Editing Backhaul (broadcasting)

{{Short description|Uncut program content}}
{{more citations needed|date=October 2011}}

In the context of [[broadcasting]], '''backhaul''' refers to uncut program content that is transmitted [[point-to-point (telecommunications)|point-to-point]] to an individual [[television station]] or [[radio station]], [[broadcast network]] or other receiving entity where it will be integrated into a finished [[TV show]] or [[radio show]]. The term is independent of the medium being used to send the backhaul, but [[communications satellite]] transmission is very common. When the medium is satellite, it is called a wildfeed.

Backhauls are also referred to sometimes as ''[[Clean feed (television)|clean feeds]]'', being ''clean'' in the sense that they lack any of the [[post-production]] elements that are added later to the feed's content (i.e. [[digital on-screen graphic|on-screen graphic]]s, [[voice-overs]], [[bumper (media)|bumpers]], etc.) during the integration of the backhaul feed into a finished show.  In live [[sports]] production, a backhaul is used to obtain live game [[footage]] (usually for later repackaging in highlights shows) when an off-air source is not readily available. In this instance the feed that is being obtained contains all elements except for [[TV commercial]]s or [[radio ad]]s run by the host network's [[master control]]. This is particularly useful for obtaining live coverage of post-game press conferences or extended game highlights (''melts''), since the backhaul may stay up to feed these events after the network has concluded their broadcast.

[[Electronic news gathering]], including ''live via satellite'' [[interview]]s, [[reporter]]s' [[live shot]]s, and [[sporting event]]s are all examples of [[radio]] or [[television]] content that is backhauled to a station or network before being made available to the public through that station or network.  [[Cable TV]] channels, particularly [[public, educational, and government access]] (PEG) along with ([[Public-access television|local origination]]) channels, may also backhauled to [[cable headend]]s before making their way to the subscriber.  Finished [[Network affiliate|network]] feeds are not considered backhauls, even if [[local insertion]] is used to modify the content prior to final transmission.

There exists a dedicated group of enthusiasts who use [[TVRO]] (TV receive-only) gear such as satellite dishes to peek in on backhaul signals that are available on any of the dozens of [[broadcast satellite]]s that are visible from almost any point on Earth. In its early days, their hobby was strengthened by the fact that most backhaul was [[analog signal|analog]] and ''[[Plaintext|in the clear]]'' (unscrambled or unencrypted) which made for a vast smorgasbord of free television available for the technically inclined amateur. In recent years, full-time content and cable channels have added [[encryption]] and [[conditional access]], and occasional signals are steadily becoming [[digital broadcasting|digital]], which has had a deleterious effect on the hobby.

Some digital signals remain [[free-to-air|freely accessible]] (sometimes using [[Ku band|K<sub>u</sub> band]] dishes as small as one meter) under the international [[DVB-S]] standard or the US [[Motorola]]-proprietary [[Digicipher]] system. The small dishes may either be fixed (much like [[direct broadcast satellite|DBS]] antennas), positioned using a [[electric motor|rotor]] (usually [[DiSEqC]]-standard) or may be [[toroid]]al in design (twin toroidal [[Reflector (antenna)|reflector]]s focus the incoming signal as a line, not a point, so that multiple [[Low-noise block converter|LNB]]s may receive signal from multiple satellites). A ''blind-search'' receiver is often used to try every possible combination of frequency and [[bitrate]] to search for backhaul signals on individual communication satellites.

==Documentaries containing backhauled content==
The 1992 [[documentary film|documentary]] ''[[Feed (1992 film)|Feed]]''{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}} was compiled almost entirely using unedited backhaul from [[political campaign]] coverage by local and network television.  A similar documentary about the [[U.S. presidential election, 1992|1992 U.S. presidential election]] named ''[[Spin (1995 film)|Spin]]'' was made in the same way in 1995.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.lyngsat.com/ LyngSat]
* {{IMDb title|qid=Q7577358|title=Spin}}

[[Category:Broadcasting]]
[[Category:Broadcast engineering]]
[[Category:Television technology]]