- Remote broadcast
In
broadcast engineering , a remote broadcast (usually just called a remote or a live remote) isbroadcasting done from a location away from the regularstudio . Aremote pickup unit (RPU) is usually used to transmit the audio and/orvideo back to the station, where it joins the normalairchain . Other methods include satellitetruck s, and even regulartelephone lines if necessary.History
The first airing of a "remote-control" broadcast came in 1924, when Loew's Theater publicist and WHN (New York City) station manager
Nils Granlund leased telegraph lines fromWestern Union to provide the first link in what became called "Cabaret Broadcasting." ["American Babel"; Doerksen, Clifford J.;University of Pennsylvania Press, 2005; Page 32.] By early 1925, Granlund had established remote lines between WHN and more than thirty New York City jazz nightclubs, including the Silver Slipper, The Parody Club, theCotton Club , the Strand Roof, and Club Moritz.Nils T. Granlund cited the 1925 WHN airing of Senator
James J. Walker 's announcement of his New York City mayoral candidacy through a "remote-control" broadcast from the New York Press Club as the first such remote link for a political forum. ["Blondes, Brunettes, and Bullets"; Granlund, Nils T.;Van Rees Press, New York, 1957; Page 102.]In Latin America, in October 27th 1920 Dr Sussini made the first remote transmission in Argentina from the theatre El Coliseo in Buenos Aires. In Mexico on September 27th, 1921, Adolfo Gomez Fernandez made a transmission from the Teatro Ideal, Mexico DF [ Radio World Magazine, edited in USA,
January 2 , 2002, page 15]Radio
In
radio , remotes are often used for special events, such as concerts or sporting events, where either the entire event or advertisements for the event are broadcast on location. The cost of personnel and equipment is usually paid for by the host at each performance. However, if the event is recurring, such as a weekly broadcast from anightclub , then dedicated lines are usually installed by the local telephone company in order to save on costs.Originally, analog audio broadcasts were sent through
telephone hybrid s, which, although low quality, were found to be acceptable for voice broadcasts. Later,frequency extender s were developed that used additional lines, shifting highertreble audio frequencies down on one end and back up on the other, providing a reasonable reproduction of the originalsound . Currently, digital lines, such asISDN orDSL , are used to send compresseddigital audio back to the studio. In addition, modern remote pickup units have become extremely portable and can transmit single-channel monophonicFM -quality audio over regular telephone lines using build-in modems and advanced compression algorithms (MPEG-4 , etc.).Television
In
TV , live remotes are an almost daily part ofnews broadcasts in theU.S. As a part ofelectronic news gathering (ENG), remotes are meant to bring theaudience to the scene of the action, although often nothing directly related to the story is happening there anymore. In some cases live remotes have even takenridicule , particularly forreporter s who stand out in the middle of ahurricane 'swind s, risking their lives while telling viewers not to do the same.To get to the scene quickly, a live remote may be done from a
helicopter .Live TV remotes may often be used in a manner similar to radio remotes (and vice versa) as well.
Notes
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