[ARSCLIST] PB Core Launch Imminent

["Carter, Lisa" <lisac@xxxxxxx>]

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PBCore (Public Broadcasting Metadata Dictionary) Test Implementation
Complete; Launch Imminent 

The inaugural version of PBCore (Public Broadcasting Metadata
Dictionary), a standard way to describe all public broadcasting content,
has emerged from the Test Implementation phase and is being finalized
for the launch of version 1.0 in September 2004. Under development since
January 2002, PBCore is the result of unprecedented cross-organizational
cooperation by a team of public radio and television producers and
managers, archivists and information scientists.

A common metadata protocol is fundamental to public broadcasting's
ability to work in collaborative environments to deliver and exchange
content across new digital distribution platforms. PBCore will enable
more efficient and cost-effective ways to leverage content and service
partnerships to serve existing and new constituents. PBCore will
facilitate new production collaborations and the ability to parse
traditional programs into short segments for Web distribution or as
niche content for specific community, service and institutional needs.
For these applications where granular manipulation and interoperability
are required, PBCore will be essential.

In May, PBCore was deployed in three test scenarios to determine:

1. its effectiveness when used as a data inter-operability/translation
tool; 
2. if PBCore can be used to initiate a digitizing/archiving process and
assess  its ability to assist in asset or record discovery; and 
3. to map PBCore to several emerging metadata standards. 

Participants included public television station and national producer
WGBH, public radio station and national producer Minnesota Public Radio,
national public broadcasting distributors PBS and National Public Radio,
local station Kentucky Educational Television, and recognized metadata
expert Grace Agnew.

The tests were completed successfully and highlighted areas for further
refinement. In response to consistent feedback to make metadata
standards easy to use, the number of PBCore metadata elements has been
reduced. Also, efforts are underway to provide more PBCore examples that
are specific to television and radio. 

The need for a shared descriptive language for public broadcasters was
underscored in the results of the test implementations, as well as the
March 2004 Request for Comments. Ninety-six percent of the RFC
respondents agreed  public broadcasting needs a core metadata
dictionary and that PBCore meets this need. In addition, 44 percent of
participants plan to implement a metadata project within the next year,
and 74 percent within the next two years. Respondents indicated the use
of PBCore would provide public broadcasting with a necessary tool for
increasing station and network efficiencies and inter-station resource
sharing. And 80 percent agreed the use of PBCore could afford new
service opportunities for their organization or those with whom they
work.

The PBCore is built on the foundation of the Dublin Core (ISO 15836), an
international standard for resource discovery (http://dublincore.org),
and has been reviewed by the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative Usage
Board. Version 1.0 of PBCore will be published in September 2004. It is
anticipated that PBCore will be available free of charge. 

A summary of the Test Implementation results, version 1.0 of PBCore
(once published), a User Guide with an orientation to understanding
PBCore elements, presentations, background articles, and resources are
available at http://www.utah.edu/cpbmetadata/. 

The Public Broadcasting Metadata Dictionary Project is funded by the
Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and administered by WGBH/Boston.

Press contact:
Lisa Cerqueira
Senior Publicist, Interactive Marketing
WGBH Boston
lisa_cerqueira@xxxxxxxx
(617) 300-5334