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Election Marathon Kanał Zero — live election broadcast production
The first marathon of its kind in Poland: 9 hours of live broadcast covering the first-round presidential election night for Kanał Zero, watched by nearly 3 million viewers. We were responsible for the full TV production — an OB van, 5 studio cameras, two-way LiveU links with 4 campaign headquarters, and live editing of incoming material.
- ClientKanał Zero
- EventElection Marathon
- Type1st round of the presidential election
- Date18 May 2025
- Duration9 hours live
- Reach~3M viewers
Election night live — no room for error
Election night is the hardest live-broadcast format there is: several hours without a break, several programs running in a single slot, dozens of guests in studio, and a constant stream of data and material coming in from the field. Everything goes to air live, in front of millions of viewers who spot the smallest slip instantly.
On top of that comes the logistics of the links: reporters at campaign headquarters in different parts of the country have to go on air reliably and at broadcast quality, and the material from those links has to be edited and released to air within moments. The production has to hold up for nine hours of continuous work without the slightest gap.
- Multi-hour live broadcast without a break
- Several programs and dozens of guests in one slot
- Two-way links with campaign headquarters in the field
- Live editing of material and on-air graphics
OB van and studio production — video, audio, links and editing
We ran the production from our OBVAN OB van, parked at the Kanał Zero studio. 5 cameras were working in studio, with the whole picture held together by a Ross Carbonite Ultra 2M/E vision mixer; sound was produced on a Yamaha QL5 console with Shure ULXD microphones, and the entire crew was linked by an RTS intercom.
At the heart of the links were 4 LiveU units, giving two-way connectivity with reporters at 4 campaign headquarters. Material from the HQs flowed onto an EVS XT-3 Channel Max server and XFile 3.0, where we edited it live so it would appear on air within moments. On top of that: a full graphics package — adverts, video packages, lower thirds, photos and archive footage — running for the whole nine hours.
- Studio production on 5 cameras, Ross Carbonite Ultra 2M/E mixer
- 4× LiveU — two-way links with 4 campaign headquarters
- Live editing of material — EVS XT-3 and XFile 3.0 server
- Full graphics package and Yamaha QL5 sound production
Equipment used for the election broadcast
A configuration built for a multi-hour live studio broadcast with field links and on-air editing of incoming material.
Studio & cameras
- 5 studio cameras
- Ross Carbonite Ultra 2M/E vision mixer
- Studio lighting
OB van & links
- OBVAN OB van
- 4× LiveU — two-way links
- 4 campaign headquarters live
Audio & comms
- Yamaha QL5 audio console
- Shure ULXD mics + IEM
- RTS intercom
Editing & graphics
- EVS XT-3 Channel Max
- XFile 3.0 server — live editing
- Full graphics package
Behind the scenes of the Kanał Zero election marathon
9 hours live, nearly 3 million viewers and 4 campaign headquarters on LiveU links — the signal from our OB van and studio ran without a break through the entire election night, with material edited on air within moments.
— onestream production, Election Marathon Kanał Zero, 18 May 2025Scale of the production
Election and event broadcast production — frequently asked questions
How much does a live election broadcast cost?
The price depends on scale: the number of cameras and programs, the length of the broadcast, the number of field links (LiveU), the graphics package and live editing of material. A multi-hour election evening in studio is priced differently from a single program. Tell us the format — we prepare a quote within one business day.
What does producing an election night or election marathon involve?
It's a multi-hour live studio broadcast with several programs, guests and constant links from the field. We provide the OB van, multi-camera production, sound, graphics package, two-way links with campaign headquarters, and live editing of incoming material on air. At the Kanał Zero marathon we ran 9 hours of broadcast without a break.
Do you provide two-way links with reporters in the field?
Yes. During the election marathon we used 4 LiveU units, giving two-way connectivity with reporters at 4 campaign headquarters — the reporter could see and hear the studio, and the studio could see and hear them. This makes it possible to run live conversations at broadcast quality from multiple locations at once.
Do you edit material live during the broadcast?
Yes. We use an EVS XT-3 Channel Max server and XFile 3.0, where we gather material coming in from the links and edit it live, so that it appears on air within moments. This is standard practice for fast-moving news and event broadcasts.
How many cameras and what equipment do you need for a live studio broadcast?
It depends on the studio format. At the Kanał Zero marathon we worked with 5 cameras and a Ross Carbonite Ultra 2M/E vision mixer, sound on a Yamaha QL5 console, Shure ULXD microphones and an RTS intercom. We tailor the configuration to the set design, number of guests and number of programs.
Do you handle multi-hour live broadcasts without a break?
Yes. We produce live broadcasts lasting many hours — from conferences and galas to election nights. The Kanał Zero marathon was 9 hours of continuous production work without the slightest gap in transmission.
What keeps a multi-hour live broadcast stable?
We build in redundancy at every stage: independent links (including mobile LiveU with bonding), backup power, duplicated encoders and local recording. Even the failure of a single element doesn't take the broadcast off air — critical for a multi-hour live event.
Planning a live broadcast, event or election night?
We can take on the entire production — studio, cameras, sound, field links, editing and graphics — or just the part you need. Tell us what you're organising and we'll prepare a quote within one day.