Pioneer Two, the latest addition to the Pioneer Media fleet, features system integration led by Audioone. Extending the vision of a newsroom untethered from a fixed location; it serves as both a floating editorial office and a space for public discussions.
At 52 metres long and 8.2 metres wide, the vessel boasts 300 square metres of event and studio space, accommodating up to 200 guests. This innovation builds on the success of Pioneer One, which launched in 2020.
The concept of a newsroom on water emerged in Berlin’s political centre, where Pioneer One set a new precedent for mobile reporting. Its success led to the creation of Pioneer Two, designed to meet the growing demand for live reporting, video production, and audience engagement.
Unlike traditional media organisations, Pioneer Two operates on a subscription-based model, with members supporting journalism and participating in events and reporting. Converting a ship into a fully functional newsroom and production studio required meticulous planning. With limited space and no room for last-minute modifications, every detail, from cable routes to equipment placement, was finalized months in advance.
Designed with flexibility in mind, Pioneer Two features multiple production spaces. The ballroom, located at the ship’s aft, is a versatile event and production space equipped with state of the art lighting, audio technology, and a high resolution LED wall for live events and studio based broadcasts. A retractable roof allows the ship to navigate low bridges, adding versatility to its operational capabilities. While the boardroom functions both as a conference space and a smaller recording studio. “It also serves as an editorial and observation hub during events, where live feeds are monitored in real time,” noted Jevtic.
In addition to featuring a dedicated podcast studio recording space for producing podcasts, the ship’s upper deck and outdoor balconies, featuring 70m² of outdoor digital signage, are all configured with both SDI and Ethernet connectivity, enabling flexible camera deployments.
“Every area on the ship is optimised for production,” explainsKevin Jevtic, technical lead at Media Pioneer Publishing. “From the Ballroom’s event setup to the Boardroom’s editorial function, each space is wired into our central media infrastructure for seamless broadcasts.”
The control room acts as the central command centre, managing audio signals, lighting, and media playback across the entire ship. Built around two 42RU racks with 7.5kW cooling modules, a Blackmagic Videohub 80x80 12G video router handles signal management and distribution while two ATEM 4 M/E Constellation 4K live production switchers enable independent operation of both production spaces.
An SMPTE fiber like workflow using lower cost 10G Ethernet facilitates multicamera production in the ballroom, a decision that also helped save space during the build.
The Blackmagic Videohub 80×80 12G SDI router is also crucial in managing and distributing video throughout the ship, connecting event spaces, the upper deck, and outdoor balconies. “Additionally, three 32 port SDI patch panels were integrated to streamline connectivity, with one directly linked to the router, allowing seamless signal transmission to both switchers,” said Jevtic.
Recorded media is primarily captured onto SSDs using a series of eight HyperDeck Studio Pro 4K recorders, with FTP network connectivity enabling direct access for the onboard post-production team.
Pioneer Two is also a pioneer in sustainability, constructed with green steel, a climate neutral material made using green hydrogen. The ship runs on 100 percent green electricity, minimising its environmental impact.
Looking ahead, Media Pioneer Publishing plans to expand its in-house content platform, producing exclusive interviews and news driven programming. The team is also exploring broader applications of ST 2110 technology to integrate digital signage into the media system.
“We’ve already implemented 2110 technology onboard in areas where display usage wasn’t fully defined during the initial planning phase thanks to Blackmagic IP converters. This approach has transformed standard signage displays into fully integrated components of our video system,” concluded Jevtic. “We are now exploring how to expand that usage of ST 2110 as new IP ready technologies come to market.”
images: Anne Hufnagel
control room image: Kevin Jevtic