20 A FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILITY
A half-day session highlighting the need for broadcast to reduce its environmental impact is among IEEE BTS’ contributions to this year’s IBC Show, Samina Husain, Vice President of IEEE BTS, tells David Davies
The history of BTS can be traced back to its origins in 1912, coinciding with the founding of the Institute of Radio Engineers. Since then, the society has continuously evolved to meet the ever-changing needs of the broadcast technology industry. Today, BTS boasts a vibrant international community consisting of around 1500 members and chapters that extend across the globe. The primary objective of BTS is to enhance the professional knowledge of its members – a task that is achieved through various means, including the dissemination of the latest research fi ndings and their practical implications in various publications and related conferences. At IBC2023, IEEE BTS is once again holding a half-day conference session, which this time is centred on issues related to sustainability. ‘Unlocking Sustainability: Innovating a greener
future in broadcast and media’, which takes place today between 14:00-17:00, will provide the chance to discover the business case for sustainability in the broadcast and media industry in an immersive session. Technologies and innovative practices are
reshaping the landscape, reducing carbon footprints and championing eco-consciousness, so one of the key questions is: How have media organisations embraced sustainability? Visitors can expect an engaging three-hour session with industry experts as they explore strategies that harness its ability to drive positive change and inspire collective action.
AN ONGOING PROCESS Samina Husain, Vice President of IEEE BTS, emphasises the importance of addressing sustainability within the industry. “Fortunately, numerous broadcast companies are actively engaged in analysing current practices, looking into solutions to mitigate the problem and minimise the environmental impact,” she says. “These efforts indicate positive progress in the right direction. Nevertheless, it is crucial to recognise that sustainability is an ongoing process, requiring continuous evaluation of the changes taking place.”
Regular visitors will be familiar with the half- day IEEE BTS session as a mainstay of the IBC Show, with previous editions focusing on topics including the future of broadcast TV from both standards- and features-based perspectives. Husain notes: “We have been able to draw
together some great panels of experts over the years and we again have some very interesting panels this year.”
“Part of the task we all face is to ensure that people [coming into the industry] have the right skills and are enabled to take on those various engineering roles”
Husain herself has been active in broadcast technology for 15 years. In addition to her work with BTS, she is also involved in IEEE Women in Engineering, which is one of the world’s largest professional organisations dedicated to promoting women engineers and scientists. “We organise events addressing the challenges and opportunities of Women in Engineering, and also publish a quarterly newsletter with columns and articles encouraging women in our industry to participate,” she says. Husain is a strong promoter of improving diversity in broadcast, which naturally fl ows into an examination of staff recruitment and retention in the wider broadcast industry. The demographic shift in which many senior engineers are approaching retirement age and
Samina Husain, Vice President, IEEE BTS
need to be replaced by younger engineers, could be perceived as an opportunity for positive change: “We do need to have younger and more diverse candidates across the industry. So part of the task we all face is to ensure that people [coming into the industry] have the right skills and are enabled to take on those various engineering roles.” With this in mind, IEEE BTS has sponsored a number of students to spend the duration of the IBC Show at the RAI. Giving students the chance to fi nd out about the full spectrum of broadcast activities is essential, says Husain: “They have the opportunity to really immerse themselves in the show – visiting stands and scoping out the entire event so they can think about how they might apply their skills and interests in the future. It’s very different from being at a university to come to a trade show that is so relevant and vibrant. And we know from experience how benefi cial the sponsored students have found it to be.”
Samina Husain is Vice President of IEEE BTS, one of IBC’s owners.
Visit the IEEE BTS throughout the show on the partnership pavilion in Hall 8.
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