Using skill and technology to navigate the airwaves

Описание: 26 Aug 2014

BBC Monitoring specialises in media analysis - open source media to be precise. But what exactly is open source media?

It is information - mainly television and radio news - that is publicly available. But that does not mean the sources are always easily accessible.

Due to outdated infrastructure in many countries, finding channel streams via the internet is either impossible or the quality of service suffers greatly.

With advanced technical resources and specialist knowledge, BBC Monitoring excels in tracking down sources by continuously adapting to the ever-changing media technology environment.

Satellite technology currently maintains a big role. In television news, a channel is sent as a signal by a broadcaster, from an uplink station to communications satellites in space.

The signal is then retransmitted back to earth, reaching a much bigger area.

It is then possible to pick up the signal by tuning into the right frequency.

BBC Monitoring's Al Bolton explains the different stages of finding sources, and the impact technology has had and continues to have.