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BBC uses 3G phones for news reporting

BBC teams in Bristol and London have found a way to send video and sound from mobile phones and put them on TV -- and now the BBC is using the technology for undercover reporting. Andrew Harvey looks at this pioneering technology in a fascinating article for Ariel, the staff magazine and daily news online service of the BBC, reprinted here on CyberJournalist.net with permission.

by Andrew Harvey

Television takes a decisive step into new territory this week when a program will be broadcast by BBC Bristol using 3G video mobile phones as cameras.

The weekday news magazine Points West has already achieved a breakthrough by showing 3G phone pictures in a discussion between several teenagers out in the city and a local politician in the studio.

Now the idea is being taken further in an item about underage drinking. Working under the direction of political correspondent Dave Harvey, the teenage recruits will report on how easily they can get into the city's pubs and clubs, where juvenile alcohol consumption is increasing.

The pictures from the phones look fuzzy and distorted on a TV screen because they have been magnified from an original image no larger than a matchbox. But Harvey says that for this sort of undercover reporting, the poor definition of the pictures may add drama to the viewers' experience.

"For younger viewers who are interested in new technologies and use them all the time, there's something edgy in seeing this sort of image on BBC television. It could make us seem less remote, make us more credible with that age group.

"It's almost like having a satellite truck in your pocket," says Harvey who seized on the possibilities of using the latest phone technology with his output editor colleagues Stephanie Marshall and Jane Kinghorn. They had discussed 3G possibilities with Greg Dyke at a Birmingham briefing on the grassroots website iCan. Engineer Andy Butterworth then made it happen. With help from Three, the phone company, he worked out a way of converting the phone pictures for TV output.

"3G may have even greater impact for radio," says Marshall. "Quality is so good that reporters or members of the public will be able to use phones to broadcast without need of a radio car or ISDN line."

Newsgathering over mobiles

While the team in Bristol has been pioneering the use of 3G, news technology has been developing similar uses for mobile phones to capture up to two minutes of pictures and sound. Tests using a Nokia 3650 have produced results via an e-mail connection comparable to the early -- and bulky -- satellite phones (remember John Simpson in Afghanistan?). Reporters will be able to use the phones to deliver reports and pictures although this system does not yet allow for two-way conversations.

"The new technology is developing at an incredible pace," says Justen Dyche, leader of the news project, who says some stories - such as a report on commuter congestion in a crowded carriage -could not be covered in any other way.

"It will not be long before your mobile phone can record your videos and well as your domestic camcorder and can send live video to our tv channels. We�ll be able to receive reports of breaking news in a fraction of the time and at a fraction of the cost from a tiny unit that fits in your pocket."

The future is now

Mark Popescu, currently leading a revamp of BBC News 24, said he would consider the phones as standard issue for reporters. "There's no doubt they will come of age when the right story breaks and the first pictures come from a reporter with a video phone."

Typical uses for 3G phones and video would include:

Breaking news: A reporter on the spot could go live before a satellite truck arrived. The scratchy nature of the images might enhance the sense of being first at the scene. Reporters stuck in snow or floods could file direct from their cars.

Audiences: Members of the public with 3G can bring a new dimension to factual programes. Bristol has already set up a live discussion with the head of the local education authority and the editors were struck by the engagement he showed. "It was amazing how he came to life and spoke candidly to pupils at what is considered a problem school," says Stephanie Marshall. "There was something about the informality of the equipment that was so different from a normal studio discussion."

In another Bristol 3G experiment, pop star Craig David spoke to girl fans waiting outside a building he was visiting. He felt relaxed and they got more than a glimpse of the singer in the back of a limo.

Radio: No need for a radio car as the 3G can be used as a data modem with the same bandwidth as ISDN. When used with a mic, the phone can provide studio quality sound, ideal for on the spot reports and interviews.

Discussion

3 comments about 'BBC uses 3G phones for news reporting'

In your article you mention being able to record and send 2 minutes of video. What Phone / Service are you speaking of? Is it available in the US?

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Posted by Mobiles at November 18, 2010 5:56 AM

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Posted by Mobiles at November 19, 2010 3:14 AM

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