In IP-Based Operations World, Talent Remains As Critical As Tech

In the hypercompetitive broadcast industry, operational excellence is critical to ensuring broadcasters can deliver their high-value content seamlessly to any destination, 24/7. But in live television, where the stakes are always high, you shouldn’t need heroes to save the day. Gold-standard operations are built on agility, reliability and trust.

Human Skill Set Remains Key

In recent years, we’ve seen advances in automation-driven workflows driving efficiencies and innovation in broadcast media. In spite of rapid technology breakthroughs, human talent and acquired skills remain a driving force at the heart of operations teams.

The most creative minds in media rely on the experience and knowledge of battle-hardened operations experts to underpin success. Operations is a matter of “translation,” too. Media organizations want partners who have seen it all before and speak their language, understanding diverse technology and business requirements. Without a firm grasp on where media has come from, it’s not always easy to navigate a path to the future amid increasing complexity and unpredictability.

Strong relationships between customers and technology partners rely on trust in operations. Broadcasters need to know support and incident management teams will always be there when it counts and will identify resolutions as quickly as possible. To establish an open and dependable operations framework, teams can harness advanced analytics and a transparent approach to identify and prevent future challenges while simultaneously achieving the fastest possible MTTR (mean time to resolution) under every circumstance.

To keep up in an industry moving at breakneck speed, operations units need to be continuously enriched and empowered with training and development initiatives. But training cannot just be an internal priority. Media customers need seamless access to tools and a depth of material to empower self-help and prevent potential issues before they materialize.

Innovative Technology, Dependable Results

Our industry is embracing an IP-first future in 2023. Organizations are migrating away from traditional satellite and fiber-based models in favor of flexible, scalable and opportunity-rich IP foundations. While broadcasters and OTT players of all shapes and sizes hunt for unprecedented scale and digital monetization potential through IP-based transmission, they are looking for partners who understand how to make the shift to IP a smooth and reliable transition.

Future-proof IP technology infrastructure and a data-first strategy allow operational teams to power innovation in analytics and automation. Richer analytics mean technology partners can more accurately quantify success, maximizing efficiencies across the media chain while unlocking the gateway to greater automation. Furthermore, equipping customers with transparent access to a depth of data empowers knowledge sharing to overcome operational pain points more easily while cementing an agile, trusted relationship.

Broadcast operations partnerships should never be about knights in shining armor or daring rescue missions. Best-in-class operations in media must be driven by future-ready technology, talented experts and a deep and open knowledge base. Now more than ever, media brands want to trust a seamless extension of their own organization that is one step ahead of the curve and always on the other end of the line — today, tomorrow and in the long run.

Catherine Gonzalez Pack is SVP operations, LTN.