Operational efficiency, workflow optimization becomes critical focus for broadcasters

Subscribe to NewscastStudio for the latest news, project case studies and product announcements in broadcast technology, creative design and engineering delivered to your inbox.
Faced with an increasingly fragmented media landscape and growing economic headwinds, broadcasters are doubling down on operational efficiency initiatives in 2025. The push extends far beyond traditional cost-cutting measures as organizations seek to modernize production workflows, streamline content delivery and optimize resource allocation across operations.
The stakes are particularly high for traditional broadcasters competing against nimble digital platforms and streaming services.
While broadcast television remains a cornerstone of the media ecosystem, the pressure to do more with less has never been more acute. Industry leaders in recent Industry Insights roundtables from NewscastStudio cite automation, cloud technologies and artificial intelligence as key drivers of efficiency gains across production and distribution workflows.
The efficiency mandate touches every aspect of broadcast operations, from studio and remote production to content management and distribution.
Organizations must balance the need for immediate cost reductions with the need for strategic investments in technologies that can deliver long-term operational improvements.
“With steep competition from an increasing range of streaming and digital platforms, and younger viewers choosing to consume content away from traditional media outlets, broadcasters need to move fast to remain relevant,” said Bea Alonso, strategic marketing lead, Projective.
The push for operational efficiency extends beyond basic cost-cutting measures. Broadcasters seek solutions to deliver measurable improvements while maintaining content quality and expanding distribution capabilities.
“Broadcasters are likely to prioritize operational efficiencies to streamline costs and maintain competitiveness. Pay-TV providers will focus on safeguarding their ad revenues, while FAST platforms will work to grow their advertising income. A big focus will be on reducing churn by enhancing user engagement and retaining audiences more effectively,” said Peter Docherty, CTO and founder of ThinkAnalytics.
Infrastructure evolution
The transition from traditional broadcast infrastructure to IP-based systems represents a significant shift in operational approaches. While the move offers potential efficiency gains, it requires careful planning and investment.
“The transition from traditional broadcast engineering to IT-based systems represents perhaps the biggest cultural and technical shift our industry has seen. Training broadcast engineers to be comfortable with networking concepts and managing complex IP infrastructures will be crucial,” said Russell Johnson, director at Hitomi Broadcast.
Cloud adoption continues to drive efficiency improvements, though organizations increasingly take a measured approach to implementation.
“Commercial models from technology suppliers should align with the need to operate across different infrastructures. For some companies, CapEx may suit their requirements and corporate budgeting, especially in cases with predictable usage patterns. However, operations requiring flexible broadcast patterns can benefit from OpEx, which better aligns costs with revenues,” said Neil Maycock, CCO at Pebble.
Automation and AI to enhance broadcast workflows
Automation is critical for improving operational efficiency, particularly in content production and distribution workflows.
“Automation eliminates repetitive tasks, accelerates content processing, and reduces human error, leading to faster, more efficient production workflows. With a technology partner skilled in workflow automation, broadcasters can automate routine functions like file transfers and metadata tagging, allowing teams to focus on creative and strategic tasks,” said Sam Peterson, COO at Bitcentral.
The integration of AI technologies offers new opportunities for efficiency gains across operations.
“AI-powered tools are quickly becoming part of day-to-day workflows, like newsroom scripting, video clipping and highlights editing, language translation, basic subtitle generation, compliance image detection, and more. These technologies create time savings and efficiencies, enabling media companies to deliver more content in less time,” said Alonso.
Remote production is expected to grow
Remote production capabilities continue to drive operational improvements and cost savings for broadcasters needing to produce more with less.
“Remote production of live content is transformative. Sending only minimal crews to an event and streaming all sources back to a central production base slashes the cost and carbon footprint, and massively boosts the utilization of expensive production technology,” said Sergio Ammirata, founder and chief scientist at SipRadius.
“The cost of IP bandwidth going down, meaning connectivity is becoming available to everyone at a lower price. This trend makes remote production more appealing for broadcasters, allowing them to save on travel costs and re-use equipment where they couldn’t before,” said Ciro Noronha, president, RIST Forum.
The shift to remote operations also yields environmental benefits alongside operational efficiencies.
“Remote and distributed production seem a logical sustainability response that simply makes good business sense. Broadcasters can produce more content using fewer resources while maintaining high production standards. Smaller onsite crews, less equipment, and fewer vehicles mean less travel and transport — which in turn leads to lower emissions and reduced expenses,” said Robert Szabo-Rowe, head of engineering and product management at Tata Comms Media.
Cost management challenges
“Amid a tightening economic climate, broadcasters are taking a more strategic approach to technology adoption. The focus for 2025 is expected to shift from pursuing innovation for its own sake to implementing solutions that deliver clear, measurable results. To thrive, broadcasters must achieve high-quality output with a streamlined tech stack, striking a balance between managing operational costs and investing in sustainable, effective solutions,” said Peterson.
Budget constraints continue to shape technology adoption and operational decisions.
“With increasing budget pressures, the emphasis is shifting toward initiatives that deliver proven value by enhancing consumer engagement, loyalty, and average revenue per user, while also defending and growing advertising revenues,” said Docherty.
Organizations must balance immediate cost pressures with long-term operational improvements.
“Spend has gone down and technology improvements take a back seat. We need to continuously improve and evolve while being cautious with our spend. With that in mind, the budget will be available for the right things, the technology of the future and the platforms that will make a difference, but it has to be directly related to cost savings, efficiencies and revenue generation,” said Peter Watling, senior sales director, EMEA at Perifery.
An evolving workforce with new roles and skills
The drive for operational efficiency significantly affects workforce requirements and skill sets across the broadcast industry. As organizations adopt new technologies and streamlined workflows, the human element of change management becomes increasingly critical.
“Change management remains the biggest challenge when adopting new technology solutions, and this isn’t likely to change. It’s always easier to change technology than it is to change people’s habits. For any media organization planning significant technology upgrades, careful planning will be essential to ensure teams transition smoothly,” said Alonso.
The shift toward IP-based workflows and cloud technologies demands new expertise from broadcast professionals.
“The transition from traditional broadcast engineering to IT-based systems represents perhaps the biggest cultural and technical shift our industry has seen. Training broadcast engineers to be comfortable with networking concepts and managing complex IP infrastructures will be crucial,” said Johnson.
“The ongoing drive for cost optimization in technology operations will continue to have a strong impact, meaning fewer resources and the need to do more with less. As a result, productivity measurement will become crucial to ensure efficiency,” said Kristan Bullett, CEO of Humans Not Robots.
The evolution of broadcast roles extends beyond technical skills.
“Editorial, producing and content creation teams are now extending their roles to include historically more production and technical type roles. This efficiency play is a result of solutions now finding their way to market that collapse previously complex features and functions to more user-friendly, automation driven, workflows,” said Rick Young, SVP and head of global products at LTN.
As broadcasters navigate the complex landscape of operational efficiency, the focus increasingly shifts toward solutions that deliver measurable improvements while maintaining production quality and meeting audience expectations. Integrating new technologies, from AI to cloud-based systems, continues to reshape broadcast operations and workforce requirements.
The path forward requires a careful balance of innovation and practicality.
“The focus will be on adopting technology solutions, like hybrid cloud, that deliver tangible results — reducing operational costs, optimizing workflows, and enabling faster, high-quality content delivery. Success will depend on aligning these innovations with strategic goals such as monetization and audience expansion,” said Peterson.
Subscribe to NewscastStudio for the latest news, project case studies and product announcements in broadcast technology, creative design and engineering delivered to your inbox.
tags
AI, Artificial Intelligence, Automation, Bea Alonso, Bitcentral, Broadcast Automation, Ciro Noronha, Hitomi Broadcast, Humans Not Robots, Kristan Bullett, LTN, Neil Maycock, Pebble, Perifery, Peter Docherty, Peter Watling, Professional Development & Training, Projective Technology, Remote Production, Rick Young, RIST Forum, Robert Szabó-Rowe, Russell Johnson, Sam Peterson, Sergio Ammirata, SipRadius, Tata Communications Media, ThinkAnalytics
categories
Broadcast Automation, Broadcast Engineering, Heroes, IP Based Production, Remote Production