Mo-Sys transforms a radio studio into a virtual television set

TalkRadio in the UK produces twenty hours of live audio and video content from a virtual studio based in its radio studio.

Mo-Sys Engineering collaborated with TalkRadio, the UK's leading commercial radio news service, to create a turnkey virtual production environment first used for coverage of the US presidential election.

TalkRadio, part of the Wireless Group (News UK), live streams twenty hours of its output every day, for listeners using devices with screens. With the US election approaching, TalkRadio was looking for new ways to engage audiences and satisfy advertisers. Going beyond simply putting cameras in radio studios, I wanted to create a rich virtual environment.

With just four weeks until election night, TalkRadio turned to Mo-Sys Engineering, which had recently launched its all-in-one pre-configured virtual production system, StarTracker Studio.

Providing multi-camera tracking, mixing, photo-realistic graphics with Unreal Engine, compositing and recording, StarTracker Studio is designed for live, multi-camera VFX and shot-by-shot virtual production workflows, supporting both green screen and LED wall studios.

A complete solution

Nick Prater, director of broadcast technology at Wireless Group, notes that "we wanted our small studio space to look big, to feel luxurious. Mo-Sys could provide the complete solution, and they understood that we wanted it to look real. Getting the textures and lighting right in the virtual studio took time, but the designers at Mo-Sys understood what we wanted and delivered."

In any election broadcast, even without the complications of COVID-19, there is a need for flexibility as the guest list changes, and contributions arrive online (usually Zoom) as well as in person. The use of a combination of PTZ cameras of Panasonic with tracking systems PTZ the StarTracker, allowed cameras to move dynamically within the virtual studio, simplifying studio setup and allowing complete creative freedom.

Michael Geissler, CEO of Mo-Sys, highlights that "what we achieved with this project was to bring them closer in a new way, to improve the engagement of the stations with the audience. This is absolutely unique, a completely new way of viewing radio."

Nick Prater, of TalkRadio, adds that "after the broadcast I spoke with a television executive who said of our coverage 'that it looks very good... as good as television'. For a small radio team, supported by Mo-Sys and with only four weeks to put it all together, I think we have achieved something remarkable. It is a sensational achievement that meets our audience and pushes the boundaries of radio viewing."