Broadcasting Hubs Information: FAQ

What do we mean by “Broadcast Hubs”?

Three Janet-connected sites will be selected, after an application process, to become Broadcast Hubs. These sites will house equipment required to connect to network broadcasters, allowing researchers and experts to film their half of an interview, and stream it live. This allows the sites to engage with networks without the large time and monetary expense of travelling to reach the studios.

Chosen sites will receive a one-off seed funding to help them buy the necessary equipment. In return for this subsidy the sites will allow other Janet-connected institutions access to the equipment as required, for three years.

Who will we be working alongside for this project?

We will be working alongside Globelynx throughout this project. Globelynx is a company with close ties to national and international broadcasters. They produce the hardware (camera, lighting, sound equipment, and encoder/decoder) necessary to film and stream one side of an interview, and send it, in real-time, to the networks. Broadcast networks that the Globelynx system will enable connections to include the BBC, Sky, ITN, Al Jazeera, CNBC, and Bloomberg.

Globelynx has been selected because as well as being able to provide all the required hardware, they also manage a database of available experts, scientists and researchers. This means that it is easier for experts and broadcasters to schedule interviews with each other. This database is useful for both broadcasters and experts, as it can ease the process of finding relevant interviewees for specific subjects, and enable institutions to get their experts and brand featured in TV segments more frequently.

They have also offered to provide training to host sites in order to help them communicate their news items more effectively to networks creating more opportunities to appear in TV slots. The training sessions will also be made available to other nearby Janet-connected institutions that are eager to make use of these new facilities.

More information about Globelynx can be found on their website: http://www.globelynx.com/index.htm.

How much money will Jisc contribute?

Jisc will provide the Host Sites with funding of up to £15,000 to spend on necessary equipment.

How much will this cost host sites?

Initial estimates suggest Host Sites will need to be able to budget up to £50,000 for buying equipment and start-up costs.

What does the system require?

This system requires just a simple space with Janet connectivity. It should be possible to seal off the room while the system is in use, to prevent people wandering through the shot, or creating unwanted noise.

How does this benefit the institution?

Brand awareness will be increased by this improved presence among media, both nationally and internationally. This can be further emphasised by including a poster or screen in the background that displays the brand logo.

Institutions can also expect less time and money to be spent on travelling to broadcast studios.

What about non-Janet connected sites?

It is possible for a host site to use this equipment as a new revenue stream by charging external organisations a small amount to use their system. This is optional, and for each site to investigate themselves.

What should interested sites do next?

Interested institutions should send an application to kieran.campbell@jisc.ac.uk. This application should include:

• Unique benefits for your institution if you were selected as a hub
• Details on the space that will be used to house the system (size, connectivity, how soon it can be used, how easily it can be accessed by external visitors, security)
• High-level budget approval for spending on the project over the three years, which describes the use of the Jisc contribution, any other spending on hardware or the room and the host’s commitment to any supporting staff time.
• Mention of how many staff members/technicians that could be trained to be able provide local, on-site support, should any support be needed.
• Discussion of your location with regards to the number of other nearby institutions that can make use of the system, their size and your relationship with them.
• How you plan to use the system (i.e. other than for broadcaster interviews)
• Any plans for commercial availability
• Marketing effort available (any marketing should include Jisc references and branding)
• Any history of working with broadcasters
• A main contact person for your proposal and a higher-level sponsor from within the organisation.

How will the sites be chosen?

A panel will convene to go through these applications and come to a decision as to which institutions would be the best fit for this project.

The panel will include members of Jisc and our community. Jisc will be seeking advice from community members who already have these systems in place at their institutions, as they already have a wealth of experience with these systems, how to most efficiently use them, and therefore which sites will likely be able to make best use of this project. Further, by them already having these systems at their site there will be no bias with regards to location of these new host sites.

The decision will be based on 2 main factors. One major aspect to be considered is geographical location, as, by definition, this project needs each selected Host Site to be spread out, far apart from each other, yet close to other institutions to allow more potential usage.

The second factor is simply the quality of the proposal. We will be looking for unique ideas and benefits, for either the host site or local institutions, to demonstrate that a high level of interest and thought has gone into the proposal. We want the host sites to be prepared to install the equipment as soon as possible.

What will happen after the three-year period?

After the three years are complete, the host site will claim full ownership and responsibility for the equipment.

Useful links:

A video with information about the hubs can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RB-l-FaS-1A

Further questions?

Please send an email with any questions to kieran.campbell@jisc.ac.uk