The live video webcast component of Oscar.com, the official website of the Academy Awards Ceremony, to be held on Sunday, February 29th, at 5:00 PST, will be produced for the second year in a row by BT Broadcast Services (BTBS), the Americas. A regular provider of occasional use broadcast services to ABC/Disney, BT Broadcast Services, the Americas was selected to roll out the live online coverage of this year’s Oscar telecast following the success of last year’s event.
During the live event, BTBS will provide the signal acquisition and encoding for the online pressroom interviews, the backstage interviews with the winners of each Oscar category, as well as the red carpet interviews and the Governors Ball. Prior to the Awards, BTBS will encode all movie trailers for the films that are nominated with the final nominations appearing on www.oscar.com for users to watch.
William Wang, manager of technology at Oscar.com said: “If you combine BTBS’ extensive experience in live events and the success of last year’s Academy Awards event you can see why we choose BTBS again this year. We look forward to working with them again.”
BTBS will provide signal acquisition from back stage of the Kodak Theatre to BTBS’ Los Angeles and Washington, DC Media Centers for monitoring purposes. The signal will then be digitally encoded in Windows Media format at the Washington, DC Media Center for delivery to the Akamai network for distribution on the Oscar.com web site.
The viewers will also be able to view the Academy Awards® coverage on-demand.
Bill McNamara, general manager for BTBS, the Americas, said: “Our experience in live events and our fully-equipped high-end facilities allow us to deliver timely high quality coverage. We look forward to working with Oscar.com on this year’s event.”
BT Broadcast Services is one of the largest broadcast service providers worldwide, offering fully integrated services via 24-hour booking centers in the US and the UK.
About Oscar.com:
Oscar.com is a co-production of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and ABC.com.
About BT Broadcast Services (www.bt.com/broadcast):
BT Broadcast Services (BTBS) is one of the world’s leading suppliers of global broadcast solutions, providing a comprehensive range of terrestrial and satellite based multimedia transmission solutions as well as content and customer management services. The group offers flexible, cost effective tailor-made services to an international client base including broadcasters, news agencies, production companies, special event organizers, and large corporations around the world. BTBS delivers technically advanced services based on the latest video and Internet technologies, including video streaming, digital terrestrial television, high speed Internet access via satellite and digital business TV.
For more information about BT Broadcast Services’ comprehensive services and capabilities, please contact Lisa Fanning at 518-283-8412. Or visit www.bt.com/broadcast.
About BT Americas Inc.:
BT Americas Inc. (BT) is a part of BT Global Services, BT's business services and solutions division, serving customers worldwide. As an information and communications technology service provider, BT Global Services provides integrated data and value-added services to meet the European needs of global multi-site corporates and the global needs of European corporates.
BT's extensive global network and strong strategic partnerships enable BT Global Services to serve customers in all key commercial centers of Europe, North America and Asia.
The BT Global Service portfolio ranges from desktop and network equipment and software, transport and connectivity, IP-based e-business solutions, managed network services and systems integration to consultancy for complex global requirements. With 18 years of experience in global account management, BT Global Services has 50 per cent of its people based outside the UK, serving large business customers worldwide.
In the Americas, BT has had a presence since 1988. Today, BT has 1,800 professionals on the ground in the U.S. and operates a network infrastructure across the continental US, Canada and Latin America. BT has multiple sales and support centers nationwide and provides business solutions, broadcast solutions, conferencing technologies, carrier services and consulting services. BT conducts its business in the Americas through its subsidiaries.