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Oct 04, 2006 - BroadView Teams With Industry Leaders To Provide Turnkey VOD Solution For Public Broadcasters WHYY to Serve as Launch Customer for Initiative with SeaChange & Anystream TORONTO, ON - October 4, 2006 - BroadView Software today announced that it is integrating its BroadView-VOD product with those from broadcast technology leaders SeaChange International and Anystream, Inc. to provide an integrated Video on Demand (VOD) system for PBS member station WHYY, the leading public broadcasting station in the greater Philadelphia region. The joint project sets the groundwork for meeting the VOD needs of many public broadcasters and will be able to operate either as a standalone system or as part of the BroadView family of solutions built to manage the emerging IT-based broadcast infrastructure. The BroadView-VOD system provides a simple, seamless way for public broadcasters to program and repurpose content for VOD distribution -- eliminating the need for manual intervention. It is based on the proven SeaChange QuickSilver/Anystream Agility VOD content production solution already in use at WHYY and other leading broadcast companies and content providers including National Geographic, Speed Channel and WheelsTV. Station staff will find the new, integrated system immediately familiar since it shares the highly intuitive BroadView user interface that is the standard at a growing number of public and commercial broadcast operations. WHYY, already at the forefront in developing VOD as a primary public broadcast content distribution channel, will guide these technology partners as they move towards a fully integrated system. When completed, it will serve as a crucial enabling tool throughout the public television system to realize opportunities for this emerging medium to enhance and extend their mission by bringing out its unique qualities as an educational platform and cultural venue. BroadView-VOD enables the use of multiple delivery platforms. It can manage content to the television via set-top box or through the Internet to a computer screen. "This gathering of VOD technical expertise with public television visionaries marks an important milestone in the new role public broadcast is carving out in the changing media landscape," said Michael Atkin, BroadView Founding Partner and President. "For stations, this leverages additional value from investments in digital broadcast to meet the growing market for on-demand and internet-based content while deepening their mission as educational institutions. This gives public TV programmers the means to develop VOD as a new, popular form of distance learning that will enrich the viewer’s understanding in ways beyond what is possible through broadcast and cable outlets." Enabling VOD as a Primary Public Broadcast Service For Bill Weber, WHYY’s Vice President for Content Distribution & Chief Technology Officer, working to develop BroadView-VOD for public television is essential for realizing the potential of the new medium. "VOD is made for public broadcast service since it allows us to draw out the audience’s interest and feed their curiosity instead of just pushing content out at them. This brings us full-circle to the original vision of television as a means to educate, enlighten and not just to entertain. Broadcast and cable mediums have only partially fulfilled this potential. Now, the deployment of BroadView-VOD will connect VOD and public TV content to offer something quite revolutionary," said Weber. Despite the great opportunities VOD provides, Weber noted necessary conditions that must be met for it to grow effectively out of the existing public broadcast infrastructure. "As a practical matter, this will only work if the tools to accomplish it are affordable and do not drive up operating costs significantly by requiring much in terms of station resources and staff time. BroadView-VOD promises to make VOD an easy addition alongside the current migration to an IT-based broadcast engineering infrastructure. WHYY is pleased to be in a position to model and demonstrate new workflow and technology solutions while assisting other public broadcasters and content distribution entities access rapidly emerging new distribution platforms," Weber said. The new initiative brings together technology companies that have already worked closely with WHYY. BroadView has been installed and integrated there, while SeaChange and Anystream have already delivered a QuickSilver Agility VOD workstation for VOD content preparation. "We’re focused on helping PBS stations easily and economically capture VOD audiences for their programming," said Tab Butler, SeaChange Director of Broadcast Sales - Northeastern US. "SeaChange is known for advancing technology for the benefit of the PBS stations. Now, WHYY is pioneering a system that will open new opportunities for content owners and producers, enabling a lower cost approach for delivering content to cable operators’ and the local communities." "WHYY is to be commended for its aggressive leadership in addressing this VOD opportunity," said Fady Lama, VP, Business Development, Anystream. "We bring extensive experience working with content owners on projects involving streamlined approaches to serve audiences in new ways. Building on the proven success of our Agility VOD content production solution allows public broadcasters like WHYY to shape the next generation of public television." # # # About BroadView Software About WHYY About SeaChange International About Anystream For media inquiries, please contact: For sales and product inquiries, please contact: |