The new Workplan 2019-21 of the EBU Technical Committee, endorsed by the Technical Assembly in Croatia yesterday, sets out the priorities and goals for the coming two years. A streamlined structure sees a reduced number of Strategic Programmes focused on five major domains.
The Strategic Programmes (SPs) consider technological and economic aspects in addressing the mid-and long-term strategic challenges of EBU Members. The five programmes are: Production, Infrastructures & Security, Distribution, Platforms, and Spectrum.
The SPs will continue to oversee Project Groups. The latter aim to carry out dedicated tasks and undertake R&D in specific areas that fall under the domain of the parent SP.
Communities of Practice
Recognizing the increased need for peer learning and exchange, several existing and new initiatives are grouped as Communities of Practice. Their aim is to facilitate sharing and learning around specific topics of interest or common operational areas. While SPs are intended only for EBU Member participation, both Project Groups and Communities of Practice may include non-members.
Running alongside the SPs and communities, are Collaborative Developments towards specific products or services. These are designed to respond to the growing demands for prototyping, minimum viable products and product development. They include PEACH, Eurovision FLOW and LIST, as well as some newer initiatives.
Presenting the workplan at the Technical Assembly, Judy Parnall (BBC, chair of the EBU Technical Committee) explained that the aim was to create a simplified workplan that would be more flexible and easier to communicate both internally and externally. There will also be more regular and open communication between the Technical Committee and the SPs.
Successful TA
The 25th Technical Assembly came to a close in Cavtat, Croatia this afternoon. With around 130 registered participants, it was the best-attended TA in several years. Antonio Arcidiacono, EBU Director of Technology & Innovation, expressed his gratitude to HRT Director General Kazimir Bačić and his team for making the community feel so warmly welcomed in Croatia.
In addition to the presentation of the new Workplan and the announcement of the winner of the 2019 EBU Technology & Innovation Award, the programme included keynote speeches from John Peach of Arista Networks and Prof Ulrich Reimers of TU Braunschweig. Key topics under consideration included the transition to UHD and NGA, the use of AI, live IP production, and technology evolution in both distribution and platforms.
EBU Members can access the slides and videos from TA2019 by logging in and visiting the event page.