The world's most influential media, entertainment & technology show
11 - 15 September 2020
RAI Amsterdam
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Great experience, great content and great networking!
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One great place to have all those conversations, to see what's next and to show what's working.
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An excellent opportunity to network with peers and hear the challenges in our industry!
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5 Days -
55,000+ Attendees -
300+ Speakers -
100+ Sessions
2018 Highlights
Free feature areas & events
Invitation only events
IBC365
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IBC2019: Apple and Microsoft have joined the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Academy Software Foundation, bringing its membership to 27 companies.
Apple and Microsoft have joined the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Academy Software Foundation, bringing its membership to 27 companies.
Andy Maltz, managing director of the Academy’s Science and Technology Council, discussed this week’s news as part of an update on the Foundation, which the Academy launched one year ago with The Linux Foundation. It aims to provide a neutral forum for open source software developers to share resources and collaborate on technologies for image creation, visual effects, animation and sound. There are currently five projects underway, primarily in the area of visual effects.
During IBC2019’s European Digital Cinema Forum (EDCF) session,
Maltz also reported growth in the use of the Academy Colour Encoding Specification (ACES), which he said was used on productions including Avengers: Endgame and the latest season of Mindhunter. He related that ACES 1.2 is slated for an autumn release, and 2.0 is in the works.
- Read more: Apple to put services at its core
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IBC2019: The world is adopting digital radio, according to Graham Dixon, head of radio at the EBU, who spoke at IBC2019.
The world is adopting digital radio, according to Graham Dixon, head of radio at the EBU, who spoke at IBC2019.
He briefed IBC delegates at the ‘WorldDAB Radio distribution strategies for a connected world’ session that significant progress had been made over the past year. “2019 saw the whole of Europe covered by digital radio, or with pilot transmissions taking place,” he said. “There are now 1566 digital stations on air over 31 European markets.”
- Read more: The robustness of radio
Dixon’s data-rich presentation showed that two-thirds (1020) of the European stations were commercial, with 395 supplied by public broadcasters. He further broke down the numbers which showed that 339 of the stations were national, 603 regional and 624 served local audiences. Some 499 were exclusive digital services, with 1067 being simulcast with their AM or FM services.
He had good news in terms of Europe’s regulators and the EU’s mandated instruction to see all cars equipped with DAB-enabled receivers from the end of 2020.
However, Dixon said that DAB’s growth – and radio in general – remained under threat, not least from the roll-out of 5G, but also from the inevitable limits on audiences listening time from other temptations such as FAANG activity and third-party apps on digital devices.
Michael McEwen, DG of the North American Broadcasters Association, also delivered a buoyant picture of take up of its HD Radio services. One surprising statistic was that smart speakers were now aiding digital radio listening, with some 28% of listening now done via smart speakers. HD Radio is now in more than 60m US cars from 2257 stations. McEwen stated that in some key metro markets, digital radio listening is the most popular method, and that in New York for example, digital stations are 38% of the audience.
McEwen said that Mexico was seeing growth (107 stations), but that progress was extremely slow in Canada, with just 30 stations and they were experimental. He explained that an earlier iteration of DAB had failed in Canada and consequently the market was ultra-cautious.
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“Pleasure” is the dominant reason that viewers tune into television, according to new ITV research.
“Pleasure” is the dominant reason that viewers tune into television, according to new ITV research.
ITV used this week’s RTS Cambridge Convention to unveil research from behavioural scientists house51 and Professor Paul Dolan at LSE into viewer needs in peak time.
The researchers boiled down the motivations for watching TV into four macro needs: “pleasure”, “purpose”, “togetherness” and “keeping me company.” But pleasure was the dominating motivation.
“TV was more often than not tapping into the fundamental need for happiness and therefore relaxation,” said ITV director of audiences, Neil Mortensen, who noted that TV remained enduringly popular with average viewing hovering around the four hours a day mark since the 1990s.
- Read more: “Trust” is key for ITV, says McCall
TV offsets the mentally complex and physically taxing stuff that people do every day better than anything else and would likely continue to be popular in the face of digital disruption, said Mortensen.
“Despite all our talk of disruption and changing habits, the fundamental need for this balance is unlikely to change unless something really big happens in our society.”
He said that fundamental viewing patterns are note changed by having another new screen to watch on, faster broadband, or even more TV - it just disperses them differently across the week.
“Our research shows that what does change is our mental and physical energy across the week, and this has implications for programming.”
Mortensen said that energy peaks mid-week, suggesting that viewers have greater capacity for a richer mix of content, and they need a bit more purpose to their viewing.
Sunday, he added, is the most energetic and pleasure focused part of the weekend – perfect for the “warm bath” of a Sunday night drama.
“The need for ‘Togetherness’ interestingly peaks on Wednesday and of course on weekends,” explained Mortensen.
He also outlined the genres and shows that best fit and deliver on the dominant needs of viewers.
Sitcoms, soaps, talent shows, and drama all meet the dominant need for pleasure, said Mortensen, citing shows like Blind Date, Love Island, The Great British Bake Off, Cracker and Line of Duty.
“When we need more purpose, we turn to docs and current affairs, we move to natural history, true crime and news and satire… Sport can deliver togetherness, purpose and if your team wins…pleasure.”
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Sky group chief executive Jeremy Darroch has spelt out some of the ways that the company plans to build up its new Sky Studios production division.
Sky group chief executive Jeremy Darroch has spelt out some of the ways that the company plans to build up its new Sky Studios production division.
Speaking at the RTS Cambridge Convention, Darroch said that Sky plans to acquire and to take stakes in production companies, and to strike output deals with producers.
Asked how Sky might look to replicate the huge success of hit drama Chernobyl, Darroch said: “You replicate it by backing people and ideas, recognising what we can bring but allowing people the freedom to pursue great work…and then to put the full weight of the business behind it when it TXs.”
His comments came just weeks after Comcast-owned Sky said that it plans to double its investment in programming over the next five years. Sky Studios will produce and develop original content across all genres, with a focus on drama and comedy.
- Read more: Sky Studios invest in first indie prodco
The focus on drama and comedy comes as Sky looks to reduce its reliance on sport as a driver of subscriptions, and to broaden out its offer to viewers.
Darroch said that less than half of its subscribers now take its sports package. Sky, he said, has such a broad range of sport that not offering so much would not have such a big effect on the business.
Darroch said: “In terms of content, we will lose some content, we will seek to lose content, and then we will do some of our own content.”
He insisted there are strong opportunities for Sky to grow, despite huge competition in the market. “The opportunity to grow in all core markets and to expand the business is as strong as it has ever been. But that growth will come from different places.”
“I think people are only now just getting their heads around what it means to be a success. It’s not just about technology and content, but the whole process of running a large-scale consumer business.”
Asked which companies he admired, he cited consumer goods business such as Proctor & Gamble and Unilever, as well as Nike, alongside West Coast technology firms. “A lot of the businesses I admire most are all on the front foot – they are all stepping into the future. This is not a time for equivocation.”
- Read more: Broadcasters search for scale with M&A
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