BroadcastPro ME December 2013

ISSUE 42 | DECEMBER 2013

TECHNOLOGY INTELLIGENCE FOR TV, FILM AND RADIO

MENA BROADCAST CHAMPIONS ASBU BroadcastPro Awards 2013 honours the best in the industry

PUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ

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THE CHAMPIONS 1. Cliff Nelson, 2. Carlos Tibi, 3. Raed Bacho, 4. Eng. Ibrahim Alrowaitie, 5. David Butorac, 6. Zaid Wattar, 7. Peyman Parham Al Awadhi, 8. Mohamed Parham Al Awadhi, 9. Saleh Lootah, 10. Mohammed Akhlaq, 11. Danish Mumtaz, 12. Aiham Ajib, 13. Ahmed Alebrahim, 14. Lisa Robinson, 15. David Hanson, 16. Assem Al Awa, 17. Basel Al Aref, 18. Omran Abdallah and 19. Afzal Lakdawala.

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INDUSTRY APPLAUDS TV & FILM ACHIEVERS

NEWS 5 DIFF ties with The Academy 12 Pump It wins 48-Hour Film Project

BACK TO SCHOOL 9 UBMS hosts Steadicam workshop 14 Advanced Media introduces the latest Angenieux lenses 16 MediaCast hosts workshop on DaVinci Resolve10

THE YEAR THAT WAS 18 One year of audience measurement in the UAE

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INDUSTRY HEAVYWEIGHTS DISCUSS ARCHIVING AT FIAT/IFTA WORLD CONFERENCE

RIGGING IT 62 Viral promo uses Blackmagic

OVER THE TOP 67 Finding the perfect OTT fit for the Middle East

PUBLISHER Dominic De Sousa GROUP COO Nadeem Hood

ASBU BROADCASTPRO SUMMIT AND AWARDS Wrap-up of the conference and the awards.

Turn to page 20.

MANAGING DIRECTOR Richard Judd EDITORIAL Editorial Director Vijaya Cherian vijaya.cherian@cpimediagroup.com +971 (0) 55 105 3787 Deputy Editor Vibhuti Arora vibhuti.arora@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9111 MARKETING & ADVERTISING Publishing Director Raz Islam raz.islam@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9129 Group Sales Manager Sandip Virk sandip.virk@cpimediagroup.com +971 (0) 50 459 2653 Sales Manager Rodi Hennawi rodi.hennawi@cpimediagroup.com +971 (0) 50 714 0427 DESIGN Art Director Simon Cobon Graphic Designers Jane Matthews Glenn Roxas PHOTOGRAPHY Abdul Kader Pattambi Jay Colina CIRCULATION & PRODUCTION Production Manager James P Tharian james.tharian@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9146 Circulation Manager Rajeesh M rajeesh.nair@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9147 DIGITAL SERVICES www.broadcastprome.com Digital Services Manager Tristan Troy P Maagma Web Developers Erik Briones Jefferson De Joya online@cpimediagroup.com T +971 4 440 9100

Welcome November 2013 was an unforgettable month in the history of BroadcastPro ME. We had some of the most powerful figures in Middle East broadcast seated together for the ASBU BroadcastPro Summit and Awards. We had representation from almost all of the major broadcasters across the region. We also hosted several manufacturers, distributors and systems integrators from across the world. I couldn’t have asked for more.

I still remember the trepidation with which we hosted the inaugural issue of the ASBU BroadcastPro Summit and Awards in 2011.

We wondered how we would get people to attend because we were not running it alongside a big show. We hoped we would get 150 people at that first Summit. Around 200 people came. Last month, we had 280 plus people attend the summit.

Perhaps one of the key reasons why this event has now become a success is primarily because we have refused to give in to the temptation of having presentations from manufacturers on their products. How many presentations about

products do you attend? I don’t attend any unless I’m at a show and am specifically going to learn about a new product. If I’m going to a conference, I expect to be educated, informed and yes, network as well.

I’m pleased to say that our formula has worked.

Our sponsors have been hugely supportive. We don’t know how we can make the next event bigger or better, but we have a year to think about it. For now, I hope you will enjoy this issue as much as we have enjoyed putting it together for you, and making it as special as possible for the winners of the ASBU BroadcastPro Awards. We’ll meet again in the New Year.

VIjaya Cherian, Editorial Director, Broadcast

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The winners of the ASBU BroadcastPro Summit and Awards.

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PRONEWS

STOP PRESS ● A regional consortium of private broadcasters and media players is being launched to address some of the issues and codes of conduct that must be practised by media entities. ● Abu Dhabi Media’s TV channels get a fresh look from December 2, 2013.

Ben Kinealy, CEO, Intigral.

Ben Kinealy promoted to CEO at Intigral Digital media solutions provider Intigral has announced the appointment of Ben Kinealy as the company’s Chief Executive Officer. Kinealy will assume responsibilities with immediate effect, and will succeed Acting CEO Dr. Ismaeel Makdisi.

Kinealy’s key role will be to develop a strong vision and strategy to expand Intigral into new markets and business areas. He will oversee all aspects of the business including building partnerships and will also be responsible for reinforcing the Intigral brand, whilst strengthening the company’s position across the MENA region.

DIFF PARTNERS WITH THE ACADEMY

DIFF has announced a strategic partnership with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). The partnership will see a delegation from the Academy attending DIFF to deliver a programme of events for attendees, filmmakers and industry professionals. The partnership will also enable DIFF to take some of the locally produced Arab films to Hollywood next year.

The customised programme presented at DIFF 2013 will put the spotlight on various segments of the film industry and offer a special opportunity for those attending to take advantage of the Academy team’s vast wealth of experience.

Highlights will include a workshop with members of the Academy titled Beyond the Oscars, an open session that will provide an overview of the full scope of the AMPAS while also including master classes for filmmakers.

Former Academy President, Sid Ganis; Managing Director of Outreach and Strategic Initiatives, Vicangelo Bulluck; and Director, Exhibitions and Collections, Ellen Harrington will offer an overview of the full scope and dimension of the Academy. The workshop will include a range of topics including The Oscars, The Academy’s Public Programming, The Academy Museum and Gallery Exhibitions, the Margaret Herrick Library, the Academy

Film Archive and Preservation, Educational Initiatives, Grants, the Student Academy Awards, the Sci-Tech Awards and Nicholl Fellowship in screenwriting.

A second workshop titled An Academy Conversation on Directing will see Shekhar Kapur (Queen Elizabeth, 1998 and The Golden Age, 2007) and new Academy member, Ava DuVernay (the first AfricanAmerican woman to win the Best Director Prize at Sundance for her second film Middle of Nowhere in 2012) discuss their personal experiences and unique approaches to the filmmaking process from pre-production through to post. They will discuss working on the set and dealing with actors, agents and executive producers. They will also share their insights on how changing moviegoer demographics and new technologies impact the filmmaking process.

Commenting on the partnership between DIFF and the Academy, Abdulhamid Juma, Chairman of DIFF, said: “We are honoured to be collaborating with AMPAS and look forward to welcoming the delegation to Dubai.

This will be a fantastic opportunity for DIFF audiences to gain an extraordinary insight from Academy members about their craft, films and anecdotes from their illustrious careers. Working with AMPAS will inspire the filmmakers that attend DIFF from around the world and encourage invaluable educational and cultural opportunities.”

He added that three films that DIFF has supported including Wadjda, Omar and Blind Intersections are in the running for the Academy’s Foreign Language category this year.

OASYS Chameleon powers Physique TV Physique TV, a newly launched channel dedicated to fitness, healthy living, nutrition and action sport for MENA viewers, has deployed OASYS Automated Playout as part of a decision to consolidate its market presence and bring all transmissions inhouse. The OASYS Chameleon platform will supply automated playout for its Arabic language channel, which is being broadcast on Arabsat.

The initial order was for an SDI-based solution installed in TAS Uplink Centre controlled from Dubai,

Physique TV’s HQ. However, when it was discovered that the workflow needed to change to allow Physique TV to operate and manage the playout in Dubai before onward transmission to their new distribution uplink at TAS, OASYS was able to re-engineer Chameleon to seamlessly fit the new system.

Mike Kenna, Sales Director, EMEA, OASYS, said: “We designed a multiplex solution that encompasses one video channel, two audio channels, DVB subtitling, graphics and conversion to ASI.”

Mike Kenna, Sales Director, EMEA, OASYS.

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PRONEWS Twofour54 undertakes training initiatives in Bahrain and Sharjah

MGI TIES WITH INEOQUEST AND FILMLIGHT

Twofour54 has been engaged in various entities to provide training to young Arab talent. It recently commenced a media skills training programme in Bahrain as part of a partnership with Tamkeen.

The courses in Public Relations and Graphic Design that have been offered through Twofour54 tadreeb are part of a strategic media skills training agreement, which Twofour54 and Tamkeen entered into last June.

The partnership aims to develop the capabilities of Bahrain’s human capital, in line with labour market requirements, by offering courses to Bahraini nationals who wish to upskill or acquire the new skills required to succeed in the media industry.

Twofour54’s ‘Creative Campus’ also recently launched its academic outreach programme in the American University of Sharjah (AUS) to showcase how students can explore a career in the UAE’s fast-growing media and creative industries.

Representatives from Twofour54 presented AUS students with a glimpse of the many exciting opportunities in media and entertainment available to them through Twofour54, including its Cartoon Network Animation Academy, the Twofour54 Gaming Academy in partnership with Ubisoft, its vocational training programme ‘intaji’, its creative lab, as well as its freelancer and internship programmes.

Systems integrator Media Group International has announced partnerships with IneoQuest Technologies, a global video analytics and service assurance solutions provider, and post production expert Filmlight.

The partnership with IneoQuest Technologies is aimed at enabling video providers in the Gulf to have complete visibility into consumers’ video experiences – at all times, across all networks, on all devices – utilising IneoQuest’s solution to assure video services, understand subscriber From left: Kirk George of behaviour, and grow returns.

Ineoquest with Paul Wallis, MGI. MGI’s Sales Director Paul Wallis said: “The innovation and sophistication of IneoQuest’s video network technology fits perfectly with MGI’s philosophy of giving our customers the very best broadcast solutions. In recent months, we have signed successful partnerships with a number of cutting edge technology companies and it is very satisfying to add IneoQuest to this list. We strongly believe that today’s broadcasters need easy access to new multiscreen technologies and working practises so that they can expand their subscriber bases and offer audiences a more immersive viewing experience.”

MGI also recently announced a partnership with FilmLight to distribute its portfolio including Baselight in the region. With the partnership, Filmlight hopes to also strengthen its sales channel in Qatar. As part of those efforts, the two companies teamed up to host a workshop in Qatar last month.

Vizrt acquires Mosart Medialab Vizrt has entered into an indicative non-binding term sheet with TV2 Gruppen AS for the purchase of all of the John Kjellevold, MD, issued share capital Mosart Medialab. of Mosart Medialab AS, a Norwegian company active in the field of development and licensing of newscast automation software. In consideration for the purchase of 100% of the issued share capital of Mosart, VIZRT shall pay, at the closing of the transaction, an amount of USD 17.6 million. In addition, the sellers have an earn-out mechanism should the revenues for the years 2013, 2014 and 2015 exceed certain thresholds. As part of the transaction, TV2 Gruppen AS shall continue to be granted a licence for Mosart’s software, in accordance with the current annual licence fee charged by Mosart, of USD 426,116 per year for seven years.

OSN completes financial syndicate; revalued at USD 4.3bn ahead of IPO Dubai-based pay-TV network OSN, which is planning an initial public offering, has secured a fiveyear, USD 200 million financing facility. Mashreq Bank acted as the sole Mandated Lead Arranger, Bookrunner and Underwriter for this syndication.

The proceeds of the facility will be utilised by OSN to further grow and strengthen its core business, in line with the company’s objective to provide viewers with the ultimate entertainment experience.

A signing ceremony was held for the deal and attended by His Excellency AbdulAziz Al Ghurair, CEO of Mashreq, and Faisal Al Ayyar, Chairman of OSN and Vice Chairman of KIPCO, David Butorac, CEO of OSN, and senior officials from the participating banks.

Speaking about the deal, Al Ayyar said: “The overwhelming response from the financial institutions to our first syndicated financing facility underlines OSN’s robust fundamentals and its tremendous growth potential.”

OSN’s Butorac commented: “The pay-TV industry in the MENA region is growing fast and has enormous growth potential. Given the changing preferences of television audiences who value premium and exclusive content that OSN is consistently focused on delivering, this potential is becoming increasingly tangible.

“The successful debut of our financing facility highlights the trust which financial institutions

6 | www.broadcastprome.com | December 2013

From left: Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair with Faisal Al Ayyar. place in our competencies and prospects. This transaction strengthens OSN’s commitment to provide truly world-class television experiences for our subscribers, build long-term partnerships, expand our technological base and, in turn, add long-term value for our stakeholders.”

KIPCO stated earlier this year that it had hired financial group Rothschild to advise on an IPO of OSN, in which KIPCO owns a 60.5% stake.

Just as we were going to press, a report from Reuters stated that brokerage Arqaam Capital had raised its valuation of OSN to USD 4.3 billion from the previous estimate of $2.5 billion, an increase of 72%, following the pay TV operator’s recent acquisition of Pehla Media & Entertainment.

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PRONEWS Grass Valley increases visibility in France and North Africa As part of an on-going commitment to generate further momentum and growth within its customer base in France and North Africa, Grass Valley has announced a strategic reseller agreement with Magic Hour (which includes Magic Editing) for the distribution of Grass Valley products and services across both regions.

France-based Magic Hour will manage the distribution for the entire breadth of Grass Valley’s product portfolio — from live production to news, playout and more.

Commenting on the new partnership, Said Bacho, Senior Vice President of EMEA, Grass Valley, said: “Our relationship with Magic Hour provides broadcasters and media organisations across France and North Africa access to all of Grass Valley’s innovative solutions.”

Geoffroy de La Roche of Magic Hour said: “Partnering with Grass Valley is exciting for us because it adds an entirely new set of solutions and technologies that we can offer broadcasters across France and North Africa.”

Kirk George of IneoQuest (l) with MGI’s Paul Wallis.

UK TALENT FIRM TO OPEN OFFICE IN ABU DHABI The Crewing Company, a well-known name in the United Kingdom for sourcing off-camera talent for video content production, including camera crews, producers, directors, editors and animators, will set up a company at twofour54, Abu Dhabi soon, BroadcastPro ME can reveal.

“We already do a lot of work in the region and have freelancers from the UK, who are currently engaged in long-term contracts in Abu Dhabi and Qatar and have also supplied to projects in Dubai, Egypt and Iraq,” Stuart Hatton, Joint Managing Director of The Crewing Company told BroadcastPro. “We plan to work with twofour54’s business services division, Tawasol to develop a pool of talent from both the UK and the Middle East. We will work to attract talent interested in longterm opportunities who want to become licensed to work in the media zone and travel freely in and out for work. This will make it easier for media zone partners to source the calibre of talent they require within the time-scales demanded by their schedules. In the longer term, we plan to roll our services out right across the MENA region.”

DIFF to present an eclectic line-up of films Awaes Jaswal, CEO, Viewsat.

ViewSat reaches North America Global satellite transmission company ViewSat has secured capacity across North America, reaching seven million people.

ViewSat is now able to offer its growing client base, situated primarily in the MENA region and Sub-Saharan Africa, the opportunity to broadcast to millions of viewers.

The new capabilities have been made possible through the company’s arrangement with satellite service provider Intelsat, which owns and operates the Galaxy 19 satellite.

Speaking about the new feature, Awaes Jaswal CEO of Viewsat said: “To capitalise on the growth we’ve enjoyed throughout the world over the last six years, it is now the right time to move into this popular area and to offer our clients the opportunity to communicate directly with a considerable percentage of ethnic speakers in the United States. This will facilitate the growing audience in the US choosing the FTA option over the established pay-TV setup.”

The tenth edition of Dubai International Film Festival will showcase a diverse selection of world and international premieres with a total of 174 feature films, shorts and documentaries from around the world. Screenings will take place alongside a line-up of special events.

Omar by Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe winning Palestinian Director Hany Abu Assad will raise the curtain on the decennial edition on December 6. The feature, supported

by DIFF’s post production and production funding support programme Enjaaz, marks the return to the Festival for Assad whose Paradise Now opened the second edition of DIFF. The film boasts compelling performances from Adam Bakri, Samer Bisharat, Eyad Hourani and Waleed Zuaiter.

David O’Russell’s American Hustle has been selected for the prestigious closing night gala. DIFF will be the first festival to screen the film starring Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Louis CK and Robert De Niro.

The festival will screen a total of 174 features, shorts and documentaries from both established and upcoming talent over a nine-day celebration

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of cinema. The line-up includes more than 100 films from the Arab world which highlights the thriving film culture within the region and increased interest in Arab cinema from audiences around the world.

Doco treat part of Muhr line-up

An impressive 90 films will compete for more than USD 575, 000 in prize money at the Muhr Awards across three categories – Muhr Emirati, Muhr Arab and Muhr AsiaAfrica. The line-up this year was selected from 3,500 submissions from 143 countries, showing an increase of 60% from 2012.

Arabic features will also be eligible for a variety of prestigious global awards including the FIPRESCI International Prize for the Critics Award.

The Dubai Film Market, an industry platform for Arab cinema and the business centre of the festival will showcase a slate of 20 films supported by Enjaaz and a further three films supported by the Dubai Film Connection to audiences during DIFF. Pioneering initiatives such as the Dubai Film Connection co-production market, Enjaaz post production support, forum sessions during the festival and Cinetech, a digital platform for sales and acquisitions have made Dubai Film Market a one-stop-shop for Arab filmmakers.

PRONEWS UBMS hosts Steadicam workshop Dubai-based distributor UBMS organised its first certified Steadicam workshop in Dubai, with experts giving hands-on training to attendees. The three-day workshop offered a Steadicam training course to 12 attendees and covered the basics of operating a Steadicam system. The lessons included introduction to Steadicam’s camera stabilising systems, techniques of balancing and using the kit.

Conducted by Robin Thwaites, International Director of Sales, and Kevan Parker, International Sales Manager at Steadicam, the workshop covered both theoretical and practical instructions. While UBMS provided most of the equipment, some of the demo units were also brought in from Steadicam, UK. The attendees comprised a mix of cameramen, producers and DoPs from local production and broadcast companies. The workshop was conducted at SAE Institute in Dubai Knowledge Village from November 12 to 14, 2013.

Commenting on the three-day course, Parker said: “We introduced the Steadicam equipment on the first day and Robin offered some theoretical insight into the way it is meant to be used. We also demonstrated the basic moves and how to balance the equipment.

“On the second day, the attendees were given the equipment to practice the moves. They were also

Robin Thwaites (third from left) and Kevan Parker (fifth from left) with the workshop attendees at the Steadicam workshop in Dubai.

introduced to a number of exercises that will help them use the rigs.”

The workshop was closely assessed throughout the three days and Steadicam certification was handed out to the attendees on the successful completion of training at the end of the third day.

“This workshop is meant to ready the users to embark on their Steadicam journey. The more one practices, the better he or she will be at mastering the technique,” explained Parker.

If used in the right way, Steadicam can be a very effective tool in capturing shots with specific

demands. The use of Steadicam has consistently grown over the past several years. From being a niche technique available to only a few camerapersons, it is now used more commonly on a variety of shoots from films to dramas and sports.

Commenting on the relevance and need for such workshops, Peter Kyriakos, Head of Marketing at UBMS, said: “The workshop is mainly to impart knowledge and training to professionals to enable them to use this equipment in the correct way. This workshop is the first of its kind in the Middle East because it provides certification from Steadicam.”

Damien Egan, Solid State Logic.

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PRONEWS

ETIHAD AIRWAYS SCREENS LIVE NEWS AND FORMULA 1 Etihad Airways recently introduced eight live in-flight TV channels for the broadcast of live news and sport. The channels were also recently used for the broadcast of the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The new live channels on Etihad Airways include BBC World News, BBC Arabic, Euronews and Sport 24, CNBC, Japan’s NHK World Premium and CNN. The airline intends to add Sky News Arabia to its portfolio in the coming months.

The Formula 1 season with the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the Brazil Grand Prix were broadcast live on the flights.

Speaking about the Formula 1 coverage, Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways’ Chief

Dubai to host first Cinematic Innovation Summit

Commercial Officer said: “We were delighted to broadcast the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on many of our aircraft, ensuring that passengers who were flying on race day didn’t miss any of the action from Yas Marina Circuit.”

In addition to Formula 1, passengers also had access to a wealth of live top sporting action including the ATP World Tour Finals, English Premier League, German Bundesliga matches and Euroleague.

Book of top 100 Arab films released DIFF has released Cinema of Passion, a book of 100 of the greatest Arabic films. The list was compiled with input from more than 475 prominent film critics, writers, novelists, academics and other arts professionals from both international and regional circles. Each of the 475 contributors put together their selection of 10 of the most important films in the history of Arab cinema. All the selections were then collated to choose the final 100 films.

The project was supported by Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (DCAA).

The top 10 is a showcase of the who’s who of Arab cinema of the past decades and includes a diverse selection with several of the Egyptian classics coming in the top 10, with first place going to Director and Set Designer Chadi Abdel Salem’s (1930-1986) only feature The Mummy (1969).

The project is the first of its kind in the Arab world.

The first Cinematic Innovation Summit will take place in Dubai on December 5 and 6, 2013 at the Atlantis, The Palm, in association with DIFF, Centre for New Cinema and Naseba.

The summit will be a dynamic mix of symposium, film festival, and interactive space for cutting-edge works and technologies. It will be dedicated entirely to the future of cinematic innovation, throwing a spotlight on the changes to come.

There will be equal emphasis on creative opportunities and the business implications of technology, with focus on co-productions as a future business model.

The key topics of the summit include: filmmaker and technology as disruptive agents, the new topology of financing, emerging market cooperation, the future of animation, new frontiers of cinematography, the world without actors, incubating the future of cinema, infinite storylines, speech synthesis and virtual voice over.

Speaking about the summit, Shivani Pandya, Managing Director of DIFF said: “We see the Cinematic Innovation Summit as an extension of what we are doing at DIFF. The main objective of this summit is to provide a common platform for the key players of cinema around the world to come together to exchange ideas.”

Twofour54 produces film for National Day The Mummy got the first place in the top 100 Arab films.

Commenting on the project, DIFF Chairman Abdulhamid Juma said: “The Cinema for Passion project is the perfect way to celebrate DIFF’s landmark 10th edition this year. Since the festival’s inception, our core mandate has been to celebrate, promote and nurture Arab cinema, and the book adds an important dimension of preserving and analysing the region’s film treasures.”

Yahoo Maktoob, CNBC Arabia partner for business and finance news Yahoo Maktoob and CNBC Arabia have entered a partnership to provide the latest financial, business and corporate news from the region. Through a dedicated CNBC Arabia Finance News sub-section on Yahoo Maktoob, visitors will have access to CNBC Arabia’s top business TV programmes, breaking business and finance news, Middle East market data and the latest from the stock markets.

Video is central to the new content, which can be found on Yahoo Maktoob News and Yahoo Maktoob Screen, and includes some of CNBC Arabia’s most prominent programmes such as Hiwar Al’ousboo3 (Weekly Dialogue), Bi Moudouia, Kalam Al Souq (Market Talk) and Al Nift Wa Taqa (Oil and Energy) among others.

“We are excited to partner with CNBC Arabia to bring our regional audience a trusted source for finance and business news that informs them in a way that is most relevant to them,” said Christos Mastoras, Director of Business Development at Yahoo Maktoob.

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Twofour54, in partnership with Abu Dhabi Media (ADM) and The Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA), will present Ishy Biladi – a Film for National Day. The film, rich in contemporary symbolism, tells the story of the UAE and its people.

Twofour54’s creative lab talent has led an Emirati team in producing the film under the creative direction of Ali F. Mostafa.

Ishy Bilady - A Film for National Day is edited in time with new music composed for the Emirati national anthem. The two-and-ahalf-minute film features iconic moments in the lives of the Emirati people, its leaders and those living and working in the UAE. Human themes are embraced, such as the warmth of Emirati hospitality, the life of a new baby, the pride of the national football team, and the Emirati tradition of diving for pearls. Shots of scientists, the military and the nations’ university students depict the UAE as it is now and hint at how it will continue to thrive in the future.

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PRONEWS

PUMP IT WINS 48-HOUR FILM CHALLENGE

Khalid Balkheyour, President and CEO, Arabsat.

The winning teams of 48-HFP with Producer Mo Rida.

Left to right: The winner of 48HFP, Patrick Fronda with Middle East Producer Mo Rida.

Filmmakers from Dubai made 47 films in 48 hours for the 48-Hour Film Project (48HFP) held in November this year.

Mo Rida, Middle East Producer for 48HFP, called this “the biggest 48HFP by far”.

“Last year we received 38 submissions, this year there were 42 on-time entries out of which 12 made it to the finals. The remaining five from the 47 submissions were disqualified because they were not submitted on time,” he explained.

After the final screenings, the judges chose the three top films. The winner of this year’s competition was Pump It by Playback Films. Go On Then by BROWNTOW and Cold Feet by Hashmic House Films were declared the runners up. Pump It now qualifies to enter the international event called “Filmapalooza” that brings together the 48-HFP winners from 126 cities.

Arabsat announces transition plan

Rida explained: “Our winning team will represent Dubai to compete for the ‘Best 48 Hour Film’ of the world title and will be in the running for the top 15 films that will be screened at the Cannes short film corner.”

Last year, the film that won the Dubai leg of the competition (The Pillow Case by Gorilla Film crew) made it to Cannes.

According to the producers and judges, the quality of films is getting better progressively with each instalment of the competition. Some of the filmmakers entering the contest have participated in the challenge before and were, therefore, better equipped to manage the time and complete their films within 48 hours.

“There was a noticeable improvement in the technical quality of the submissions as well, especially in terms of camera handling,” added Rida.

Jordanian firm begins global sales of co-produced films Amman-based RGH Entertainment has announced it will begin sales for three animated feature films at the 2013 American Film Market.

Headlining the list is the upcoming CG 3-D stereoscopic feature film Postman Pat: The Movie followed by The Santa Story, which is now in production for a 2015 holiday season release in CG 3-D stereoscopic.

RGH recently announced it has partnered with Unique Features on a new film. Based on Sir Paul McCartney’s children’s book, High in the Clouds is a 3D CGI stereoscopic animated feature film about a squirrel’s quest to find a fabled animal sanctuary called Animalia.

“We are thrilled to announce our presence at AFM with a slate of films that demonstrate RGH’s aggressive strategy to grow our portfolio of properties for children and all family audiences,” stated RGH’s CEO, Randa Ayoubi.

“As the premiere marketplace for film in the United States, AFM provides a superb platform to showcase RGH’s strong line-up of directors, writers, actors and producers who have signed on to work with our talented staff in Los Angeles, Amman, Manila and Dubai to deliver quality entertainment that resonates with audiences around the globe,” added David Corbett, RGH Executive Director North America.

12 | www.broadcastprome.com | December 2013

Arabsat has undertaken a transition plan for load distribution as part of its strategic plans to support and develop TV broadcasting for its customers.

The transition plan will be performed between Badr-4,Badr-5 and Badr–6 satellites, in order to accommodate the growing demand for TV broadcast services on Arabsat ‘s exclusive orbital position 26° degree East, and to meet the increasing marketing and operational requirements to attract new customers.

Syrian film is Tropfest Arabia winner Syrian filmmaker Samer Nasrallah has won the third annual edition of TROPFEST Arabia for his film The Runner. Nasrallah was awarded first prize by a judging panel of five celebrities from around the Middle East and North Africa, including Emirati filmmaker Ali F. Mustafa, Tunisian actress Dorra Zarrouk, Syria’s popular actor Basel Khayat, renowned Kuwaiti actor Khaled Amin and Jordanian film producer Rula Nasser. The seven-minute film is about a former Olympic gold-medal hurdler with an illness that keeps him housebound. The Runner was chosen from 16 finalists.

Anime film ushers in inaugural Ajyal Youth Film Festival Doha Film Institute opened the inaugural edition of the Ajyal Youth Film Festival with the critically acclaimed anime film, The Wind Rises, by renowned filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki.

Raising the curtains on the Doha Film Institute’s platform, aimed at bringing audiences of all ages together to discuss and appreciate cinema, The Wind Rises also served as a tribute to the art and culture of the Japanese art form anime, which is claimed to be followed widely by youth in the Middle East.

The inaugural Ajyal Youth Film Festival, presented by Doha Film Institute, presented 65 films from 30 countires and a roster of industry and community events, bringing the best of filmmaking to Qatar.

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PROWORKSHOP

Snapshot Lenses tested included: • Optimo 45-120 compact lightweight • Optimo 19.5-94 long lens • Optimo Anamorphic 56-152 2S • Optimo DP 16-42 compact lightweight • Optimo DP 30-80 compact lightweight • Optimo DP 25-250

Jaques Bouley, Area Sales Manager, Marketing and Sales Cinema – Television for Thales Angenieux.

Images taken of attendees testing Angenieux cinematic lenses at the Advanced Media workshop held on a luxury boat cruise at Dubai Marina.

Angenieux introduces new lenses Advanced Media organised an introductory lens workshop for camera professionals, who brought their kit along to experiment with the new products

Dubai-based distributor Advanced Media organised a workshop recently to apprise the market of the new lenses from Angenieux. The workshop was held on a luxury boat cruise in Dubai Marina.

The attendees were encouraged to bring their own cinematic cameras to test the new lenses, which

14 | www.broadcastprome.com | December 2013

were brought in for demonstration.

Sony supplied the PMW F-5 and F-55 to be used as demonstration cameras to showcase the lenses.

Jacques Bouley, Area Sales Manager, Marketing and Sales Cinema – Television for Thales Angenieux served as trainer for the day.

PROWORKSHOP “We had a presentation of the whole line-up for Angenieux cinema zoom lenses and the two new 2013 lenses – the anamorphic compact and lightweight ones.

“This is an excellent opportunity for Angenieux to interact with professionals from the region. Feedback from our end users is extremely important for us to gauge the market. We are targeting our compact lenses at independent cinematographers and production companies. Many of our attendees have worked with Angenieux before and some may work with these lenses in the future,” he explained.

Bouley added that Angenieux highend lenses have been used extensively in the film industry because of the legacy they have built over the years. Angenieux Optimo DP lenses, however, have been designed for budget-conscious productions and independent cinematographers, both in terms of specifications and cost.

“We are completing the line with filmmakers, focus pullers, hands-on end users in production to test the new lenses. Professionals from different areas have gathered here today to experience Angenieux. Lenses are a difficult product to develop, and we make lenses to last many years.”

The workshop gave a preview of two Angenieux lenses, which are prototypes that will be released in February 2014. Four other lenses, that have been released previously, were also demonstrated. Footage was shot using the lenses for the attendees to experience what the new lenses had on offer. PRO

“This is an excellent opportunity for Angenieux to interact with professionals from the region. Feedback from our end users is extremely important” Jaques Bouley, Thales Angenieux

Ahmed Kamel, Owner, Roaya Media Production I have an Angenieux professional cinema zoom lens for my production company Roaya Media Production.

Angenieux lenses are considered to be the best in cinematography. I fell in love with the Optimo DP and am here today to try my hand at shooting with it. I might consider buying it as I am planning to add to my company’s Angeneiux range. The new lens is compact and lightweight and cost-effective.

The Optimo DP lens offers excellent grading and ramping. I brought my cinema cameras to test the lenses, as I wouldn’t miss an opportunity like this to try them out first hand.

Mo Rida, Middle East Producer, 48-Hour Film Project Before I became a producer, I was a cinematographer, so anything related to cameras and lenses interests me.

Although we don’t use Angenieux in our shoots for the 48-Hour Film Project, these lenses are aspirational for a lot of independent filmmakers.

As a producer, you need to know what equipment is there in the market to optimally utilise what you have and to make the right choices to bring in new equipment. For our productions, we mostly use the Canon Mark lll and Mark ll and Nikon.

Suleiman Al Khatib, Cameraman at MBC

with the speed of the 2.8 telephoto lens and the Optimo DP 25-250. It’s a compact lens and quite affordable. This is something that I would like to try.

Abdul Hadi Alshatti, Owner of a rental company in Kuwait I have come from Kuwait for the lens demonstration. I usually buy all the equipment for my rental house from Advanced Media in Dubai. Since I own a Sony F-55, I came with the objective of buying high-end Angenieux lenses to couple with the camera. It will be a proud possession for me.

Mohammed Rami Fikrt Kher, Cameraman, DMI We have been using the Sony ENG cameras. Sports or similar specialised coverage require more specialised lenses, but for news and normal broadcast shoots, we use the midrange lenses from different brands.

It’s good to learn, however, and that’s what brings me here today. I would like to understand what’s on offer in the field of lenses, in order to add to my knowledge bank. In future, I might have the opportunity to use these lenses.

Koko, Focus Puller, Gama Engineering We use Angenieux for shooting commercials and this workshop offers an excellent opportunity to learn more about its latest range. I have been working with this brand for a long time and keep updating my knowledge from time to time or as and when a new lens is introduced in the market.

I haven’t worked with Angenieux before, but I would like to try them here and see for myself what the difference is. I work on the Canon HD lenses for normal shoots for broadcast purposes. I was particularly impressed

December 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com |

15

PROEVENTS Avid advocates platform approach Avid will adopt a platform-centric approach with the launch of Avid Everywhere, Jeff Rosica, Senior VP of Worldwide Field Operations told BroadcastPro ME during his visit to Dubai last month.

The company will take its product Jeff Rosica, Senior portfolio to an open VP, Worldwide Field and flexible platform Operations, Avid. that will ease the migration of third-party solutions.

It will start with a common services platform — providing the underlying media services, connectivity, and orchestration capabilities to support the entire media value chain.

“Our role as a technology provider is to establish a connection between broadcasters and media companies to connect with their consumers,” commented Rosica.

“Avid Everywhere is to bring that connection closer, with less expensive and more flexible solutions available to our customers.”

In addition to this, Avid is also gearing up to announce a customers’ association at NAB 2014 in Vegas.

“In conjunction with NAB 2014, we will first announce some of the early releases of the portfolio to the community before we bring it to the press. This will involve strategy product roadmaps, how we deliver services and a host of tracks around our community that will indicate our direction as a company and, our direction, as a community.”

He added that the community will be privy to some of the new releases before the industry.

“It is not a destination but a long journey of our developments,” explained Rosica.

“We will be releasing products progressively probably twice a year for the next several years.

New products, versions and modules will be introduced as we migrate solutions from specific applications to a common platform.”

The worldwide Avid community consists of approximately three million users across 10,000 enterprises.

With reference to the Middle East, Rosica said that the region is no longer developing but is seen today as a highly sophisticated media market, which has tremendous growth potential.

Avid will continue to expand its operations in Dubai to maximise the potential of the region.

Sony and Advanced Media host 4K workshop Sony Professional Solutions MEA and its local distributor Advanced Media combined forces to host a seminar on the 4K super 35mm camcorder, NEXFS700R with its high frame rate recording capability.

The seminar was held over two days, where UK-based independent DoP Alister Chapman demonstrated a cost-effective 4K workflow using the FS700.

Beginning with the introduction to 4K, Chapman discussed the benefits of shooting in 4K for HD production and the difference between conventional shooting and using RAW. His previous workshop on 4K, which was held just before CABSAT this year, had introduced the 4K workflow using the F5 and F55 cameras. In this workshop, he introduced NEX-FS700R and FS700 4K RAW setup.

Other talking points of the seminar included the RAW workflow considerations, and managing and monitoring high dynamic range images. The seminar also tackled issues such as Correct S-Log2 exposure and how far you can push your exposure.

Chapman demonstrated shooting in 4K, reframing in post production and opened the floor to questions. The other key issues discussed were

the future of TV, internet and web delivery, and the importance of 4K acquisition. The workshop concluded with an introduction of the new Sony PXW-Z100 4K handheld XDCAM camcorder.

The attendees included cameramen, DoPs and cinematographers from local production houses and state broadcasting companies such as Dubai TV and Oman TV. There was a good number of freelance camera professionals also present over both days of the seminar.

Commenting on the recent hardware upgrade of the FS700 camera to capture 4K RAW, Vahid Macvandi, Regional Distribution Manager at Advanced Media explained: “The NEX-FS700 has had a firmware upgrade, which enables the camera to output 4K. The new FS700, named NEX-FS700R/RH, comes equipped with this feature. Old versions of the camera, however, can be upgraded at an additional cost of USD 400. AMT is offering a free upgrade for those who own the old camcorder version and buy Sony AXS-R5 or Odyssey 7Q recorders.”

The upgrades allow the NEX-FS700E to capture 4K RAW at HFR of 100 frames per second (fps) or 120 fps for approximately four seconds.

Alister Chapman conducted the Sony FS700 4K workshop at AM Studio.

MediaCast hosts workshop to introduce DaVinci Resolve 10 MediaCast hosted a workshop to introduce the market to the newly released DaVinci Resolve 10 from Blackmagic design. The workshop was held in partnership with Advanced Media at AM Studio in Al Quoz last month. It was conducted by DaVinci Resolve specialist Azin Samar and supported by teams from MediaCast and Advanced Media.

Samar demonstrated how DaVinci Resolve 10 has been developed to simplify the integration of different software tools used in the film and television industry, allowing timelines to be moved into and out of DaVinci Resolve and other edit software such as Final Cut Pro, Avid and Premiere Pro. DaVinci Resolve 10 is available for download free of charge for all existing DaVinci Resolve customers. This software is a major upgrade that includes innovative on set tools, new editing features, support for OpenFX plug-ins and more. Also available for download is the free DaVinci Resolve Lite edition for both Mac OS X and Windows. DaVinci Resolve Lite now includes the addition of Ultra HD resolutions and additional GPU support.

16 | www.broadcastprome.com | December 2013

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PROTRENDS

Taking stock An overview of TV viewership in the past year and what’s in store for the year ahead

It’s been a year! Not just a year of my columns in BroadcastPro ME (leather-bound collected editions available for that perfect Christmas gift) but a year and a bit of a full audience measurement in the UAE. A good time then to look at what we know, now that we have tview’s annual report covering the first year from October 2012 to September 2013.

We discovered some surprising facts while researching the TV industry.

The devil is in the detail. If all we wanted to know was the top channels and programmes, then to be honest, we wouldn’t need granular electronic measurement, but it’s the little insights that are often fascinating and confounding at the same time.

The 8pm to 9pm time slot on MBC 1 – usually a Turkish drama – is the most watched segment on the channel, averaging 67,000 Arab viewers, which may surprise some, given the assumption of later prime-time viewing habits in the region.

But looking at the channel viewing overall, we get a picture not of channel loyalty, but a much wider and shallower pattern, one that applies to most entertainment channels.

Table 1 shows the consumption profile of everyone who watched MBC 1 in the year. The first column, just under 70%, is less than 48 hours, which means that seven in every 10 MBC 1 viewers watched on average, less than one hour per week across the year. On the other hand, 16% of viewers watched more than 144 hours, equivalent to six non-stop days of viewing.

As I’ve said many times in these pages, viewers want programmes, not channels.

They came, they saw, they switched.

Top channel – MBC 1 MBC is, without a doubt, the dominant network, and more often than not, sits in the top five or six positions.

SAMPLE

Top programme – Arab Idol 70

69.6

Yet another triumph for this format, which suggests that the regional reality spinoffs have plenty of life left in them, as we enter the second and third seasons.

I wrote about the final episode at the time so I won’t repeat it in detail, but it is worth noting that the peak moment of the final episode attracted more than 410,000 Arab viewers. That represents about two in every three people viewing at that time, although it is just under 15% of the total Arab audience.

Tying in with the previous point about programmes and channel loyalty – on an average, viewers of Arab Idol watched 67 minutes of each show from March through

TABLE 1: CONSUMPTION PROFILE

65 60 55 50 45 40 35 30 25 20 14.0

15 10

6.1 3.4

5

2.1 0 <=48

<=96

1.5

0.5

0.4

0.2

0.3

0.1

0.1

0.2

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.0

<=144 <=192 <=240 <=288 <=336 <=384 <=432 <=480 <=528 <=576 <=624 <=672 <=720 <=768 <=816 <=864 <=912 <=960 HOURS OF CONSUMPTION

18 | www.broadcastprome.com | December 2013

to June, making it an incredibly popular programme with a very high loyalty factor.

The next top programme and the only challenger was the final of the Gulf Cup, where the UAE defeated Iraq. At peak time, it got more than 300,000 viewers and averaged more than 250,000 throughout the game, which is extraordinary for a programme of several hours duration.

Abu Dhabi Sport channel captured most of the viewing, even though it was simulcast on Dubai and Sharjah TV. But a surprising detail about those figures was that the maximum viewing was in Sharjah with 28%, followed by Abu Dhabi (24%), Al Ain (18%), Ajman (14%) and Dubai (12%).

Ramadan viewing Again, this is something we’ve covered at the time, at least in terms of the top programmes, but I think there are some key points to note about Ramadan.

Firstly, when you look at Ramadan programmes compared to the overall programmes, there aren’t that many in the top 20. In fact, the top Ramadan show, Etr Al Gannah, comes in at number 12 for the year.

Secondly, there isn’t actually a whole load of extra viewing in Ramadan, which may explain why those shows don’t dominate the year, given the far more competitive environment.

Table 2 shows the average viewing throughout the day for Arabs and Asians during Ramadan compared to the rest of the year.

Clearly, there is a shift in viewing to the evening, and also note the rise in afternoon viewing, which is widely underestimated in this market. But overall, Arabs view just an extra 10 minutes per day in Ramadan and South Asians about 25 minutes. There’s only so much time in the day to watch TV and in this region, we do a lot of it anyway.

Advertising There are many other areas we could look at, but I will finish on the commercial side and the top advertisers.

In this area the surprising detail is not that Pepsi and Lulu are the top advertisers, but that they advertise almost exclusively to an Arab or Asian market.

While Pepsi tops the charts in Arab households, Lulu is topmost in Asian households, followed by Malabar Gold.

These might as well be the ratings in

PROTRENDS

800

TABLE 2: ARAB DAILY VIEWING – IN RAMADAN 7.2 HOURS TOTAL, OUTSIDE RAMADAN 7.1 HOURS

During the month of Ramadan Outide the month of Ramadan

600 400 200 0

two completely different countries.

Some things are easily explained – certain products and services like money exchange are of more interest to one group, and that’s perfectly normal for advertising.

But when it comes to supermarkets, food and beverages, snacks and telcos, I have yet to hear a sensible explanation to explain the almost complete divergence of advertising in the UAE.

What’s in store for 2014?

To finish, I’ll put my end of year hopes out and look forward to someone filling my stocking.

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I hope that two things will have happened by this time next year.

Firstly, the key stakeholders who have not yet started working with accurate and transparent data in the UAE will be on board in a cooperative industry group, and secondly, Saudi Arabia will be well underway with its own people meter system.

Those two things will be gamechangers for everyone. PRO Christopher O’Hearn is GM of Emirates Media Measurement Company, which has rolled out ‘tview’, the UAE’s television ratings and audience measurement system and the first in the Middle East.

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December 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com |

19

PROSUMMIT

Summit brings industry heads together In one of the biggest conferences of the year, industry leaders came together for the BroadcastPro ME Summit to discuss the present and the future of the MENA TV industry

More than 280 attendees from the MENA broadcast industry gathered together for the ASBU BroadcastPro Summit, which was held at The Address Dubai Marina on November 12.

Dr. Riyadh Najm, President of General Commission for Audiovisual Media, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, kicked off the summit with a welcome speech.

This was followed by a keynote from Mohammed Akhlaq, Director of International Operations at Al Jazeera Network and Launch Director â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Technology and Operations at Al

Jazeera America. Akhlaq, who led the AJAM operations team, not only offered us exclusive insight into some of the challenges the network faced in the US, he also screened an embargoed Al Jazeera documentary at the Summit.

The summit also included a presentation from Mahesh Jaishankar of du datamena on how Internet Exchanges (UAE-IX) offer broadcasters an option and solution to optimise and extend their reach (see page 72).

It covered how the UAE IX presents opportunities for content

20 | www.broadcastprome.com | December 2013

providers, broadcasters and media companies with a platform to reach out to Middle East audiences.

Besides this, the summit included five panel discussions, which brought together senior executives from each of their respective fields.

For the first time, the ASBU BroadcastPro ME Summit included a production panel, which brought together people who facilitated productions in the region such as Dubai Film and TV Commission and twofour54, as well as those

PROSUMMIT

who commissioned and made TV programmes such as representatives from MBC, DMI and Sync Media.

Technology specialists from OSN, icflix, Intigral, MBC and Selevision came together to discuss the opportunities for multi-platform delivery and what business models would work best to generate maximum revenue. Lots of statistics were revealed and some of the key takeaways from this panel were convenience and affordability and the importance of marketing to make online platforms more visible to TV audiences.

The 4K panel, which was sponsored

by Ericsson, brought together broadcast heads from OSN and MBC with experts from Ericsson and Eutelsat to discuss various formats and the challenges around 4K delivery. The panel came to the conclusion that 4K was indeed a reality, although mass consumption would take between five and seven years.

There was an interesting debate

following this between telcos, who operate in the broadcast space. Nick Grande, MD of ChannelSculptor led this discussion with representatives from du, Etisalat and Vubiquity.

The final discussion for the day brought together an illustrious panel of CEOs from OSN, Zee Entertainment, Rotana and My-HD. Dr. Riyadh Najm, President at General Commission for Audiovisual Media, KSA was part of this panel, which was moderated by the UAE TV audience measurement guru Chris O’Hearn.

We ended the summit with a raffle draw. Several prizes were given away including iPad Air tablets by Media Guru, iPad minis by First Gulf Company, Canon cameras, National Geographic bags by Advanced Media Trading, four chairs for broadcast professionals by Burro Design and printers from Brother.

Each of the panel discussions have been summed up in subsequent pages.

“The BroadcastPro ME Summit and Awards was very successful and an important addition to our regional broadcast calendar. We are pleased that Grass Valley was this year’s platinum sponsor of the event, which goes to show our strategic focus on a vibrant and growing region such as the Middle East. We look forward to participating again next year” Said Bacho, Senior Vice President Europe, Middle East, & Africa, Grass Valley

December 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com |

21

PROSUMMIT

Production summit speakers

Jamal Al Sharif, Chairman, Dubai Film and TV Commission.

Paul Baker, Executive Director, twofour54 intaj.

Lina Matta, Channel Manager MBC 4, 2, Max & Persia.

Sarah Al Jarman, GM - Dubai One, DMI.

Karim Sarkis, CEO, Sync Media.

Vida Rizq, Principal Founder of Aflamnah and moderator of this panel discussion.

Sustaining production in the Middle East The ASBU BroadcastPro ME 2013 Summit opened with a discussion on sustaining production in the Middle East, which was hosted for the first time this year. Vida Rizq, Founder of Aflamnah, moderated this panel.

One of the important takeaways of this discussion was the close cooperation between Dubai and Abu Dhabi in working towards the common goal of establishing the UAE as a production hub, not just on a regional level but also globally.

Paul Baker and Jamal Al Sharif emphasised that all the emirates colloborate to make the UAE a lucrative production destination.

While the UAE is second to none in terms of infrastructure, when compared to neighbouring countries like Syria, Lebanon and Egypt, it is expensive to produce here.

However, Dubai Film and TV Commission and twofour54 intaj have introduced incentives and rebate schemes to make production in the UAE financially viable.

“We have brought down the production cost to some extent by reducing the visa costs,” Al Sharif pointed out.

“Locations used to cost hundreds of thousands earlier. Those have been reduced to between USD 2,000-5,000. In addition to these, we encourage the building of a talent pool of professionals here, which in turn will bring the cost down drastically.”

Dubai has already built soundstages and the necessary infrastructure to give production a boost. Paul Baker mentioned that twofour54’s 10 studios were occupied and the Abu Dhabi entity would shortly begin building four more soundstages of 15,000 sq.ft each in its existing space.

He also mentioned that the 30% rebate scheme offered by twofour54 intaj was hugely successful in encouraging productions to shoot in Abu Dhabi.

“Rebate schemes have been successful worldwide and we are adopting that to bolster the industry locally. The rebate we offer is aligned to international standards.

Every dirham spent on rebate will bring back 4.5 dirhams back in GDP.” He added that at least five Syrian companies will be using the rebate scheme to produce in Abu Dhabi. A plan to introduce a federal rebate scheme in the future was also not ruled out.

The audience was equally interested to hear from those who acquire the content for their channels such as MBC and DMI

and what drives their content-buying policies. MBC’s Lina Matta stated that for a private broadcaster such as MBC, the main drivers for selecting content are based on research, ratings and revenues. International formats may seem like a quick route to ensuring ratings but require a high degree of expertise to recreate locally. Matta, however, mentioned that MBC encouraged original content and if a script that fulfils quality criteria is brought to them, the broadcaster considers it for production.

MBC has a green lighting committee that looks into original scripts. Based on the potential ratings and revenue generation, these proposals are considered for production. One of the key criteria for selection or production of the content is, of course, commercial viability.

Sarah Al Jarman of DMI pointed out that as a state broadcaster, commercial success is not the only criterion for selection. DMI also has a mandate to encourage Emirati talent and fulfil certain social objectives.

DMI currently commissions 40% local content against 60% acquired content.

Al Jarman cited examples of Freej and Peeta Planet, which are local shows that DMI has supported and have become very successful commercially. In fact, the producers are also looking to export these formats.

Karim Sarkis, speaking from the production side, mentioned that producers often struggle with limited budgets to make ends meet and match up to the quality of the international shows. He also added that a number of these productions, despite numerous challenges, not only meet global standards but also exceed them.

Sarkis’ company Sync Media is involved in the production of The X Factor for instance and initially, Dubai was looked at as a potential location to shoot this production owing to its excellent infrastructure and political stability. The cost of production, however, was a major deterrent, he stated, and they decided to produce the show in Lebanon instead.

The panel concluded that local content creation was crucial but also agreed that the importance of international formats in TV production should not be undermined. While talent building and infrastructure development are key to encouraging production, creating an ecosystem with studios, production facilities, human resources and ancillary services will make a difference on the ground to bolster production in the region.

December 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com |

23

PROSUMMIT

OTT summit speakers

Ben Kinealy, CEO of Intigral.

Carlos Tibi, CEO of icflix.

Dr. Raed Khusheim, CEO of Selevision.

David Hanson, Director of Digital at OSN.

Fares Akkad, Head of Distribution & Digital Business Development, MBC.

Ali Ajouz is Managing Partner of Sawa Media and moderated this panel.

Connecting the dots: Multi-screen delivery The panelists battled through a topic that now has been rearing its head at events globally for the past two years – the changing dynamics of TV services with OTT, IPTV and the network operators.

Among the panelists were Carlos Tibi from icflix, Dr. Raed Khusheim from Selevision, Ben Kinealy of Intigral, Fares Akkad of MBC and David Hanson of OSN. Carlos Tibi was the first to start the discussion by defining the value proposition behind iciflix’s OTT service. Its business model is straight-forward – a flat-rate subscription fee for all you can consume, be it Hollywood, Bollywood or Jazwood content. The similarities to Netflix’s model extend further to the service platform, where multiple devices and anytime, anywhere access is part of the no strings attached offer.

Dr. Khusheim followed describing the Selevision hybrid satellite/IP services as the best of both the linear and on-demand worlds. The Selevision service is primarily run on a set-top box (STB) that supports broadcast channels over satellite as well as online content via an internet connection.

Selevision also offers a pay-TV service with premium content from major studios in Hollywood and regional content players such as MBC. Dr. Khusheim added that very soon, Selevision will be adding catchup TV services and cloud-based PVR. From its origins as a free catch-up TV service for MBC channels, Shahid online has grown to a service for MBC and non-MBC channels. Fares Akkad stated that MBC’s

24 | www.broadcastprome.com | December 2013

experience with online video has been both good and bad. The good part has been the rapid growth beyond expectations while the flipside of that growth has been excessive traffic on the networks and as a result, challenges with service quality. With growing numbers each year, MBC will be launching a paid version by the middle of next year.

OSN’s David Hanson mentioned that the OSN Play is part of the main package.

OSN Play is an extension to OSN’ pay-TV service, which is available on multiple devices. There is a possibility that OSN may venture into a service that is available to non-OSN DTH subscribers in an effort to acquire customers but that would involve the challenges of harmonising the experience across two distinct user bases.

On the subject of content rights, Ben Kinealy of Intigral offered that TVOD rights are non-exclusive and easy to get but the challenge remains in securing SVOD rights.

SVOD is normally exclusive and requires minimum guarantees raising the barrier for emerging OTT players to secure. Ultimately, major studios will sell to the highest bidder.

Hanson added that given the growing number of players in OTT services, we can expect to see competition for multi-platform content rights in the region. MBC believes that locally produced content for the region will satisfy its viewers’ appetite for content, as opposed to the major studio content that is available anywhere. Similarly, icflix has embarked on acquiring the world’s largest Jazwood content library online as Tibi believes in the regional demand for Arabic content.

All online video service providers not only compete with each other but also with

FUTURE OF BROADCASTING IN THE REGION

www.yahlive.tv

PROSUMMIT illegal sources of content. When discussing the drivers behind migrating users from illegal content sources over to legal services, there was agreement on the panel that the services need to provide a better user experience, easy to use, reliable and of a higher quality to triumph. The panelists also agreed that the cost should not be prohibitive to the users in their local markets. The challenge of protecting content is greater with multiple devices requiring different types of content protection mechanisms.

Dr. Khusheim from Selevision pointed out that Conditional Access system selection is key to distributing the same piece of content across multiple devices in a secure manner.

To wrap up, the future of linear TV was questioned. Selevision’s approach has been to put many choices in the hands of the user, thereby allowing them to make the decision, be it IPTV, satellite or OTT. Intigral’s Ben Kinealy is of the opinion that the delivery medium is irrelevant and as long as the content is delivered well, the users will be satisfied. He believes, however, that the OTT approach is easier to provision and quicker to launch a service on and should be the preferred route forward. It is clear that you cannot ignore the growth of online content consumption in the region as is the trend worldwide. However, despite naysayers and cord-cutters, broadcast television still has a place in the consumer household and will continue to co-exist and complement the multitude of online services in the market. Content strategy and service differentiation will be pivotal to the success of such online services in what appears to be an already crowded market.

4K summit speakers

Mark Billinge, CTO of OSN.

Nick Barratt, Senior Broadcast Manager at MBC Group.

Simon Bigg, Head of R&D, Compression Business Line, Ericsson.

Jamal Bnari is Head of Sales at twofour54 intaj and summed up this discussion for us.

“The BroadcastPro ME team did a tremendous job in organising the event and Grass Valley is proud to be this year’s exclusive Platinum Sponsor. We would like to support the BroadcastPro Summit again next year and look forward to working with the publication throughout 2014”

Cristiano Benzi, Director Line of Business Video & Broadcasting, Eutelsat.

Robert Taylor - Programme Manager for Al Jazeera Workplace Transformation Project.

Janet Goddard, Marketing Director, Grass Valley

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4K – Hype or reality This session, which was sponsored

by Ericsson, brought together an interesting mix of panelists including regional broadcasters and people on the vendor, delivery and operator side.

Robert Taylor, Programme Manager for the Al Jazeera Workplace Transformation (AJWT) project moderated this discussion and encouraged debate on various aspects of 4K, especially its technical standards, compression technologies, and delivery timelines.

Below are some of the key points from the panelists.

Simon Bigg, Head of R&D, Compression Business Line, Ericsson HEVC compression is now standardised for 4K delivery. All the standards for DTH video are 8-bit, while the 4K HEVC standard has also a 10-bit profile, which is important for scenes like sunset and skies, where contouring can be seen on 8-bit HD. The various parts of the standards ecosystem are coming together, but the least advanced parts are the actual interfaces in the studios where SDI is currently used. 4K is a very high data source with 12Gbps, and the challenge is how to carry that. Would it be over coax, IP, Cat5/Cat6 or is it appropriate to send uncompressed 4K video or should we slightly compress it in a studio environment? There are still a lot of questions in the studio area.

What may drive 4K from the content side may be OTT: taking movies, encoding them in 4K offline, and streaming them. Operators looking for OTT offerings can start delivering 4K with HEVC to PCs at home fairly quickly and this could kickstart the 4K drive.

Mark Billinge, CTO, OSN What everybody ultimately want to see is better quality pictures displayed on the consumer’s TV. As an operator, one of the issues we are going to have is delivering the signals to the consumers at home in a way that makes 4K really beneficial and not just look like a slightly better HD picture. For new technologies to be beneficial to customers, they need to see the value. The way HD is sometimes presented in the region and beyond by up-scaling SD content to HD undermines its value, for instance. The

PROSUMMIT

last thing we want to see is up-converted HD pictures and signals being sold as 4K. Cristiano Benzi, Director Line of Business Video and Broadcasting, Eutelsat Three 4K TV channels are already on Eutelsat’s fleet of satellites. They are demo channels only with around one hour of looped content. Two of them are using MPEG4 Quad-HD, and one uses the new HEVC technology. Why MPEG4? Because of frame rate: the higher the resolution of the picture, the higher the frame rate should be. Quad-HD MPEG4 channels need around 40Mbps for good quality.

HEVC is essential for reducing the bit rate to 7Mbps and to 15Mbps per 4K channel.

On another note, live TV is a problem because the only standard today is 3G-SDI, while 6G-SDI and higher standards are still being discussed by standardisation bodies.

Nick Barratt, Senior Broadcast Manager, MBC Group Moving to 4K on the acquisition or the editing side is not as tough but on the infrastructure side, this would call for a complete revamp.

The actual infrastructure we have right now is not beefy enough to handle this. There are no real products out there that will allow us to move to 4K. Unlike the move from SD to HD, there would have to be a complete change to our backend systems. To be able to deal with the 6, the 12, the 24Gbps uncompressed signals will be completely throwing away coax and moving to filebased and ideally, IP-based backband for all of our systems. This would be a struggle for traditional broadcasters and engineers to work around.

Another point is, we are playing 50mbps and our viewers are receiving 8 to 10mbps. If we are sending out 4K signals to our end user at 30 to 40Mbps, what will the compression in our facility be?

4K is great as a viewing experience, but we are several years away from it.

Perhaps on gaming consoles or for OTT, it is a reality, but from a linear broadcasting POV, I just don’t see the point.

transmission because of competition.

Similar to 3D, 4K channels may go on air not because broadcasters believe in it, but because they want to be seen leading the way. 4K is easier for on-demand viewing because of progressive download.

Live events such sport is a big driver of technology, and 4K is no exception.

I’m pretty sure there will be a few 4K channels out there in 2015. It is always going to be a niche channel offering.

The panelists all agreed that 4K was inevitable, the TV set manufacturers were pushing for it but it would take time to be delivered. 4K is more likely to start with OTT, VOD, and individual linear TV offerings such as sports events before it becomes mainstream – if it does.

They agreed that the 4K offering would be similar to the 3D offering, where broadcasters would provide it because they don’t want to be left behind but it may not become mainstream. VOD offerings are probably likely in the beginning.

Simon Bigg, Head of R&D, Compression Business Line, Ericsson Big operators will soon look at 4K

Hasan Sayed Hasan, MD of Master Media, summed up this discussion for us.

28 | www.broadcastprome.com | December 2013

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PROSUMMIT

Telco summit speakers

Ghassan Saad, Senior Manager of Content Acquisition, Commercial, du.

Mustapha EL-ACHKAR, Pass-Through Channels Manager, Emirates Cable TV & Multimedia (E-Vision).

Georges Dabaghi, General Manager – Middle East, Turkey & CIS Countries, Vubiquity.

Telcos – The new TV networks

customer experience and new marketing and revenue opportunities for both parties.

The BroadcastPro Summit hosted important debates on the future of TV. It’s worth reminding ourselves that TV delivery over IP is already here. After four years of growth, IPTV now boasts more than half a million paying subscribers in the region.

The IPTV panel gave our audience a chance to engage with the people from du (Ghassan Saad) and Etisalat (Mustapha El Achkar) who work with broadcasters to help them reach those subscribers. The presence of Vubiquity (Georges Dabaghi) on the panel also gave our audience an insight into how their channels can move into video on demand.

Viewers need accurate TV listings When it comes to TV listings and electronic programming guide (EPG), the MENA viewing experience is decades behind the rest of the world. The lack of accurate listings data from broadcasters is a headache for IPTV platforms, and a big disappointment for viewers.

As Achkar put it: “For many channels, EPG is not something big … but it is a big deal”.

Accurate listings also allow broadcasters to benefit from catch-up TV services.

“At the beginning it was perceived that catch-up TV would only benefit us (Etisalat)

Broadcasters and telcos must communicate more effectively At the moment, there is little or no communication between broadcasters and IPTV operators. If and when it occurs, it tends to be about contractual or technical issues rather than revenue, programming and marketing opportunities.

Saad observed: “We have roughly 450 channels – it would be impossible for us to reach all partners consistently or more than once a year. We realise that there is a gap, at least from our side. We would like to take the initiative to reach out to the technology guys once per month. The next stage would be to engage the marketing staff and product development, to ensure that programming people are aligned.”

Better communication and better information sharing would lead to a better

30 | www.broadcastprome.com | December 2013

Nick Grande, MD of ChannelSculptor moderated this discussion.

and the viewer… but as the catch up service is free, it encourages the viewer to try new things outside his regular viewing schedule. We have brought new viewers to channels through catch up TV,” he added.

Broadcasters generally assume channel licence fees are their only commercial interaction with telcos, and even this revenue expectation is often misplaced.

However, real partnership and revenue sharing opportunities are being missed.

Saad commented to me before the panel started: “I work with more than 200 broadcasters. Not one of them picks up the phone and asks me, what can I do with this piece of content?”

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PROSUMMIT or commissioned, and those shows just sit in the archives once they have been aired.”

Dabaghi observed: “Many broadcasters own programming and they are overlooking the commercial opportunities that exist in IPTV outside satellite broadcasting. VOD is one area they should explore.You can test your content and it can contribute to your bottom line.”

Saad added: “VOD consumption [on du] in viewing hours falls into the top 10 linear channels [and] over 50% of our customers have SVOD. What we notice is that VOD has not replaced the linear viewing window. Total viewing time has increased from 3½ hours to 4 and 5.”

By working with IPTV operators, there is clearly an opportunity for linear channels to gain audience and potentially extract value from their content in the form of revenue shares.

VOD is not the only revenue opportunity.

Telcos also have huge domestic subscriber bases through their mobile networks.

Mobile networks along with IPTV networks could allow very targeted and country-specific advertising (similar to radio advertising) around content.

Achkar commented: “Unfortunately none of the broadcasters in the Middle East are willing to explore ad insertion, and there is a real opportunity here – at the end of the day, we will both end up making money.”

The panel highlighted the need for more open-mindedness, creativity, flexibility and pragmatism between telcos and broadcasters.

The other clear message was that initiatives don’t have to cost much – the tools for new revenue partnerships are already there.

Nick Grande is MD of ChannelSculptor.

He moderated this panel and summed it up for us.

“FGC has supported the ASBU BroadcastPro ME Summit and Awards for its commitment to the region’s broadcast industry. We have been witness to the robust growth of this event over the last three years. We are proud to be associated with this event as its Gold Sponsors and would like to see it achieve more milestones in the years to come” Habib Kazan, Marketing Manager, First Gulf Company

CEOs on 2014 prospects

Dr. Riyadh Najm, President at General Commission for Audiovisual Media, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Fahad Al-Sukait, CEO at Rotana Media Group.

David Butorac, CEO of OSN.

Mukund Cairae, CEO, Zee Entertainment MENA & Pakistan.

Cliff Nelson, CEO of My-HD.

Chris O’Hearn is General Manager, Emirates Media Measurement Company.

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Prospects for 2014 Chris O’Hearn introduced the CEOs on the panel as the most illustrious group of individuals brought together on a common platform.

In his capacity as President of the Regulatory Commission in Saudi Arabia, Dr. Riyadh Najm announced that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had passed a cabinet resolution to regulate the audio visual content in KSA. He added that Saudi Arabia would announce an audience measurement system by the end of the year.

“Part of our mandate is to develop the industry, to create jobs in this sector and to create a thriving industry with culturally diverse segments,” he stated.

The regulatory body will uphold the rights of consumers and copyright holders in order to ensure fair competition in the media. The commission has started many initiatives and projects including the establishment of a media platform – to make available all of the services for satellite channels to broadcast in Saudi Arabia instead of going to other regions.

Saudi Arabia will build and operate media services teleport uplink from Arabsat for ten years. This will serve as a playout centre for channels that do not have teleport facilities to broadcast from Saudi Arabia.

He emphasised the need to consolidate set-top boxes for both pay-TV and free-to-air channels.

David Butorac pointed out that a single platform allows access to wider market for both consumers and content providers.

Unified boxes are economically more viable. They aggregate all content, and give more credibility to channel providers.

He added that the merger of OSN and Showtime was a positive development that contributed to the success of pay-TV in the region.

Fahad Al Sukait pointed out: “We have the lowest per capita spend in the entire world in advertising spend. We lack credibility in this region because of ambiguity in data.

The advertising market has the potential to grow twice or even thrice the size that exists currently. But this will not materialise unless people meter is established.”

Establishing a credible people meter will be a win-win situation for all players be it advertisers, broadcasters, telcos and even viewers. More money in the industry would mean more money to invest in quality programming, which in turn will benefit the viewer, who sits at the end of the chain.

PROSUMMIT “The ASBU BroadcastPro Summit and Awards turned out to be a gathering of the movers and shakers in the Middle East broadcast industry, with a superb blend of broadcasters, telcos, content and studio representatives attending.The forums included appealing topics, with lively discussions that continued on the sidelines of the convention. Axon is also proud to have played a significant role in the MBC Al Masr newsroom installation and our congratulations go out to Raed Bacho and his team for winning the award. The sheer number of delegates, the superb topics and the rather busy awards ceremony has set high standards for next year’s edition” Mark Barkey, Middle East Sales Manager, Axon

Mukund Cairae of Zee said that the Asian market is about 3% of the total market size of the net pan Arab market in this region. He decried the fact that the lack of law enforcement against illegal operators eats into the share of legitimate channel operators, thereby destroying the balance in the market.

As per official data 12.1 million South Asians live in the MENA region, out of which 3.8 million can afford pay TV, which is about 956,000 households that have pay-TV today. But the telcos do not serve more than 1/3rd of these households, which implies that 2/3rds of these households are serviced illegally. He called for more stringent law enforcement to eliminate the illegal use of dishes.

“We as an industry need to be able to invest in growth and we can do that if we have a sustainable industry,” Cairae insisted.

Butorac agreed that enforcement of law is a problem.

“Infringement of copyright in Malaysia, for instance, is a criminal offence and not just a civil offence, which curbs such operations to a large extent. We have spent USD 60 million to obtain a secure solution for our pay-

TV platform, which is paying off.”

Containing piracy will change the economics of the market and enable broadcasters to invest in training and content development, added Butorac.

Chris O’Hearn pointed out that 28% of all viewing in the UAE is lost to Indian DTH. The panel touched upon the longstanding debate of pay-TV and FTA and agreed that both were needed for a thriving TV viewership. However, pay-TV was the premium genre, everyone agreed.

Cliff Nelson of My-HD mentioned that it’s a single revenue stream that maligns the regional market. Multiple revenue streams with subscriptions and advertising money will open more doors for the industry. A successful TV model will include both pay-TV and FTA, he agreed.

The panel drifted back to the issue of regulation and how linear TV as well as OTT need to have more transparency.

They called for greater enforcement of laws on piracy and copyright infringement and a transparency in the audience measurement data. Also needed are laws governing OTT and more credibility in advertising revenue, it was concluded.

Al Sukait ended the discussion with his wish for an Oscar for Wadjda. PRO

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PROAWARDS

The third edition of the ASBU BroadcastPro Summit and Awards, which has become a must-attend event for the MENA broadcast industry, concluded with a gala dinner on the evening of November 12 at The Address Dubai Marina.

The awards night brought together key players of the MENA broadcast community to honour 2013’s achievers and innovators, who have now set new benchmarks for success. The quality of submissions this year impressed the judges as the nominees competed in hotly contested categories.

Nineteen awards in different categories spanning satellite, production and broadcast were given away this year. These encompassed both creative as well as technical areas.

We are pleased to say that broadcast professionals from across the Middle East as well as Europe, UK and Africa attended the event this year.

A special thank you to our jury for 2013: • Dominic Baillie, CTO of Sky News Arabia • Khalid Abuali, Media & Broadcast Technology Consultant • Hasan Sayed Hasan, MD of Master Media • Paul Baboudjian, Executive Director of Screen Institute Beirut • Marcelle Aleid, Media Executive • Vijaya Cherian, Editor, BroadcastPro Middle East

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PROAWARDS

December 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com |

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PROAWARDS

IN RECOGNITION OF OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP MOHAMMED AKHLAQ, INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS DIRECTOR, AL JAZEERA NETWORK & LAUNCH DIRECTOR - TECHNOLOGY AND OPERATIONS, AJAM Mohammed Akhlaq, who led the operations and technology team to set up Al Jazeera America’s facilities across multiple sites, was honoured at the ASBU BroadcastPro Summit for his contribution to the industry. We also thank him for the special efforts he undertook to screen an exclusive behind-the-scenes documentary on AJAM just for our Summit’s attendees. Said Bacho (r), Senior VP EMEA, Grass Valley, our Platinum Sponsor for the event, gave this award to Akhlaq (l).

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PROAWARDS

INNOVATIVE PRODUCTION OF 2013 REAL IMAGE PRODUCTIONS Real Image was lauded for its architectural footage, one that showed the transformation of a GCC country from a plain desert to an urban landscape by 2020, the other a rendering of the whole of Dubai in 3D. The beautiful blend of live action and animation as well as the attention to detail in recreating the city secured several points for Real Image.

Pictured here is Aiham Ajib, CEO and Creative Director of Real Image Production, with the award.

BEST LONG-FORM PRODUCTION OF THE YEAR 1/350 BY THE GOLD MINE FILMS 1/350, a low-budget documentary on Down’s syndrome in Oman, directed by Danish Mumtaz (pictured on the left), received this award for the importance of the story, the value of the production and the visual artistic language. This film is a moving account of Down’s Syndrome in Oman. Unlike the norm in most countries, where every one child in 800 is born with Down’s Syndrome, the ratio in Oman is 1 child to every 350.

Congratulations to Mumtaz and his team for winning this award.

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OUTSTANDING SOCIAL MEDIA PROJECT OF 2013 PEETA PLANET Peeta Planet, the brainchild of Emirati brothers Peyman and Mohamed Parham Al Awadhi, is a social travel series that has a huge fan following on various social media platforms. With 541,000 connections on Google Plus, 8,246 followers on Instagram and 7,000+ fans on Facebook, no other entry even came close. Pictured from left is lead editor Tony Ruthnam with Ghazala Irshad, the brothers Mohammed and Peyman, and Naim Saidi, CEO of First Gulf Company, our Gold Sponsor for the event.

STUDIO SET OF THE YEAR HAMMAM SHAMI This award went to Hammam Shami, a Syrian production in Abu Dhabi, for the way in which it had transformed twofour54’s studios into Damascus city’s hammams as they looked in the 1950s. The sets were designed by UAEbased firms, Al Mohra and Production House. Hammam Shami is claimed to be the largest Syrian production undertaken outside the country.

Assem Al Awa, General Manager of AL MOHRA, received the award at the event.

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PROAWARDS ASBU BROADCASTPRO ME 2013 INNOVATIVE PROJECT AWARD REPORTERS Reporters is a privately funded project, independent of any specific broadcaster, that offers a wide range of media training packages to fresh graduates and professional journalists. It has a fully-fledged news production and post production facility with HD studio and control room, a newsroom system, editing, graphics, and portable filed cameras to ensure hands-on training. Pictured with the Reporters team is Rafid Al-Nadaf, Regional Sales Manager Middle East, Harris Broadcast, our partner sponsor.

LIGHTING INSTALLATION OF THE YEAR OASIS ENTERPRISES Oasis PPD boasts an impressive repertoire of work that has won it accolades in the past. Not one to sit on its laurels, its projects have continually surpassed its previous ones as the company strides ahead with better and bigger lighting projects in the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. From left: Laurent Roussel, Managing Director of Eutelsat Middle East, hands out the award to Karim Abdel Massih and Basel Al Aref of Oasis Enterprises.

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PROAWARDS

BROADCAST PROJECT OF THE YEAR MBC MASR MBC MASR surpassed all records by pulling off a newsroom project within a very tight timeframe despite the challenges of working in a politically volatile environment. Raed Bacho (l), Broadcast Supervisor at MBC Group, receives the award from Deependra Rathi, VP at Beehive Systems (Wasp 3D).

MENA SYSTEMS INTEGRATOR OF 2013 AV SOLUTIONS AV Solutions has always focused on broadcast projects in Iraq with the aim of participating in the reconstruction of the country’s broadcast infrastructure. Its most recent projects include supplying and integrating a TV facility and studio with satellite uplinks for Al Jamiya TV – Ministry of Higher Education in Baghdad, a full facility for Al Basrah TV, a turnkey radio network that targets and employs only women, and the integration of the first Digital Cinematography facility for the Cinema department of Iraqi Ministry of Culture in Baghdad.

Zaid Wattar (l), MD of AV Solutions received the award from Vincent Sagua, CFO of YahLive.

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BEST MULTIPLATFORM PROJECT OF THE YEAR OSN PLAY There was some contention in this category as the judges did not agree that the traditional screen had to be part of the bigger picture to term a service as multiplatform and icflix was an important contender for this award. The award, however, went to OSN Play, OSN’s digital service, which allows the pay TV network’s subscribers to access premium content through an internet connection on multiple devices. Pictured here is the OSN team with Jeff Rosica (r), Senior VP, Worldwide Field Operations at Avid Technology.

ASBU BROADCASTPRO ME 2013 TECHNICAL ACHIEVER AWARD AFZAL LAKDAWALA, HEAD OF TECHNOLOGY PLANNING & PROJECTS, DMI Afzal has headed several technical projects in the UAE. Most recently, he has played a key role in developing the blueprint for DMI’s HD/3G broadcast projects. He has also played significant roles prior to this as Director of Broadcast Operations at Arab Media Group and as Vice President of Broadcast Services at Zee Network. Afzal Lakdawala (l) receives the award from Christian Unterseer of Cataneo.

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PROAWARDS

MENA SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD SAUDI BROADCASTING CORPORATION Saudi Broadcasting Corporation recently completed a massive three-year project that included building seven state-of-theart 3000 sq.m production centres with turnkey radio and TV facilities in seven provinces. The project includes a main archive and DR facility. All seven cities are connected to each other by the MENOS network, enabling Saudi nationals to collaborate on productions and work from the centre closest to them rather than having to come to one facility. This project costs millions of dollars and has involved a huge amount of planning and strategising, and was undertaken by Saudi systems integrator First Gulf Company. Eng. Ibrahim Alrowaitie of Saudi Broadcasting Corporation receives the award from Fatiha Bensalem of E-junior.

MENA BROADCAST TRENDSETTER MY-HD My-HD has attempted to bring the HD experience to the masses by offering it at a more affordable price.

With a clear vision to transform TV viewing in the region, My-HD impressed the judges, for combining quality with affordability and more importantly, creating an HD platform within a short span of time. Cliff Nelson (l), CEO of My-HD receives the award along with his team from Ghassan Alasad (second from left), GM of CMS Gulf.

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PROAWARDS EDITOR’S CHOICE AWARDS: BEST LIVE BROADCAST PROJECT THE 21ST GULF CUP OF NATIONS, TWOFOUR54 INTAJ Twofour54 provided international broadcast services, overcame the specific challenges of live broadcast in the GCC region and acknowledged the particular priorities of GCC government-owned stakeholders for the 21st Gulf Cup of Nations that was hosted in Bahrain. Twofour54’s Kenton Oxley (l) and Omran Abdallah receive the award from Hassan Chahine (r), CEO of Glocom.

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN BROADCAST DAVID BUTORAC, CEO OF OSN David Butorac has taken OSN from strength to strength since he took over as CEO of the pay TV network. Besides his continued fight against piracy, he has been instrumental in ensuring the launch of the company’s multimedia platform and entering into partnerships to provide content not just to Western expats but to the Filipino and South Asian communities as well. OSN had a 20% subscriber growth in 2012 and expects similar growth levels this year.

David Butorac (l) receives the award from Alan Heald, Head of Ericsson Sales EMEIA.

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PROAWARDS ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT PLATFORM OF THE YEAR ICFLIX icflix is one of the first companies in the Middle East that has compelled the industry to look at streaming as a potential viable mainstream revenue option. icflix has a huge library of entertainment content from Hollywood, Bollywood and the Arab world online.

Carlos Tibi, CEO of icflix, receives the award from Habib Kazan, Marketing Manager of First Gulf Company.

STATE BROADCASTER OF THE YEAR DUBAI MEDIA INC This prestigious technology award has been given to Dubai Media Inc for its huge technical undertaking in 2012/2013 to migrate its large SD facilities to support HD and 3G. This is a traditional award for a not-so traditional player as it has also made significant inroads into online streaming and apps. Saleh Lootah, CTO of DMI, receives the award from Tarek Heiba, Regional Director for mid-tier team region, EMC.

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PROAWARDS

THE SATELLITEPRO MIDDLE EAST AWARDS OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT NEWTEC Newtec played a key role in the development of the DVBSX standard, which helps improve picture quality, enabling new services such as Ultra-HD to be delivered, lowering the deployment costs for existing video broadcast and data networks. This standard enables new capabilities, thereby increasing transmission efficiency and interoperability.

The Newtec team receives the award from ASBU President Salaheddine Maaoui (r).

EDITORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CHOICE AWARD WISEBAND Wiseband has launched a pioneering project that has the potential to notably benefit the MEA region. While it addresses the rapidly growing demand for high-quality equipment, it also enables entities to cut costs and raise customer service. The venture addresses the lack of manufacturing know-how evident in the Middle East and Africa by providing a solution that not only comes with mandatory training, but the opportunity for job creation.

Ahmed Hassan Afify, CEO of Wiseband receives the award.

SATELLITE OPERATOR OF THE YEAR O3B NETWORKS O3b has not only positively impacted the Middle East and Africa, but also all of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s underserved or unserved areas. The company launched four satellites in June with additional birds planned in 2014 with the intention of serving the billions of people around the world that need it most. Mohamed Sadek, MD Middle East of O3b Networks, receives the award from Raz Islam (l), Publishing Director of CPI Media Group.

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PROFIAT/IFTA

Left: Jan Muller, President of FIAT/IFTA addressing the conference. Below: Mohammad Al Shahi, Deputy CEO at DMI with other attendees.

Keeping the past recent The FIAT/IFTA world conference held for the first time in Dubai brought together a community of archivists and broadcasters from 40 different countries around the world. A report The FIAT/IFTA World Conference welcomed dignitaries and broadcast professionals to its ‘Save your Archive’ programme in Dubai last month.

Hosted by Al Arabiya News Channel, the three-day conference was held for the first time in the Middle East under the theme ‘keeping the past recent’.

The conference began on Oct 26. FIAT/ IFTA President Jan Muller welcomed the attendees and introduced the various FIAT/IFTA projects. Emphasising the

importance of digital archiving, he said: “We are all experiencing what it means to enter the digital domain. The broadcast industry is currently in a transitional phase, which is exciting yet, quite complex.”

Defining the mission of the organisation he said that ‘connection’ is a critical element for organisations such as FIAT/IFTA. Forming close association with the involved parties and working together in an open, rewarding atmosphere is the key to success.

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“This can only succeed by realising the connections with and between the thousands of members, experts, sponsors, and stakeholders affiliated with FIAT/IFTA,” he added.

Muller set the ball rolling for the ensuing panel discussions and technical briefings about archiving in today’s technologically stimulating environment.

Dubai 2013, according to Muller, has been one of the best and most memorable conferences in the history of FIAT/IFTA.

PROFIAT/IFTA

Following his speech, Sam Barnett, CEO of MBC Group spoke about the specific challenges that broadcasters face in the Middle East.

Barnett lamented the menace of piracy in the region and the lack of sufficient government regulations to track down the illegal broadcast of content. He stated that such practices damage the growth of bonafide broadcasters operating in the region.

There were other presentations by Nabil Khatib, Executive Editor of Al Arabiya News channel and Dr. Peter Thomas, Senior Director Chief Solution Archive – Avid. Several discussions on metadata as the cornerstone of digital archiving ensued.

One speech worthy of note was the keynote address by Abdulrahman Al Hazza, President of Saudi Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), who spoke about the digital archiving operations at SBC (see page 60). He said that archiving of radio and television content is imperative to preserving modern history. He also stressed the fact that broadcasters need to understand the importance of archiving, although it may cost millions.

Panel discussions on the future of film scanning – the archive perspective

and the service provider’s perspective were also part of the agenda.

Raoul Cospen, Director of Marketing and Business Development at Dalet spoke about the latest innovations in archiving and how saving in the cloud can be a potential solution for the future.

Dorthy Donnan, Head of Libraries at MBC, who played a key role in putting together the conference in the UAE said: “The turnout exceeded the number that we expected. The conference was catering for 300 and we had more than 400 attendees.

“FIAT/IFTA is an international organisation that started back in 1977 and it is to bring awareness to the value of Audio Visual Archives; the preservation of these archive for future use. The Middle East has some really bad archives and it’s time they woke up and preserved the history for future generations.”

The event also included an awards night for the Archive Achievement Awards in categories such as Television Archive Innovation Award, Best Project Promoting Use of Archive, Best Archive Preservation Award, Best Use of Archive, Best Archive at Risk, Best Archive Research, Most Innovative Archive.

“We are all experiencing what it means to enter the digital domain. The broadcast industry is currently in a transitional phase, which is exciting yet, quite complex” Jan Mueller, President, FIAT/IFTA

Top right: Jan Muller, President, FIAT/IFTA. Top left: Teams from Memnon and MediaGuru signed an exclusive partnership agreement during FIAT/IFTA.

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Congratulations!

BroadcastPro ME Awards celebrates innovation and excellence in the MENA broadcast industry

PROFIAT/IFTA Sam Barnett, CEO of MBC Group Sam Barnett, CEO of MBC addressed the conference on the opening day of the event. He pointed out that Middle East broadcasters are operating in a complex neighbourhood, with specific challenges. Getting content in and out of here is a tough task. He added that in a region of 350 million people speaking a similar language, there is a huge opportunity for media companies.

He said: “Our neighbourhood is wealthy and it is growing at a rate of 5%. Media in this part of the world is TV and TV is on satellite, which is largely free to air. When we broadcast the final episode of Arab Idol, back in July, 92 million people watched it.

“We started 20 years ago based out of London, broadcasting on satellite.

We could broadcast outside of the clutches of governments and we kept it free for any set-top box to carry.”

According to Barnett, satellite penetration was low back then. Today, with more than 700 free-to-air channels, satellite penetration is more than 97% in the region. It grew from 15-90% in three years in Iraq. During the Arab Spring, the news content was highly sensitive and there was a greater appetite for that.

MBC1 is our largest channel as it gets a share of 24% viewership in KSA. “TV is a very dominant form of broadcast in the region. TV matters a lot in this part of the world, especially locally produced content. The top 25 programmes in Saudi Arabia offer local content. Compared to the content broadcast on TV say ten years ago, today we have a larger demand for local content. A show like Arab Idol is a local show although it is based on

an international format,” he added.

Commenting on the current scenario, where international formats are increasingly being adapted locally, he said: “I would say it is an opportunity and a challenge. The metadata was there, the formats were there, now it is incumbent upon us to make that shift to ensure that the actual management of the content is as easy and transparent as when we offloaded it from the US.” Barnett also touched upon the issue of the staggering pace of technology.

“It’s technology anarchy out there

“The metadata was there, the formats were there, now it is incumbent upon us to make that shift to ensure that the actual management of the content is as easy and transparent as when we offloaded it from the US” Sam Barnett, CEO, MBC

“Our frustration is when some government channels, encroach on commercial territory without logical commercial vision” Sam Barnett, CEO, MBC The FIAT/IFTA Conference in Dubai had more than 400 attendees from 40 different countries.

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PROFIAT/IFTA and if we have to win, we must make sure our content fits on all different platforms. There are new satellites on different positions today and encrypted platforms are multiplying.”

He lamented the limited opportunity private operators receive in a region dominated by wealthy state broadcasters, with no commercial goals to fulfill. It is challenging to deal “with industry’s unique terms of commercial viability”, he mentioned.

“Our frustration is when some government channels encroach on commercial territory without logical commercial vision,” he said.

Lastly, he commented on the region’s advertising market, which is still emerging, thereby, putting significant challenges on the media.

“The ad spend in this region is vastly lower. The good news is that advertising will continue to grow, the bad news is we have less money. We are constrained in what we can do with limited advertising budgets as the pay-TV market has limited reach in the region,” Barnett revealed.

A big chunk of the market relies on capital from individuals and governments, which makes it a tough market for commercial players.

Abdulrahman Al Hazza, President of Saudi Broadcasting Corporation

“It is our treasure, which we must respect and preserve.

We need to implement a mechanism to save the material.

While preserving the content is important, equally important is its referencing” Abdulrahman Al Hazza, President, Saudi Broadcasting Corporation

Abdulrahman Al Hazza, President of Saudi Broadcasting Corporation spoke about the importance of archiving and how the region has been late in responding to this pressing need.

“Archiving is something we have always believed in. Even if we pay millions, it is worthwhile to save our history. We have no records of the fifty-year period of TV broadcast in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. At that time, broadcasters lacked the vision to preserve this legacy.

He mentioned that with advanced archiving options available today, archiving has become more of a default choice for broadcasters, which was not the case decades ago.

“We used to record on big tapes, which were re-used over and over again. Storing these unwieldy tapes was a big issue, as a result of which, these tapes were left to deteriorate.

Salvaging content from these old tapes is a challenge in itself,” said Al Hazza.

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Another challenge is the different types of tapes that carry the recording. This is a complicated process as it requires material to be preserved in different formats.

Saudi Broadcasting Corporation has undertaken a massive project to archive its 350,000 hours of footage.

These will be saved and digitised for future reference. The building of a database is already underway.

“There are no labels on these tapes, nor are they referenced. We need to expand storage capacity to deal with hundreds of hours of recordings. The next phase of this project will begin soon,” he added.

Taking one step could save a lot of effort and time and resources, said Al Hazza and recounted an incident from his past, when he and his colleague at Saudi TV News decided to record the daily bulletins for keeping records.

“I used to be with broadcast radio till 1984, and then I moved to TV news.

We had a daily news bulletin. People would come and ask for footage of our bulletin; we had difficulty retrieving that material. A colleague and myself decided to set up an archive. We began to record each news bulletin and kept them on shelves for ready reckoning. That was the solution we had. We had the vision but lacked the means to execute it.”

It was an experiment that paid off.

Today, the broadcaster has 33,000 of news recorded and preserved with the dates.

Radio is yet another medium that needs attention. In terms of size, it is smaller than television but no less important, explained Al Hazza, adding that there are 500,000 hours of radio content in Saudi Arabia.

“It is our treasure, which we must respect and preserve. We need to implement a mechanism to save the material. While preserving the content is important, equally important is its referencing. We need to save the details of the stored content, cultivate it and use it for the education of future generations.

“In all of our new projects, we are paying attention to archiving from day one. We believe in saving the past for the future,” he commented.

He also reiterated the potential to monetise these archives. Calling it intellectual property, he added: “Once our archives are done, we will charge for information to private entities although we will continue to offer the government entities any material for free.” PRO

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PROPRODUCTION

Pocket Champ The shoot

A Dubai-based production team created a special rig for a POV shoot with the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera for a promo.

Director Omar Abbas gives us an exclusive first-hand account of his experience filming with the camera

Alchemy Films, a Dubai-based production house, contacted me to work on and direct its latest project, a viral commercial series for a new Latin American Supper Club called Izel. Ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi had conceptualised a campaign that required a first-person perspective throughout the set of four commercials. The scenarios had a lot of potential, and since they were intended for online purposes, we were able to push the boundaries and make the films a lot of fun. It was particularly exciting to learn that this would be one of the first POV shoots ever done using the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera.

In the final films that we developed,

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everything is seen from the perspective of a CEO, who has the habit of flashing back at the most inappropriate times â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to memories of being at Izel with a beautiful woman, who represents the spirit of the club.

A hapless young employee accompanies

Snapshot Director: Omar Abbas Producer: Simone Mazloumian Production Manager: Erin Gilchrist Camera: Andrew Clemson Post Production: Alchemy Films Colouring: Harry Totonjian Sound Design: Steve Rafter

PROPRODUCTION

In the final films, everything is seen from the perspective of a CEO who has the habit of flashing back at the most inapproprate times.

the daydreaming CEO as he comes in and out of these flashbacks. He is the character, whom we see the most in front of the camera, as he bears the brunt of the CEO’s altered state.

Whenever the CEO comes back from a daydream, he is doing something “out of character” to the employee, who has no choice but to take it like a champ.

The camera The reason I chose the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera is because of its size, the quality of the brand, its file format, and its novelty in the market. As soon as I knew we would be doing everything in firstperson (point-of-view or POV), I called my friend Andrew Clemson, who owns one of the first pocket camera units in the country, to help me shoot the films.

In terms of its size, the pocket camera is miniscule. It’s essentially

as big as a consumer stills camera.

This came in handy when building the first person POV rig.

Coming from Blackmagic, I knew that the brand would carry with it the standard that I could depend on for a professional shoot, even though the camera body is deceptively small.

The camera’s file format is ProRes422 or CinemaDNG RAW, which meant easy editing and a wide dynamic range for grading. The pocket camera didn’t record RAW at the time of the shoot so we were limited to ProRes 422HQ, and we recorded in log, so as to maximise the grading capabilities in post. Basically, it offered the same settings as we would record on quick turnaround Alexa jobs. Most of the time, we were at ASA800, but for the darker club scenes we pushed to 1600ASA. The camera’s uniqueness in the market is something that intrigued me as well.

“The scenarios had a lot of potential, and since they were intended for online purposes, we were able to push the boundaries and make the films a lot of fun” Omar Abbas, Film Director

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Congratulations!

RepoRteRs ASBU BroadcastPro ME 2013 Innovative Project Award

BroadcastPro ME Awards celebrates innovation and excellence in the MENA broadcast industry

PROPRODUCTION

Cameraman Andrew Clemson explains: “The Pocket is a 16mm sensor so basically wide lens options are very limited. A 35mm lens has a 3X magnification in terms of FOV, so the 11mm lens we used equates to around 33mm on a 35mm camera. To get around this, we had two options, the 7-14mm Panasonic lens, which woud equate to 21-42mm F4, or something else.

“Metabones make an adaptor called a speed booster, the technical name for which is a focal length reducer. Basically, it is the opposite of a lens doubler. Rather than doubling the length of the lens, it reduces it (or makes it wider). Rather than causing a loss of light, it effectively makes your lens a stop faster. Using the MFT to the Nikon version of the speedbooster, we took a standard 11-16mm Tokina F2.8 lens and made it a 22-48mm F2.0. Given that a normal full POV lens choice (giving us full view of arms/legs in shot) would be between 14mm and 24mm, this worked fine for us.

“The one weak point in the chain was the microHDMI cable on the pocket camera, which is certainly not designed for heavy use. We had to change the cable a number of times, and the signal was interrupted by head movements more than once. An HDMI clamp would have been of great use if we’d had one available.”

It’s important for filmmakers to make use of the latest available technology to keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. It also meant that the commercials would be guaranteed a certain amount of exposure as the first POV shoot using the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera.

To mount the camera on to the actor playing the main character, the Director needed to find the right helmet.

Omar Abbas is a film and commercial director based in the UAE.

The rig To mount the camera on to the actor playing our main character, we needed to find the right helmet. After looking everywhere, our team stopped by Tactical Trading’s showroom on Sheikh Zayed Road, and found some helmets, which were obviously designed for other uses, with standard NATO size rails already installed on the sides. These married perfectly to the accessories we already had lying around for our RED gear (which uses the same size rails for its SWAT system) so, we had an almost ready-to-go helmet from the word go. From there, we used a combination of RED quick-release parts and Hydrostatic arms to mount the camera to one side of the helmet, and the Vlock Battery plate to the other for balance.

On the back of the helmet, we mounted

a small monitor. To get our shots, we needed an extremely patient actor to wear the helmet. I stood directly behind the actor and literally guided the camera movements by gently gripping and moving his head, while watching the monitor on the back of the helmet.

I use the word ‘gently’ as a euphemism for ‘erratically’ and ‘without warning’.

Using the camera on set was a lot of fun, though it came with its own challenges. The cropped sensor meant that it would be difficult to get the wide angle needed to mount the camera directly in front of the main actor’s face.

The shoot was a great success. The light rig meant that it was extremely easy to move between the eight locations in our two days of filming.

We ended up cutting the material on Final Cut Pro X – I can hear editors hissing at the thought – but it was actually a much more practical tool than I had expected. We grabbed the material directly from the camera and edited without any converting or even processing.

We managed to get a nice look using the grading tools in Final Cut itself.

Since we shot everything without any audio, everything you hear was done entirely in post with Steve Rafter at Creative Force. He did a fantastic job of subtly layering sound design elements to bring the spaces to life.

The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera is a very handy tool. At a seriously low price and with spy-level miniature dimensions, it definitely has its uses. The cropped sensor is the obvious drawback to this camera, but you can work around it, and that’s a small price to pay for all its benefits. PRO

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PROOTT

Priming the OTT market OTT in the Middle East offers a unique opportunity for broadcasters, who need to understand that a modular approach to these solutions is the way forward Not so long ago, we all consumed video in much the same way â&#x20AC;&#x201C; via linear broadcasts delivered over the air or by a cable or satellite provider, at a scheduled time to the TV sets in our living rooms. Of course, that traditional model of video distribution is wellestablished, but younger generations are now growing up in a connected world in which they can constantly access video on their own terms. They expect to view their content in real time and on demand, and also anywhere

they command -- on computer screens and smart TVs, on smartphones and tablets, and even on gaming consoles.

As consumers have become addicted to over the top (OTT) video delivery on the device or screen of their choice, broadcasters and operators in the Middle East and elsewhere are taking a hard look at their relationship with viewers. Whereas this relationship was once dictated by scheduled content and pre-programmed channels, broadcasters are realising that viewers are now in the

driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seat. The shift from channels to content have transformed end users into channel managers, and we see a shift from linear consumption habits towards a time-shifted way of watching TV. For broadcasters, this means bringing the content to the viewers, on the platform they prefer, at any given time. In order to compete with rapidly expanding, pure online media brands such as Netflix and HBO GO, it´s time for traditional broadcasters to focus more on content and how the content flows through the

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PROOTT “Making content available on connected devices is an excellent strategy for keeping viewership high in expat communities” Melika Golkaram, Pre-Sales Engineer, Vimond Media Solutions

organisation for delivery to consumers anywhere, anytime, and to any device.

A market primed for OTT Although the Middle East is a vast and varied region, some common trends are shaping OTT adoption in many Middle Eastern cultures. By and large, OTT acceptance has not been as widespread as in Europe and North America, but momentum for OTT is beginning to build as consumers become more familiar with online content and the infrastructure continues to improve. As mobile networks mature and devices become more widely available, these users will begin to demand a broader range of content on the platform of their choice.

Several other factors are driving the emerging OTT marketplace in the Middle East. Because a smaller percentage of women work outside their homes in most countries, the number of hours spent watching television is disproportionately large compared to Europe and North America. Also, some Middle Eastern countries have seen an

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influx of immigrants in recent years from neighbouring countries. Conversely, the Middle East is the motherland of one of the biggest expatriate societies in the West.

All of these expatriates crave content dubbed in their own language and cultural programming from their homelands.

Since the majority of the television infrastructure in the Middle East is funded by the government, broadcasting companies recognise the advantages (and revenue potential) of offering multi-language and multi-cultural content – but they balk at the high price of satellite delivery for a small ethnic channel. Also, these companies produce a large body of their own content, such as news and entertainment programmes, and many of them are already spending millions of dollars on satellite distribution in international markets. While satellite uplinks can’t be avoided for every situation, they can be replaced by OTT in many scenarios.

Making content available on connected devices is an excellent strategy for keeping viewership high in expat communities.

PROOTT In another important trend, the availability of national news channels in content hubs such as Livestream has given Middle Eastern broadcasters access to a vast audience and enabled them to curb piracy. The good news is that many national channels funded by the government are now becoming available to both expats and homeland natives.

As a side note, the political unrest that has developed as a result of the “Arab Spring” has driven a dramatic change in users’ behaviour, as larger numbers now go online to search for videos that can provide them with different angles on the events. As proof, by some estimates, YouTube receives more than 300 million hits daily from the Middle East. Today, in the absence of well-organised OTT services that host content for content owners, these viewers are turning to online video sites such as YouTube.

All of this translates into a tremendous OTT opportunity for both government and private broadcasters and content providers, especially since large online brands such as Netflix and HBO GO have not yet established a strong presence in the Middle East.

Norway’s TV2: an OTT pioneer With the window of OTT opportunity wide open in the Middle East, broadcasters and content providers have plenty to gain by integrating OTT delivery into their traditional DTT workflows. With the explosion of online content, consumers are faced with more viewing choices than ever before. Therefore, it’s critical that broadcasters establish a strong online brand as an extension of their current business, in order to preserve their relationship with viewers and maximise the new revenue streams that will result.

This can be their strongest weapon against growing competition from global brands such as Netflix and HBO GO. Although Norway is a fair distance from the Middle East, both geographically and culturally, there are still some strong lessons to be learned from one broadcaster’s experience. TV2 is Norway’s largest commercial television station and has always been on the leading edge of online television. It began streaming live news in 1997, launched its interactive division in 2000, launched the region’s first full-blown OTT Web TV service in 2002, and began streaming in HD in 2009.

“It’s critical that broadcasters establish a strong online brand as an extension of their current business, in order to preserve their relationship with viewers and maximise the new revenue streams that will result” Melika Golkaram, Pre-Sales Engineer, Vimond Media Solutions

The Web TV service, TV 2 Sumo, gave TV 2 a new way to monetise its content and has since become Scandinavia’s largest commercial online video enterprise. Beyond that, TV 2 Sumo prompted others in the region to jump into the OTT waters, giving rise to a rich market for online TV in the Nordics.

Through Sumo, TV 2 wanted to offer its customers the ability to choose from a comprehensive library of TV 2 programming, which they could view online, live or on demand, using their platform of choice. Such a service required a content management and delivery platform that would enable TV 2 not only to offer the most relevant content to its viewers, but also to do so in a userfriendly, inviting environment with an easy, flexible payment system. Just as important, the platform would need to deliver HD and SD content with a high level of technical quality to any screen.

The problem was, no such platform existed that could satisfy all of those requirements, so TV 2 decided to create its own.

A powerful, custom-built OTT platform Armed with a distinct vision and a firsthand understanding of the challenges associated with multi-format streaming, the minds at TV 2 developed the technology behind Sumo, an award-winning, subscriber-based Web TV service for monetising live and on-demand content online and delivering it to multiple screens. Through Sumo, customers could view their choice of content, whenever and wherever they wanted it and on a range of devices – and TV 2 could build direct relationships and loyalty with its customers while monetising its significant library of content and content rights.

powerful indication of a market whose potential has barely been tapped.

Each service is unique, and each market and customer requires a bespoke approach. This is especially true in the Middle East, where every country has its own distinct culture, infrastructure, and viewership profile. The future of OTT is modular, because broadcasters are looking for a blend of “build” and “buy” components to structure OTT services that will evolve and scale as the means of media production and distribution continue to be reinvented. A modular platform for OTT and open APIs offers an end-to-end solution, but also enables the broadcaster to choose the components needed now, and then add others later as the OTT business grows.

The way forward is creating a modular structure of a platform that offers an end-to end solution, but at the same time enables the broadcasters to choose the parts they need now and adding others later. In an area as diverse as the Middle East, such a modular approach can be a broadcaster’s best strategy for delivering OTT as an extension of the existing DTT business, extending its customer relationship, and embracing the future of TV. PRO Melika Golkaram is Pre-Sales Engineer at Vimond Media Solutions

A modular approach to OTT success Although almost 360,000 people now subscribe to Netflix in Norway, other brands such as TV2 Sumo and NRK are continuing to grow. It’s a

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PROPRODUCTS NETIA MAM integrates MediaSpeech

Axon lip syncs the Synapse Axon Digital Design has enhanced its Synapse 2TG100 with a lip sync generator and analyser.

The 2TG100 is a dual channel test pattern generator, locked to a Black & Burst or tri-level sync. It can generate two fully independent test patterns in either 3Gb/s, HD or SD. 16 test signals of embedded audio are also inserted.

These audio signals can be sourced to the Synapse Quad Speed audio bus for discrete usage. External audio can also be inserted via this audio bus. The individual outputs can handle any format in the same frequency.

The new enhancement enables lip-sync analysing and generating. It gives a visual indication of the timing mismatch and a

reading in milliseconds. The audio tone produced can also be used to identify any swap within the 16 channels of embedded audio. A 5.1 specific tone sequence (blits) is provided as well.

Besides the original AFD, WSS and VI insertion, the 2TG100 now also includes an s2020 inserter/generator to verify blanking transparency and test this important metadata channel for discrete 5.1 infrastructures.

“We have had several customer requests for this enhancement,” said Peter Schut Axon’s CTO and Business Line Manager Synapse.

“Lip sync errors are still an issue and with this new enhancement we can help broadcasters solve that”.

NETIA has partnered with Vecsys through which the latter’s MediaSpeech “speech2text” engine will be integrated into the NETIA MAM (media asset management) solution to make full-text transcription and search capabilities available, alongside video in the MAM interface. This new capability enables the automated transcription of audio tracks accompanying any ingested video as well as greater control over indexing, enriching, storing, retrieving, and monetising A/V content.

“By converting audio tracks into searchable transcriptions, the MediaSpeech engine not only supports faster and more effective content searches, but also enables more comprehensive extraction of metadata and more extensive automated indexing,” said Paul Henri Oltra, Vice President and CTO, NETIA. “These benefits are significant individually, and together they yield a tremendous boost in the efficiency with which users can find and use the content they want or need,” he added.

The incorporation of proven MediaSpeech technology into the NETIA MAM makes it even easier for media companies to deliver content according to their customers’ demands. From ingest to distribution in applications ranging from media logging to production, post production, and archiving, NETIA MAM users can very simply access, search, browse, and retrieve content through a single interface tailored to their work.

Sony goes slim Sony’s newest professional OLED monitors combine lightweight, slim and easily portable designs with the technology’s proven features of high colour accuracy, contrast and picture quality.

The new models (PVM-A250, 25-inch and PVM-A170, 17-inch) achieved approximately 40% reductions in depth and weight, compared to previous Sony models, delivering more flexibility and ease of use for live programme production and broadcast truck applications.

To achieve the new monitors’ decreased weight and depth, Sony re-engineered their entire design, from the chassis to the OLED panel module’s structure to the signal processing board, material and parts. The result is savings in space and logistics expenses, especially important in the tight confines of a broadcast truck.

For example, if 50 of the new monitors were loaded on a conventional truck, total weight is reduced by about 180 kg. Power consumption is also reduced by 9% in the PVM-A250 and 14% in the PVM-A170 monitor compared to previous Sony models.

“Higher resolution content creation – 4K and beyond – requires monitors with larger screen sizes for accurate colour evaluation on site,” said Shuji Okada, General Manger – Marketing, Sony Professional Solutions MEA “But bigger monitors are harder to carry and take up more space. These new models have the screen size needed for critical evaluation, with a thinner and lighter design suited for live broadcast and outdoor shooting.”

Cardinals now even more intelligent dB Broadcast has added new functionality to its Cardinal range of intelligent mains distribution units (iMDUs). An external humidity and temperature sensor is now available to monitor relative humidity between 5 and 95% and temperature from -20 to +80 degrees Celsius, providing environmental monitoring for peace of mind within highly complex system installations, especially in unmanned remote and harsh locations.

Cardinal iMDUs are preferred for their ability to provide up to 12 separately controlled outputs, SNMP interface, e-mail alerts and fail-safe operation. The

web user interface and SNMP interface provide sophisticated remote control and configuration, and can be interfaced with clients’ own systems.

Both single and dual input versions are available. The dual input version enables automatic switching to back up the power supply on failure of the main power source.

While designed primarily for high performance broadcast engineering applications, the Cardinal iMDU range is also suited for general data centre operations, providing highly reliable performance in an efficient package.

December 2013 | www.broadcastprome.com |

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Broadcasters can use the UAE-IX as a central part of their Over-The-Top (OTT) strategy as connectivity to the IX would give optimal customer experience to their users across devices

Internet Exchanges and their impact on broadcasters In today’s rapidly changing digital landscape, the role of the content producer and the broadcaster is shifting and so is the consumer behaviour, which is drifting towards second screens.

Handheld devices, tablets, gaming consoles, and myriad devices have altered the way in which content is consumed these days. The internet is increasingly becoming central to these changing dynamics. It is the medium that drives the multi-screen, multidevice, and multi-platform strategies that broadcasters are looking to implement.

The apps and the portals get everyone’s attention, but not enough emphasis is laid on the internet dynamics, which drives it.

It is increasingly expected of broadcasters to redefine themselves with constantly evolving platforms and yet, remain relevant and make business sense.

Whilst creating quality content, broadcasters also need to ensure that the content is delivered in the best possible way on multiple devices, to create an optimal experience for their viewers.

It is imperative to review the strategy of routing traffic to end users. The internet dynamics would determine the end user experience. The Middle East’s internet dynamics is not the best, primarily because initially most of the content resided in Europe or the US. Hence, all of the telecom operators built and continue to build very

expensive submarine and terrestrial routes to the content core. This meant that the regional connectivity between operators and ISPs was ignored because there was no compelling reason to develop it.

This has also implied that any content player wanting to reach the Middle East found it better to host in Europe than in the region, because all the ISPs were exchanging traffic in Europe. While this strategy works well for latency tolerant non-critical applications, it is not the ideal way to function.

The main drawback of hosting in Europe to reach audiences in the Middle East is not the latency that creeps in because of the distance but its vulnerability to disruption.

The access from the Middle East to Europe is predominantly on submarine capacities, transiting Red Sea, Egypt and Mediterranean Sea, making them exposed to submarine cable cuts or outages.

This problem was identified by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of UAE (TRA) and an initiative to create a UAE – Internet exchange or UAE-IX was conceived. This exchange is a platform for regional operators and ISPs to peer and exchange traffic in the region. The UAE-IX, which was launched in Nov 2012, is one of the fastest growing exchanges worldwide.

It is hosted in the datamena facility and is accessible to all customers.

Broadcasters can use the UAE- IX as a

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central part of their over-the-top (OTT) strategy. Connectivity to the IX would give optimal customer experience to their users across multiple devices. It also gives low latency, more reliable and faster connectivity to each end user on their respective device.

A multi-service platform strategy should have a combination of IX connectivity, content delivery networks and/or perhaps IP transit. The IX ensures that the exchange and routing of the traffic takes place locally, while the CDN takes it beyond IX and other exchange platforms.

The key concern here is how to ensure access to eyeballs/audiences across the target market and hopefully beyond. The Internet Exchange allows you to do that and at a cost point that works.

The ecosystem that builds around an IX and the hub then allows the broadcasters to also look at options that create competitive advantage and lower cost base.

Cloud providers, security companies and managed service operators offer a plethora of services that allow the broadcasters to focus on their core business of entertaining and engaging viewers. PRO

Mahesh Jaishankar is VP of Datamena & Broadcast, Commercial, du. He gave a presentation on UAE-IX at the ASBU BroadcastPro ME Summit.