NBC at the IBC

Back in my Torino Blog, I explained Broadcasting Basics, so I won't get into too many gory details again here (just follow the link if you need a refresher), but I do want to briefly show you where I work here in Beijing.

This is my "office", and where I spend most of my time, handling requests from various intercom users here at the IBC, out at the venues, and even back in New York.

The equipment that I am babysitting is just in front of the COMM's console in a RIB (Rack in a Box) that has been re-designed for Beijing (the previous version was used with only minor adjustments for Sydney, Salt Lake, Athens, and Torino).

This whole setup is used to let people in the controls rooms talk to everybody else in the plant, including the crews at the venues. This is Control A, which produces the Primetime show on NBC with Bob Costas (done from Studio 1).

The sound is mixed from Audio A, which also provides mix-minus to the talent in the Studio and at the venues.

The "host broadcaster" is BOB (Beijing Olympic Broadcasting) and they have a centralized "ingest" system where all camera feeds from all venues are brought back to the IBC and then made available to each of the "rights holders" (including NBC).

NBC also has their own "unilateral" feeds from their own cameras at some venues. These VANDA's (Video and Audio) plus those from BOB are ingested in our BOC (Broadcast Operations Centre) which is just outside of COMMs (actually, we hang off of BOC).

A whole wack of NBC interns called "loggers" watch these feeds (including the host feeds) from a place called Central Tape (although there is no tape anymore as everything is recorded in High Definition on the equivalent of Blu-Ray DVD).

The output of the control room comes back to BOC for "release", and is transmitted through BOB back to the USA.

All of these people talk to each other using our COMM's. This is our team, from left to right, Kevin, Bob, Rickey, Chuck, John (COMM's Manager), Jeff, me, and Tony.

OK, that's pretty much how it works. Maybe a little more gory details than you wanted to know, but it's hard to just throw the photos up without a little explanation.