CBC and ESPN among others downsizing due to computerization
- Christopher J. O'Brien
- Apr 11, 2017
- 5 min read

(Image: CBC Executive holding fibre optic cable / Courtesy of: CBC)
In February, 2002, Bell Canada first announced that the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) would be using it's 'Digital Video' service (a cross-continent video transmission service) to broadcast the winter Olympics from Salt Lake City. The new-age technology enabled fast, flexible, and reliable video delivery (without compromising quality) surpassing all other similar services available on the market at the time. It was the first time an international sporting event was broadcasted on television by using end-to-end digital fibre optics technology.
Since then, the CBC has moved on to now use MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) technology over Bell's network. How does this new technology work? MPEG technology compresses 270 megabits per second (mbps) of live video and sends it through the network at 8 - 50 mbps. It also significantly reduces the cost per video channel as compared to other analog solutions. By using this technology, CBC can add more news channels from Salt Lake City, Rio and/or wherever else they broadcast Olympic Game coverage than they ever had before. Unfortunately, this also means they will need less bodies than they ever had before.
In 2014, CBC's President and CEO Hubert T. Lacroix had said in a town hall meeting, "Very tough and controversial choices needed to be made and were made." This comment was in relation to repetitive government budget cuts, and new-age job-cutting technologies (Example: Further advancement in fibre optic technology).
"CBC is saving costs by automating all their news broadcasts across the country. Including CBC News Network as well... What used to be a crew of 15 people can now be a crew of two to broadcast the evening news. So you don't even need cameras anymore because of all the robot cams. You can actually control those cameras from the control room, so you actually don't even need a camera operator. All of this is obviously being done to save costs," said Derek Furlong, Associate Producer (Sports) and Technical Resources – CBC.

(Image: Derek Furlong; Associate Producer, Resources – CBC / Courtesy of: Derek Furlong)
These days, most television shows have no more need for both an audio and a lighting person, and a director and a switcher, and a producer for the show (for the regions at least). CBC has already begun using this strategy, where as the director is also the switcher. So he or she are now switching their own shots, and then so on with the other roles.
"As much as we downsize due to cuts as well, this is a different situation. This is all the regions from Saskatoon to Ottawa to St. John's... They can't afford to staff a whole news broadcast anymore with fifteen people as a crew, so the only way for them to continue on in the television world now with the costs is by shrinking it and with the help of technology, they're able to do more with less people. Which is pretty much the model of the world now anyways," said Furlong.
"So I'm going to talk about a new era of TV sports production because the new model of TV sports production - that you can actually Google right now and look at – in which ESPN was the originator, has changed. They're now able to produce (and I can actually talk about this too because we do the same thing) an event that's in China live from a control room in Toronto instead of sending an entire crew to China to produce it (which saves an astronomical amount of money). And the way they do that is the only people on those location shoots now are camera men. All the directors, producers, and everybody are in a studio in Toronto. They all have communication with the cameramen on location in that arena, and they're able to talk to them, but the entire production comes back to the base in Toronto, or wherever. For example, in Connecticut with ESPN they do the same thing. Therefore, instead of having to rent a mobile truck (which costs a lot of money), they can use fibre connection to send out their signals back to their headquarters to produce it there. So like Connecticut, ESPN for instance, all the arenas in the States now are all connected now so that ESPN can go live from all those arenas with their camera men and not have to be there. And it's all done through fibre, which is a new way of signal transmission. And that fibre, you can split that fibre up fifteen different ways, so all fifteen different cameras and their signals are compressed into this fibre and sent to Connecticut (Rogers SportsNet does the same thing for hockey here in Canada now), and then that signal is split apart when it gets to Toronto so all those different cameras can be used and seen on a big TV board here in the building... And its all a way of cutting costs. It's all controlled from the building, and the only people on location now at those events are camera men, and of course the talent."
So what actually is fibre you ask?
Fibre means actual fibre line, like a cable, or wire. View the diagram below...

(Image: Fibre optic cable / Courtesy of: Thorlabs)
So they (workers) actually have to dig, and hook up underground (or underwater) fibre lines. For the Olympics, CBC is the leader in this technology. First, they send a huge pipe across the ocean and inside that pipe there are fibre lines. Secondly, they are able to send all their Olympic signals of live footage through that fibre line across the ocean to the base here in Toronto. Third and finally, those signals are then used to produce a TV show live to all of Canada.
(Image: JuxtaposeJs Image of World Map, Fibre Optic World Map / Courtesy of: JuxtaposeJs)
Unfortunately for North Americans... Frame rate conversion is an unavoidable expense. Especially for Canadian, and American broadcasters covering Olympic Games in Europe. For example: European video frame rate is 50 frames per second (50hz), while the North American rate is 60 frames per second (60hz). Fortunately for the CBC (who own the rights to produce the Olympic Games), they've figured out a way to reduce the need for frame converters, now saving even more capital in the process. The process simply involves a very special program, and through this program (Evertz’s ATP encoding platform) they can send their signals directly back to Canada, as 60hz.
In addition, CBC saves capital by completing their major production work in hometown facilities. By doing this, they utilize their regular production, programming and engineering departments. As CBC is no stranger to government funding cuts to their budget, this too helps to reduce the amount they spend annually to produce the games. Their new-age minimalist style approach includes less staff members on-site, and the loss of major editing stations (like previously in Sochi).

(Image: CBC Olympic Reporter simultaneously using two phones / Courtesy of: Derek Furlong)
"As far as our viewers are concerned, we are RIGHT THERE covering the Games... As far as our budget is concerned (when possible), we have to keep our costs under control," said Furlong.

(Image: CBC Olympic Network / Courtesy of: www.OnTheScreen.com)
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