Czech TV Selects Media Backbone Hive Ver.2.0

Sony has announced that Czech TV, a leading broadcaster operating stations in Praha, Ostrava and Brno in the Czech Republic, has chosen Media Backbone Hive ver.2.0 for the upgrade of its existing Sony Sonaps news production system.

"We're very pleased to see our collaboration with Czech TV continue and strengthen over the years. We see them progress from strength to strength as a broadcaster, leading the way in the region and we’re delighted to see them choose Sony once again for their vital news operations," commented Olivier Bovis, Head of Media Solutions, Sony Europe B.V.

"When we were looking for a new solution for our news production, to upgrade from the current Sony Sonaps system, we were keen to select one that didn’t disrupt our existing ways of working by starting from scratch again, but could help us take our channels to the next level, while providing support for the next few years. In a context of increased security risks, Sony Media Backbone Hive ticked all the boxes for this," said Michal Kratochvil, Technical Director, Czech TV.

Media Backbone Hive was selected due to its compatibility with Czech TVs existing workflows and its implementation of the latest technologies. Media Backbone Hive is Sony’s multi award-winning news production system that streamlines workflows – boosting efficiency and driving down operational costs, and responsiveness, supporting all phases– from acquisition and production through to delivery and archive. It’s readily scalable to support the most ambitious vision for tomorrow’s news. The system’s strong web tools and flexibility will enable journalists to produce and publish news more efficiently, while its compatibility with other systems allows for a best-of-breed approach.

Sonaps has been a cornerstone of Czech TVs operations since 2015, powering the production and broadcast of news and sports channels including news channel CT24, news for the main channel CT1 & CT2, news sport channel CT Sport, CT Art & CT D. However, with rapidly changing news production landscape, the broadcaster sought a modern, innovative solution to take its channels to the next level and attract new audiences.

Local system integrator Elvia Pro has been awarded the contract to implement Hive, demonstrating the necessary expertise and alignment with Czech TV's technical, professional, and business requirements.

The project is set to be delivered by Spring 2026.

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