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Many voices, one world… Many languages, one system? Karl Kathuria & Alexi Paspalas November 2003

Many voices, one world… Many languages, one system? Karl Kathuria & Alexi Paspalas November 2003. The BBC: history and numbers. BBC founded in 1922, Royal Charter in 1927 “Inform, Educate & Entertain” World Service began in 1932 as the ‘Empire Service’ Funded by grant-in-aid Resources

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Many voices, one world… Many languages, one system? Karl Kathuria & Alexi Paspalas November 2003

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  1. Many voices, one world… Many languages, one system? Karl Kathuria & Alexi Paspalas November 2003

  2. The BBC: history and numbers • BBC founded in 1922, Royal Charter in 1927 • “Inform, Educate & Entertain” • World Service began in 1932 as the ‘Empire Service’ • Funded by grant-in-aid • Resources • £205m p.a., 2000 staff • Output: • radio + the web in 43 languages, 66,000 broadcast hrs/year • Radio: 150m weekly radio audience • Online: 9.8m unique users

  3. Strategy: some key strategic issues • Editorial ambition • Multi-platform • SW, FM, DRM, DSat, DCable, DAB, online, mobile etc. • Interactive: not just a broadcaster • “a global hub for high quality information and communication” • “providing a forum for the exchange of ideas across cultural, linguistic and national boundaries”

  4. Empowering Journalists • Web presence since 1995 • Out of the box web editors • Assumed technical knowledge • Long time to write pages • Frustrating • Risky • Language Support

  5. Content Production System • Used by BBC News for English content since 1997 • Extended to support 4 World Service languages • Arabic • Chinese • Russian • Spanish • Required native operating systems • Separate desktop environment required

  6. Web Interface Tools • Redesign of English site • Requirement for all radio producers to submit content • Cost and training implications • Development of simple submission form • Further requirements • Faster turnaround for English content • More complicated design • Indexing • Language news content

  7. Benefits of Web Interface • Ease of updates • Ease of rollout • Expertise in web coding • No conflicts with corporate desktop • Less off-the-shelf software • Language support • If our interface supports it, the internet supports it

  8. First Generation • ‘Gizmo’: Perl with DBM back-end • Other applications • Some create pages • Some create server-side includes only • Hosted off-site • Limitations • DBM performance problematic • Growing needs • Non-modular design

  9. Ever-Evolving Requirements • Support for all WS languages • Syndication • XML, RSS, multiple distribution locations • Multiple platforms • Mobile, PDA, third-party applications • Search • Archive • Email lists • Resilience • Database and performance management • Change Control • Supportability • Modularity

  10. The second generation • One system • Replaces Gizmo and derivatives • Does not replace CPS • Complete system rewrite • Relational database • Perl, Javascript and Java front-end • Saxon for XSLT processing • Process changed • Not just one person’s work • Long development lead time to allow database design • Full support processes in place

  11. Phase 1 XML CONVERSION USER INTERFACE PROCESS DATA FTP MATRIX HTML, RSS, XML, Server variables ADMIN INTERFACE DATABASE INTERFACE SAXON XML/XSL Processor XSLT DB

  12. Current environment XML CONVERSION USER INTERFACE PROCESS DATA FTP MATRIX HTML, RSS, XML, Server variables ADMIN INTERFACE DATABASE INTERFACE SAXON XML/XSL Processor Email News XSLT DPS INTERFACE DB XSL Search Syndication Engine Digital Production system Broadcast audio Streaming Media

  13. Topcat

  14. Testing Content and Moving Forward • What operating systems and browsers do we support? • How can language text be displayed and created? • Using Unicode instead of what’s already out there • Display problems • Should we use third-party tools? • What if there are no standard tools?

  15. The future • No replacement in foreseeable future • Modular design; flexible system • Digital production environment • Achieving synergies with radio production / playout systems • Challenges • Interactivity • Editorial and technical issues • Additional Platforms • Digital Rights Management • Eventual move to CPS?

  16. What we now know • Base the system on what platforms you wish to support • Know your target audience • Understand the technicalities of displaying the content • Ensure modularity and flexibility in the design of the system • Be aware of future requirements • Encourage innovation in system design • Take as much time as you can to get it right at launch

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