FEED: Honours List 2024

Posted on Dec 6, 2024 by FEED Staff

Kick back, pop that bubbly and join us in celebrating the excellence, innovation and trailblazers of broadcast tech – it’s the debut edition of the FEED Honours List!

Words by Verity Butler, editor

When conceptualising the FEED Honours List, it didn’t take long for the team to agree that its core mission would be to give back by celebrating the extraordinary talent we witness, both within FEED’s own pages as well as face-to-face at conferences and shows throughout each year.

On top of this, we made sure that not all the decisions were down to us. Our Honours List features three People’s Choice categories, giving readers a chance to shine a spotlight on the women, start-ups and leaders that deserve acknowledgement for their trailblazing impact on this industry.

It’s been an exceptionally busy few months here since we announced the launch back in August. So, on behalf of the whole team, I’d like to thank all those who reached out with nominations. It’s been so inspiring reading through the submissions, and only reinforces just how creative and innovative this industry really is.

Without further ado, I am delighted to share with you the FEED Honours List 2024.

People’s Choice: Pioneering women

This is where our readers had their say on who deserves to be celebrated. Our People’s Choice categories offered the opportunity to nominate legendary business leaders, inspirational start-ups and pioneering women. After a phenomenal response over three months, here are the final results out of the many inspirational people and companies put forward.

Clare Bramley
Head of marketing and communications, Amino, an Aferian company

When Clare Bramley joined Amino – an Aferian company – eight years ago, sustainability was not on anyone’s mind, and certainly not part of the Amino brand identity or its core strategies. Amino had no sustainability policies, ESG reports or any objectives related to environmental responsibility. Fast-forward to now, and not only is sustainability at the forefront of what Amino does, but it is also part of every product it creates. 

Bramley’s been part of the leadership team driving these changes, shaping and communicating the company’s sustainability story from its inception to its current award-winning status. 

She has led the company’s efforts to create internal policies around these initiatives and created the corporate ESG programme and report. Her strategic vision and marketing expertise have not only transformed Amino’s approach to sustainability, but also set a new standard for the media-technology industry. 

Bramley’s work in sustainability goes beyond Amino. She’s spearheaded the submission and acceptance of Aferian’s letter of commitment to Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). 

Marie-Véronique Lacaze
President, Witbe

Marie-Véronique Lacaze has been a trailblazer in shaping broadcast and media tech for three decades, particularly in measuring quality of experience. Her dynamic leadership has guided Witbe to become a global leader in automated testing and proactive monitoring tech for video service providers. 

Lacaze’s first major step in the tech industry was founding Oléane, the first internet provider in France dedicated to the enterprise market. During this time, she became curious about the internet errors reported by customers that her team could not see at the source, and contemplated how this issue could be addressed. After selling Oléane to France Telecom (now Orange) in 1998, Lacaze co-founded Witbe, a company dedicated to measuring service quality received by users on real devices and networks, observing otherwise invisible errors. 

While Witbe began testing web services, the company has shifted and expanded under Lacaze’s direction to focus on streaming video. Today, with 12 offices worldwide, Witbe’s industry-leading video testing and monitoring tech is used worldwide by providers like Comcast, Verizon and Vodafone.

Danna Mann
Director of marketing, Tag Video Systems

Danna Mann’s path to the media industry wasn’t a straight line, but rather a winding journey that equipped her with a diverse skill set. Mann joined Tag Video Systems in 2018 as an event coordinator and quickly rose through the ranks to become the company’s director of marketing. 

Mann elevated Tag from relative obscurity to a globally recognised, multi-award-winning brand known for its forward thinking, offering more than just multiviewers. She is responsible for the company’s worldwide marketing initiatives, but her self-imposed goals drive her to tap into creative resources and deliver well-crafted, compelling and strategic messaging that educates the market about Tag’s innovative monitoring and visualisation tech. 

In addition to her work with Tag, Mann is a member of the IBC Exhibitor Steering Group that provides advice regarding technologies, target audiences and business-related issues that are instrumental in setting the strategy, agenda and tone for each IBC Show. Mann is always open to change, embraces learning and isn’t afraid to experiment. Her inspiration comes from people who aren’t following trends, but are setting them.

Suzana Brady
SVP of worldwide sales and marketing, Cobalt Digital

Suzana Brady is not only an exceptional woman, but is also a valued contributor to the broadcast and pro AV communities. Self-described as extremely committed, self-driven, organised and prepared, she oversees an all-male sales team in a male-dominated industry, winning their respect and loyalty as she ‘gets the best out of them.’ 

Brady credits her strong rapport with her team to knowing how to get along with people and never skimping on praise when it is deserved. Since becoming SVP of worldwide sales and marketing, Cobalt’s revenue has increased annually. 

In addition to her sales and marketing role, she champions Cobalt’s adoption of SL-HDR1. Her work includes educating on the HDR aspects of the ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard – and under her leadership, vendors have moved from hardware to software solutions. 

Brady is also a founder and chairperson of the RIST (Reliable Internet Stream Transport) Forum. Recognising interoperability issues in the industry, she helped launch an initiative to promote vendor collaboration. The RIST protocol is an open-source, interoperable solution for reliably transporting low-latency video over unmanaged networks. 

Bleuenn Le Goffic
VP of business transformation, Accedo

Bleuenn Le Goffic is VP of business transformation at Accedo, where she has worked since 2012 and has a deep understanding of both Accedo and the wider media industry. She combines strong technical understanding – having worked as a software developer – with business and sales acumen from her roles in sales and business development within the broadcast industry. 

During her time at Accedo, Le Goffic has helped transform many companies from customers into long-term partners. She has also played a significant role in making Accedo become more sustainable and encouraging the entire video industry to follow suit. Together with Accedo’s sustainability manager, she has spearheaded several related initiatives, promoting environmental responsibility. 

As a provider of products and solutions enabling media companies to deliver video content to millions of end users, Le Goffic believes that Accedo must be committed to becoming more sustainable and minimising its carbon footprint. She also recognises the significant influence that video and media in general have on society today, and emphasises that we have the responsibility to make a positive contribution overall.

People’s Choice: Legendary leaders

Thomas Riedel
CEO & co-founder, Riedel Communications

How do you turn a one-man radio rental company into one of the world’s premier media and entertainment technology manufacturers? Thomas Riedel knows. Although Riedel ascribes his and Riedel Communications’ success to luck, most people around him would beg to differ. 

Much of this success derives from a visionary mission to develop innovative technologies that push broadcast formats into the future and improve the viewer experience. His intuitive grasp of emerging trends has placed Riedel Communications as a leader in IP, remote production and cloud-based solutions. 

Riedel’s history as an industry trendsetter began in the 2000s, when he launched the world’s first distributed intercom system, Artist. This was soon followed by the revolutionary MediorNet distributed media infrastructures – two milestones that paved the way for future media communication technology. 

His dedication to research and innovation stems from his deep technical knowledge and understanding of developers’ challenges. Notably, he allowed a five-year development window for the Bolero Wireless Intercom, resulting in a product that set the gold standard in wireless intercom technology. 

Riedel aims to bring audiences closer to the action, pioneering innovative camera solutions and video transmission techniques to offer unprecedented perspectives. This dedication to these experiences earned him two Emmy Awards for the groundbreaking Red Bull Air Race broadcasts. 

Anupama Anantharaman
Vice president of product management, Interra Systems

For more than 20 years, Anupama Anantharaman has been a driving force in the media industry, pushing forward the quality of traditional broadcast and streaming media experiences through innovative product development, strategy and communications. 

From her early career at Compression Labs, she led the development of one of the first LAN-based video conferencing systems, a precursor to modern video conferencing platforms like Zoom and Google Hangouts. 

Anantharaman’s leadership continued with Interra Systems, where she played a key role in expanding the firm’s media analyser product Vega to support the HEVC standard. The HEVC analyser soon became the most sought-after product for in-depth analysis of HEVC video. 

Her input helped position Interra Systems as a leader in media QC and monitoring solutions, with products used by some of the largest media companies. Anantharaman revolutionised content monitoring, enabling broadcasters to deliver exceptional video and audio quality across all devices.

Beyond her technical achievements, Anantharaman is a dedicated mentor and advocate for women in the tech industry. As a member of the Computer Science Advisory Board at Cal State East Bay, she promotes the importance of diversity in technology, encouraging women to pursue careers in tech fields. Her leadership has driven technological advancements and inspired a new wave of women to pursue careers in STEM.

Kristan Bullett
CEO & co-founder, Humans Not Robots

Throughout his career in media tech, Kristan Bullett has consistently proven himself to be at the forefront of the industry. His visionary leadership style – complemented by a deep understanding of the intricacies of broadcast, media and streaming – sets him apart. 

Identifying a gap in sustainable media-tech practices, Bullett co-founded Humans Not Robots (HNR). Shortly after, the company became a recognised name in helping data-intensive businesses reduce their carbon footprints. 

Bullett’s decision-making spearheaded initiatives like the highly acclaimed IBC Accelerator Ecoflow and the TM Forum Sustainable Streaming Catalyst Project – both important initiatives for driving sustainable live streaming. 

HNR’s work has earnt several awards, including the CSA Best Carbon Footprint Improvement Initiative and the Leeds Digital Festival Sustainability award. In addition to his strategic acumen, Bullett’s dedication to his team and ability to foster both a creative and inclusive atmosphere have had a significant impact on the corporate culture. 

This resulted in higher productivity and a workplace where ideas thrive and employees feel valued. Bullett’s commitment to sustainable practices and inclusivity is equally commendable, further affirming his role as a true leader. 

His tireless dedication to driving change and forging new paths in this industry is inspirational, making him a deserving nominee for the recognition he thoroughly deserves.

People’s Choice: Start-ups

Radical CEO/co-founder: Gavan Gravesen
Launched: 2018

Radical is a real-time 3D content creation platform with two seamlessly integrated products: Radical Motion – an Al-powered, markerless, real-time, multiplayer motion-capture solution – and Radical Canvas – a web app that simplifies collaborative real-time 3D scene design and prototyping.

Its motion-capture technology is incredibly advanced, giving customers the freedom to capture real-time movements with total ease – while its markerless, face-and-finger tracking system has seriously levelled up its customers’ projects. 

Thanks to Radical Motion, customers are booking more clients, adding more new features and delivering experiences that feel cutting-edge without breaking a sweat. Working with Radical involves listening to feedback, innovating and staying ahead. Its system plugs right into its clients’ workflows, which has made creating high-quality digital content faster and more exciting than ever.

Salsa Sound
Co-founders: Dr Rob Oldfield, Dr Ben Shirley, Launched: 2017

“It’ll be impossible to automate a football mix.” That’s what Rob Oldfield heard from a senior sound supervisor when he first visited an OB truck for the Burnley FC versus Blackburn Rovers match as part of a university project. 

As an audio researcher, that sentence was like a red rag to a bull. Having seen the labour-intensive process of manually mixing 12 microphones during the match, the founders of Salsa Sound set out on a mission to develop algorithms able to recognise audio events and choose the best microphone to mix to automatically. 

A deep neural network was trained to identify the sound of a ball being kicked or a referee’s whistle while mixing to the best microphone. Today, Salsa Sound does far more than just virtual crowds and automated pitch mixes. Its Mixair software automates live sports audio, including crowd and commentary, on-premises or in the cloud, supporting nearly any audio protocol.

Strada
Co-founders: Michael Cioni, Peter Cioni, Launched: 2023

Brothers Michael and Peter Cioni left their roles at Adobe and Netflix (respectively) to build a new company, believing that the greatest opportunity for creative professionals through machine learning lies not in generative AI, but in intelligent workflow automation for content creators. The company is working on building out its namesake product Strada, which removes complexities and inefficiencies for professional content creators. 

Strada automates tedious tasks, improves search and speeds up delivery to help storytellers save time and money while gaining better creative control. With features like multicloud connect, multicam playback, AI transcription, AI translation and more, it delivers a new way to work from a browser interface. 

Strada blends custom-built tools with automation and AI to unlock previously impossible workflows. It integrates AI and ML models with inventive automators, allowing users to complete tasks faster than any other off-the-shelf tool.

Excellence in Cloud

From amateur streamers to top-tier broadcasters, cloud plays a key role in media production workflows. We celebrate the most exciting developments over the past year.

atomos 

By accessing a host of cloud-based tools and services direct from the Atomos device, content creators now enjoy even greater productivity gains with camera to cloud, remote collaboration and review, cloud editing, live multicam production, wireless timecode and streaming.   

Signiant

Today’s Signiant is about much more than just fast and secure file transfers. The platform is an integrated set of SaaS products that make media content flow easier and more efficient. The Signiant Platform is built on a fast file transfer foundation already used by the world’s top media makers. It is already connecting 50,000 companies of all sizes and boasts over one million users.

Manifold Cloud

Manifold Cloud is a live production software that runs on COTS FPGA programmable acceleration cards (PAC). At its core, Manifold Cloud is a service-orientated software that uses an on-demand configurable pool of shared resources allocated within a private cloud environment.

7fivefive

The management platform Lens – developed by 7fivefive – allows users to connect, configure and manage multiple cloud and hybrid workstation environments in a single customisable interface. Lens was designed from the ground up to allow quick and easy remote system deployment and management for all users. With Lens, users can dynamically manage resources, monitor connection quality across multiple sites and increase workflow visibility.

24i

24i Video Cloud is a video delivery platform with a modular functional technology stack to address the complexities of modern services. This unified media delivery platform integrates live and linear TV, video on demand, FAST and sports together into a single, robust platform.

BCNEXXT

Vipe by BCNexxt is a cloud-native software solution that simplifies deploying fully automated linear playout, OTT streaming and VOD playout. The latest release introduces Vipe RT – a dedicated, real-time playout engine that supports complex live events and sports. Vipe reduces resources and costs by up to eight times, while maintaining better than hardware-based reliability of up to 99.9% as measured by users.

Vubiquity

Vubiquity’s MetaVU is a title management solution that aggregates, enriches, localises and delivers media and entertainment content metadata globally. The cloud-native SaaS platform works with industry-standard metadata records and streamlines integrations. 

Dalet

Dalet Cut is a cloud-native, multimedia and multiplatform editor integrated within the Dalet ecosystem. Edit from anywhere with native access to assets including clips, sequences, projects and graphics, even on limited bandwidth. No VPN, searching drive pools, heavy rendering or lengthy training. 

GB Labs

In 2024, GB Labs released its revolutionary production cloud storage solution NebulaNAS, designed to provide the benefits of on-premises storage but with cloud capabilities, and to address the challenges of today’s geographically dispersed media production teams. 

NebulaNAS securely connects users, regardless of location, to their cloud storage, providing fast access to stored content with the ease of simply mounting a drive or volume on a desktop. 

Veset

Built on AWS and launched in February 2024, Veset’s Adwise moves beyond the traditional linear ad break, offering an in-video ad solution for live and premium content. The cloud native platform employs advanced ad-insertion technology, integrating contextual ads into live streams without interrupting the viewer’s experience. The solution enables broadcasters to deliver contextual advertising without the need for a traditional ad break, improving engagement and helping to increase advertising revenue.

Projective

Projective’s post-production collaboration platform Strawberry offers intelligent project management, sharing and search. The recently launched Strawberry Skies (March 2024) extends these features with secure cloud access – fully hosted by Projective – enabling flexible and secure collaboration from anywhere.

Excellence in Live

• LiveU: Recognised for inventing cellular bonding with LRT and launching LIQ at IBC 2024, the next chapter in LRT’s story.
• Brainstorm: At NAB New York 2024, Brainstorm released InfinitySet Lite, the latest addition its acclaimed InfinitySet product line.
• Norsk Video by id3as: Acclaimed for the launch of Norsk Studio, the industry’s first no-code live media workflow server with a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface.
• LTN: LTN’s portfolio enables over 3000 Tier 1 media, entertainment, sports and tech companies to manage, customise and deliver full-time channels and live events.
• MainConcept: Mainconcept, Salsa Sound as well as Fraunhofer IIS developed a groundbreaking live immersive audio solution. It integrated MPEG-H Audio authoring and encoding with MPEG-Dash streaming on a single system. 
• Arkona: Arkona’s Blade//runner suite comprises a wide variety of tools for professional productions.
• Cerberus tech: The Cerberus Tech Livelink platform leverages cloud-native orchestration and automation to streamline live IP video distribution. 
• Bitmovin: Bitmovin Live Encoding is a fully managed SaaS that helps organisations stream live sports, news and events to viewers on any device. 
• Lawo: Lawo optimises solutions for live scenarios. In 2024, it doubled the number of apps available on its Home platform.
• Harmonic: Whether powering multi-gigabit broadband services or simplifying video streaming and broadcast delivery, Harmonic is shaping the future of the media and entertainment industries.
• Ross Video: Coinciding with its 50th anniversary, Ross revolutionised the live space with the launch of the Carbonite Ultra Solo at IBC 2024.
• Clear-Com: For its continued contribution to the live broadcast communication space, with upgrades to its Gen-IC virtual intercom and Arcadia.

LIVEU

FEED is recognising LiveU for the Excellence in Live category of the FEED Honours List 2024, for almost 20 years of spearheading the cellular broadcast movement – as well as consistently enhancing its portfolio of live production technology.

LiveU’s contributions to M&E have redefined live broadcast as we know it. Back in 2006, it invented cellular bonding – LiveU Reliable Transport (LRT) – changing the rules for live sports and news coverage forever. 

Fast-forward to 2024 and it has been a remarkable year for LiveU in many ways, with sports and elections dominating broadcast. LiveU’s IP-video EcoSystem was the backbone for its customers’ live coverage in the Paris Summer Games. The deployment handled 62TB of data transmission, demonstrating the trust of broadcasters in LiveU’s IP-video tech.

Another reason for this recognition was the announcement of LiveU IQ (LIQ) – a generational change in cellular bonding. Launched at IBC 2024, LIQ intelligently switches mobile network operators to provide the best-performing set of cellular connections available in any location, by leveraging innovations across eSIMs, AI, hybrid local and cloud-based data and algorithms. Video crews can trust they’ll experience the best available cellular connectivity profile. In simple terms, LRT offers the best use of existing networks and LIQ uses the best networks.

“We’re proud to be included in the FEED Honours List for the Excellence in Live category,” says Ronen Artman, LiveU VP of marketing. “2024 marks LiveU’s 18th anniversary and being recognised as an industry game changer by FEED is a special way to round off a great year.”

Brainstorm

FEED is celebrating Brainstorm in the Excellence in Live category of the FEED Honours List 2024, for its continued contribution of cutting-edge virtual and XR technologies to the live broadcast sector.

Brainstorm is a specialist company, and has been innovating industry-leading real-time 3D graphics and virtual set solutions for broadcast, feature film production and corporate presentations since 1993.

At NAB New York 2024, Brainstorm released InfinitySet Lite, the latest addition to its acclaimed InfinitySet product line, offering a streamlined interface and toolset while maintaining the same top-tier quality standards that have made it a favourite solution in the broadcast and studio markets for virtual content creation.

FEED recognises InfinitySet as one of the most advanced virtual production, XR and AR solutions available to market, integrating seamlessly within any broadcast workflow and environment.

It creates fully photorealistic real-time 3D scenes for any kind of virtual and live productions, and features comprehensive XR workflows that can include data-driven 3D graphics for AR applications.

“Brainstorm is a company committed to providing the best tools for real-time 3D graphics, virtual production, AR and VR content creation. Being in the FEED Honours List for Excellence in Live reinforces our commitment to creating high-quality solutions for content creators, no matter if they are broadcasters, filmmakers or corporations,” says Miguel Churruca, marketing and communications director at Brainstorm.

Norsk Video by id3as

FEED is recognising Norsk Video in the Excellence in Live category for the FEED Honours List 2024, due to its huge impact on the live space over a short span of time as well as its recent launch of the dynamic Norsk Studio.

For more than ten years, id3as has built resilient, custom video workflows for global media leaders. Its solutions have always been ‘good on a bad day’ – they keep running even when servers or cloud regions fail. 

In 2023, id3as took that expertise and experience and made it available as a product, a programmable live media engine called Norsk Engine. This year, it introduced Norsk Studio, the industry’s first no-code live media workflow server with a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface. Out of the box, it delivers all the essentials for implementing high-quality live media workflows by capturing multiple sources and encoding multiple formats, offering packaging and output to CDN, YouTube and Twitch. It also includes subtitles and captions, can switch multiple cameras and sources and add graphics. 

“We’re grateful to the FEED team for recognising Norsk in this inaugural Honours List,” comments Adrian Roe, CEO of id3as. “Live video workflows are complex and subject to change at a moment’s notice. Norsk removes as much of that complexity as possible while still allowing producers to build compelling, highly tailored workflows that are just right for their events or channels.”

Norsk is currently in use by several European national broadcasters, as well as one of the world’s largest enterprise video services, delivering hundreds of thousands of live events per year.

Special recognition in AI

Artificial intelligence is changing everything. For each link in the media chain – asset management, captions, commentary, editing and more – it is creating an automated future. This is for those that stood out to us in 2024.

• Evergent: The Evergent Captivate Product Suite provides an AI-powered set of technology tools to tackle these challenges with an all-encompassing approach to subscriber retention and engagement.
• V-Nova: The V-Nova Presenz format enables photorealistic immersive experiences at scale, allowing viewers to ‘step inside’ cinematic content. V-Nova technologies also facilitate AI Media Indexing, Machine Vision and Large Multimodal Models (LMMs) to interact with data like humans.
• Viaccess-Orca: Viaccess-Orca’s AI-powered Targeted TV Advertising solution is a trailblazing innovation that has redefined the future of addressable TV advertising.
• Kaltura: Kaltura has delivered an array of AI-powered innovations – and this year, it extended its generative AI capabilities to streaming services, unveiling TV Genie, which leverages enriched metadata such as mood, sub-genres and contextual tags to generate hyper-personalised recommendations.
• Vubiquity: With the power of Vubiquity’s AI marketplace, which integrates generative AI and machine-learning models for every stage of the media supply chain, customers achieve exceptional title and asset enrichment to deliver enhanced, curated audience experiences at scale.
• Mediakind: Mediakind’s expanded MK.IO platform addresses these challenges by using AI Pipelines in conjunction with Fleet Management, Flow Control and AI Automation to streamline operations. Powered by MK.IO Beam edge processing, the platform integrates tasks through a flexible, API-driven system, automating workflows from audits to translations and data tagging.
• Lux Aeterna: While not a manufacturer, Lux Aeterna has been leading the conversations around AI in the VFX industry, having invested significant funds in the exploration of generative AI.
• QVEST: Qvest has pioneered AI integration in broadcast tools, continuously developing both its process and its suite of tools with the support of machine learning and generative AI.
• Veritone: Veritone has spearheaded AI-driven solutions with its Digital Media Hub (DMH), which activates media archives and content repositories for global distribution and monetisation. DMH is a secure and intelligent hub that centralises, enriches and monetises content for instant discovery, global access, e-commerce and streamlined clearance and distribution.
• Strada: With features such as multicloud connect, multicam playback, AI transcription, AI translation, cluster transcoding and AI clip tagging, Strada delivers a new way to work from an intuitive browser interface.

Special recognition in 5G

• Dejero: Dejero’s flagship EnGo series only continues to improve year on year. The native 5G mobile video transmitter with multicam and Gateway mode is a two-in-one device that goes beyond live video streaming and leverages network aggregation technology to provide news and production teams with access to stable, reliable internet from anywhere.
• Sony: Early this year, Sony launched a portable data transmitter – the PDT-FP1 – with a unique antenna structure that allows high-speed still image and video data transport over 5G networks. With the PDT-FP1, Sony is leveraging 5G mobile technology to enhance professional workflows for broadcasting and news.
• Zixi: In February, Zixi signed a co-sell agreement with Verizon. Its Software-Defined Video Platform is an innovative solution for provisioning, orchestrating and managing live video on 5G or any IP network, and is now deployed across the nodes of Verizon’s multi-access edge computing with robust network access and ultra-low latency.
• Haivision: As a pioneer for 5G in broadcast, it came as no surprise when Haivision won an IBC Innovation Award for its mobile video tech for the Paris Games – particularly in the sailing competition in Marseille.
• TVU Networks: In partnership with TVU Networks, France Télévisions chose to broadcast the relay of the Olympic flame powered by a novel 100% cloud-based and 5G/Starlink network. This included ten hours of live coverage each day, tracking the 1625km trip via the France.tv app, connected TVs and digital platforms that host France.tv.
• Teradek: Compact, low profile and loaded with 5G connectivity, Teradek’s innovative Prism Mobile is the ultimate contribution encoder for live coverage from the field.
• Rohde & Schwarz: As the era of 5G Advanced and 6G unfolds, a third frequency range is being discussed in global regulatory and industry consortiums worldwide – FR3. Rohde & Schwarz technology played a crucial role in enabling Qualcomm Technologies to show the readiness and effectiveness of the latest RF modem technology for FR3.
• Vislink: A live video and data communication specialist, Vislink’s state-of-the-art 5G transmitters and receivers bring unprecedented speed, reliability and flexibility to live video transmission across a wide range of industries.
• Panasonic: This year, Panasonic opened its first private 5G network testing environment at the Panasonic Campus in Munich. The global technology company is partnering with many world-leading 5G as a Service providers to make private 5G networks easy to set up and simple to operate across Europe.

Dejero

FEED is celebrating Dejero for the Special Recognition in 5G category in the FEED Honours List 2024, thanks to its pioneering EnGo transmitter series and revolutionary Smart Blending Technology.

Back in 2008, Dejero founder Bogdan Frusina witnessed first-hand the challenges field correspondents had reporting live from campaign trails. He saw the logistical challenges, inflexibility and high cost of existing technology – and knew there was a better way. Fast-forward to now and, true to its beginnings, Dejero is still solving the toughest critical connectivity challenges. 

“Our line of 5G video transmitters were built from the ground up. We know our broadcast and media production customers have difficult and demanding needs bringing content from anywhere to their global audiences,” states Kevin Fernandes, chief revenue officer for Dejero. 

Following the continued success of its range of award-winning EnGo mobile video transmitters, Dejero introduced its next-generation 5G solutions with its patented Smart Blending Technology. 

The EnGo 3, 3s and 3x 5G mobile video transmitters with GateWay mode blend together multiple wired (broadband and fibre) and wireless (3G/4G/5G and satellite) IP connections from multiple providers to form a virtual Dejero ‘network of networks’. “We built our EnGo 3 series with our customers in mind by incorporating four antennas per modem to achieve greater reliability and faster speeds. Our latest generation of 5G modems can support additional bands used by carriers across North America, Australia, China, Korea and Latin America that other mobile transmitters cannot connect to.” 

The innovative and unique nature of this technology, and its continued development, has had a game-changing impact on the broadcast and media production sectors and many others. 

Fernandes concludes, “For us, this is just the beginning.”

Achievements in sustainability

• Appear: Appear prioritises modularity, efficiency and quality to reduce its environmental impact. Its products are engineered and assembled in Norway, powered by hydroelectric energy, and comply with EU environmental standards. The X Platform, a modular and compact media processing solution, is designed to drastically decrease energy usage.
• Humans Not Robots (HNR): HNR excels in helping data-heavy companies optimise their technology operations for sustainability and efficiency. Its observability platform, HNR to Zero, employs machine learning to identify optimisations in energy consumption, carbon footprint, cost and time. This reduces clients’ carbon emissions by  between 20 and 30% and significantly cuts operational costs.
• SDVI: SDVI’s Net-Zero Supply Chains initiative has made use of the Rally media supply chain platform since January 2021 completely carbon-neutral. To achieve net zero, SDVI invests in carbon offset programmes such as reforestation efforts purchased through the Gold Standard foundation, which audits and verifies the efficacy of its offsets.
• Tata Comms Media: Tata Comms Media has established itself as a sustainable media production pioneer. Its innovative remote and cloud-based solutions significantly reduce the environmental impact of live coverage for leading sports, esports, news, enterprises and other events worldwide. This was emphasised by its IBC 2024 sustainability bike ride from London to Amsterdam.
• Ateliere: Ateliere Live is a cloud-native live production and editing platform that is significantly more cost-efficient and environmentally friendly than traditional systems. Production editing, mixing, graphics and effects are integrated on a single software platform that enables remote production workflows with advanced proxy editing.
• Jungle Power: Jungle Power is a clean energy solution provider dedicated to transforming M&E by replacing traditional combustible generators with eco-friendly, renewable energy sources. 

Appear

FEED celebrates Appear in the Achievements in Sustainability category as it has excelled in helping customers meet sustainable requisites through stringent performance demands and reducing energy consumption in media content delivery.

Appear’s X Platform, a modular and compact media processing solution, plays a major role in this recognition. Designed to drastically decrease energy usage, CO2 emissions and physical space requirements, this platform is crafted to meet the high sustainability standards demanded by today’s media companies without sacrificing performance. Also, X is made in Norway, one of the greenest energy-producing nations on the planet.

“Appear is deeply honoured to be recognised in the FEED Honours List for Achievements in Sustainability. This recognition reaffirms our commitment to advancing environmentally responsible practices in media technology, a core value embedded in our mission,” comments Matt Williams-Neale, Appear’s VP of marketing.

A major European telecom provider conducted a study comparing the X Platform’s environmental impact with a leading competitor’s server solution. The study found that the product produces 38 times less CO2 and requires five times less energy and rack space than the competitor’s solution when encoding UHD content. Its modular design enables it to deliver more processing power while using 22 times less cardboard packaging and reducing shipping costs by 80%.

“As our industry evolves,” he concludes, “we remain dedicated to pioneering live production technology solutions that not only drive innovation but also reflect our responsibility to a sustainable future.”

Xtreme’s outstanding contribution to Esports broadcast

• Irdeto: Denuvo by Irdeto’s pioneering approach to esports security supports the unique requirements of competitive digital gaming, protecting both live streams and digital assets in what is an increasingly vulnerable field. Recognising the explosive growth and value of esports, Irdeto’s solutions address the critical security needs of esports events, from protecting player data to ensuring high-quality, uninterrupted streaming experiences. Irdeto’s leadership in the field of esports security provides a robust foundation for sustainable growth and fan engagement, setting the standard for secure, immersive digital gaming experiences that enhance both viewer enjoyment and content integrity.
• AJA: Situated in Nitro’s Tokyo-based facility, M-Cube serves as a virtual production studio, hosting sophisticated esports productions for some of Japan’s premier gaming leagues. In order to cater to encoding and routing demands across an expanding array of productions, Nitro’s team integrated AJA Helo Plus H.264 recorders/streamers and AJA Kumo 6464 3G-SDI routers into its broader M-Cube workflow.
• Zero Density: Zero Density has elevated esports streams beyond the game, with video game-quality graphics and real-time data visualisations that bring the digital battlefield to life. Its technology empowers everyone from dedicated teams to ambitious one-man bands, presenting every datapoint with cutting-edge graphics and efficiency. 
• Magnifi: Magnifi’s Reely supports multiple top-tier platforms like Twitch, YouTube and Trovo, giving maximum flexibility. It works behind the scenes to generate high-quality, personalised clips from your broadcast in real time.
• Quicklink: Combining exciting live action, real-time graphics, instant replay and unknown outcomes like sports and esports, Quicklink Studio Pro takes the complexity out of production. Studio Pro is designed from the ground up to be easy to learn and simple to use – especially for powerful live esports productions.

Xtreme’s outstanding contribution to sports broadcast

• EVS: EVS made a groundbreaking impact on the 2024 Paris Games by deploying a range of its innovative technologies, including its reliable servers. Additionally, the company played a key role in France TV’s transition to IP.
• Chyron: During the Paris Games, Telemundo deployed Chyron VSAR to manage design modifications and live broadcast playout of a customised set, created with the Unreal Engine.
• Friend MTS: Continuing its fight against piracy epidemic in sports, Friend MTS was chosen by the UK’s largest commercial broadcaster ITV to help protect its content.
• Octopus Newsroom: Octopus Newsroom was chosen by the most globally acclaimed Spanish football club to upgrade its flagship TV channel’s newsroom. 
• Riedel Communications: Through its work on many big events, Riedel has kept pushing the boundaries of sports broadcasting technology, setting new standards for innovation, reliability and scale.
• Cinedeck: In 2024, Cinedeck, Edit 123 and Studio Something joined forces to deliver the Euros to BBC Scotland with Late Night at the Euros with Compston and Smart. 
• Calrec: Calrec helped deliver many major sports events in 2024, including the SailGP, French and US Open tennis, Wimbledon, the Euros, golf’s Open Championship, Formula E and Paris 2024.
• Yospace: Over the course of Euro 2024, the Olympics and Paralympics, Yospace stitched over 12 billion ads, with one-to-one addressability and measurement.
• Media Distillery: Media Distillery made a huge impact in sports broadcasting with Topic Distillery for Sports, an AI-powered solution that makes sports content more discoverable and personalised.
• Vizrt: In March 2024, the NHL made broadcasting history by delivering North America’s first fully cloud-based live pro sports event. The 1080p broadcast was managed entirely via the NHL’s workflow, utilising Vizrt’s cloud-native TriCaster Vectar for production switching.

Outstanding Contribution to Sports Broadcast: calrec

In the year Calrec celebrated 60 years of putting sound in the picture, global sports fans have been bowled over by live events in 2024.

From SailGP, French and US Open tennis, Wimbledon, the Euros, golf’s Open Championship and Formula E to the Paris Games, Calrec played a big part, with many running back to back. 

Providing a mix of equipment both on site and in remote and distributed workflows, Calrec has partnered with multiple broadcasters to deliver greater efficiencies, create more content and enable providers to deliver the highest-quality sound to viewers worldwide, with unparalleled support for big sports events. 

This year’s golf Open in Scotland was technically demanding, with 151 cameras and 225 microphones making use of a Calrec Artemis console and RP1s for IFBs. Now in its fourth season, with events across the globe, SailGP employs the latest remote production techniques with a full remote audio mix on a Calrec Apollo console in London. At Wimbledon, all games across all 18 courts were mixed on 21 Calrec consoles, utilising a mixture of Brio, Summa, Apollo and Artemis, along with an ImPulse core for IP routing. 

In Paris, broadcasters were using Calrec consoles in new and exciting ways; smaller consoles like Brio were used to create 5.1 surround mixes and content for social channels like TikTok. Other broadcasters used hybrid SDI/IP units, there was lots of full remote production – and a brand-new Argo S console ordered direct from the stand at NAB was flown to Tahiti for the surfing. 

“What a way to round off our 60th year! Thanks to FEED for recognising our outstanding contribution to sports broadcast,” says Sid Stanley, general manager at Calrec. “A unique relationship with customers has enabled us to manage every broadcast transition over 60 years, with each shift introducing more ways to draw viewers closer to the action.”

Outstanding Contribution to Sports Broadcast: RIEDEL

From Euro 2024 and the Paris Games to the high-speed thrills of Formula 1 and SailGP, Riedel has been pushing the boundaries of sports broadcasting.

Riedel has been breaking new ground not just as a manufacturer of innovative technology, but as a Managed Technology provider that devises customised, fit-for-purpose products and conceptualises, delivers and carries out the most complex live sports installations and broadcasts around the globe.

The Summer Games showcased Riedel’s capabilities on the grandest stage of all. This year’s Games marked Riedel’s largest project to date, with over 300 personnel and an impressive array of equipment spread across several locations, including Paris, Marseille and Lille. Riedel deployed nearly 400 Bolero wireless intercom beltpacks, 70+ antennas and 400 MediorNet nodes, supported by an intricate network of 26,000 cables spanning 300 kilometers.

This comprehensive set-up facilitated seamless communication and video distribution, playing a key role in the execution of complex live broadcasts, such as the historic opening ceremony with 10,000 participants. 

Riedel’s solutions were also instrumental during the parasport Games and empowered broadcasters to capture the athletes’ inspiring stories with the same level of sophistication and emotion as the main events.

“We are truly honoured to receive this recognition,” says Christian Bockskopf, marketing director. “It is a reflection of the incredible dedication and creativity of our teams, who consistently go above and beyond to tackle the world’s most complex and demanding productions. We’re also deeply grateful for the trust of our amazing partners and customers. Their collaboration and vision inspire us to keep innovating and raising the bar for what’s possible in sports broadcasting.”

Outstanding Contribution to Sports Broadcast: Octopus Newsroom

FEED is recognising Octopus Newsroom for its work integrating a dynamic newsroom for a prestigious Spanish football club in a short space of time.

Octopus Newsroom is a B2B technology solutions provider for broadcasters globally, and is being celebrated for its work enhancing the newsroom of a prestigious Spanish football team’s TV channel.

This collaboration marks a new era for the channel, known for its comprehensive coverage of the club’s sporting activities, with live matches, exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes content.

“Our recognition in the FEED Honours List for Xtreme’s Outstanding Contribution to Sports Broadcast is a milestone for Octopus Newsroom, especially in our silver anniversary year!” comments Gabriel Jankó, COO at Octopus Newsroom.

With the integration of Octopus Newsroom, Vector 3 and Vizrt – managed by the system integrator NRD Multimedia – set to be fully operational by August 2024, the club’s TV channel now benefits from a more streamlined and story-centric news production process. This transition from its previous top legacy NRCS represents a crucial step in modernising newsroom operations and leaves the TV team stoked about Octopus’ intuitiveness and capabilities. 

The timeframe of this project was remarkable – within a mere three months, the flexible Octopus NRCS solution brought the TV channel on air.

“For 25 years, Octopus has played a pivotal role in covering major sports events both in the United States and worldwide, supporting the production of everything from the NHL and the NBA to the MLB and esports. Now, we’re thrilled to have also taken our expertise into the European football stage,” Jankó concludes. 

“And thus, this award celebrates our commitment to innovation and collaboration with broadcasters all around the world as we continue to elevate how sports stories are told.”

Outstanding Contribution to Sports Broadcast: EVS

FEED is recognising EVS in Outstanding Contribution to Sports Broadcast for its large-scale deployment by networks like France TV for the Paris Olympics.

Having celebrated its 30th birthday this year, EVS has consistently been ahead of the game when it comes to live sports broadcast. 

From its flagship slow-motion replay technology all the way up to its now incredibly diverse live production tech portfolio, its impact on sports has been nothing short of monumental. 

The company’s recognition within the FEED Honours List 2024 comes specifically from EVS’s trailblazing impact on the Paris 2024 Olympics, where a variety of its latest solutions were deployed by a significant number of broadcast networks across the globe. France TV itself pulled in over 200 million views throughout the course of the Olympics, including a peak of 15 million viewers during Léon Marchand’s fourth gold medal win. Among the many EVS components deployed by the French network were its servers, which helped with recording 40 OBS channels on EVS servers for replay during night sessions.

The brand has also been a major player in France TV’s transition to IP, bringing the broadcasting giant into a new technical era. “We are deeply honoured to be recognised in the FEED Honours List 2024, especially knowing this acknowledgment comes from our industry peers. 

“It’s a humbling testament to the passion and innovation that our team has poured into advancing live sports broadcasting. 

“Being part of monumental events like those that took place this summer fuels our drive to push boundaries, and we are truly grateful for this recognition and the support of our colleagues across the industry,” concludes Sébastien Verlaine, senior brand and communications manager at EVS.

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