The International Media Connectivity Group Forum (IMCG) will be held in Boston, Mass. this fall. The forum, which is nearing it’s 39th year, is an effort of the World Broadcasting Unions (WBU), which includes broadcasters from Europe, Africa, Asia, the Arab States, North America, South America and the Caribbean.
At its inception in 1985, the WBU-IMCG forum—formerly referred to as the “International Satellite Operations Group”—was created to address the number of issues facing satellite transmission at the time, and to acknowledge the essential role that satellite distribution play in global content delivery. Today, the forum works to reflect the rapidly changing technology landscape, and be inclusive of all viable contribution and distribution solutions broadcasters use in their operations.
To learn more about the event, to be held Oct. 7–8, TV Tech sister brand Radio World spoke with Ken Fuller, the VP of distribution and technology at Paramount, and WBU-IMCG vice-chair. He answered our queries via email.
RW: For those who have never heard of this forum, what is its mission/who does it cater to?Fuller: WBU-IMCG’s mission is to identify, evaluate, educate and (where appropriate) implement solutions for operational matters associated with transmission (collection and delivery). All types of transmission are covered, i.e., by any means and to any platform of video, audio and broadcast-related data. This includes any location from which news, sports, special events and entertainment are created and/or distributed. Operational issues considered by WBU-IMCG include transmissions using Internet Protocol (IP) and other media platforms.
In recent years, the group has included 5G, cybersecurity and AI as well. The WBU-IMCG works neutrally with relevant international groups, institutions, organizations and appropriate bodies to achieve these ends. By doing so, the WBU-IMCG reflects one of the core aims of the WBU by supporting the needs and the requirements of broadcasters around the world.
RW: Who at WBU-IMCG is spearheading the event this year?Fuller: A planning team comprised of broadcasters, satellite operators and a few vendors led by Morwen Williams, director of media operations at the BBC, along with two vice-chairs, Joe Shimizu, senior manager of the General Broadcasting Administration at NHK, and myself. We make up the “brain trust” that comes up with the program for each forum.
RW: What can attendees expect? Are there any speakers/sessions of note that you wish to highlight?
Fuller: 2024 is a very busy year in terms of world events, from major sporting events like the Olympics, UEFA Euro Championships and Copa America to major elections in many countries. There is a focus on ensuring reliable and managed connectivity to bringing these events and their reporting to global audiences. The forum will deal with 5G connectivity, IP infrastructure and solutions, AI as a cybersecurity threat and, of course, the latest in satellite service offerings.
RW: Are there any specific industry trends & hot topics that are top of mind as forum plans come together?
Fuller: There is a plethora of subjects that are available for discussion; however, the WBU-IMCG mandate is to look at them through a connectivity lens. From these forums, the open discussions and shared learning always deliver new ideas and angles to tackle a problem. The wealth of knowledge that comes with an international audience at the event is one of the main reasons as to why the WBU-IMCG Forums have been so successful for these many years. On our foreseeable radar are hot topics such as AI, cybersecurity, sustainability and 5G transmissions.
RW: What has public interest been like so far?
Fuller: Originally, this forum was only for members of the WBU broadcasting unions. Pre-pandemic, the forum easily attracted 80–100 people in-person, depending on where it was held. Since the pandemic, the average in-person attendance has been a little lower, due mainly to corporate travel bans. So we have added remote participation to keep those loyal attendees involved. In this current economic climate, it’s necessary to offer a hybrid option.
RW: Do you have a goal in terms of turnout?
Fuller: Our goal is to have attendance of at least 75 participants. Boston is a popular business hub, and fairly easy to get to, so we are looking forward to welcoming our participants to Verizon’s facility. Given the strength of the programs we have put together in the past few years, we decided this year to open participation to non-members of a WBU broadcasting union. In the spirit of public service, we are not charging a fee to non-members for their participation.
Register for the forum here.
