TV Hokkaido (TVh) has secured its first external deployment of “VMO-AIPlus,” an AI-powered automated broadcast monitoring system developed in-house. The company announced on the 27th that TV Setouchi (TSC) and TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting (TVQ) will begin full-scale operation of the system on August 1. All three companies belong to the TV Tokyo network, marking a concrete step in technology sharing within the affiliate group.
At broadcast stations, personnel typically staff a master control room around the clock, operating multiple pieces of equipment while monitoring whether video, audio, and commercial feeds are being transmitted correctly. The newly introduced “VMO-AIPlus” automates these monitoring tasks using AI, handling not only broadcast progress checks and commercial transmission verification but also recovery control when malfunctions occur.
TV Hokkaido had previously developed the “Virtual Master Operator (VMO),” which replicates master control room functions on a PC screen to enable remote operations, and this foundational technology has been leveraged in “VMO-AIPlus.” A key feature is its compatibility with existing equipment regardless of type or manufacturer, allowing stations to boost operational efficiency by directly utilizing video signals and management screen information already handled by their master control systems.
A newly added smartphone integration feature automatically sends emergency alert superimpositions and video — such as earthquake early warnings and special weather alerts — to personnel on duty. Alarm occurrences in the master control room or at transmission sites are also notified in real time, enabling staff to instantly assess and verify situations on their mobile devices even when away from the master control room.
The system also includes a function for recording cut-in times for earthquake and weather bulletins, as well as automatic typo detection for subtitles and superimpositions. Additional features include a mechanism that transcribes and shares conversations within the master control room to streamline shift handovers, plus an AI chat function that responds to questions about alarm information — all designed to further enhance monitoring efficiency.
TV Hokkaido plans to exhibit the latest “VMO-AIPlus” model equipped with these new features at “Inter BEE 2026,” a comprehensive media industry event to be held at Makuhari Messe from November 18 to 20, where live demonstrations will be conducted.
For regional broadcast stations, improving operational efficiency to sustain 24/7/365 broadcasting with limited personnel has been a longstanding challenge amid population decline and labor shortages. The remote operation and automation of master control tasks is an area attracting growing interest beyond network affiliate boundaries, and this industry-wide demand is what prompted TV Hokkaido to pursue external sales of its self-developed system.
With this deployment decision, if operational expertise accumulates within the TV Tokyo network, expansion to other network affiliates and independent broadcasters could come into view. The industry will be watching closely to see whether the adoption of AI-powered monitoring systems accelerates as a means of balancing broadcast infrastructure maintenance with labor savings.
AloJapan.com