaming + digital advertising. IMHO this is what #FAST truly stands out for... FAST is much more than "nostalgic 🤠🕵‍♂️🧙‍♂️ TV channels" as it was born, it's in fact, the way the linear and AVOD business will be offered in less than 5 years to most of the population in US and Europe (other regions to follow that 👣 too).

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My contribution to the latest Broadcast Tech magazine on their article "How to cope with a break in the cloud" is out now. Things break. Sometimes without obvious reason. It's how you recover that matters. Your strategy has to be right. "The Cloud" has delivered so many opportunities in M+E over the past decade but remembering what the cloud actually is, has to be at the forefront of your mind when relying on it in within your business. #cloudstrategy #breakinthecloud #resilience

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Paris 2024 will be the first edition of the Games to trial an AI-powered end-to-end 8K livestreaming system from OBS into an 8K HDR, 60-frames-per-second (FPS) stream in milliseconds to CTV devices around the world #Paris24

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In 2024, one of the standout discussions revolved around the evolution of remote production and integrating private 5G networks to bolster connectivity. Read more 👉 https://lttr.ai/ASRJd #5G #Celona #Haivision #VidOvation

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This is an excellent case study laying out how MetaBroadcast, AWS for M&E and IMDb.com supports radiotimes.com in driving traffic and improving user experiences. MetaBroadcast leveraged AWS to power its metadata platform Atlas, providing enriched entertainment data for an enhanced user experience. Learn more in the case study ➡️ https://go.aws/4amHdq9

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If you are 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 and their technical side...here is a great short introduction for a coffee or lunch break. 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐞𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬:  6:10 - 4:10: Information about the general workflow 3:51 - 2:30: How to ensure reliable and secure workflows around Live Signals and Commentator connectivity in the cloud 1:50 - 0:38: Overview of the commentator's perspective and set-up during a broadcast

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Viewing increases slightly but with a more diverse mix of sources. This is a near zero sum game being played out with our waking hours, but content sources that don't meet consumer needs are the ones that are losing big, and for that we mean TV Everywhere - when I want it, where I want it and on whatever device I have... and that does still include the big TV.

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You'll want to mark your calendar: CRN UK is hosting a complimentary webinar on top tips for entering its 2024 Channel Awards on Tuesday, 11 June, from 3-4 PM BST! This is the 31st year of the Channel Awards and more companies than ever are hoping to add a coveted trophy to their collection. But what should they be doing to catch the judges' attention? You'll find out when you join CRN UK live during the webinar to answer questions including: ✔️ What makes a good entry? ✔️ Why is it important to enter? ✔️ What are the dos and don’ts when compiling entries? Register via the link below ⬇️ #CRNChannelAwards

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It’s been interesting to see reactions to last week’s Microsoft/CrowdStrike issues, with blame and assumptions flying around. The wide-reaching impacts, even on global broadcast services, highlighted crucial points for tech leaders: Untested Updates: Never deploy untested or unstable updates. An accidental error caused significant disruptions, showing the potential risks if it were malicious. My wife’s computer blue-screened and required technical intervention, unacceptable for most users. Diverse Redundancy: This incident underscores the need for diverse redundancy. While backups might not always be an option, having all your eggs in one basket exposes you to risks. I’ve always prioritised providing customers with choices. For broadcast workflows, users can construct main and backup workflows that can be activated on demand across different protocols and clouds. This flexibility doesn’t eliminate issues but offers a safeguard against potential problems. Human Error: Despite AI advancements, human error remains a factor. Instead of using this incident to push for more AI, we should consider the risks of autonomous AI updates. These points reinforce the importance of robust testing, diverse solutions, and mindful AI implementation in our tech strategies. Let me know your thoughts below! #redundancy #workflows #ai #broadcast #techleaders

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My colleague Jonathan Smith took part in SVG Europe’s lively panel discussion Live Cloud Production: Dispelling some myths, which set out to explore the reality of working in the cloud. Responding to the assertion that ‘cloud saves money,’ Smith explained that it’s not always the case. It is a key point. Using Cloud to host virtual workflows in a live remote production is not only more cost efficient but unlocks the capacity to produce much more with fewer resources. But the transport of video from camera to cloud for mixing and onward distribution needs to be designed by experts using appropriate technology otherwise those benefits won’t be met. https://lnkd.in/e8m_XHFf #remoteproduction #livestreaming #camera2cloud #remotecontribution #netinsightnimbra #livesportsproduction

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Every company founder has a story to tell, and in the case of the Connected TV Marketing Association, there’s quite a tale to tell. In ‘Beam Me Up, The Future of Smart TV - Battle for Control' (Ch 7), I share with readers the 7 year legal battle and fight to control the CTVMA during the global streaming wars. For those of you who don’t know, there were over a hundred people involved in our foundation, and many of whom are prominent, well known, leading industry figures in entertainment, business, broadcasting, advertising and finance, who will all receive special mentions in my upcoming book #StreamingWars 💣

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Everyone TV partners with TV sets - but government could help more "Everyone TV – the organisation leading the evolution of free TV in the UK – has revealed multiple new #smartTV brands are joining the Freely line-up with Toshiba, Sharp, Panasonic and Metz all confirmed to offer the new streaming service backed by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. The addition of these four new brands means Freely has confirmed six smart TV partners in total. Existing partners include Bush and Hisense, with Freely currently accessible on their 2024 4K smart TV models." Freely is the amalgamation of the UK #publicservice #broadcasters content, although its not clear whether there's only a selection of content found on the #psbs or whether everything you can find on their own #streamingplatforms you can find on Freely too. However, it's already making a mark that they've got agreements with big Smart TV manufacturers. It doesn't seem though that there will yet be an Freely button, rather just an app built into the home screen. However, amongst the brands that have made an agreement with Everyone TV, there are some big omissions, Samsung TV, LG, Roku, Amazon, Google etc. What share of the market do these companies have vs the one that have taken on Freely? It's clear that a majority of smart TV's won't have Freely. Here's where the government in the UK, or a future government via the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, could step in. It could mandate that public service media has prominence on the home screens. It could even mandate a button on controls that would massively increase recognition of Freely and UK public service media, giving them a much needed boost in the fight for relevance against the global streamers. While traditional #lineartv remains relevant, the traditional advantage that psbs had was the primacy on the EPG to always appear at the top. No matter what TV or set-top box, unencrypted or #paytv you would always see BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5. In the world of #streamingmedia, there is no such requirement or equivalent. The government is playing catchup in many areas, and to support the burgeoning UK creative sector, they need prominence as they have on linear. Government has not supported the psbs enough on this, and it should be top of the list of the DCMS to help psbs. It's not just the PSBs that will benefit, it will be the wider UK media industry. #tvindustry #mediaindustry #television #uk #creativeindustries #freelytv #epg #streaming

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Nice article with deep insights and technical aspects!

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Ensuring your streaming service has an effective Genre model and rich metadata is now mission critical. Read our latest blog to understand the significance of genres for both those monetising and creating the content we love. https://lnkd.in/eti4T-cr

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#OOH is the digital primer. 👀 Pairing OOH with Mobile delivers an increase of 11% in memory encoding and 13% more emotional impact. Clear Channel UK have packed their new platform, The Insight Store, with top-notch research & insights, all easily accessible in one spot. Get started by clicking the link below: 👇 https://okt.to/EiylCF Source: Analysis 2004-2016 case studies. 55 cases in analysis/ WARC and JCD #IPAO #OOHTheDigitalPrimer #MediaStrategy #MediaBuying

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INSIGHT of the week: bundling now done directly by OTT content providers We had seen distributors like Verizon (US), Free (France) bundle OTT services together at aggressive rate. Today Disney and WBD have decided to bundle their services together. We already had Disney bundling Disney+ with Hulu+ and ESPN+, it now moves the needle with MAX. Question will be: what is the added value of pay TV distribution if the bundle can be done without them? Maria Rua Aguete Magnus Svensson Andreas Waltenspiel Colin Dixon https://lnkd.in/g_VjNi-6

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