Transcript San Francisco Public Television Quality Workshop

PBS Show Submission Demystified
The ins and outs, the rumors and the reality of a PBS program’s
journey to broadcast
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Technical Operations Specification
Demystified

Panel
 Wendy Allen, Vice President, Media Operations &Engineering, PBS
 Tim Mangini, Director of Broadcast/Frontline, WGBH
 Steve Scheel, Sr. Director of Media Operations Center, PBS
 Steve Welch, Vice President, Engineering & Technology, NCPB
 Ernie Neumann, Director of TV Broadcast Operations, NCPB/KQED
TOS Overview
 PBS Process to Air

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San Francisco Public Television Quality Workshop
TOS Overview

1970 - Interconnection System was established

Need for common operations -- led to PBS establishing
technical guidelines.

Engineering Committee assisted in TOS
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San Francisco Public Television Quality Workshop
TOS Overview
The current TOS (2010) consists of three parts:
 Submission to PBS
 Distribution from PBS
 Real Time Satellite Uplinks
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San Francisco Public Television Quality Workshop
TOS Overview
The TOS serves PBS member stations.
 The ETAC provides advice and guidance to PBS on
the TOS.
 The ETAC is an appointed Engineering group
that represents all PBS regions.
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San Francisco Public Television Quality Workshop
TOS Overview
The 2010 ETAC Committee includes the following members:
Alan Popkin, KLCS
Bill Schwartz, WCEU
David Felland, MPT
Helge Blucher, WTVS
James Klas, Wisconsin PTV
Kevin Crane, WNPT
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Ron Kain, WITF
Russ Abernathy, WKNO
Stacey Decker, Nebraska ETV
Steve Welch, NCPB (Chair)
Terry Harvey, WSIU
Joe Tymecki, VPT
San Francisco Public Television Quality Workshop
TOS Overview
The TOS 2010 Working Group included the following members
Terry Harvey, WSIU (Chair)
Bill Schwartz, WCEU
Bruce Jacobs, TPT
David Felland, MPT
Gerry Field, APT
Greg Tillou, NETA
Kip Campbell, UNCTV
Mike Norton, Wisconsin PTV
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Russ Abernathy, WKNO
Steve Welch, NCPB
Ernie Neumann, KQED/ NCPB
Jim Kutzner, PBS (TOS Lead)
Steve Scheel, PBS
Wendy Allen, PBS
Steve Wynn, PBS
Stephen Francis, PBS
San Francisco Public Television Quality Workshop
PBS Process to Air
Why does it take 6 weeks to get to air?
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San Francisco Public Television Quality Workshop
Producer
PUP
Programming
Flattening
= Packaging
all theAgreement
components that make-up a show
PAA==Media
Program
Acceptance
MI
Inventory
Orion: Redbook
Forms, including PAA,
OAC, IWT, UCC, MI,
and Cue Sheet
Tape
BV = BroadView Traffic and Scheduling System
OAC = On-Air
Offer Clearance
Including
Containers
submitted
separately
or bugs, v-chip,
etc.
(media
or
content
metadata
being submitted
to PBS)
IWT = Interactive Web Tag
Producer Edit
Over 200 producers deliver content to PBS
UCC = Underwriter Credit Clearance
UCC Associate to Media
UCC Review
& Approval
Program Underwriting
Policy
Legal
Red Book Forms
Review & Approve
No later than
10 days out
Screening
Packages Scheduled
Program Scheduling
andBVContent
Services
BV MI
MI
BV Package
MI/Cue Sheet
Review & Approve
Completed
Approved
Assembled
NOC
MOC
Pass
Media Operations Center
Tape
Arrival
Tape
Check In
Ingest/Tech Eval
Library Pull
Lists Run
Result
Fail
Decision
PBS Edit
Flattening
MTR
Network Operations Center
San Francisco Public Television Quality Workshop
Distribution
PUP
UCC Review
& Approval
UCC Associate to Media
Process
PUP – Program Underwriting Policy
1. Approve funders and funding amounts
2. Approved funding entered onto PAA (including detail of funding amounts, legal
funder names (e.g.,), term dates for funding, total production budget)
3. Form is submitted and approved by other departments (legal, production, rights,
etc.)
4. Review spot creative (storyboard, script, graphics)
5. Review UCC form (rotations, spot rights dates per the Containerization
requirements )
6. Approved creative
7. Approved UCC form required for submission of Spot Media Inventory
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San Francisco Public Television Quality Workshop
PUP
UCC Review
& Approval
PUP – Program Underwriting Policy
UCC Associate to Media
Process
Challenges
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Funding is not acceptable per PBS Guidelines
Incomplete funding information
Funders listed do not match approved funders/funding from step 1
Funding does not equal production budget amount
Rights dates are not actual (sometimes completed as rights for program)
Unacceptable creative
Duration of spot may be incompatible with Containerization
Form name, spot title, rights, and/or duration could be incorrect
Descriptions of audio and/or video may be inaccurate
Spots listed do not match approved PAA
Format of pod may be incorrect (spots correct, order incorrect)
Cuts on Media Inventory don’t not match UCC format
Correct files are not attached to correct records/data
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San Francisco Public Television Quality Workshop
Programming
Packages Scheduled
Legal
MI/Cue Sheet
Review & Approve
BV MI
Completed
Screen
BV MI
Approved
BV Package
Assembled
Process
New Package/MI Submission
1.
Package is created/scheduled
2.
Media Inventory is submitted
3.
If metadata looks correct, media inventory is “approved”
4.
If incorrect, producer is contacted and asked to make corrections
5.
Media Inventory(ies) are associated to package
6.
After package metadata is proofed, package is defined
San Francisco Public Television Quality Workshop
Programming
Packages Scheduled
Legal
MI/Cue Sheet
Review & Approve
BV MI
Completed
BV MI
Approved
Screen
BV Package
Assembled
Repack Package/MI Submission
1.
Need for repackaging is identified (MTR, Producer generated or PBS generated)
2.
Method is selected by Producer
Process
PBS Fix
Producer Fix/Re-submission
Containerized repack
4.
BV Records are created
5.
Notification is sent internally
Schedules are updated
Program Offers are issued
6.
After new revised media is available, steps 2-5 from New Package/MI Submission are
followed
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San Francisco Public Television Quality Workshop
Programming
Packages Scheduled
Legal
MI/Cue Sheet
Review & Approve
BV MI
Completed
Screen
BV MI
Approved
BV Package
Assembled
Challenges
1.
Process
2.
3.
Late delivery of media
Late delivery of Redbook forms
UCC
OAC
PAA
Producer format
Late delivery of Traffic info
GA Embed Grid
Kids Embed Chart
BMP Monthly filler list
Break/Filler Chart
Misc. initiatives from PBSd and Interactive
4.
5.
6.
Inaccurate metadata
Bad cut timings
Missing or inaccurate audio metadata
Missing or inaccurate aspect ratio
Tech Eval failure
Requires new record creation and
approval/definition
Producers often disputes impairments and
associated cost
Missing billing info (should be populated in PAA.)
We can’t approve MI until this is correct
San Francisco Public Television Quality Workshop
Pass
MOC
Ingest/Tech Eval
Tape
Arrival
Tape
Check In
Library Pull
Lists Run
Result
Decision
PBS Edit
Fail
Flattening
MTR
Myth:
Tape arrives 6 weeks out and the MOC is intentionally waiting until a week out to
ingest.
Reality:
The MOC is ingesting material within 4 days of Media Inventory approved status, it is
on the schedule and has been pulled from the library.
Library is averaging 24 hours pull time.
San Francisco Public Television Quality Workshop
PBS Process to Air
System Changes being worked on:
Improve Orion, eliminate duplication of data
 Decouple process status that are tied together: When media arrives, it
will be ingested.
 Decouple content and underwriting spots on the same tape. All
underwriters are getting approved <10 days before air which holds up
the entire show from being ingested.
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San Francisco Public Television Quality Workshop
Questions
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