Johan Bolin, CTO at Agile Content argues that successfully re-defining broadcast comes down to incorporating web-based technologies throughout the end-to-end content production process
By Contributor
Published: May 13, 2021
Johan Bolin, CTO at Agile Content argues that successfully re-defining broadcast comes down to incorporating web-based technologies throughout the end-to-end content production process
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin>
The TV broadcasting industry has gone through a huge amount of change in recent years - all driven by the ongoing digital revolution. On the one hand, this has opened up a world of new possibilities, enabling broadcasters to provide new services, drive operational efficiencies and reach different audiences.
On the other hand, the increasing focus on the internet and other technology-driven trends has significantly intensified the level of competition in the industry. Traditional broadcasters are now having to compete with a wide range of streaming services, all of which have a global reach and the expertise to quickly capitalise on the technological opportunities that come their way.
This has accelerated the consumer shift towards on-demand services. The likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime are able to offer the user experience, range of content and video quality that consumers are looking for. Then there's user-generated content from influencers and the public, which is enhancing the challenge even further by forming close, direct relationships with their loyal following.
As such, traditional broadcasters are having to rethink their approach. Although many are adopting OTT delivery models to meet customers' evolving expectations around on-demand content, there is still a technical disconnect between how live content is distributed and how it is produced.
Mind the gapThe big issue facing linear TV providers is that they are currently restricted when producing content. They are restricted by physical connections, i.e. the cameras they have access to for each show. A cooking show and a news show will both have access to a specific, pre-determined set of cameras, presenting a clear lack of flexibility when it comes to quickly adding new feeds.
Having production processes and technology designed in this way makes it difficult for video content to be contributed upstream. For example, when broadcasters create a live news show today, the production pipeline tends to be pre-defined and limited by their SDI infrastructure. They can only use sources and cameras - whether connected to the SDI switch in the newsroom or remotely connected via satellite links - that have been plugged into the environment hours before the live event happens. Spontaneously adding a new camera to the production pipeline during the show is very complicated, and even more so if it is a different kind of camera - whether that's a smartphone or professional camera.
The syncing, mixing and curation of live content is all carried out in the local, high bitrate SDI domain. This means that the cameras and feeds that will be used during the broadcast have to be connected and established in the process in advance, and that the curated output is limited to those sources only.
This continuing reliance on legacy processes and specialist equipment as opposed to web-based technologies and today's highly capable consumer devices - even though the internet has been well proven as a distribution channel - illustrates the disconnect that has emerged between content distribution and production. The distribution model is no longer the limiting factor it once was and, as a result, more broadcasters are starting to realise that there are now alternative options available.
The simple truth is that TV needs to transform, as the way content is being produced and distributed is currently out of sync. This gap must be effectively bridged if broadcasters want to remain competitive in the future.
The future callsIt has quickly become clear that successfully re-defining broadcast comes down to incorporating web-based technologies throughout the end-to-end content production process. By moving the production stack over to the same technology as the distribution stack, broadcasters will open up new ways to produce and curate content.
For example, taking a web-based approach means any connected device can contribute to the production process. Broadcasters can quickly and easily connect a wider range of devices, such as smartphones, via the internet and gain access to different types of content - which can be controlled by policies rather than by physical access.
Roaming citizen reporters' could share live video from their smartphones on-site at events or incidents to add local insight to news reports. Team coaches could provide a closer and more intimate perspective than broadcast cameras, or backstage content recorded by a popular music artist could be used as part of an awards programme such as the Grammys.
Also, by adopting a web-inspired approach that treats video sources as global resources, producers in the curation process can find themselves accessing and tapping into a larger repository of both live and on-demand content. And since the distribution is unicast anyway, significantly more content variations can be produced and delivered.
As a result, the viewer experience and content can be personalised to the user and context. Content can be selected and curated based on users' interests and location in a cost-effective way. That's the beauty of cloud and the internet. Content formats that benefit from public' contributions - e.g. local news or sports and entertainment - can significantly benefit from the speed, flexibility and scalability that web-based technologies can provide.
This is all just scratching the surface of what's
Most recent headlines
03/01/2026
A still from OBEX by Albert Birney, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance...
02/01/2026
Freezing Florida: NHL's EVP, Entertainment Bob Chesterman on Taking the Wint...
02/01/2026
NHL Winter Classic 2026: TNT Sports Prepares for First NHL Outdoor Game in Sunsh...
02/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
02/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
02/01/2026
Any Given Day: Cork University Hospital premieres Wednesday 7 January on RT One and RT Player at 9:35pm
RT will debut a powerful new six-part documentary se...
02/01/2026
Friday 2 January 2026
All episodes of Heated Rivalry will be landing on Sky and...
02/01/2026
Sequins, chat shows, live sporting action, ground-breaking docuseries and brand-new Irish drama to kick off 2026
New Year, New Content Coming Soon across RT
...
01/01/2026
Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation Announces 2026 Noel Schajris Scholarship The scholarship will cover tuition and housing for one Berklee College of Music stud...
01/01/2026
New year, new games, all with RTX 5080-powered cloud energy. GeForce NOW is kicking off 2026 by looking back at an unforgettable year of wins and wildly high fr...
31/12/2025
Back to All News
NFL Christmas Gameday on Netflix Scores Again With the Lions-V...
30/12/2025
As the College Football Playoff Enters the Quarterfinals, ESPN Blows Out Its Meg...
30/12/2025
SVG's Best of 2025: Original ArticlesTake a look back at all our coverage of big-time productions, game-changing technologies, and state-of-the-art new faci...
30/12/2025
MELBOURNE, Fla., Dec. 30, 2025 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) will release its fourth quarter 2025 financial results before the market opens on Thursday, J...
30/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
30/12/2025
Your live countdown to 2026 with Inhaler, David Gray, Lyra, Garron Noone, Sharon...
30/12/2025
It marked the first civilian operational authorization for a HAPS flight in Europe, led by Space42's subsidiary, Mira Aerospace
The flight demonstrated HAP...
29/12/2025
San Francisco 49ers Strike Gold With Halftime Laser SpectacularStunning display caps $200 million renovation of Levi's Stadium techBy Dan Daley, Audio Edito...
29/12/2025
The Cup's Around the Corner: An Inside Look at Broadcast Preparations for th...
29/12/2025
SVG's Best of 2025: Longform VideoWatch the standout keynote conversations, deep dives, and panel discussions from the year for free on SVG PLAY!By Brandon ...
29/12/2025
From crisper Lossless audio and immersive music videos in beta to new Audiobooks+ plans, custom transitions between tracks, and in-app Messages, we keep levelin...
29/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
27/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
26/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
26/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
25/12/2025
Holiday lights are twinkling, hot cocoa's on the stove and gamers are settling in for a well-earned break.
Whether staying in or heading on a winter getawa...
24/12/2025
What is AI good for? Posted by MTI Film on December 24, 2025
What is AI good for?
What is AI good for?
It's been three years since ChatGPT first cap...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
RT has unveiled an exclusive first look at the new Dancing with the Stars promo...
24/12/2025
Back to All News
The Boyfriend' Season 2 Unveils Heartwarming Trailer, Key...
24/12/2025
Back to All News
Love, Fights, and Everything in Between: Badly in Love' Returns for Season 2
Entertainment
24 December 2025
GlobalJapan
Link copied t...
24/12/2025
Scripps Research study links sleep variability with sleep apnea and hypertension How consumers' digital activity trackers could enable personalized health s...
23/12/2025
How guilas Cibae as Dominican Winter League Games Are Locally Produced for Glob...
23/12/2025
BitFire's Jim Akimchuk on Supplying Scalability and Customization in the Clo...
23/12/2025
CAMB.AI Enables European Athletics to Offer Multi-Language SupportPlan is to eventually offer translation into all languages spoken in EuropeBy Ken Kerschbaumer...
23/12/2025
Analysis: As sports media values trend negative, scarcity and quality are king By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Monday, December 22, 2025 - 14:08
Print ...
23/12/2025
ESPN, Disney, and NBA Return to the Animated Altcast Fray With Second Edition of...
23/12/2025
End the Year on a High Note and Donate to the Sports Broadcasting Fund Today!By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Tuesday, December 23, 2025 - 12:25 pm
P...
23/12/2025
The year is winding down, the weather outside is frightful, and it's the perfect time to escape into a story that warms the heart. For listeners looking for...
23/12/2025
A Zeus motor is hot fire tested at L3Harris' Camden, Arkansas, solid rocket ...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Lightware will exhibit several major product innovations at ISE 2026, including the new USB-C BOOSTER-V1, Google Meet. integration for various Taurus UCX models...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
Johan Bolin, CTO at Agile Content argues that successfully re-defining broadcast comes down to incorporating web-based technologies throughout the end-to-end content production process
