BFE
News
IP Modernization Completed at the ARD-Hauptstadtstudio
BFE Successfully Migrates the ARD-Hauptstadtstudio to SMPTE ST 2110 Without Interrupting Live Broadcast Operations
The transition to IP-based production infrastructures presents broadcasters with significant technical and organizational challenges. Between February 2024 and December 2025, the ARD-Hauptstadtstudio in Berlin successfully completed this transformation. BFE was responsible for the planning, system integration, and commissioning of the entire production environment.
Modernizing a Mature Broadcast Infrastructure
The objective of the project was to evolve the existing infrastructure into a future-ready production environment capable of meeting the long-term demands of fast-paced news production. While the existing systems had delivered reliable performance for many years, evolving production requirements and future technological developments increasingly exposed structural limitations. Key components were approaching the end of their planned lifecycle, and the existing cabling infrastructure no longer provided sufficient flexibility for further expansion.
Step-by-Step Migration During Live Operations
The new production environment is based on the SMPTE ST 2110 standard and was implemented in phases under the project leadership of Katrin Brümmer. To ensure uninterrupted broadcast operations throughout the project, the BFE team first deployed a comprehensive temporary infrastructure.
This temporary environment enabled extensive testing together with the operational staff, provided opportunities for user training, and allowed the existing and new production systems to operate in parallel. The final migration from the temporary setup to the new infrastructure was completed over a single weekend.
KSC Core as the Central Control Layer
A key element of the project was KSC Core, BFE's broadcast control platform. It provides centralized control, transparent system visualization, and reliable operational workflows across the complex IP-based production infrastructure. Throughout the entire migration, live broadcasting continued without interruption.
A Future-Proof Infrastructure and Lasting Expertise
The long-term benefits of the modernization are already evident. The new production infrastructure is flexible, highly reliable, and well prepared for future requirements. In addition, the operations and engineering teams have built valuable expertise in managing SMPTE ST 2110 environments—knowledge that will directly support future broadcast projects.
"Migrating to a fully IP-based production environment was a major milestone for us. With KSC Core, we now have a control layer that provides complete transparency across our workflows while giving us the flexibility we need for day-to-day news production."
Michael Schultz, Head of Production and Engineering, ARD-Hauptstadtstudio
More details about the project are available at ksc-systems.com.
