France Télévisions has deployed a fleet of electric cargo bikes for its Paris 2024 coverage.
Following a study in which various options were evaluated, the broadcaster selected electric cargo bikes to enable its mobile video news teams to navigate the capital’s streets during the forthcoming Paris Olympics.
Equipped with 5G connectivity via a TVU One transmitter and Starlink satellite internet, the Vélos Eco-Direct aim to enable the teams to provide daily coverage and broadcast live from anywhere. The bikes, which carry up to 80 kilos of equipment, were delivered and fitted out in June.
The first live broadcast took place during a France2 special on the Olympic Torch, with the bikes enabling the teams to transport their equipment as close as possible to the location.
France Télévisions camera operator, Adrien Noel, said, “The aim of our thinking is not to do without our usual vehicles for all our live broadcasts; we’ll always have moves that we can’t envisage by bike. But we need to know how to challenge our practices, to have a ‘local’ and agile approach that allows us to work differently, being more eco-responsible without compromising the quality of our work.”
In addition to enabling free movement through Paris’ congested roads, the Vélos Eco-Direct are helping the broadcaster to meet its sustainability commitments.
Romuald Rat, director of France Télévisions’ Techlab, said, “The commitment of the production teams is a determining factor in the development of innovative technological solutions that are more economical, more agile and more responsible. The best examples of this are the coverage of the Olympic torch relay and the broadcast of the special days on 14 and 15 July, with the Sports and Information departments using private 5G and cloud production.”
