Blackbird integral to streamlined cloud workflow that maximises audience share for Germany’s RTL

Posted: 08/10/2021

The regional elections in Germany earlier in 2021 were a bellwether for the country’s national vote in September and a dry-run for a cloud based live news workflow deployed by free to air broadcaster RTL.

RTL Deutschland’s German election coverage in March was enhanced by an integrated live news solution which took multiple live feeds direct to cloud for instant clipping and publishing.

Ditch the transponder and OB

It’s a highly cost effective and agile solution to news gathering and enables broadcasters to get vital updates to air from any location without having to send an ENG truck or book an expensive satellite link. It is also inherently scalable enabling broadcasters to deliver a wider and richer variety of assets including the live feeds, recording and clippings, to an audience eager to be first with the information.

The project was managed by CBC, the production and technology/IT company of Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland. Round-the-clock local support was provided by Netorium AG, LiveU’s and Blackbird’s German partner, using their knowhow of both to set up the end-to-end solution.

Longstanding LiveU customer CBC used the LiveU Matrix IP cloud-based management and distribution platform for dynamic live news content sharing, complementing its existing fleet of LiveU field units. During the March elections, live feeds were shared from 12 party venues in Berlin and Magdeburg (covering the press conferences and interviews with the candidates) and received directly into Matrix’s cloud channels with all the incoming feeds recorded in real-time in the cloud.

“This year is the first time that we did this kind of project and it was important for us to work with trusted partners who could provide an integrated end-to-end solution, with real-time support. LiveU and Blackbird met our requirements, enabling us to respond instantly with engaging coverage.”

Jens Schilder, Project Manager, CBC

Multiple outlets get news fast

Selected feeds were then distributed to multiple receivers and broadcast on the national news as well as additional German broadcasters, facilitating a collaborative effort between the broadcasters. SRT feeds were also ingested into the Matrix platform for the first time. LiveU’s network operations center (NOC) provided proactive monitoring of the feeds with dedicated alerts in real-time.

In parallel, the files were accessed in almost real-time using Blackbird’s cloud native editing platform. Working remotely, from safe and convenient locations, distributed teams of editors were able to rapidly and collaboratively clip, edit, enrich and publish highlights of the many events. Blackbird then delivered both short and long form HD digital assets to multiple digital channels simultaneously including social and web as well as to broadcast media partners for re-purposing.