When a live news story hits the air, it is a solemn moment for the anchor, those in the studio and viewers watching at home. It’s a time to share the horror, concern and heartbreak of what happened as well as hopefully some live footage from the scene of the crime. But how does the news get from a reporter in the field to your screen?
Most news programs have a local or regional focus. Some have a national or international focus. The newscast may discuss a variety of topics including political happenings, sports events, weather forecasts and traffic reports, celebrity interviews, expert opinions and editorial content.
Many news organizations provide a live stream of their broadcasts online. These are sometimes available through a TV or radio station’s website or through subscription video on demand services such as Hulu. They can also be accessed through mobile apps and devices such as tablets or smart televisions.
There are a wide variety of news channels, from major networks to local stations and independents. A number of these have a dedicated website or channel on YouTube. The KSAZ-TV channel, for example, has a dedicated website for its live news program. It also has a dedicated YouTube channel for its livestreams of world and local news, called “News Now from Fox.”
The streaming process involves encoding the data and compressing it. Then, the encoded and compressed data is sent to a CDN. The CDN stores these segments of data in a server near the viewer’s location. When Bob presses play on his smartphone, the app will request the first segment of data from the CDN. This data is then recompressed and converted back into video and audio information that can be displayed on the user’s device. The entire process must happen within milliseconds in order to minimize latency.