Satellite cars off to flying start for ITV Studios Daytime

31st August 2021

dB Broadcast

Kiera Sowery

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dB Broadcast has completed delivery of four new satellite cars to ITV. The fleet has been continuously busy making live contributions from around the UK into numerous daytime programmes such as Good Morning Britain (0600-0900, weekdays ITV1) and This Morning (1000-1230, ITV1), including covering an item on the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, ahead of their recent appearances at the G7 summit in Cornwall and Trooping the Colour.

The new vehicles are built on an efficient hybrid base vehicle, the latest Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, and replace ITV Studios Daytime’s current fleet. Central to the project’s design ethos was the aim of minimising their environmental footprint, so equipment was serviced and repurposed from the existing fleet, where possible.

In keeping with the project’s sustainable ideology, the technical system incorporates a battery/inverter system for clean, silent operation and includes two solar panels on the roof of the vehicle to supplement the technical battery. For connectivity, each vehicle incorporates multiple options including an auto-pointing Cobham 8100 KA-band satellite link and the latest quad channel LU800 LiveU encoder capable of simultaneously streaming up to four independent video signals, plus a high-power Wireless Access Point to boost connectivity around the car.

Tim Guilder, Head of Technology for Daytime commented: “Our ‘mini-fleet’ of Mk2 ITV Daytime Sat Cars has got off to aflying start this quarter and the remainder will be taking to the UK roads later this month, thanks to the team at dB Broadcast – a partner that we chose, not just because of their technical expertise, but also due to their strong sustainability policies. In line with ITV’s targets to become carbon zero by 2030, these vehicles will continue to reduce our footprint compared with traditional OB vans, as well as give us the range and agility to support our live daily output, whatever the story, conditions or connectivity."

“From the very start of this project our team has embraced the ambitions of ITV Daytime’s brief”, said Chris Whelan, Business Development Manager at dB Broadcast.

“From designing an innovative, environmentally conscious power system through to the complexity of integrating within a cutting-edge hybrid vehicle, it’s absolutely fantastic to see the vehicles performing so well out on the road and in daily use. We’re looking forward to supporting the fleet in coming years and to watching the wide variety of stories that they cover."

Special thanks are due to the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, for allowing ITV Daytime to photograph the vehicle on the apron next to the squadron.