Tech leader
KNME one of 6 PBS stations testing new interconnection system
Being on the cutting edge of using national technology is nothing new for KNME in Albuquerque.
This time around, the TV station is the first Alpha Prime PBS station in the nation to successfully broadcast programs using “sIX,” the Service Interconnection, which will revolutionize how PBS stations receive programs across the U.S.
New Mexico PBS is one of only six stations to be at the forefront of testing the new technology.
“The interconnection system is a key feature that PBS runs, operates and designs,” says Mario Vecchi, PBS chief technology officer. “This system has been going on back to at least 50 years.”
The sIX system is a revolutionary new way that ultimately all PBS stations will use to receive programs. This content delivery system won’t affect how viewers see their programs; however, it will save stations a significant amount of money and moves content delivery to terrestrial fiber rather than satellite feeds, lessening station reliance on satellite technology and the increasing cost of satellite space and leases.
The one difference viewers might notice is that their reception should not be affected by rain, storms or sunspots.
“There has been a whole tech refresh,” Vecchi says. “We’ve gone from shoveling tapes on a motorcycle to this current interconnection system. We started working on this about five years ago, from the ground up.”
In addition to obtaining programs from PBS headquarters, “sIX” will allow stations to share and upload their own programs into the cloud library and make them available to other PBS stations across the country.
“‘sIX’ has the potential to democratize content between all PBS stations,” says Franz Joachim, general manager and CEO of New Mexico PBS. “Every station will have the opportunity to share programs and series with other stations and communities around the nation. We are a technology leader, not only in New Mexico, but also within PBS.”
There will also be a significant monetary savings to the stations, due to a decrease in hardware costs — disk drives, satellite dishes and receivers — as well as leaving increasingly expensive satellite space and leases.
Joachim says New Mexico PBS will still use satellite technology to broadcast live or near-live (tape-delayed) programs, such as breaking news events and the PBS NewsHour.
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