Live broadcast interviews from beneath the Indian Ocean
AP exclusively provided live reporting facilities from a scientific expedition diving into the depths of the remote waters of the Seychelles
AP achieved the broadcast facilities milestone during a landmark deep-sea research mission by an international science team whose aim was to unlock the secrets of a vast stretch of unexplored ocean.
Services we provided
- Live two-way interviews with scientists in untethered submersibles deep beneath the ocean
- Back-to-back live two-way broadcast interviews at sea with the Seychelles president
- Live on-air correspondence by an AP reporter from the expedition’s mothership
- Full production at sea of an 18-minute show streamed live on multiple digital platforms
Nekton Mission chief scientist Dr. Lucy Woodall, seated next to pilot Randy Holt, takes part in a live interview for China Global Television Network from a submersible 110 metres (361 feet) beneath the Indian Ocean, in a transmission facilitated by The Associated Press (April 11, 2019 / CGTN, courtesy Nekton Mission).
AP reporter Toby Goode conducts a live interview with submersible pilot Robert Carmichael from the deck of the Ocean Zephyr, the mothership of the Nekton Mission off the Seychelles, on behalf of China Global Television Network. (April 11, 2019 / CGTN).
Presenter Amy Robach of ABC’s Good Morning America speaks to Nekton Mission chief scientist Dr. Lucy Woodall and pilot Randy Holt during a live broadcast from a submersible 418 feet (127 metres) beneath the Indian Ocean, in a transmission facilitated by The Associated Press (March 28, 2019 / ABC).
The challenge
As the only news agency working with the U.K.-led Nekton research team, The Associated Press committed to providing news outlets with live interview opportunities from the remote Indian Ocean. AP had to overcome the challenge of transmitting live from an untethered submersible deep under the sea with talkback and minimal latency.
How we helped
The Associated Press used cutting-edge optical technology to send footage from a submersible through the waves using LED light – and on to customers via satellite transmission from a vessel sailing above.
Live video was transmitted from over 120 metres (400 feet) below the surface using the blue light region of the electromagnetic spectrum, negating the need for the submersibles and the scientists within to be tethered to fiber optic cables.
The solution allowed us to offer live two-ways from previously uncharted depths of the ocean.
AP also provided a custom live shots reporter for live correspondence. Reports included an 18-minute live show, fully produced on board the vessel and hosted from the Ocean Zephyr, the expedition’s mothership. The live programme, which was streamed by the customer to five digital platforms simultaneously, included a live Q&A with a scientist in a submersible below the surface, interviews on deck with members of the research team and narrated video-taped inserts.
We additionally facilitated multiple live interviews with Seychelles President Danny Faure during his visit to the Nekton Mission off the remote island of Desroches on April 14, 2019. Faure took questions from international broadcasters following his landmark plea to world leaders to act to protect the oceans, conducted from a submersible beneath the waves - an event carried live and exclusively by AP.
Toby Goode, Business Development Manager for AP Global Media Services, said: “In rising to the immense technical challenges of facilitating live two-ways from the remote Indian Ocean and from the depths beneath, AP was able to exclusively provide a unique broadcast service to some of the world’s biggest news organisations. AP has once again proved that it delivers the highest standards in bespoke live international news transmission from events and locations unmatched by other vendors in the facilities marketplace.”
Don't just take our word for it
"At CGTN we are constantly exploring new ways to bring our audiences closer to the latest stories. And working with AP has allowed us to do exactly that. Reporting live from beneath the waves has enabled CGTN to offer a unique insight into the importance of ocean protection, a common concern that transcends borders.”
