The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is to automate its compliance recording and switch the process to digital by using ContentProbe Compliance from UK-based IdeasUnlimited.tv to store its four TV channels’ transmitted content for 60 days in accordance with ICASA law.
National communications regulator ICASA requires that SABC retains content for programme queries, such as whether commercials were played, fault investigations and to ensure content was appropriate at the time it was played. SABC is to deliver a presentation to ICASA on its use of ContentProbe to comply with the regulations.
Based on IdeasUnlimited.tv’s patented media fingerprinting technology, the ContentProbe Compliance stores content internally and enables authorised users to browse transmitted material from their desktops. It also distributes fault-reports to engineers via email for instant updates of any technical issues to ensure smooth broadcasts.
The IdeasUnlimited.tv installation by system integrator Concillium comes as part of SABC’s major digital-migration project. By replacing its previous VHS-tape-based system of manually recording, archiving and retrieving content, the broadcaster is to save significant space and time.
“Our VHS system was outdated and caused problems if more than one person wanted to review a particular piece of footage,” said Manny Coelho of SABC. “IdeasUnlimited.tv’s ContentProbe Compliance Recorder has eliminated these problems and streamlined our operations as we continue the march to all-digital workflows.”
“Operators at SABC will be able to retrieve the content they seek right from their desktops in less than ten seconds,” said managing director of IdeasUnlimited.tv, Glyn Powell Evans. “Where in the past the four channels generated 24 VHS tapes per day, they now record directly onto a single, compact device with no manual intervention.”
