Page 58 - AIB | The Chanel | Issue 2 2012
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Having worked at CBC, CDTV,
pioneered DAB and now chairing
the Global Broadcast Summit,
earlier this year
Michael McEwen
renewed his close ties with the
North American Broadcasters
Association
when he became its
new Director General. NABA
represents the interests of North
American broadcasters to
international forums and
institutions on a broad range of
issues – a role that is all the more
crucial at this time of rapid change
t is probably fair to say that
if anyone really knew what
our industry would be in
five years time; then we
would bottle it and sell it to
the highest bidder! We do,
however, know a few things
about our industry and can hazard
an educated assessment of where
our future lies.
Conventional over the air
broadcasters are still the core of any
broadcast system and provide core
services including survival
information through to a full range
of news and entertainment
programming. But in the pick and
play world of fragmentation,
satellite and cable delivered pay
and speciality services, on demand
services and Internet and mobile
delivery; viewers and listeners can
create their own schedules and
content. Everyone is a programmer.
BOTTOMLINE
Terrestrial broadcasting, while still
a successful business today (and
yes, even tomorrow), has changed a
lot over the last decade and will
continue to change even more.
Vertical and horizontal integration
with distributors and content
companies continue to define the
bility and
competitiveness. New revenue
streams including retransmission
fees, subscription, and licensing
agreements all are becoming
increasingly important to a
broadcaster’s bottom line.
In all three North American
countries pure terrestrial
broadcasting, on a standalone
basis, is almost a thing of the
past and it is clear that the
future will see delivery of multiple
programme services by broadcasters
as they embrace the notion of being
content companies; supplying the
appropriate content to the appropriate
platform at the appropriate time,
including terrestrial systems. The
challenge will be in producing and
delivering content suitable for each
platform efficiently and within a
business model that realises a
return on the investment.
TO-DO LIST
So what can NABA do to help its
members realize their goals? NABA
recognises that broadcasters share
many common technical, operational
and regulatory challenges and our
core mission is to provide the
opportunity and means to work on
these challenges and take action as
appropriate to the issues. These
efforts are done to the benefit of
both our members and the industry
as a whole. These are some of the
areas that are on NABA’s to‐do list.
Broadcasters need to find
common ground on spectrum use
both today and for tomorrow;
define the needs of the marketplace
including how spectrum can best
serve the needs, how the consumer
electronics industry can best service
the requirements, and how
equipment manufacturers can best
provide the necessary production
and operational tools.
Protection of existing
broadcaster spectrum from
interference issues from WiFi,
mobile devices, etc is an important
priority with the proliferation of
these devices and services.
LEVEL PLAYING FIELD
Levelling the Regulatory Playing
Field between broadcasters who
carry huge content and service
obligations that engender
significant costs compared to
telecoms and mobile services that
have few obligations and very little
cost beyond the initial capital
expense.
Increasingly NABA needs to
define their requirements for
delivery and display on all
platforms and it goes without
saying that setting down the best
operating practices and production
standards for multi‐platform
delivery must be central to NABA’s
work in future years. Growing
audiences for mobile reception of
broadcaster content will challenge
broadcasters on how to change
their content efficiently and
effectively to meet the needs and
expectations of the mobile viewer.
CONTENT PROTECTION
In a multi platform world the
ongoing need for vigilance on
intellectual property and copy
protection needs to be monitored
with interventions at the appropriate
time and place. This includes work
at the World Intellectual Property
Organization (with other Broadcast
Unions) on such initiatives as the
Broadcaster Treaty and the
Audiovisual Performers Treaty.
Content creation and distribution
is at the core of any business
model for a broadcaster and that
content is the most cherished
resource and demands to be
protected as such. Without those
protections the broadcast
economic engine is at peril.
Many NABA member
companies are integrated content
producers, terrestrial, cable and
satellite broadcasters and
distributors. The NABA of the
future needs to see this integration
as a strength and draw from the
cross platform expertise that
resides in our membership to bring
leadership on these questions and
issues not only in North America
but around the world through the
World Broadcast Unions and the
many international markets where
North American companies are a
key component.
Former EBU President Albert
Scharf once said that what happens
in North America broadcasting will
happen in Europe five or ten years
later. The time horizons may have
shortened but the trends in
broadcasting, content production,
distribution and the business
models which sustain the
enterprise in North America will
eventually be replicated around the
world. Out of this crucible of
change NABA has a special
responsibility to show leadership
on these matters.
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SHOWING
LEADERSHIP
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