IABM Journal Article By Simen K. Frostad
Chairman, Bridge Technologies
What is a decision?
It seems like a simple question, but it's one worth considering. What separates the terms decision' from choice'? The general consensus is: judgement and deliberation. Whilst a choice can be entirely arbitrary in nature, decision making is process orientated', linking behavior with performance and consequence. In essence, decisions act on inputs to drive outcomes. So it follows that all decisions are data driven' - in the sense that data', most widely defined, constitutes information - the inputs upon which the decision making process is exercised.
The key ingredients of a good decision
Thus, the quality of a decision is really impacted by three central factors: the extent of information available, i.e. the number of variables for which information exists, the quality of that data - with quantitative generally preferable to qualitative, and the extent to which the decision maker is able to make use of that data - both by virtue of how comprehensible it is, and how effective and knowledgeable the decision-maker is themselves.
Once upon a time, these three elements were entirely lacking in a broadcast environment. Your network either worked or it didn't, and often the first you'd know about it was Mr. Jones on the phone complaining he couldn't watch the Snooker. Trouble shooting was long, tedious and laborious. In essence, the data needed was lacking in quantity, quality, responsiveness and usability.
Perhaps less of a problem when infrastructure costs once meant that only a few big players dominated the market, and Mr. Jones had nowhere else to watch his snooker. But now, in an environment characterized by endless choice and next to no switching costs for audiences? A very different story.
Decision after decision
Troubleshooting decisions constitute just one type of decision you might make in a broadcast environment, and - moreover one you'd ideally like to avoid; if everything has gone well in your organisational decision making chain, you shouldn't be getting to the point where trouble-shooting decisions are even required.
In reality, decisions in the broadcast industry exist on a vast spectrum; they constitute the high level, boardroom decisions made regarding organizational strategy, and they constitute the millisecond decisions made regarding data paths through complex networks. Of course, at every point - regardless of scale - these decisions need effective metrics to support them.
Decision Blind
Of course, with this sheer scope and scale of decision making going on at the micro- and macro- level, it can be easy to become decision blind' -becoming entrenched in a process that uses the same outdated data points and unconscious biases, in an uncritical manner.
But critically revisiting these questions is key. Really how much do you really know about your network, and how much are you assuming? About your audience and their experience? What data points are you currently getting to inform your decision; how relevant, timely and usable are they? Are you sure you're making decisions, rather than arbitrary choices?
Fundamental questions perhaps - but it's surprising how many people aren't asking them - instead laboring on with outdated information and unchallenged assumptions. And that's really the main thrust of what we're driving at here: When was the last time you considered something as fundamental as what constitutes a decision'?
Probing the depths
It will come as no surprise to hear that technology is offering at least partial answers to many of the challenges we've outlined above. Broadcast network monitoring has never been more sophisticated or comprehensive than it is now. When it comes to the issue of quantity and quality of data points, it's now possible to use probes to gain real-time, continuous insight across the full broadcast chain - from ingest to contribution to playout - giving metrics on every component of technical network performance. From the camera painter in a remote OB van, to a network technician working on a headend, to a boardroom executive ruling on next year's budget, probes have the potential to give the data needed to make effective decisions: able to generate the kind of data that facilitates millisecond operations on audio and video transfer across networks, accommodating the widest range of operational protocols, standards and configurations - compressed and uncompressed, whilst also generating historical reports that give a strategic, birds-eye overview of operational performance for management and decision makers.
But does this increase in the quantity and quality of data points result in better decision making?
Not necessarily.
Indeed, an overload of information can be as limiting as it can be enabling in the wrong hands. It's only if this data is packaged and presented in a meaningful way that it can form the basis of effective decision making, even for those not necessarily versed in the intricacies and technicalities of network performance and IP packet transfer. It's here where an effective monitoring system will really set itself apart: putting eyes at every stage of the broadcast chain to produce not just data, but information which is meaningful, usable and presented in a way that is intuitive to understand.
Joined up thinking
All of these concepts become even more complex in complex environments (hardly a shock, right?). It's all very well gaining insight along your beautiful, shiny, newly installed IP network. But who has the budget for such a revolutionary upgrade? The truth is, the majority of broadcasters are working with piecemeal, hybrid and legacy systems, where the data available to harvest is wildly different in type, m
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
13/03/2026
Spotify has always been built around your taste. More than 80% of listeners say personalization is what they love most about us. Now we're taking that even ...
13/03/2026
The new Spotify Legends Club has opened its doors. Its members: select German-sp...
13/03/2026
Pushing drum sampler technology into new territories
The latest version of Klevgrand's software drum sampler has just arrived, boasting a newly designe...
13/03/2026
Expanded headphone support & engine improvements
IK Multimedia's recently introduced ARC On-Ear system brings the power of their monitoring-correction s...
13/03/2026
Extra sound collections, more presets & new Keys category
UVI's rhythm and pattern instrument has just received a major update that introduces four new ...
13/03/2026
13 Mar 2026
VEON Delivers Record Digital Growth: 4Q25 Digital Revenues Grow 84%...
13/03/2026
Friday 13 March 2026
Sky Adds Blood on Snow to Original Film Slate in Acquisiti...
13/03/2026
RT has announced today that Rick O'Shea is the new presenter of Arena RT Radio 1's flagship weeknight arts and culture programme. Rick has been pres...
13/03/2026
Lights! Camera! Action! The 98th Oscars set to air live as RT backs the Irish n...
12/03/2026
Staines-upon-Thames, UK, 11th March, 2026 - Yospace, the trusted leader in Dyna...
12/03/2026
In Latin America, women are shaping music and defining its future. To kick off t...
12/03/2026
En Am rica Latina, las mujeres est n moldeando la m sica y definiendo su futuro....
12/03/2026
Let's turn back the clock 20 years: The music landscape was a world away fro...
12/03/2026
Bad Bunny is no stranger to Spotify's Billions Club. In fact, he has a whopp...
12/03/2026
Spotify was at the London Book Fair this week, joining conversations across the publishing industry about how people can make reading part of their daily lives....
12/03/2026
Mastering tool improves mono compatibility
Tokyo Dawn Labs' Ohlhorst Digital range is a series of mastering-focused plug-ins developed by Jan Ohlhorst, ...
12/03/2026
Wave FX processor integrated into four products
Lewitt have teamed up with Elgato to create a new processor for the company's Wave Next product range, i...
12/03/2026
Free tool for annotating audio files
Mix Notes is a new, free iOS App that provides users with a simple way to annotate their audio files. It's been cre...
12/03/2026
Side-chain ducking tool gets an upgrade
Devious Machines' popular side-chaining and envelope-shaping tool has just been kitted out with an improved enve...
12/03/2026
Ceremony to take place on 16 April 2026
The MPG (Music Producers Guild) have revealed the full shortlist for this year's MPG Awards, which will be takin...
12/03/2026
Emulates three classic dbx 160 variants
The latest arrival to Overloud's Gem Series plug-in range faithfully recreates not one, but three versions of th...
12/03/2026
New granular soft synth announced
Said to be their most advanced software synthesizer to date, Baby Audio's latest release has been built on a new granu...
12/03/2026
Latest version now live!
Edit 11 March 2026 - Bitwig Studio 6 is now live, and available for all to download!
The latest version of Bitwig's DAW softwa...
12/03/2026
Latest free eBook now available!
Designed for recording engineers, audio-technology students and technically minded musicians, our latest free eBook deliver...
12/03/2026
Rohde & Schwarz Cybersecurity expands SITLine network encryptor portfolio - more...
12/03/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to showcase future-proof EMC testing solutions at EMV 2026 Rohde & Schwarz will participate in EMV 2026, Europe's premier trade fair and c...
12/03/2026
Modern media operations demand a platform that unites automation, orchestration, and human oversight without compromise. In this post, we explore the six key te...
12/03/2026
A deep dive into the platform
Architecture The Blue Lucy platform follows a distributed microservices architecture, meaning the overall operational capability...
12/03/2026
Orchestration platform enables broadcasters to deploy multiple AI models safely with full auditability, rights protection, and regulatory oversight.
LONDON, En...
12/03/2026
Wuppertal March 12, 2026
Riedel Expands Managed Technology Division in the Ame...
12/03/2026
Advanced Media Server Delivers Double the Channel Density at Half the Cost per C...
12/03/2026
The Late Late Show Show St Patrick's Day special
Dancing with the Stars f...
11/03/2026
First Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO) deployment of the emergency.lu platform for refugees and their host communities' use provides dependable broadband for humani...
11/03/2026
Following a successful first series, UKTV today announces the commission of two ...
11/03/2026
Wednesday 11 March 2026
Sky and CANAL launch new partnership to develop English-language drama
Sky and CANAL are today announcing a strategic co commissioni...
11/03/2026
NTCA, Cartesian Release New Report on the Business Case for USF
March 11, 2026
Network Economics
News
NTCA - March 11, 2026 - As the FCC and Congr...
11/03/2026
TELL US YOUR (SHORT) STORIES
The 2026 RT Short Story Competition is now open for entries
Recognising and rewarding the best new Irish fiction writing for...
11/03/2026
RT 's The Traitors Ireland is among the nominees for the 2026 Celtic Media Festival Torc Awards for Excellence, announced today....
10/03/2026
10 Mar 2026
VEON's Largest Market Pakistan Almost Triples Mobile Spectrum i...
09/03/2026
Contains all six dual-ensemble libraries
VSL's Duality Strings series offers an intriguing alternative to your average string library, capturing two str...
09/03/2026
Outstanding Contribution To UK Music
Photo: Samuel Bradley
Ahead of their upcoming MPG Awards, the Music Producers Guild (MPG) have revealed the latest win...
09/03/2026
Two new high-quality DI boxes announced
Boasting some impressive technical specifications and versatile routing options, Strymon's latest active DI boxe...
09/03/2026
Latest MPE-capable Soundbox library released
The follow-up release for Sonora Cinematic's Pure Nylon has arrived, and becomes the latest addition to the...
09/03/2026
Popular wireless mic head design revived
Sennheiser have revealed that the MD 9235, a cardioid mic head designed to pair up with their handheld wireless sys...
IABM Journal Article By Simen K. Frostad
