| The regulatory environment in the UK is presently undergoing change,
with the formation of a new "super-regulator", Ofcom, which will combine the
Independent Television Commission, the Broadcasting Standards Commission, the
Radio Authority, the Radio Communications Agency and telecoms watchdog Oftel.
The regulatory issues will be looked at in greater depth later.
However, it is of course crucial to ensure that your channel will be able
to obtain an ITC licence, without which you just cannot get on air in the
UK.
The technology building blocks of a TV channel
There are many technical elements in the chain from video content
to captive viewer. To be confident that you choose the best
technical solution for your channel, it is useful to understand
what the various technical elements do and what return on investment
they can deliver. the links in the chain from video to viewer
Your programme material – the first
link in the chain
Video content needs to be delivered to the playout centre so
that it can be assembled into a complete channel. Playout is
the process whereby video content, pre-recorded or live, is
made into a channel and forwarded to the distribution centre.
There are two main methods of delivery:
1. video tape - tapes are delivered to the playout centre,
the most common tape format currently being Digital Betacam
(DigiBeta), a Sony tape format, although DVC Pro and Betacam
SP are also used.
2. line feeds - a circuit connects to the video playout centre
and the centre either records the material for playback later,
or transmits it live straight through the playout centre, e.g.
for a news feed or the feed of a live football match. A video
line feed can either be a wired circuit, such as an optical
fibre link, or a satellite link.
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