1. COMPANY REPORT Uplink Provider
Zero Tape –
Full HD
• all programming content stored as files
• huge file-based electronic archive
TELE-satellite Magazine
Business Voucher
• global content distribution
• production and international playout
www.TELE-satellite.info/12/01/CologneBroadcastingCenter
■ This is what 4.6 m look like. of live coverage of German Bundesliga
Direct Contact to Sales Manager We’re talking about the diameter
of one of CBC’s uplink antennas soccer matches
in the new Cologne Broadcasting
Center.
• fully equipped for HDTV
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2. COMPANY REPORT Uplink Provider
The new Cologne ë Cologne
Broadcasting
Center in Germany
CBC has recently launched one the most modern broadcasting
centers worldwide. It goes without saying that such a major pro-
ject was not put into operation over night, but rather was a step-
by-step process spanning several months. “In mid-2010 the first
production units were able to move to the new center,” we learn
from Achim Pauly, head of Communication & Marketing at CBC.
Today, all companies and networks of German media enter-
prise RTL Deutschland operate from the new CBC, which is lo-
cated in premises directly on the banks of the Rhine river. What
formerly used to be exhibition halls has turned into a top-notch
and one of the leading media and broadcasting centers in the
world, even though you’d be hard pressed to notice that right
away, with historic facades meticulously preserved.
Within the RTL media group CBC is in charge of production,
post-production, technology, IT and content distribution. CBC
■ Achim Pauly is the head of Communication & Marketing at CBC. Here
he is seen right at the heart of CBC, overlooking the inner courtyard of
the former exhibition halls on the Rhine river.
Open IPTV Forum Tel: +33 4 92 94 43 83
650, Route des Lucioles Fax: +33 4 92 38 52 90
F-06921 SOPHIA-ANTIPOLIS Cedex Email: contact@oipf.tv
France Website: www.oipf.tv
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3. ■ If you look was responsible for planning and imple- CBC is also the broadcasting center of II are offering their channels in HDTV
between the two
huge antennas you menting all structures and processes of choice for a number of content provid- at this point,” says Klinke. Naturally,
are able to catch a the new broadcasting center in relation ers outside the RTL media group, such each network or channel decides inde-
glimpse of Cologne
Cathedral, the to production, broadcasting and IT, and as Channel 21, for example, whose pro- pendently whether or not to offer HDTV.
city’s unmistakable now runs the operations. gram is also distributed via CBC. “We even have experience with 3D pro-
landmark sight.
Media journalist RTL media group is a leading media Not only is CBC in charge of the tech- ductions,” Wilfried Klinke hastens to
Luo Shigang from corporation whose portfolio consists of nical aspects of broadcasting and play- add, providing further proof of CBC’s
Shenzhen (China) is
up on the roof and fully-owned free TV channels RTL Tel- out, but has turned into an full-service technical capabilities.
puts the sheer size evision, VOX and n-tv, as well as share- provider. According to Fayad, “the new Originally, CBC was an offspring of
of the antennas into the technical department of the VOX
perspective.
holdings in RTL II and SUPER RTL and broadcasting center features four fully-
pay TV channels RTL Crime, Passion fledged studios, a range of sets for TV channel, which in its early days was
and RTL Living. productions, as well as in excess of 70 positioned as in infotainment channel
Mido Fayad heads the broadcasting post-production units. We also produce within the RTL media group and thus
department and has some in-depth in- German Bundesliga live coverage for was equipped with state-of-the-art pro-
formation: “Here in Cologne our broad- distribution outside Germany. On behalf duction and broadcasting equipment
casting engineers and technicians look of Sportcast we offer complete match right from the start. CBC employees
after the RTL, VOX and Super RTL net- coverage and produce highlight seg- Wilfried Klinke and Mido Fayad have
works for Germany, Austria and Swit- ments in foreign languages.” CBC is live been with the business from those early
zerland, as well as the special interest on air on all 34 match days of the year days. When the VOX technical depart-
channels RTL Crime, RTL Living and and distributes Bundesliga broadcasts ment became CBC in 1994 they were
Passion. In addition, we distribute the to more than 180 countries around the two specialists among 50. These days
n-tv news channel from here. Our sec- globe. CBC has a staff of 500, 40 of which are
ond location in Munich/Grünwald takes Project manager Wilfried Klinke steps in charge of broadcasting, which at CBC
care of RTL II for Germany, Austria and in to add that all technology used is fully is called distribution. A much larger
Switzerland.” HDTV compatible. “RTL, VOX and RTL share of employees is needed for con-
tribution, which basically means con-
tent production.
One of the high points at CBC is its
electronic archive. “All broadcasts of
RTL media group channels are saved in
file format,” Mido Fayad explains while
leading us to a high-security area of
the building which houses the so-called
‘Contentbank’, a term CBC uses for its
enormous file-based archiving system.
■ All signals from RTL media 9 petabyte of storage capacity are re-
group are beamed to the quired to hold more than 160,000 hours
satellites from this spot.
These uplink antennas are of content. Burnt onto CDs and stapled
located at CBC in Cologne one on top of the other you would end
right on the banks of the
Rhine river. up with a 16 km high pile of CDs; and
that’s without jewel cases!
Looking at this impressive electronic
archive a question that comes to mind
is availability of stored content from
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4. the early days of RTL channels. “We did
have digital recordings”, explains pro-
ject manager Wilfried Klinke, “but back
then they were stored on video tapes.
Those tapes had been archived in an
area covering more than 2,000 square
meters and using complex air-condi-
tioning systems. In the course of sev-
eral months we converted that data into
files and fed them into our electronic
archive.” Achim Pauly adds that “at CBC
we have a totally tape-less workflow,
with all processes being file-based.”
CBC has extended its tape-less work-
flow even beyond its own premises by
setting up a network linking major Ger-
man cities, London and New York for
exchanging content contributions. This
network is based on a fibre-optic back-
bone and can be used to hook up studi-
os live on air via video-over-IP. For live
coverage from places with no local stu-
dios CBC runs a fleet of SNG vehicles.
Susanne Jumpelt, head of Broadcast-
ing Sales & Marketing, has all the de-
tails: “Our SNG vehicles are located in
Berlin, Munich and Moscow, as well as
two in Colgone. This strategic position-
ing allows quick access to almost all
places in Germany and Europe.”
If you look up to the roof of the multi-
storey car park next to the CBC prem-
ises an impressive antenna farm soars
high into the sky. Of a total of 37 anten-
nas a whopping five feature diameters
of 4.6 m and are all used for signal up-
1 link. Mido Fayad, head of the broadcast-
ing department, explains that “four of
these giants are in permanent use, with
three antennas pointing to ASTRA 19.2E
and one to EUTELSAT 9E. The fifth 4.6
m antenna serves as back-up.”
So what happens if a heavy down-
pour moves through Cologne and reli-
able signal uplink may be compromised
due to the weather? Will all channels of
RTL media group go blank for satellite
viewers? “No way, because the weather
is under constant observation here at
CBC and as soon as a thunderstorm
approaches we immediately switch the
uplink from Cologne to our outlet in
Grünwald near Munich. Their antennas
take over all uplink tasks within a mat-
ter of split seconds.
1. Project manager Wilfried Klinke in the
antenna operating room. He reveals that
he’s been a loyal TELE-satellite reader from
day one in 1981.
2. One of the workstations in the main
switching room. This is where satellite
antennas are controlled using CBC’s
2 in-house PilotSat software.
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5. ■ 13 broadcast playouts in Cologne
and the Network Operation Center.
60 distribution channels are
monitored and controlled in this
NOC.
[Photo: CBC/Dirk Schwarz]
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6. stop there. Four diesel generators with
an output of 2.5 MW each can take over
power supply at CBC in case a power
failure in the public grid occurs. “Our
emergency power supply is designed
to provide enough energy to keep all
technical installations up and running,”
emphasises Wilfried Klinke. “And it can
run endlessly, provided the tanks keep
getting topped up with diesel fuel.”
Even though to date this contingency
plan never had to be activated it just
goes to show how diligently CBC makes
sure nothing can stop the production
and distribution of content.
Only the latest technology is good
enough for CBC – everything runs with-
1 out tape and this is an ideal base for
exploiting alternative distribution chan-
nels (such as IPTV, video-on-demand or
mobile applications) as well. Even 3D is
not out of the question for CBC, since all
1. Maicel Pancke is one of the Viewers will hardly notice anything months are particularly prone to fre- technical components do not only sup-
broadcasting engineers in the NOC. port full HD but are also 3D compatible.
other than possibly some interference quent thunderstorms which result in
for tenths of a second, during which numerous uplink shifts between Munich The future has already arrived at CBC.
2. Susanne Jumpelt (centre) is the head
of Broadcasting Sales & Marketing. satellite receivers need to re-sync. This and Cologne. “We have noticed in re-
Apart from Teleport services she offers 3. This is what the CBC ‘Contentbank’
way we are able to achieve extremely cent years that severe weather events looks like. Behind a glass panel there
CBC’s SNG vehicles on the market,
whose transmissions are then received high reliability and 99.999% signal are increasing,” Mido Fayad notes. are rows of stapled data carriers.
and distributed via the main switching uplink to the satellite.” The summer Yet, broadcasting reliability does not Mido Fayad, head of the broadcasting
room. department, and his colleagues look
after this huge content archive.
4. Meet Jürgen Lieder: He manages
the main switching room and what
he loves most is to coordinate the
global playout of German Bundesliga
soccer matches. Here he can be
seen preparing the broadcasts of the
3 upcoming match day.
4
2
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