ORF opens new million-dollar center: Tech revolution at Küniglberg!

ORF opens new million-dollar center: Tech revolution at Küniglberg!

ORF opened a new Content Management Center (CMC) on Küniglberg today, September 8, 2025, which will act as the technical heart of the station. With an investment volume of around 20 million euros, financed from the current budget, the new CMC aims to make the distribution of TV, radio and online content more efficient. Loud exxpress.at ORF technical director Harald Kräuter describes this center as a European pioneer.

As part of the CMC project, SMPTE-2110 technology was implemented, which enables broadcast signals to be transmitted over an IP real-time network. This innovative system, largely unique in Europe, replaces the traditional structure in which each video signal required its own cable. Now the transmission takes place over a network, which increases the flexibility and adaptability of the transmission process.

Technological innovations and increased efficiency

The CMC combines the control of online, TV and radio content at a single location and includes the broadcasting of ORF III in Pfarrwerfen, which is now centralized in Vienna. ORF General Director Roland Weißmann emphasizes the efficiency and flexibility of the new system and promises increased broadcast security. The new workstations enable all channels to be controlled from any CMC workstation, which is important for quickly responding to changes ots.at.

Another advantage of the CMC is the automation of work processes, which enables an increase in output by up to 50 percent. The new fully automated micro-studios help to efficiently serve increasing live shares and new distribution channels. The integration of the technology into a multiple redundant network also ensures a high level of cybersecurity, a crucial criterion for the ORF as part of the critical infrastructure.

Transformation and outlook

The conversion to the new Content Management Center is largely completed; The final adjustments should be made by the end of the year. As part of this transformation, broadcast technicians at ORF will be retrained to become flexible CMC operators capable of monitoring over 300 server-integrated systems. The demands on the qualifications of employees are increasing significantly, as knowledge of complex IP networks and software systems is required in order to master the new standards in the broadcasting industry. The work of technicians is thus fundamentally redefined and represents a challenge courier.at reported.

The CMC not only marks a technical change for ORF, but also a strategic realignment of the company from a traditional broadcaster to a modern platform that also uses cloud services, among other things. Harald Kräuter sees this center as a multimedia hub that will prepare the ORF for a new era of broadcasting.