ORF opts for IP-based production: BFE implements multimedia newsroom for TV and radio
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A multimedia concept with two pillars
The multimedia newsroom brings together the editorial units for TV, radio, and online at the MedienCampus Küniglberg in Vienna. In addition to the TV project with the new news studio 21 (ST21) and control rooms 21 (RP21) and 22 (RP22), BFE also implemented the MMNR radio project during the same period. This involved bringing together the previously decentralized radio locations—including Ö1 and Hitradio Ö3—into a shared infrastructure at Küniglberg.
“With the relocation of the radio editorial offices to the new center and the construction of the new studios, the foundation has been laid for better technical and organizational integration of television, radio, and online,” explains Christian Weigl, project manager at ORF in the Systems and Equipment Engineering department. The physical and technical proximity will enable editorial content to be shared more quickly and production resources to be used more efficiently in the future.
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Technical implementation by BFE
BFE Vienna took on the planning, integration, and commissioning of both sub-projects—in close coordination with the technical departments at ORF and with manufacturing and installation support from the Mainz site.
In the TV area, Studio 21 was created as a state-of-the-art news studio with three curved LED walls measuring more than 60 square meters, five camera systems, and AR functionality. It is complemented by two new control rooms: RP21 as ORF's first fully IP-based control room and RP22 as a single-operator system for compact news productions.
At the same time, a new IP-based production environment was set up in the radio division. This included processing and production control rooms, recording studios, voice booths, and central equipment zones for the radio stations Ö1 and Hitradio Ö3. As part of the project, signal distribution and production networks were converted to SMPTE ST 2110.
“The multimedia newsroom enabled us to merge TV and radio into a shared infrastructure – efficient, modular, and future-proof,” says Lukas Hayden, project manager at BFE Vienna, describing the technical objective. He adds that connecting different systems was particularly exciting, as it now enables seamless interaction between traditional audio/video structures and IP-based workflows.
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Future-proof architecture and reliable operation
With its multimedia newsroom, ORF is strengthening its production environment for the long term and laying the foundation for a cross-media programming strategy. The new architecture enables flexible workflows, automated processes, and redundant systems for maximum operational reliability.
“This project shows how technological advancement and operational reliability can go hand in hand,” emphasizes Peter Dinkel, Managing Director of BFE Vienna. For him, the modernization of ORF is a prime example of how existing structures can be gradually converted to IP-based systems without jeopardizing ongoing broadcasting operations.
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Continuity and innovation were also prioritized in the radio sector: while 24/7 broadcasting operations were maintained, new DHD system components were used for the first time and three radio waves were integrated into a harmonized technical concept. This created an environment that leverages synergies in operations and facilitates long-term collaboration between TV and radio production.
About the project
• Project name: ORF Multimedia Newsroom (MMNR) – TV & Radio
• TV sub-projects: Studio 21, control rooms RP21/RP22
• Radio sub-projects: News and production studios for Ö1, Ö3, MMNR
• Timeframe: Studio on air Dec 2022, control rooms on air Mar 2024, radio area Jun 2023
• BFE departments involved: Planning, project management, commissioning, assembly, workshop (Mainz)
• BFE project management: Lukas Hayden (TV), Leopold Hofmarcher (Radio)
• Client: Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF), Vienna