KQED Public Radio, San Francisco
& the Consolidated Metadata Workflow Project

Context
PBCore Integration
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Beginning in 2002, KQED Public Radio began a multi-year transformational change from an analog-based production and broadcast radio facility to that of a completely digital production house with improved equipment, new master control complex, full automation systems, and synchronization with new IP-based distribution channels. Integral to this transition was the need to build a robust production and program metadata management system tightly coupled with their editorial and audio production workflows. It was recognized that to reap the benefits of a turn-key, integrated production system, KQED required a sophisticated master metadata schema with data exchange functionalities.

As of Autumn 2007, KQED enters their implementation phase. Their first efforts were focused on building a core program metadata function. They required an "Asset Manager" solution that would accept a flexible metadata structure that could be extended as needed. Dalet Digital Media Systems was selected based on several feature capabilities...

• Dalet systems were judged to be well-suited to provide turn-key, end-to-end solutions for radio production and playout
• Dalet is built on a modular architecture and multiplatform distribution engine
• Dalet is a system that is not just schedule and traffic oriented, but is suited to data management and exchange
• Dalet has the capability to import and export XML-based metadata records to and from information management systems
• Dalet functionality can be molded to match established and evolving workflows
• Approval processes for data entry can be implemented in order to provide quality control over metadata

Over the next year, KQED plans to push the metadata capture and management capabilities deep into the production workflow of the Dalet system, so that reporters, producers, and editors will be generating and refining metadata as a normal part of their work process. Dalet serves as the front end User Interface for data. The eventual goal is to co-develop with KQED's Interactive unit a centralized system for managing and repurposing stored media assets and variable metadata sets, with extensible ingest and export engines capable of handling existing or future rich media and data sources and distribution channels. At that time, Dalet will no longer perform as the central database repository, but instead will report to a customized master metadata database (MMD) interfacing with station-wide production and operations.

The challenges of building an enterprise-wide, integrated system are to identify and evaluate current workflows and "pave the cowpaths" that still work within the new digital architecture of the station, while recognizing there are new media options (such as podcasting) that can dramatically alter production and distribution workflows. New needs mean new requirements for data management. As well, for an integrated system to work, the numerous stakeholders within the organization must have buy-in for the capabilities and benefits of the system and one-by-one see its value and the associated incentives.

KQED has recognized early in their digital transformation that there must be an expectation for data to accompany day-to-day workflow; metadata should be treated as an integral part of workflows and not be treated as an after-thought or add-on feature to established and emerging work cultures within an organization.

In an overview of KQED's consolidated metadata workflow, posted to a publicly available wiki focusing on Program Service Data (PSD) deployments for public radio, Danial Mansergh states that KQED Public Radio...

...began a design process to upgrade its studios, analog production equipment and transmission systems to prepare for the advent of digital radio broadcasting and new IP-based distribution channels. Early on in this process, the need for metadata capture, management, and redistribution was identified as a key functionality to support these new services. Now with the bulk of this upgrade work complete and with the recent promulgation of implementation standards for Public Media-related metadata, including PRI's PSD recommended practices and the PBCore 1.1 XML Schema, KQED has undertaken the development of a comprehensive media creation workflow which unifies the production of audio content for traditional broadcast channels, multimedia content for IP distribution, and a robust metadata set.
http://pripsd.wikispaces.com/Prototype+KQED

From the start, one of KQED's core operating principles was to make their systems as PBCore compliant as possible. Worfklow issues and data requirements were paramount, but were recognized as moving targets. The imperative was to pick appropriate, well-defined metadata schemas that would serve the station over time. The criterion was that no matter what was implemented, a master set of data would be managed internally for the station. But in order to foster and ensure sharability of data, PBCore compliance using the PBCore XML Schema (XSD) would be promoted.

Most of the current program metadata can be mapped to PBCore's metadata dictionary. As with other PBCore integrations, the "name" given the elements may vary from the PBCore dictionary's names. As long as an element's definition, data syntax, referenced authority or picklists of vocabulary terms are applied consistently and in sync with PBCore, there is no mapping discrepancy.

However, the metadata associated with production, used in the creative and resource scheduling functions for the station, will require an extended set of metadata descriptors beyond that offered by PBCore. Nevertheless, the customized metadata, in combination with PBCore compliant descriptions, are all destined to be housed and managed in a KQED MMD or Master Metadata Dictionary.

For a complete in-depth review of KQED Public Radio's digital and metadata initiative and implementations, learn more at http://pripsd.wikispaces.com/Prototype+KQED.

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