20/01/2011

Réunion 1ère – France Télévisions

A novel approach to delivering radio content: France Televisions turn to NewTek TriCaster to implement their new cross-media strategy.

French PSB group France Televisions’ Outre-Mer 1ère (formerly RFO), a public broadcasting network operating nine television and radio stations in the French overseas territories, wanted to expand their services and bring their audience a higher level experience with a new type of radio production, involving multimedia platforms. The group chose Newtek TriCaster™ to implement a cross-media strategy, which involves filming a radio program and broadcasting it live in HD on television and the Internet. Equipped with NewTek TriCaster, Réunion 1ère was the first station to implement the new concept.

Meet the Needs and Interests of Local Communities

All nine network radio stations broadcast more than twenty hours of daily programs. Their mission: to deliver both intercontinental and regional news and entertainment programming, with a special emphasis on local features that reflect and are geared towards the needs and interests of local communities. On the agenda: news, music, games, humor, culture, interviews, and debates. In a constant effort to deepen the relationship with their respective communities, the group’s stations dedicate a significant portion of their on-air time to audience dialogue. Yet, the expansion of new technologies and the multiplication of media outlets have led to significant changes in audience habits. In a media-rich world, citizens increasingly seek and handle alternative sources of information and entertainment, sometimes simultaneously engaging in a multimedia or multiplatform type of media consumption. The group then explored new ways of delivering radio content in tune with their audience’s needs.

A New Concept Involving Multimedia Platforms

"We wanted to bring a new dimension to radio that is in tune with the needs and interests of a 'multimedia' audience," explains Robert Moy, Director of the Radio at France Televisions.

"Our objective was to give the audience a higher level experience with a new type of radio production, involving multimedia platforms.” The group opted for a cross-media strategy that consisted of broadcasting a live radio program in high definition (HD) on television and the Internet.

Multi-camera, Network-quality Productions in HD

Many radio stations offer streaming services online. Yet, most of the time, they rely on the use of webcams, which results in a static shot. Robert Moy and his team wanted the show to be as vibrant and dynamic as possible, to "invite" the audience on stage and have faces to place with the names. "It was not just about filming the show and having the images on television and the Internet," said Robert Moy. While maintaining the "spirit" of a radio program, the cross-media strategy in place was to take advantage of each medium, allowing for "… some video effects and editing (clips, stills, titles and graphics), the use of multiple, remote controlled cameras, and a network-quality, video stream in high-definition.”