TM BROADCAST speaks exclusively with Víctor Sánchez, Director of Media and Operations at TVE, and Jesús García Romero, Director of Engineering, about RTVE’s technological roadmap, its transition to IP, the rollout of UHD, and the key projects that will shape the Corporation’s evolution over the coming years

This interview is part of an extensive feature published in TM BROADCAST Spain to mark the 70th anniversary of Spain’s public broadcaster, one of Europe’s leading broadcasters in technological innovation and a pioneer in UHD adoption. What follows is an adapted version for our international readership

*This content is included in the August issue of TM BROADCAST. You can access the full magazine here.

RTVE approaches its 70th anniversary with a clear technological roadmap and no intention of slowing down. Spain’s public broadcaster is steadily advancing its migration towards IP infrastructures, accelerating the adoption of UHD as its new production and distribution standard, and exploring the role of artificial intelligence across its production workflows. At the same time, it continues to look beyond these immediate priorities towards a broader transformation that includes the future of digital terrestrial television (DTT), the renewal of its technical infrastructure and the evolution of professional skills in an increasingly complex media landscape.

To gain a deeper understanding of this transformation and the strategic vision behind it, TM BROADCAST travelled to RTVE’s headquarters in Madrid to meet with Víctor Sánchez, Director of Media and Operations at TVE, and Jesús García Romero, Director of Engineering. The interview took place just one day before the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) Technology & Innovation Summit in Barcelona, where Sánchez was seeking re-election to the EBU Technical Committee, a position he successfully retained.

The meeting came at an especially busy moment for the Corporation, as both executives explained before the interview began. Alongside its ongoing FIFA World Cup coverage in UHD, RTVE had just completed the large-scale technical deployment supporting the Pope’s visit to Spain—one of the broadcaster’s most ambitious live production operations in recent years—coordinated in collaboration with several regional public broadcasters.

One of the interview’s most revealing topics is RTVE’s firm commitment to UHD, a strategy closely linked to its long-term vision for digital terrestrial television. While several European broadcasters no longer regard UHD as one of their main strategic priorities, RTVE argues that the transition to DVB-T2 will not only improve picture quality but also enable a more efficient use of radio spectrum. The Corporation also attributes this different approach to Europe’s contrasting distribution models, where Southern European countries continue to rely far more heavily on terrestrial broadcasting than their Nordic counterparts.

RTVE is celebrating its 70th anniversary at a time marked by rapid technological acceleration, the consolidation of new formats beyond traditional television and profound changes in media consumption. Against this backdrop, what would you say are the Corporation’s main technical and strategic priorities for the years ahead?

Víctor Sánchez.- From a production perspective, our main technological priority is to continue moving towards an IP environment. Closely linked to that transition is the transformation of our entire production capability to UHD. From a broader technology standpoint, we are also introducing artificial intelligence workflows across our production chain.

On the distribution side, there is currently a very important development related to the Royal Decree that is driving Spain’s transition to DVB-T2. By the end of this year, Atresmedia and Mediaset [Spain’s two largest commercial broadcasting groups] are also expected to launch UHD channels. This will mean that three broadcasters will already be transmitting in UHD, marking the beginning of a broader transition towards the format.

This represents a major step forward because it enables a more efficient use of radio spectrum. In short, it improves picture quality while optimising spectrum efficiency. Those are the main challenges currently on our agenda.

Jesús García Romero.- At the same time, we have recently undergone a major generational renewal within our engineering teams following our latest public recruitment process. Our next challenge is to ensure that all these new professionals are fully prepared for this new technological landscape. Behind all of this lies a highly complex infrastructure that has to operate as a single coordinated system. These are advanced technologies for which, in many cases, there is no dedicated prior training.

“What we are seeing is that UHD is driving production centres towards IP infrastructures. Technological progress itself, together with the demand for a better user experience, is calling for a different way of working”, Jesús García Romero 

I’d like to explore some of the topics you’ve just mentioned in more detail. Let’s start with UHD. RTVE became a pioneer with the launch of Europe’s first UHD channel. What impact do you believe this initiative has had, both in Spain and across Europe? To what extent has it helped drive UHD adoption or served as a reference for other broadcasters?

Víctor Sánchez.- At the European level, it has been a major success because we were the first broadcaster to launch a UHD channel. Together with France, Spain is now one of at least two European countries with extensive UHD coverage, and I believe this trend will continue in markets where terrestrial broadcasting remains an important distribution platform.

In Spain, the transition represents a significant improvement over the previous model. Moving to DVB-T2 increases the available spectrum capacity and allows us to deliver higher picture quality to viewers. From an industry perspective, I also believe it has helped stimulate the market.

Jesús García Romero.- Complementing Víctor’s point, it is true that the transition to UHD cannot progress as quickly as we might like because there is still a considerable amount of legacy infrastructure that simply cannot handle the data volumes generated by this format. A technological shift of this magnitude cannot happen overnight.

What we are seeing, however, is that UHD is driving production centres towards IP infrastructures. Technological progress itself, together with the demand for a better user experience, is calling for a different way of working.

Where does that roadmap currently stand? Which projects or production centres are leading RTVE’s transition towards UHD?

Víctor Sánchez.- We have been implementing our UHD strategy through a series of projects that initially may have appeared unrelated: outside broadcast units, our archive, continuity… Now we are beginning to see how everything fits together. Once the required connectivity has been deployed, RTVE’s UHD workflow is fully structured and ready to support an increasing number of programmes and productions.

Jesús García Romero.- In fact, our original plan only included a single UHD outside broadcast unit. However, while we were commissioning it, demand continued to grow, making it necessary to upgrade two additional units.

In addition, the two studios we are about to commission at Sant Cugat—RTVE’s production centre in Barcelona and the last facilities awaiting migration to IP—have both been designed with native UHD production capabilities. They will become RTVE’s first studios capable of producing in UHD from end to end.

“Our position is that all distribution models should coexist: internet delivery, HbbTV, DTT… The more ways we have to reach audiences, the better”, Víctor Sánchez

When TM BROADCAST has discussed this technological transition with other European broadcasters, particularly in the Nordic countries, several have told us that UHD is no longer among their main strategic priorities. In Spain, however—and especially at RTVE—there is a clear commitment to UHD. What do you think explains this different approach?

Víctor Sánchez.- The difference is largely explained by cultural factors and by the different distribution models across Europe. Generally speaking, Nordic countries rely far less on digital terrestrial television. Geography may play a role, as may viewing habits, but these countries are increasingly prioritising internet-based distribution. Southern European countries such as Italy, France, Spain and Portugal, on the other hand, continue to have a strong tradition of terrestrial broadcasting.

Our position is that all distribution models should coexist: internet delivery, HbbTV, DTT… The more ways we have to reach audiences, the better.

Let’s move on to IP, the other major technological transformation you mentioned and one that, as you explained, is closely linked to the move towards UHD. Where does RTVE currently stand in this transition? What would you say have been the main achievements so far?

Jesús García Romero.- The transition to IP has been the greatest professional challenge of my career. When we began this process there was still considerable uncertainty across the industry. We carried out a very detailed market analysis and reached the conclusion that IP was clearly the right direction. It simply made no sense to continue building new facilities based on traditional SDI technology when the future was obviously heading towards IP.

There was also some uncertainty about how our engineering teams would respond to such a profound technological shift. In reality, the response was extraordinarily positive. We started with a small IP island in the middle of an SDI ocean. Now the situation has almost completely reversed. Once the projects scheduled for September are completed, what will remain is a small SDI village within a predominantly IP environment.

“We started with a small IP island in the middle of an SDI ocean. Now the situation has almost completely reversed. Once the projects scheduled for September are completed, what will remain is a small SDI village within a predominantly IP environment”, Jesús García Romero

What are the next steps on that roadmap?

Jesús García Romero.- Looking ahead, our next major challenge will be to begin migrating the Torrespaña and Prado del Rey production centres—RTVE’s two main production facilities in Madrid—from SDI to IP. Naturally, this will be done while maintaining compatibility with the legacy systems that still need to remain operational for some time.

Víctor Sánchez.- Just as every new production environment will now be UHD, every new infrastructure we deploy will also be IP-based. Our long-term vision is for Torrespaña and Prado del Rey to operate as a single IP-connected infrastructure. In other words, the physical location of a server or any other technical resource should no longer matter.

How many years away do you think that scenario is?

Víctor Sánchez.- Five years.

Jesús García Romero.- I’m actually even more optimistic. The early stages of any transformation are always the slowest, but once the process gains momentum it tends to accelerate. The main limiting factor is the amount of legacy technology that still needs to remain in service, together with the timelines associated with public procurement.

Víctor Sánchez.- We have spent a long time analysing different solutions together with our engineering teams. I believe we are now entering the deployment phase, defining technical criteria and selecting technologies. Once those criteria have been finalised, the corresponding tenders will be published and the implementation phase will begin.

For that reason, I believe that within four or five years we will have achieved a very significant part of our objective. You never reach one hundred percent, but we should be in a position where it makes no difference whether a server is physically located at Prado del Rey or Torrespaña. Resources will be shared, signals will move seamlessly across the infrastructure, and everything will operate transparently. It is an extremely complex project and probably one of the greatest technological challenges currently facing RTVE.

As you have both mentioned, this technological evolution also requires a transformation of professional profiles. How is RTVE addressing this challenge? How do broadcast engineering and networking teams work together today? To what extent does a divide still exist between these two disciplines?

Jesús García Romero.- That is perfectly natural. There will always be some tension between different priorities. Some teams are responsible for guaranteeing system security, while others need resources to remain available so they can carry out their work. It is all part of the learning process.

Víctor Sánchez.- We are talking about highly complex technologies that require extensive training. We have professionals with enormous experience in traditional broadcast environments, and we are now supporting them as they transition towards IP, UHD and new network architectures. It is a demanding process.

At the same time, I believe it is extremely valuable to have broadcast engineers who do not come from an IP background. They have an in-depth understanding of audiovisual signals, live production and what it means when a signal is lost during transmission.

Networking specialists, on the other hand, contribute deep expertise in IP infrastructures and solve highly specific challenges within that field. Both profiles are essential. The best approach is to combine both skill sets: broadcast professionals who understand IP environments and networking specialists who bring advanced expertise in areas such as security, infrastructure management and systems administration.

“RTVE has maintained a sustained commitment to technological investment, and that is clearly reflected in the company’s transformation”, Víctor Sánchez

Several European broadcasters have told us that one of the greatest challenges facing public service media today is financial pressure: the need to do more with fewer resources. To what extent do you feel that pressure at RTVE?

Víctor Sánchez.- Naturally, we depend on budgets, regulatory frameworks and public policy decisions, all of which introduce a degree of uncertainty. Nevertheless, RTVE has maintained a sustained commitment to technological investment, and that is clearly reflected in the company’s transformation. From a technological standpoint, I believe RTVE currently occupies a leading position among European broadcasters.

Jesús García Romero.- Rather than talking about doing more with fewer resources, I would put it differently: doing more with the resources that are actually needed. The objective should not be to minimise every production, but to use the right resources to deliver high-quality content. There is no need to overspend, but neither should quality be sacrificed. The real challenge is to find the right balance and deliver productions that are technically robust while providing genuine social and cultural value.

Personally, that is one of the things that makes me most proud of working at RTVE. From an engineering perspective, we always strive to deliver the highest possible quality with the resources available.

“We have an important role to play as a driving force for the industry and as a vehicle for promoting Spanish culture. It is a form of social return that cannot always be measured solely in economic terms”, Jesús García Romero

What do you believe the role of a public service broadcaster should continue to be today?

Víctor Sánchez.- I believe the role of a public broadcaster remains, above all, to inform, educate and entertain citizens. I continue to believe wholeheartedly in that founding mission of public service broadcasting, and I think it is just as relevant today as it has ever been.

Jesús García Romero.- I would add that we also have an important role to play as a driving force for the industry and as a vehicle for promoting Spanish culture. International services, programming aimed at Spanish citizens living abroad and the dissemination of cultural content are all part of that public service mission. It is a form of social return that cannot always be measured solely in economic terms.

Finally, I’d like to end on a more personal note. Looking back on your careers, what would you say has been the most important lesson or insight you’ve gained?

Jesús García Romero.- There is one reflection that you have probably heard me make before: almost everything we have achieved has been accomplished collectively. In the end, we build teams, and every individual contributes their own skills, experience and expertise. That complementarity, combined with a genuine commitment to doing things well, is what enables us to achieve our goals and deliver the best possible results.

I also firmly believe that major achievements are never the work of a single organisation or just a handful of people. Whenever we have successfully delivered major technological projects, it has not been thanks solely to RTVE’s professionals. We have worked side by side with engineers and technical specialists from manufacturers, suppliers and technology companies. For that reason, I believe many of our greatest achievements actually belong to the Spanish broadcast industry as a whole. That is probably my biggest lesson: the importance of collaboration, of bringing together complementary expertise and of working collectively towards shared goals.

Víctor Sánchez.- If I had to choose one lesson, I would say that, in television, things always come together in the end. Projects are complex—very complex—but the people who work in this industry are consistently first-class professionals. Every television professional I have worked with has demonstrated an outstanding level of expertise.

Very often I experience projects from two different perspectives: the technological side, closely linked to engineering, and the operational side, focused on day-to-day production. There are productions and live events where these two worlds have to work in perfect alignment. Operational teams, engineering departments and technical support staff ultimately share exactly the same objective, and they all work together to make each project a success.

“The best approach is to combine both skill sets: broadcast professionals who understand IP environments and networking specialists who bring advanced expertise in areas such as security, infrastructure management and systems administration”, Víctor Sánchez