SNG
Pronunciation: S-N-G
Also written as: SNG — Satellite News Gathering
The use of mobile or portable satellite uplink equipment to transmit live or recorded news video and audio from a remote location to a broadcast centre via satellite.
Full Definition
Satellite News Gathering (SNG) refers to the professional broadcast practice of using portable or vehicle-mounted earth station equipment to uplink news content — live or pre-packaged — from the field directly to a broadcast facility via a geostationary satellite. SNG equipment typically includes a compact dish antenna (0.9–1.8 m), an integrated upconverter and SSPA or TWTA, and professional video encoding equipment. SNG operations require ad-hoc or pre-arranged transponder access and frequency coordination. The term is widely used in broadcast engineering, regulatory filings, and capacity-lease contracts. Editors should distinguish SNG from ENG (Electronic News Gathering), which refers to terrestrial microwave or fibre-based contribution links.
Usage
Usage note: Always uppercase. Distinguish from ENG (Electronic News Gathering), which covers non-satellite field acquisition. In modern usage, SNG is sometimes superseded by 'DSNG' (Digital SNG) or 'IP contribution', but SNG remains the standard industry term for satellite-based news feeds.
In Context
- "The network deployed three SNG vehicles to cover the summit, each with 1.2-metre Ku-band dishes and 400-W SSPAs." — Broadcast Operations Plan
- "Ad-hoc SNG bookings must be submitted to the satellite operator at least two hours before airtime." — Transponder Access Policy