Case Study: File-Based Workflow from Acquisition to Air

WGBH is one of the largest public television operations in the U.S., producing more than one-third of the programs seen nationally on PBS. Program distribution platforms include over-the-air broadcast channels, cable TV, satellite, DVD, and web streaming. On the horizon is broadcast to mobile handheld devices through ATSC M/H. Over the years, technological advancements moved the facility infrastructure from analog to digital but the production workflow was essentially the same as it had been for many years—a linear process involving movement of physical media from one step to the next toward the final deliverable. In late 2008, an analysis of the current production practices was undertaken with an eye toward moving to a file-based workflow. In early 2009, the first phase of a transition from a largely tape-based linear production workflow to a file-based process took place. This paper describes the system as implemented, which is based on a storage area network (SAN) architecture that ties studio ingest, edit, and final packaging for air.