What’s in a school broadcasting studio? By Rosie Clarke, Editor
Schools with broadcasting studios can equip students to become fullyfledged multi-media journalists, podcasters, streamers, writers, editors, and more. But digital media skills are now valued across most industries. Increasingly, journalism skills are highly transferable across various private and public sectors and are particularly valued in science communications and corporate fields. Career pathway benefits aside, schools with an industry standard media and communications setup can build strong community connections and provide opportunities for projectbased learning that supports student agency. Our featured Principal Speaks school this issue, Prospect North Primary School, sets a phenomenal example of this with its PNTV and Podcasting program, which began in 2020 and has become a vital site of community activism and curriculum engagement. School Principal Marg Clark’s dedication to empowering student agency is especially evident here as students broadcast in multiple languages, develop and edit their own material, interview leaders, and have produced an impressive library of STEM videos.
Image courtesy of The Streaming Guys
He explains: “In order to do this, some form of encoder is required, which can either be done via software or externally through a dedicated hardware encoder. Bonded encoding is the backbone of the streaming industry as it adds reliability and redundancy to your streams, ensuring to minimise dropouts and maximise live time.
It allows you to take multiple data connections and combine them, so to speak, to encode your video through to your viewing platform. “In doing this, you can take four to six poor connections and bond them so you can get your video content online without issue. The units allow you to adjust data rates, resolution
Industry tech tips What sets a broadcasting studio apart from a traditional media room? We asked two specialist equipment suppliers for their recommendations to schools on the ideal broadcasting studio setup, from camera and microphone tips to studio space layout suggestions and advice on navigating internet speed. According to The Streaming Guys’ Business Manager, Ben Burey, it’s “the ability to broadcast the footage live on the internet”.
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Image courtesy of Jands
TECHNOLOGY
and the buffer rate, to help reduce the load placed on the system and make sure your streams stay online without any interruptions. By utilising multiple connections, you do not need to rely on a single data carrier to keep you online, which has saved us on many occasions.” Ben has noticed some common mistakes schools make when designing their own studios: “A lot of people overcomplicate their setup. Nailing the basics and streamlining your system to avoid having unnecessary components is best when designing a broadcasting studio.” To avoid this, planning is essential: “When creating your podcast, and more importantly, your podcasting studio, you need to have a plan in place. Do you want to have video to accompany the podcast or just audio recording? How many participants will you have per podcast, and do you have the infrastructure to accommodate them? Do you need to have all participants in the one location or are you looking to integrate people remotely? Where will you be publishing your podcasts, and do you have the correct systems in place to manage these?” Term 4, 2022 | school-news.com.au
