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UTV Media plc is one of the most successful media companies in the UK and Ireland incorporating television, radio and new media. UTV was the first indigenous television broadcaster in Ireland (formed in 1958) and is available throughout Northern Ireland and in 70 per cent of homes in the Republic of Ireland. 
 
In addition to its news output on television and radio, UTV delivers up-to-the-minute news stories online on u.tv complemented with video, blogs and podcasts.  Delivering media content in such a demanding environment requires IT systems which work efficiently across the workflow from initial capture through to editing and distribution. 

The organisation was however facing considerable limitations and inefficiencies with its existing linear systems, particularly in the high-pressure news environment.  Though an existing Avid user, there were performance and availability bottlenecks in key areas of infrastructure and workflow. Some processes were still partially tape-based and key hardware infrastructure such as editing workstations, ingest servers and media storage systems were rapidly becoming obsolete. UTV’s media assets were held in disparate islands of storage, which made if difficult to share content across the organisation and resulted in significant workflow inefficiencies.

Under the direction of Head of Operations, Sean Ferrin, and following a lengthy evaluation process, UTV partnered with Tyrell to implement a major broadcasting system upgrade.  The project involved the installation of a fully integrated, end-to-end Avid system to provide a streamlined, tapeless workflow for news management and other production processes.  Digital content is now captured via Avid AirSpeed Servers and stored centrally on Avid ISIS storage, which allows UTV to provide simultaneous desktop access to digital media for reporters, programme makers and post-production staff.  UTV’s existing newsroom scripting system (Avid iNEWS) is now seamlessly integrated with Avid editing software (NewsCutter) to allow for fast, flexible editing.  The new system is managed by Avid Interplay, a nonlinear workflow engine for managing the capture, editing and distribution of media assets. 

Tyrell provided design, consultancy and implementation services for the project as well as the required hardware and software.  UTV also requested that Tyrell take full control of the factory acceptance process, which involved staging the system offsite and stress-testing the workflow prior to the installation. “It was essential for UTV to have minimal disruption to our work schedule, so Tyrell managed the entire system build and testing process at their technical centre in Dublin,’’ commented Sean Ferrin. ’’The preconfigured system was delivered onsite and all we really needed to focus on was ensuring that our people were fully trained.  Tyrell’s ability to take full ownership of the system build and installation in this manner resulted in both considerable cost savings and minimal disruption for UTV.’’

Post implementation, the organisation has strengthened its partnership with Avid and Tyrell by committing to a comprehensive support and services contract.  “The system upgrade has enabled UTV to increase productivity, maximise workflows and created and distribute more efficient content, ’’ said Sean Ferrin. “A non-linear, end-to-end system like this gives us real-time media access and management throughout the newsroom and the wider organisation.  When we put content up on the system it is immediately available to all facets of our business.  That adds up to fast, efficient story creation.”