Telekast

Telekast is a cross-language term used to refer to the distribution of audiovisual content to a dispersed audience via telecommunications networks. It generally aligns with the concept of a broadcast or telecast, though the precise usage and scope vary by country and era. In some contexts telekast refers to a centralized production and simultaneous distribution model rather than to point-to-point communications.

Historically, telekast described systems in which a program produced at a main studio was transmitted over dedicated lines—telephone circuits, coaxial cables, or microwave links—to regional studios, affiliates, or homes. Some regional broadcasters used the term to distinguish these networked transmissions from local, on-site productions or recorded programs.

Technically, telekast infrastructures involved signal encoding, multiplexing, and distribution networks capable of reaching multiple receivers at once. Early implementations used analog video and audio on radio-frequency or wire channels; later iterations incorporated digital compression and IP-based streaming. The exact configuration depended on geography, regulation, and available technologies.

In contemporary usage the modern equivalents are television broadcasting or streaming services. The term telekast persists in archival contexts or in discussions of historical broadcasting in certain languages, where it remains a legacy descriptor for networked program distribution.

See also: telecast, broadcasting, telecommunications, streaming.