2024 is a year of significant change in the world of broadcast news. As the U.S. Presidential Election approaches, news organizations face unprecedented challenges in a rapidly evolving media landscape. While television news remains a trusted source for many, especially in local markets, audiences are fragmenting, and social media is playing an increasingly dominant role.
The Pew Research Center found that television news is still the most trusted news source for American voters, particularly local television news. This is consistent with the findings of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), which concluded that most Americans trust local broadcasters for election news above all other mediums. "In a rapidly evolving media landscape, broadcasters remain a vital bastion of the free press in communities all across the country — an especially critical role this election year," said Michelle Lehman, NAB Chief of Staff and Executive Vice President of Public Affairs. "As misinformation runs rampant on social media, journalists at local TV and radio stations continue to bring unbiased reporting, urgent emergency updates and accurate fact-checking every day. Broadcasters provide voters the facts they need to make informed decisions on Election Day."
To adapt to these challenges, news organizations are adopting new technologies and workflows. Inspired by the successful adoption of remote and distributed production in live sports, many local news broadcasters are centralizing resources and streamlining content creation. This approach allows them to save money, maximize efficiency, and generate more content for diverse platforms.
Companies like Calrec, a leading provider of audio mixing solutions, are at the forefront of this technological shift. Their Type R mixing console, for instance, enables broadcasters like Gray Media and Global News to automate workflows and minimize reliance on physical control surfaces, facilitating remote connectivity and centralized production.
"We have the ability to adjust things like levels and dynamics remotely using VPN and the Calrec Assist GUI, if needed," said Ralph Carstens, Systems Specialist, Audio at Global News. "The DSP cores are connected to Viz Mosart, an automation system that allows just one to two operators to control all aspects of news production such as the cameras, playout, graphics, and audio. All the cores handle live local news production. Global National is produced out of Vancouver and all three cores produce morning, noon, and evening news shows plus cover elections and other special events."
The shift towards remote workflows and digital platforms presents both challenges and opportunities for news broadcasters. While they are adapting to a more fragmented audience and increasing competition for eyeballs, they are also gaining new tools and capabilities to reach wider audiences with localized and engaging content.