BACKHAUL

In the context of broadcast television, backhaul refers to program content that is transmitted to a television station or receiving entity where it will be integrated into a finished show. The term is independent of the medium being used to send the backhaul, but satellite transmission is very common.

Reporters' live shots, sporting events and network programming are all examples of television content that is backhauled to a station before being made available to the public through that station. Cable TV channels (ESPN, HBO, etc.) are also backhauled to cable head ends before making their way to the consumer.

There exists a dedicated group of enthusiasts who use TVRO (TV Receive Only) gear such as (as they call them) big ugly dishes or "BUDs" to peek in on backhaul signals that are available on any of the dozens of communications satellites that are visible from almost any point on Earth. In it's early days, their hobby was strengthened by the fact that most backhaul was analog and "in the clear" (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 occasional signals are steadily becoming digital, which has had a deleterious effect on the hobby.

The 1992 documentary "Feed" (see links, below) was compiled almost entirely using unedited backhaul from campaign coverage by local and network television.

External Links

• http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&group=rec.video.satellite.tvro
• http://www.lyngsat.com/
• http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104244/