AI-Media and ITV Announce Partnership to Revolutionize Captioning Services in European market
MEDIA RELEASE
AI-Media and ITV Announce Landmark Partnership to Revolutionize Captioning Services
London, UK – 10 September 2024 – AI-Media, the global leader in AI-powered captioning and translation services, is proud to announce a new partnership with ITV, the UK’s largest commercial broadcaster. This collaboration marks a significant step forward in the use of AI captioning technology to enhance accessibility and operational efficiency across ITV’s extensive broadcast network.
David Padmore, Director of Accessibility for ITV, emphasised the importance of this partnership in advancing ITV’s commitment to adopting new technologies. “At ITV, we are constantly seeking innovative solutions to improve our services and meet the diverse needs of our audience. Working with AI-Media has allowed us to take advantage of cutting-edge AI to streamline our captioning workflows while maintaining the highest standards of accuracy and reliability.”
The partnership centres on the deployment of AI-Media’s LEXI live automatic captioning solution, which integrates seamlessly with ITV’s existing infrastructure. The collaborative effort between AI-Media and ITV has resulted in a technology architecture tailored to the broadcaster’s complex requirements, including its 18 regional news variants. The solution will utilise AI Media’s SDI Encoder Pro Cards to deliver LEXI captioning as VANC embedded data into ITV’s existing architecture and will be operated by ITV’s expert Access Services team. AI Media’s Alta product will also be used for ITVX and other IP video workflows.
Traditionally, ITV’s regional news captioning involved a manual workflow with significant staffing requirements. The shift to automation through AI-Media’s LEXI is expected to dramatically impact resourcing, leading to significant efficiencies and cost reductions. The automation of workflows allows ITV to provide more captions, enhancing accessibility for its viewers. Additionally, the LEXI system’s increased reliability and reduced latency are expected to improve the overall quality of service.
The implementation of AI-Media’s automated workflows was straightforward, causing no disruptions to ITV’s playout solutions. This flexibility around playout has been a considerable advantage, enabling a smooth transition to the new system.
ITV’s captioning team will continue to play a crucial role in developing bespoke topic models, ensuring the highest level of accuracy and relevance in captions. The move to automated workflows allows ITV to offer more regional news captions, ultimately benefiting a broader audience.
“ITV chose AI-Media because of our robust infrastructure and the ability to deploy LEXI in complex broadcast environments. Our experience in delivering captions in highly regulated markets and our strong relationships with regulatory bodies like Ofcom, ACMA, and FCC were significant factors in their decision,” said John Peck, VP of International Sales at AI-Media. “This partnership not only enhances ITV’s operational efficiency but also confirms their position as forward-thinking innovators in the European access services community.”
ITV’s collaboration with AI-Media highlights its dedication to enhancing viewer experience through advanced technology and underscores its role as a leader in accessibility and innovation.
About ITV
ITV is the largest commercial broadcaster and streamer in the UK. ITV’s Access Services team works in-house and supplies subtitles and audio description for all of ITV’s live and recorded programming, as well as providing services commercially to external customers.
For more information about ITV: https://www.itvplc.com/
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