OVERVIEW OF EBU ACTIVITIES

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OVERVIEW OF EBU ACTIVITIES

• Philip Laven
• Director, Technical Department
• European Broadcasting Union
• ITU BR Information Meeting on RRC-04/05
• Geneva 19 September 2003

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THE EBU

• The EBU represents the interests of broadcasters
  in 53 European countries corresponding to the
  ITU-defined European Broadcasting Area
• The EBU played a major role in the 1961 Stockholm
  Conference and has been closely involved in all
  subsequent planning activities
• RRC-04/05 is clearly the most important technical
  challenge facing the EBU in the near future
• It is crucial for the EBU and its Members that
  RRC-04/05 should define a framework which will
  permit the evolution of broadcasting

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SUCCESS IN 1961 . . .

• Few of the participants in the 1961 Stockholm
  Conference could have imagined that the outcome
  of their work would be valid more than 40 years
  later
• That success story is even more surprising when
  you consider that the Stockholm Conference was
  held at the height of the Cold War and that the
  European Broadcasting Area includes the East and
  the West of Europe
• In addition to the political difficulties, many
  real technical problems, such as the mixture of 7
  MHz and 8 MHz channels, had to be resolved

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GREATER CHALLENGES

• The challenges facing RRC-04/05 are probably even
  greater than those in 1961
• the diversity of broadcasters requirements in
  the digital era (for radio and TV)
• the varying timetables for the transition from
  analogue to digital broadcasting (even in
  adjacent countries)
• the accelerating pace of technological change
• the extension of scope beyond the European
  Broadcasting Area

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DIGITAL REQUIREMENTS . . .

• In 1961, the task was simply to develop a
  frequency plan for analogue FM and TV services
• All services were planned on the basis of
  reception at 10 metres above ground level
• Although much analogue TV reception still depends
  on roof-top antennas, few FM receivers use
  antennas at 10 metres above ground level
• Some digital TV services and ALL DAB services
  will be designed for reception on mobile and
  portable devices

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ANALOGUE TO DIGITAL

• An all-digital plan would be easier to develop
  than a plan which permits a mixture of analogue
  and digital services
• In practice, the transition from analogue to
  digital broadcasting will occur at different
  speeds in different countries with no certainty
  about the length of the transition period
• To accommodate the varying timetables, it will be
  necessary to develop mechanisms that will allow
  co-existence of digital and analogue broadcasting

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WHAT IS DIGITAL TV FOR?

• In some countries, digital TV is being used to
  extend the number of available TV services
• In countries with high penetration of cable or
  satellite TV, digital terrestrial TV is
  attractive because, uniquely, it can provide
  reception on mobile, portable or set-top antennas
• In some countries outside Europe (e.g. Japan,
  USA, Australia), HDTV is the driving force behind
  digital TV when will HDTV happen in Europe?
• The revised plan must try to be future proof

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THE FUTURE OF BROADCASTING

• The Stockholm Plan is still in force more than 40
  years after it was agreed
• Will the revised Plan also last 40 years?
• How will broadcasting change over 40 years?
• How will the revised Plan accommodate foreseeable
  developments, such as HDTV or mobile/portable TV?
• What about unforeseen developments?
• Even if the Plan needs major revision after, say,
  20 years, it will still define the framework for
  broadcasting for many more years

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EBU INVOLVEMENT

• The EBU places great emphasis on the value of
  technical preparations for RRC-04/05
• technical studies
• development of planning software
• helping EBU Members to understand their options
  and to define their requirements
• Many of the expert speakers at this meeting are
  major contributors to EBU technical studies

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CONCLUSIONS

• The EBU Technical Department is deeply involved
  in the preparations for RRC-04/05
• Although National Administrations will be
  signatories to the new plan, most EBU Members are
  making active preparations for RRC-04/05
• As the outcome of RRC-04/05 will determine the
  future of broadcasting, senior managers in EBU
  Members are taking a real interest in this
  subject
• The general view is that this subject is too
  important to be left to the engineers!