Issue 106 | APRIL 2019
Publication licensed by Dubai Production City
Capernaum Calling Nadine Labaki's directorial venture defies traditional filmmaking to spotlight refugee crisis
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Piracy is terrorising our industry, and our broadcasters are having to stand by and watch helplessly as the premium content they bought the rights to is stolen right before their eyes. This is only one of the many scenarios in which piracy has threatened bottom lines in MENA to such a level that it has now shaken the very foundations of our sector’s economy. It is no longer just a little pest that can be pif-paffed to death; it has slowly crept into the cracks and crevices of our system like a disease that has spiralled out of control, and is threatening to put an entire industry out of action unless we take immediate steps to eradicate it. The time for action and collaboration is now. This is why the MENA Anti-Piracy Conference, brought to you by BroadcastPro ME, is significant. Our aim is to bring all the stakeholders in the chain together to discuss how they can potentially crack the whip in unison with regulators and government authorities, so that pirates will never dare raise their heads again. It has to be a collaborative effort. The MENA Anti-Piracy Conference takes place on 23 April at the
Ritz-Carlton JBR in Dubai and is free to attend for industry professionals; however, online registration at www.antipiracyconference.com is mandatory. New regulations do not permit on-site registration. But the conference is not until later this month. We have just bid goodbye to the 2019 edition of CABSAT, and NAB is around the corner with promises of several new launches. We will be reporting from the thick of all that action in Las Vegas. In the meantime, I also had the pleasure of meeting film director Nadine Labaki and her husband, Khaled Mouzanar, who shot to fame when their film Capernaum was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Language Film category. Their story on how they evolved as filmmakers and artists in the process of filming Capernaum is an inspiration for every aspiring filmmaker and a must-read. Nadine Labaki, CABSAT, NAB and the Anti-Piracy Conference – there's a lot in store this month.
Vijaya Cherian, Editorial Director
Dominic De Sousa (1959-2015) PRINTED BY
ISSUE 106 | APRIL 2019
Publication licensed by Dubai Production City
Printwell Printing Press LLC, Dubai Published by
CAPERNAUM CALLING Nadine Labaki's directorial venture defies traditional filmmaking to spotlight refugee crisis
Licensed by TECOM to registered company,
On this month's cover…
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Nadine Labaki, director, Capernaum
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April 2019 | www.broadcastprome.com | 1
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PROCONTENTS
Inside this issue 05 NEWS Egyptian firm opts for Rohde and Schwarz; Bloomberg Asharq chooses Qvest Media; du and Telstra offer video connectivity to MBC; MyHD to broadcast mini football; Sharjah Broadcasting Authority chooses NOA; Metafora Production chooses Ross Video; Al Ain Film Fest in April
16 SatEllitE NEWS KSA’s Skyband chooses LeoSat; Newtec deploys Arabsat hubs in Europe; MBRSC signs MoU with Bahrain's NSSA
bloombErg aSharq NEWS fromchooSES arouNdqVESt mENa
mbrSc aNd bahraiN'S NSSa iNk dEal
16
05 cabSat 2019 Wrap-up
capErNaum'S clarioN call
18 cabSat 2019 We bring you a roundup of the new launches, partnerships and commercial deals in the MENA region
24 capErNaum calliNg Nadine Labaki discusses the challenges behind filming the acclaimed movie
18
24
Starz play groWS footpriNt
ai-aSSiStEd Var oN thE fiEld
30 playiNg to WiN The Starz Play team shares its growth strategy for the MENA region
34 ai-ENablEd
Var High stakes in sports call for error-free judgement on the field. Enter AIassisted VAR systems
34
30 bbc StudioS ShoWcaSE 2019
38 bbc StudioS ShoWcaSE
NEW lauNchES at Nab
- mENa iN focuS A look at the new BBC Studios unified entity and MENA deals
42 lauNchiNg at Nab What’s new in Vegas this year
48 immErSiVE ViEWiNg A look at new monetisation opportunities in live sport
38
42 April 2019 | www.broadcastprome.com | 3
he only you need
PROnews
Rohde & Schwarz to develop transmission network in Egypt
Rommer Balanon.
The Egyptian National Media Authority (ENMA) has signed up with Rohde
& Schwarz to develop its transmission infrastructure ahead of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, to be held from June 21 to July 19. The agreement will see Rohde & Schwarz provide 2KW transmitters to ENMA and set up the whole RF chain, including combiners, RF feeders, antennas and electrical subsystems. The equipment will include a THU9evo DVB-T2 transmitter,
a Kathrein antenna, Spinner coaxial equipment and RFS for the main feeder. Rommer Balanon, Bid Manager, Rohde & Schwarz Middle East & Africa, said: “The transmitters will be deployed at nine sites while antennas will be deployed at seven sites. This project will multiply later on, as this is just the beginning of the DVB-T2 network ENMA wants to build in Egypt.”
Qvest Media to build Asharq media centre in Dubai Qvest Media has secured the contract to build the required systems for a multi-platform news and media centre owned by Asharq News Services Limited in the heart of Dubai’s financial district. This will lead Bloomberg Asharq to deliver news across online, social, TV and radio services to the Arabicspeaking population globally. This project is reportedly the first in MENA to use IP technology throughout its entire media infrastructure. Following the technology analysis and agreement on
Ahmad Hadi Al Kayal (l) of Qvest Media with Omran Abdallah of Bloomberg Asharq.
the system design, Qvest Media is now starting the process of integrating the media and IT systems. The technological design is based on a sophisticated architecture. A full-IP
network, compliant with SMPTE ST 2110, ensures a high level of standardisation and connectivity between the systems, making infrastructural technology changes, such as the switch from full HD to 4K production and distribution, possible at any time. “We are delighted that we have been able to impress Asharq News Services Ltd with our expertise in the digital transformation of the media sector,” said Philipp Glänzel, Principal at Qvest Media.
Avid powers Bloomberg Asharq's news production An Avid MediaCentral platform will provide the foundation for Bloomberg Asharq’s news production environment, optimising collaboration across all aspects of the production cycle. Avid MediaCentral | Cloud UX will allow
production teams located anywhere to access content through a simple, user-friendly graphical interface. Production teams will also rely on Avid creative tools including Media Composer non-linear editing systems
and Pro Tools digital audio workstations. Avid NEXIS, Avid’s software-defined storage platform, will reportedly give the broadcaster unprecedented media performance, scalability and reliability.
MBC Group scoops exclusive MENA rights to FIA Formula One
MBC Group has won the exclusive rights to broadcast the FIA Formula One World Championship from 2019 to 2023. This marks the return of the world’s biggest motorsport event to a free-to-air network in the MENA region. The FIA Formula One World Championship aired on MBC Action last month, with the channel covering all stages of each event, including training sessions, qualifiers and Grand Prix day. As part of MBC Group’s agreement with FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile), MBC Action’s production team has ensured special technical and logistical arrangements to provide the best live broadcast experience for Formula One fans across the region.
April 2019 | www.broadcastprome.com | 5
PROnews
du partners with Telstra to offer dedicated video connectivity to MBC Telcos du and Telstra have partnered to launch a new video contribution solution for MBC in Dubai with a dedicated, fully managed video network service on the Telstra Global Media Network. The Telstra Global Media Network is a highly resilient worldwide network built on a four-fibre path system. The service is specifically designed for the seamless delivery of video content using the latest technologies. Hany Aly, Executive Vice President – Enterprise Business, du, said: “Dedicated
The Telstra team at CABSAT 2019.
video solutions for moving content are gaining traction, as they allow higher video rates and flexibility in terms of permanent or occasional use. du is increasingly trusted
to distribute live content, because we always ensure our solutions are customised for specific needs to maintain the highest levels of quality. Our distribution network
DishTV India dealer booked for UAE copyright infringement The UAE’s highest court, the Court of Cassation, has sentenced a DishTV India dealer to three months in prison and a fine of AED 50,000 for infringing on the copyrights and related intellectual property of OSN. The court upheld
the decision to destroy all confiscated DishTV India set-top boxes, smart cards and remote-control units. Simon Wilkes, General Counsel of OSN, said: “The ruling sends a very clear message that selling DishTV India subscriptions
in the UAE is criminal, and any dealers doing so will be prosecuted. We hope that the stern and decisive actions being taken will continue to discourage the practice of selling or using pirate IPTV decoders and DishTV India in the UAE.”
Ruptly to launch Arabic service in MENA
Dinara Toktosunova, CEO of Ruptly at CABSAT Content Congress.
Ruptly, a global multimedia agency, has announced plans
to launch an Arabic version of its video news agency this summer.
6 | www.broadcastprome.com | April 2019
Revealing the latest development at the CABSAT Content Congress in Dubai, Dinara Toktosunova, CEO of Ruptly, said: “It will be a fully localised Arabic website and live platform. It will allow us to be more accessible to our clients in the region and will provide a platform for us to cover more MENA stories.”
offers reliable access across multiple platforms.” In other news, Telstra provided Lagardere Sports (commercial partner of the AFC Asian Cup) with a professional overlay media network to deliver all audio, video and data services from eight stadiums in the UAE to the International Broadcasting Centre (IBC) in Abu Dhabi. It also provided an international fibre and satellite teleport network to deliver the feed from IBC to rightsholding broadcasters beIN Sports and Al Kass Sports.
beIN in scuffle with AFC beIN Media Group said it will initiate legal proceedings against the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for breach of the sports broadcaster’s exclusive multi-million-dollar regional rights deal. This is in response to the AFC’s decision to revoke beIN’s exclusive rights to air Asian football matches in MENA. The AFC announced that it will live stream matches featuring KSA clubs in the AFC Asian Champions League for free on its digital channels.
PROnews
MyHD to support mini football federation with sponsorships and broadcasts MyHD Media has announced a one-year sponsorship and broadcast partnership with the Federation Tunisienne de Mini Football (FTMF). This multi-tournament deal guarantees funding of the planned mini football events by FTMF in 2019, which includes the Tunisian Continental Cup, the Tunisian Lebanon Super Cup, the Superleague,
the Cup of Tunisia MiniFootball, the Women’s League and all national team and mini football friendly matches. Speaking about the partnership, Carmen Chen, CEO of MyHD, said: “MyHD is eager to contribute to the growth and development of mini football in the MENA region, particularly in Tunisia. It has been less than one year
New Bollywood station on the cards for Shock Middle East
From left: Cameron Plant and Digby Taylor.
Shock Middle East will launch three new radio stations this year, with a Hindi-language station on the cards in the near future, BroadcastPro ME can reveal. The radio network also intends to expand its premises within Dubai Media City. Speaking exclusively to BroadcastPro ME, Group Managing Director Cameron Plant said: “Our research has shown that the three most popular
formats in radio here are Arabic, English and Hindi, so we will launch a Hindilanguage radio station with only two ads in each commercial break. We hope to grow our number of stations this year.” Digby Taylor, Programming Director at Shock ME, added: “We will remain at Dubai Media City, as it has that edge and is the heritage place now for media. We have been able to establish ourselves very quickly. We like to innovate and do things differently. We have around 53 people and that will increase soon.”
8 | www.broadcastprome.com | April 2019
since MyHD launched My Sports 1 channel and while professional football is followed on a global scale, the company recognises the importance of supporting countrywide and communitybased tournaments, as competitions like these positively help bring people and societies together.” Achraf Ben Salha, CEO of FTMF, added: “With the
success of the mini football World Cup in Tunisia in 2017, mini football has grown in the last two years in many African and Arabic countries. This broadcast partnership and sponsorship of MyHD will boost the sport’s popularity in the Arab world. FTMF is extremely thankful and it is a pleasure for us to have this partnership with MyHD.”
Novo Cinemas launches at IMG Worlds of Adventure Novo Cinemas has launched its largest IMAX with laser cinema at the IMG Worlds of Adventure in Dubai. The complex comprises a 12-screen multiplex with more than 5,000m of LED strip lighting in customised colours, and mirror lighting from floor to ceiling.
beIN adds three Fox channels FOX Crime HD, FOX Rewayat HD and FOX Life HD will be available on beIN’s Entertainment, Complete and Elite packages. With this addition, beIN will now host a total of 15 Fox channels on its service.
MBC Group 37th most viewed globally, #1 in Middle East on digital platforms: VideoAces Awards MBC Group has been ranked the 37th Most Viewed Global Media Property in the world – and number one in the Middle East – by the latest VideoAces Awards, which measure videos viewed across all major social media platforms worldwide. The global top 100 were chosen from 3,200 leading brands, media organisations and content creators.
PROnews
Tanzanian and Iraqi channels choose Pebble Beach Systems Iraqi channel Dijlah TV has selected Pebble Beach Systems’ Dolphin integrated channel device and Marina automation solution to upgrade its playout operations. Dijlah TV was looking to implement a fully redundant automation solution with no single point of failure that encompasses ingest, content management and playout functionality. “The combined Dolphin and Marina offers to control third-party devices, maximising their technology choices. For the operators, the transition is seamless
From left: Samir Isbaih with the Azam Media team at CABSAT.
with minimum disruption to their existing workflow,” commented Samir Isbaih, VP of Sales for Middle East and APAC at Pebble. In another deployment by Pebble Beach Systems,
Tanzanian firm Azam Media Ltd, a direct-to-home (DTH) pay-TV satellite service, also selected the Marina automation solution to control its existing playout infrastructure.
Anghami to scale MENA podcasting Anghami, a MENA on-demand music platform with 70 million registered users, has launched over 250 podcasts in collaboration with 40 regional podcast creators. Anghami also brings select podcasters the opportunity to use a dedicated space for recording with access to editing tools on its platform. The podcasts will cover various topics of interest.
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April 2019 | www.broadcastprome.com | 9
PROnews
Sharjah Broadcasting Authority orders NOA mediARC system for archiving Sharjah Broadcasting Authority (SBA, formerly known as Sharjah Media Corporation), a government organisation dedicated to developing the media industry in the UAE, has ordered a second archive asset management (AAM) mediARC system from AV digitising and archiving specialist NOA GmbH. Aisha Alzaaref, Director of Broadcast IT at SBA, said: “Our patrimony is simply too
SBA will benefit from a full duplication of its repertoire at both sites.
important to have it stored in only one location. That’s why we decided to apply this innovative approach
to having it accessible as a complete replica with reliable availability. This is crucial for the long-term
preservation of our archive.” Jean-Christophe Kummer, NOA Managing Partner, added: “This concept is quite unique for a legacy archive in the region. SBA will benefit from having a full duplication of its repertoire constantly available at two sites. The set-up will also permit future-born digital material to be collected in one central repository which is duplicated in two sites.”
Al Arabiya shows global warming impact in AR
Metafora Production chooses Ross Video systems for Syrian channel in Istanbul
Al Arabiya put global warming in focus at its studios last month by creating an immersive augmented reality (AR) scenario using the lake at Dubai Media City to show global warming's impact. The effects included creating storms with strong wind
Metafora Production, a private Arabic media company based in Istanbul, has chosen Ross Video and local partner AVITENG to build and launch a new facility for its new channel Syria TV. Metafora produces TV programmes, films and documentaries. Following a decision to create a brand-new channel broadcasting from Turkey, Metafora chose Ross Video. Local system integration specialists AVITENG handled the integration, installation, configuration and commissioning of services for the new facility. The project also
and rain for the broadcast. Fadi Radi, Creative Head at Al Arabiya, said: “The segment’s 3D graphics were powered by Vizrt’s Viz Engine and created in Viz Virtual Studio with camera tracking by Stype. The impact of our AR scenario was widely shared on social media."
10 | www.broadcastprome.com | April 2019
The new facility at Istanbulbased Syria TV.
featured a tight time scale and complex project management; the plans included provision for a green screen studio and a robotic camera system from Ross to support the virtual sets. Mohamad Ibrahim, CTO, Syria TV, said: " I had worked with Ross products and had positive experiences with the Furio robotic camera system and the Carbonite
production switcher. It therefore wasn’t hard for us to choose Ross as a technology partner and build our production workflows around products like the Carbonite Black switcher, XPression graphics and both Furio robotics and the VR600 PT robotic heads. We are satisfied with the result and the support and training provided by both Ross and AVITENG.”
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PROnews
Al Ain Film Festival to offer $81,670 in prize money to winning entries The first Al Ain Film Festival will be held from 30 April to 3 May in Al Ain. It will showcase movies from the UAE and award prize money worth a total of $81,670 (AED 300,000) to filmmakers. Speaking exclusively to BroadcastPro ME, Amer Salmeen Al Murry, Director of the Al Ain Film Festival, said: “The festival is our attempt to showcase regional movies and place Al Ain on the map of tourism in the UAE and globally. It offers filmmakers a great chance to showcase their movies
in the feature, documentary or commentary genres. The festival has competitions in various categories for Emiratis, residents and children. We want to offer a chance to everybody through the festival to hone their filmmaking skills. Filmmaking is not easy to undertake, and that’s why we are offering the prize money. We want to encourage well-made, quality movies that can go to festivals and showcase the region globally.” The festival’s official competitions include the Emirati Falcon Award for
Amer Salmeen Al Murry, Director of the Al Ain Film Festival.
best long movie; this will be awarded to the winning film’s director and is worth
New show from Colors tests celebrity culinary skills
Kitchen Champion is hosted by Arjun Bijlani (centre).
Colors has announced the launch of Kitchen Champion, an
ultimate cook-off for celebs vying to win the coveted title in the region.
$13,610. Additionally, an award of $5,445 will be given to the best actor/actress in the winning film, and the Best Short Film Award is valued at $10,890 and will be given to the director. In this category, an additional $6,806 will be granted to a winner by the judging committee, and the best actor in the winning film will be granted $2,722. The festival has instituted many competitions, which are open to all UAE residents with an interest in making quality films. The list can be found on their website.
Emirati comedy to be screened during Eid
Hosted by Arjun Bijlani, the show features celebrities such as Karanvir Bohra, Surbhi Jyoti, Rashmi Desai and Debina Bonnerjee. The show premiered last month and will air Monday to Friday at 6pm in the UAE, and 5pm in KSA.
Emirati feature comedy Rashid and Rajab will be released in cinemas across the region on Eid Al Fitr in June. Shot in Dubai, the UAE production is the first live-action feature film from Emirati director Mohammed Saeed Harib, best-known
as the creator of iconic animated TV series FREEJ. The film was produced by Emirati filmmakers Ali Mostafa (The Worthy, From A to B) and Majid Alansari (Zinzana), alongside Breakout Film’s Rami Yasin (Shabab Sheyab).
Middle East Film and Comic Con comes to Dubai The Middle East Film and Comic Con will be held in Dubai, April 11-13. Arrow superhero Black Canary (played by Katie Cassidy)
will be there to meet with visitors. Arrow is part of the DC CW Universe, which also includes The Flash and Supergirl and
12 | www.broadcastprome.com | April 2019
is known for its story cross-overs. Cassidy will be taking part in celebrity panels and Q&As and will join a line-up of celebrities
including Mike Colter from Marvel’s Luke Cage, Ross Marquand from The Walking Dead and voice actor Tara Strong.
PROnews
Gracenote brings Global Video Data to MENA, announces deal with Etisalat Gracenote, a Nielsen company, has launched its Global Video Data offering in the Middle East to help drive next-generation TV and movie search, discovery and navigation for emerging digital and IPTV platforms. Alongside this, Gracenote has also announced that Etisalat’s E-Vision, a major provider of TV content and advanced TV technologies, is one of the first payTV providers to deliver Gracenote-powered viewer
Geet Lulla.
experiences for IPTV, OTT and VOD platforms across TV and mobile applications, reaching close to one million viewers in the region.
Geet Lulla, Managing Director, India, Middle East and Southeast Asia, said: “Gracenote’s new Global Video Data offering is the key enabler of next-generation content search, discovery and navigation that will help TV operators and broadcasters in the region engage consumers and deliver breakthrough user experiences.” In addition, E-Vision is creating next-generation TV guide experiences for over 600 channels across its
FilmQuip launches Zeiss Supreme Primes in UAE FilmQuip Media has acquired the first set of Zeiss Supreme Prime lenses in the UAE. The set includes 25mm, 29mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm and 100mm, and covers large sensors and full-frame, bigger sensors with an image circle of 46.2mm. The lenses are colour matched across the full range, and most feature a fast T-stop of T1.5.
Sharjah Media City to set up JV with Exceed Media JV is intended to provide training courses in media, computer and software, among others, to both From left: HE Dr Khalid Al Midfa individuals and the with Mohammed Khasrow, corporate sector. CEO of Exceed Media. HE Dr Khalid Al Midfa, Chairman Sharjah Media City (Shams) of Shams, said: “The has signed an agreement agreement with Exceed with Toronto-based Exceed Media is aimed at Media to establish a joint benefiting from their broad venture company that will experience in the creation act as the media training of a variety of media arm for the free zone. The content for television."
14 | www.broadcastprome.com | April 2019
Hans Nipshagen promoted at Akamai
Hans Nipshagen.
Hans Nipshagen, MD of Akamai Benelux, has been promoted to Head of EMEA channels and alliances. He will be responsible for Akamai's EMEA channel strategy, and will be tasked with growing its regional partner programme and increasing sales.
IPTV, OTT, VOD and mobile platforms, using Global Video Data. Etisalat will leverage a unified collection of metadata spanning TV and movie content from around the globe with country-level detail. Once implemented, the product powers advanced content search, discovery and recommendation features, using a global ID structure, which enables providers to quickly and easily connect users to the TV shows and movies.
Pharaon Broadcast to distribute Argosy in Lebanon Argosy has appointed Pharaon Broadcast as its regional distributor in Lebanon to strengthen its market position in the region. Speaking about the partnership, Raziullah Baig, Regional Sales Manager, Middle East for Argosy, said: “We are striking up new partnerships in the region, which will help us understand the technological trends in different countries across the Middle East. They will also help increase brand awareness for Argosy."
PROnews
HDTV footprint growing rapidly across MENA, says ASBU head at group meeting
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The Arab HDTV meeting in progress. IS-04 / 05
The Arab HDTV and Beyond group concluded its 10th annual meeting last month in Dubai under the patronage of Eng Abdelrahim Suleiman, Director General of the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU). Headed by Hasan R Sayed Hasan, Chairman of the Group and MD of Master Media, the meeting brought together 70 professionals to discuss pressing issues in the HDTV segment. 2019 also marks the 50th anniversary of ASBU. ASBU’s DG briefed the attendees on the organisation’s activities. He also spoke about the upcoming 20th edition of the Arab Radio and TV Festival, to be held in Tunisia 27-30 June. Chairman Hasan Sayed Hasan spoke about the status and growth statistics of HDTV and ultra HDTV in the Arab world. Underlining
its rapid growth in the region since 2009, Hasan said: “We now have 380 unique HD channels across the region as of December 31, 2018.” He highlighted that sports and general entertainment channels do not dominate the HD channel genres anymore. In fact, HD channels are almost evenly distributed across all genres. 194 HD channels are in Arabic, with 127 in English and 59 in other languages. The meeting concluded with Hasan R Sayed Hasan re-elected as Chairman of the Group for another three-year term, together with Vice Chairs Dr Fares Lubbadeh and Hassan Ghoul. Eng Abdulla Ahmed Al-Balooshi, Assistant Undersecretary of Technical Affairs at Bahrain's Ministry of Information Affairs, was also elected as Vice Chair.
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Saudi-based Skyband chooses LeoSat Enterprises connEctivity
LeoSat Enterprises has entered into an agreement with Saudi-based Skyband, a member of the Inteltec Group and a major communications provider of satellite and networking solutions in the Kingdom. Skyband is an arm of Luna Space Telecommunications Co, one of the first VSAT
service providers in KSA. It will use LeoSat to upgrade its existing satellite solutions, giving customers access to a lowlatency network which is expected to revolutionise data connectivity. Osman Oueida, CEO of Skyband, commented: “At Skyband, we rely on the latest satellite and VSAT
communication technologies for data, voice and video transmission. Our network provides high-speed, reliable, robust, cost-effective, scalable and secured communication across the Kingdom which can be used by all industry segments. We look forward to adding LeoSat’s new system architecture to our portfolio.”
Telearabia PRO deploys Eutelsat's CIRRUS broadcaSting
Telearabia PRO, Mondo Globo’s new Arabic-language SD TV channel platform, will deploy Eutelsat Communications' CIRRUS delivery solution targeting the European hospitality sector. Video distributor
Mondo Globo/MCNC will be the first customer for Telearabia PRO, specifically targeting the European hospitality sector and comprising six premium Arabic lifestyle and entertainment channels, including three MBC Group channels. Fully
Emirati astronauts prep for historic trip to ISS
assembled through Eutelsat CIRRUS, the platform is available on Eutelsat’s HOTBIRD neighbourhood at 13° East and features live channel broadcasting, channel numbering, programme information and content security.
Es’hail-2 ready for commercial service SatELLitE
One Emirati astronaut will head into space on 25 September, 2019.
SpacE programmE
MBRSC has announced that the first Emirati astronaut will go into space with the International Space Station (ISS) on 25 September.
Hazza Al Mansoori and Sultan Al Neyadi are the two Emiratis who have been trained for the project, though only one will eventually head to the ISS.
16 | www.broadcastprome.com | April 2019
Es’hailSat has announced that its new satellite has entered commercial service to serve MENA sectors. Es’hail-2, designed with Ka-band spot beams and Ku-band wide beams, joins Es’hail-1 at the 25.5°E / 26.0°E MENA broadcast hotspot and will augment the capacity already available at the hotspot to support premium services in the region.
Newtec deploys two Arabsat hubs in Europe connEctivity
Newtec has successfully deployed two Newtec Dialog hubs in the UK and Finland, to enable Arabsat to deliver HTS services in the Middle East and African markets. The contract will enable Arabsat to deliver a new suite of services including enterprise and VNO services, IP trunking and mobile backhaul for 3G and 4G services. The first hub was installed in December 2018. The Network Operations Centre (NOC) recently installed at Arabsat subsidiary Hellasat in Athens will see Arabsat reach all platforms and remote sites with its services. In combination with a variety of Newtec DVB-S2X wideband modems, the Newtec Dialog platform will enable Arabsat to offer verticalspecific solutions to deliver the best connectivity experience for any satellite application.
mbrSc signs moU with bahrain’s national Space Science agency partnErShip
The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) has signed a cooperation, information and data-sharing agreement with Bahrain’s National Space Science Agency (NSSA) for the application of satellite images and space research sciences. The MoU was signed by HE Hamad Obaid AlMansoori, Chairman of MBRSC, and HE Eng Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed, Bahraini Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications, Supervision & Control of NSSA, during the second Global Space Congress in Abu Dhabi.
HE Hamad Obaid AlMansoori (l) and HE Eng Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed (r).
The MoU states that MBRSC shall supply NSSA with multi-spectral satellite images and high-quality and corrected panchromatic images. These images will be captured via MBRSC’s satellites. NSSA shall
also develop the current and future requirements associated with remote sensing and satellite images, provide MBRSC with them for consideration, approval and provision according to priorities and available possibilities, and provide the MBRSC with spatial and geographical data agreed to by both parties for processing satellite images and data. Speaking about the collaboration, HE AlMansoori said: “This cooperation will contribute to building smart and distinctive cities based on the latest space science and remote sensing systems and
applications. The agreement will also contribute to enhancing cooperation for both sides through the exchange of practical experience and human resources development in the space and scientific fields.” HE Eng Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed added: “This MoU will open new horizons of cooperation in the field of space and its sciences and applications; it also enhances the presence of Arab countries in the space sector, which reflects the vision of the leadership in both countries and their efforts to achieve sustainable development and prosperity.”
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SOUND BITES FROM CABSAT ARRI lights up MENA broadcast We completed close to 18 projects across the region last year for major broadcast players. Some of the regional projects in which our latest technologies are deployed include the Salmia project in Kuwait TV; Studio 300, also in Kuwait; SBC in KSA; and three studios for Sharjah TV. Of the current lighting equipment range, Arri’s L7C is the main driver in the broadcast studio, helping adjust the colour temperature, tint and hue from 2,800-10,000K, between full plus or minus green and RGBW colours. Another key product was the the SkyPanel 60C (soft light), which puts out a tremendous amount of light in a soft and uniform beam field. For suspension, the hoist, comprising three lights and telescope light, was also installed at some of the studios in KSA. Sohail Shafi, Managing Director
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Calrec Type R IPbased radio system debuts in Middle East For the first time ever in the Middle East, Calrec showcased its Type R modular, expandable, IP-based radio system at CABSAT. The Type R makes use of standard networking technology and combines it with configurable soft panels that can be tailored to operator needs. Type R’s physical control system consists of three slimline panels: a fader panel, a large soft panel and a small soft panel. Each is compatible with COTS hardware and powered over Ethernet to keep cabling to a minimum. We have designed it to be very software-oriented, and customers can customise it to their needs. The same tool offers different levels of control customisation for different needs, ranging from DJing to talk shows. Dave Letson, Vice President of Sales
Bitmovin powers video quality with low bitrates Bitmovin technology innovations focus on video encoding, playback and analytics around user experiences. Innovations include the coauthoring of the MPEG-DASH streaming protocol, and massively parallel cloudnative encoding. Essentially, we are a cloud-based video controlling service and are talking to existing players in the region from a services perspective to improve the quality of experience in the video streaming world. The conversations have been around video quality and streaming bandwidth… not everyone has good access to bandwidth. What we do is offer much better visual quality at lower bitrates. It enables video distributors to save money as they can save on storage costs, and it helps with distribution too. Michael Armstrong, VP Sales, EMEA
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Leader’s all-new Zen series attracts visitors For us, the objective at CABSAT was to bring our product showcase to our customers in the Middle East region and gain their confidence. Last year, for our 65th anniversary, we launched the Zen series and that constitutes our showcase at CABSAT. Everything at our stall is new this year. Other than Leader products, we also have products from our partner associates, like upscale and downscale converters by Astro Design from Japan and SDI-over-IP analysers from Bridgetech. We are promoting their products. The show was quite good for us and we were also able to get some key customers. Umesh Tyagi, Country Manager
Nice People at Work empowers broadcasters with business intelligence Our online video business intelligence platform is based in Barcelona, and we do business intelligence for online media. We help with online video services for MBC and Starz Play here in the Middle East, to help them get real-time analytics and monitoring of their performance of their video services, audience metrics and video consumption patterns on different devices. Our information is largely used to better monetise their content and reach their audience. We offer a whole solution to collect the analytics and provide calls to action that the broadcasters can use. Mehdi Afellat, Sales Director
Pixel Power strengthens market presence in MENA We started off as a specialist in graphics for TV broadcast, and since then we have also developed into other areas like master control, playout, integrated playout and automation both for graphics and content for linear channel delivery. It was time to have a full-time sales person in the region, and that’s where Mark Barkey comes in. He recently joined Pixel Power as Regional Sales Manager. Also, Pixel Power was acquired by Rohde & Schwarz last year, but we very much continue as Pixel Power and we are here to stay and are even stronger than before. James Gilbert, CEO and founder
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PROCABSAT
Flowcine gets a grip on accessories for cinematographers
Ross Video launches Ultricool at CABSAT Ross Video launched Ultricool, a highlyconfigurable 1RU external cooling system designed to complement the thermal performance of existing rack-mounted equipment in extreme weather conditions or confined spaces. Ultricool can be configured to provide directional airflow from front to back, front to right side or front to left side, depending on equipment requirements. Offering both automatic and manual control options (via Ross Video’s DashBoard control platform, direct front panel override and/or RossTalk), Ultricool ensures that end users' rack-mounted products work at their optimum temperature and helps avoid the unnecessary shut-downs and reboots that can be caused by overheating. Stuart G. Russell, Senior Communications Manager
Flowcine produces accessories for professional cinematographers and the film industry. Having spent many years in film and TV production, we have a good grip on products that are missing in the market, including what we wanted on set for our productions. We started Flowcine to put those missing products on the market. We create products that have to do with stabilisation, such as the black arm and the dual black, which enable you to mount them on any kind of a vehicle. The Xarm is a double-section articulated stabilisation arm made from aircraft grade aluminium, solid carbon fibre infused titanium shafts and large stainless-steel precision ball bearings. The Xarm design is built with simplicity in mind – it’s solid and robust, with up to 29kg lift capacity. Thomas Kyriakos, Product Specialist
LEMO connects broadcasters with network solutions We would like to address total broadcast network solutions in the MENA market. We are looking at building the end-to-end network of broadcast infrastructure to supply all needed equipment, like connectors, wall boxes, patch panels and racks. Testing is important to us, and quality is sacrosanct. Our quality assurance separates us from others. As part of the research and development, we are looking at ways to customise the wall box to develop a new splice box. At present, we are active in ten countries in the Middle East. Lemo has been present at all major sports tournaments since 1995. Among our recent projects in the region are the AFC Asian Cup, and we built the Sharjah stadium from end to end. Ahmed Abdallah, GM
Harmonic highlights disaster recovery for different workflows Harmonic showcased four SaaS-based solutions at CABSAT. Harmonic’s new Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) solution provides the flexibility to support any use case – playout, OTT or broadcast-related. The DRaaS solution mixes the benefits of a resilient offering with a usage-based pricing model, making it ideal for users who would like to pay as they use the services and not incur heavy one-time set-up costs. Leveraging the public cloud, the new solution can scale to match the evolution of channel line-ups. The service also works well with the VOS360 SaaS media processing service, which is cloudagnostic and enables the providers to choose any cloud setting to deploy Harmonic’s services. This solution is also being used for content monetisation, as it comes with the capability to do targeted advertising for broadcasters. Olivier Karra, SaaS Business Development Director
SPOTTED AT CABSAT
Roop Dayani, Director Marketing & Design, Sconce Global, highlighted its studio design capabilities.
Reuben Such, Support Development Manager, discussed IPE Technologies' strategy.
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Advanced Media showcased flagship products from partners and received a lot of footfall.
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SPOTTED AT CABSAT
Tim Beck, Enterprise Regional Sales ME, Spectra, discussed the future of archiving.
Pavlin Rahnev, CEO, PlayBox Neo, showcased the latest cloud technology.
The U-To team highlighted the RightsU and BroadView management solutions at the show.
Senad Galijasevic, GM, Senna, demonstrated the importance of set lighting.
BE grows footprint with Elenos in MENA CABSAT offers us the ability to meet with our existing customers and potential customers. This is an important trade show in the MENA region – especially now that we are a part of the Elenos group, it is important that we promote our brands and products, establish relationships and partner with new customers. The trade shows are no longer grounds for closing business deals, they are more about building relationships which then culminate in business deals. We have some excellent partners in KSA and Oman; we are looking forward to growing the business partnerships in the region. Elenos has some great partnerships in Abu Dhabi and we plan to continue to work on that. Ethiopia has been a very good country for business for us. Bob Demuth, International Sales Manager
Canon registers presence with regional partners Canon is purely focused on youth and professionals in the region with our portfolio of products and solutions. We have bespoke solutions offered for our customers in mirrorless lenses, robust DSLR products, a range of printers and more. We are represented at CABSAT through our partners, and it is a collaborative effort to showcase our partnerships in the region. It is evident that not only are we present with our partners who are our business associates, but we want visitors to see how we are a part of the ecosystem. We are meeting up with end users. From a showcase point of view, the cinema 700 full-frame launched last year is receiving a lot of interest, so that’s the hero product for us at CABSAT. Our market share is growing. Venkatasubramanian Hariharan, B2C Business Unit Director
mena.tv previews Ramadan 2019 slate We facilitated the whole content experience at CABSAT through the Flix on 86 initiative. We organised the mena.tv Arabic Originals screening, where brand-new 2019 content from Eagle Films, Cedars Art Productions, Rotana, Comedy Central (Viacom), Spacetoon, VuClip, Union Media and Baby Clay was showcased to buyers. More than 100 content buyers had registered to participate in this initiative and 105 attended the screenings. Usually, our clients tend to do their deals behind closed doors. This is the first time buyers had an opportunity to come to a public screening of new regional productions. Itimad al Sous, Senior Manager at Sharjah Media Corporation, who attended the show, bought four titles for this Ramadan. He commented that the variety and quality of the titles was really good. Nick Grande, CEO, and Heba Korayem, Client Director, mena.tv Content Hub
DTC Broadcast brings live HD capabilities into focus Live HD is emerging as an area of prominence for DTC Broadcast in the region. They are our biggest customer and there is a lot of potential with them. We are growing in this segment and receiving a lot of traction in KSA, Dubai and Sharjah. We are looking at making serious inroads in this market now, with the development of 4K. We are trying to promote and are heavily vested in sailing and on-boat technology. DTC Broadcast is known for its picture performance and the new HEVC SD, HD and 4K encoding technology of AEON lite helps us offer best-quality content. The Middle East is a strong market for high-end transmitters and receivers, and we look forward to taking full advantage of the visibility CABSAT provides. JP Delport, VP, Broadcast Sales
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Sennheiser goes compact with transmission in live environments The highlight for Sennheiser at CABSAT was the SK 6212 prototype. The product will be launched next month. The SK 6212 is a compact transmitter for broadcast, theatre, musical or live show that requires an inconspicuous, compact and lightweight package offering reliable and spectrum-efficient transmission. A hand-held device featuring rounded corners and edges, the mini-bodypack is 63x47x20mm in size and together with the battery weighs just 112g. The SK 6212 can be synced via IR. The flexible antenna is detachable and field-replaceable, and its removable BA 62 lithium-polymer battery offers an operating time of up to 12 hours. Ryan Burr, Head of Technical Sales & Application
Sawa Media shifts focus to esports Esports is an emerging genre and we are managing the leading sports channels in the region. We represent two esports channels, Game 2 and ES24, and they are popular. ES24 covers all major leagues in the sports world. We have licensed this to Saudi Telecom (STC) for its Jawy TV platform, along with 36 other channels. We recognise the importance of esports in the region and are focusing on it now. Sawa Media has about 250 TV channels, which we license to all kinds of pay-tv channels through Sawa Rights Management (SRM). At SRM, we have agreements with almost every single telco platform that runs an IPTV solution in the Middle East. We cover the full spectrum for supplying channels to pay-TV channels across the region. Ali Ajouz, Managing Partner
Tulix brings use value with streaming to Middle East This is our fifth year at CABSAT, and we bring value for broadcasters and new content producers, especially in explaining how streaming works and how to put a new solution in place. We are highlighting our end-to-end solutions, from signal acquisition to application and distribution. We are focused on showing our new multi-CDN product and explaining how it works. We are also highlighting our cloud-based playout to show how anyone can start a brand-new channel if they have the content. We have very cost-effective solutions that are ideal for new business development. The world is changing, and we have the knowledge and experience to bring to this market. Dr Nino Doijashvili, EVP
SPOTTED AT CABSAT
CABSAT Congress discussed pertinent topics within content development in the region.
Carlo Perotta, Sales Account Manager, Aldena, discussed antennas and networks.
The Imagine Communications stand was a hub of activity during the show.
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First-time exhibitor PurpleStream generated a lot of interest with its streaming portfolio.
Eng Umberto Asti shared Aret's plans for 2019.
The Discovery team at the BroadcastPro stand discussed remote production for sports coverage.
PROCOVER
DoCuMeNtINg the undocumented
A creative directorial approach and powerful performances from non-actors are at the heart of Capernaum’s hard-hitting narrative. In a special interview with Vijaya Cherian, director Nadine Labaki and her husband, producer and music composer Khaled Mouzanar, talk about making their magnum opus
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PROCOVER
Capernaum's actors won praise worldwide for their portrayal of characters in the movie. What makes it more interesting is the fact that they were all non-actors.
When Lebanese director Nadine Labaki speaks about Capernaum, the film that catapulted her to fame, first at Cannes in May last year and later when it was nominated for a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, we can see why the theme of undocumented immigrants in her country and the consequences for children had “become an obsession” until it found its voice through cinema. “It was my need to talk about these undocumented children who were paying the highest price for our wars, and how insensitive we had become,” says Labaki. “It was the igniting point of this journey and I just wanted to be in their head and see how they viewed us adults. If a child could vocalise his feelings, what would he say and how would he address the whole journey he has experienced?” That led to the making of Capernaum, which received a 15-minute standing ovation when it premiered at Cannes and went head to head with Netflix’s Roma in the Oscars race. Though it did not win the Oscar, it won the hearts of audiences around the world. The plot revolves around 12-year-old refugee Zain (Zain al Rafeea), who takes his parents to court for giving him life and demands that they be stopped from bringing any more children into the miserable existence that he is subject to. Zain runs away from home after a row with his parents and ends up with an Ethiopian refugee, Rahil (Yordanos Shiferaw), and her baby son, Yonas (Boluwatife Treasure Bankole). The story is set in Lebanon but is a universal tale of the tragic conditions in which undocumented immigrants and their children live. With powerful performances, strong direction from Labaki and the steadfast support of her husband Khaled Mouzanar, producer and music composer on the film, Capernaum lays out a compelling argument for revisiting how we view refugees who have had to flee their war-ravaged homelands and become nameless faces in other nations, where they are continuously exploited. Capernaum impresses for many reasons. The film does not just have a social message; it turns the entire filmmaking process on its head. In countless interviews, the husband-wife duo say that filming with children who are non-actors wasn’t easy. But how exactly did they get the best out of them? They appear to have thrown all they had learned about traditional filmmaking out the window, to take a free-style approach. “The story is fictitious, but it is based so
much on reality because we did three years of research while writing it,” says Labaki. “We went to unfortunate neighbourhoods, detention centres, shelters, homes and prisons. We spent hours in court just sitting and watching cases. So everything we wrote was built on what we saw, and sometimes we were shooting scenes that were so close to reality that we could no longer tell the difference between fact and fiction. “Two days after we shot the scene of Rahil getting arrested at the cybercafé, for instance, she actually got arrested. Like in the film, Rahil had indeed run away from her employer in real life. She didn’t have a baby like in the film, but she was living in Lebanon illegally, and while we were working on her papers, she got arrested. “If you look at the little boy Yonas in the film, he is played by Treasure, an illegal girl child living in Lebanon with her parents, without any papers. For all practical purposes, she is invisible. Her parents were arrested along with Rahil in the same raid. So the whole time, we felt like we were capturing reality, because what we wrote as part of a fictional script was literally happening to those who were playing those roles in the film,” Labaki says. Owing to the quasi-documentary nature of the film, where the lives of her actors mirrored those of her characters, Labaki made a conscious decision to go with the flow and adapt her screenplay instead of going strictly by script. She points out, however, that the end product is not very different from what was scripted. “The script had a strong base as a starting point and a landing point. If your script is solid, you can still improvise but remain grounded and focused. This way, when life throws you an opportunity or if the circumstances and the actors take you somewhere else, you are not afraid to explore those opportunities because you know that eventually you will navigate it back towards the script that was written. It was like life was giving us these gifts that helped make our film better, so we were never scared to explore them because we were shooting so close to reality,” she says. Fortunately, her crew shared that passion and freedom to explore other journeys along the way without questioning the idiosyncrasies behind it. This is what made Capernaum possible, Labaki says. “Sometimes you let things happen the way they are happening. The code between us as a team and crew was to have minimal interference.
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PROCOVER
From left: Khaled Mouzanar with Zain and Nadine Labaki at Cannes in May 2018 for the premiere of Capernaum.
Our characters were not actors who came to the set prepared and knew their lines by heart. We had to create the right space for them to be who they are and to react to the situations that we created as filmmakers and scriptwriters. Therefore, they reacted spontaneously. “And this was the same for all situations. For instance, if the set designer had to bring a mattress to the scene, he had to bring one that had lived the same situation, not a new mattress. Everything had to be authentic and part of that experience. That’s why we shot for six months and in chronological order, something that is not done in traditional filmmaking,” she explains. The team never stopped traffic or asked people to stand by while they shot a scene. They just blended in with the crowds – again, quite uncommon for a traditional film shoot. “We became so invisible that as we were shooting the scenes in the souq with Aspro (the man who was organising the journey for some undocumented immigrants to go to their promised lands), people would walk up to him and negotiate a deal. It’s almost like we were not even there; they just went about
“It was my need to talk about these undocumented children who were paying the highest price for our wars ... [that led to the making of this film]” Nadine Labaki, Director, Capernaum their business as if we were invisible.” In parallel, Mouzanar, a music composer by profession, quickly realised that he would have to don several hats if this film was to see the light of day. “While we were working on this script, we understood that we needed a lot of time to get the right level of performance
The team had shot around 520 hours of footage for Capernaum, says Nadine Labaki.
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from the kids. We needed a lot of time to shoot, to edit, and so we ended up doing six months of shooting and two years of editing, and we realised no producer would accept this. “We did our previous film in the classical way, so we had a French producer and funds; all the post was done in Paris. These are the traditional ways to produce films in the Middle East and it’s hard to go further than a month or two of shooting and four months of editing. So we decided to produce the film ourselves and ended up doing everything from script to screen practically at home,” says Mouzanar, who eventually learnt every aspect of filmmaking while shooting Capernaum. The couple rented a house below their home and had the core team of scriptwriters, producers and executive producers live with them for the next two to three years. In fact, they mortgaged their house to fund the film. “At the end of the project, we had around a thousand people on our payroll,” confides Mouzanar. He also explains the rationale behind renting a number of locations for six months and shooting in chronological order. “You normally shoot all the scenes in one location and then move on, but we needed to see the relationship between Zain and Yonas grow progressively stronger.
PROCOVER
They are kids, not actors. When they meet for the first time, they are complete strangers. Six months later, you can see that they have bonded and become friends, and that shows by the end of the film. This was a psychological choice we made to ensure that the kids could adapt to each other. This impacts the production, but because we did it at home, it cost a lot less. But it was hard.” Perhaps the biggest challenge for Mouzanar was scoring the film. “We had around 520 hours of footage, which we then edited down to 14 hours. How do you score for a film like that? Where do you begin? Initially, I had planned this very romantic and sentimental music to go with what we had scripted. And then when I met the real actors, they were nothing like the soft, sweet music I had planned. “My perspective changed when I
“I had to live in the smell of the slums and feel its violence and its dirt. So the music had to be dirty and humble at the same time, and I had to change from the violin to the Cretan lyra [to reflect that]” Khaled Mouzanar, Producer & Music Composer, Capernaum lived in the slums with the people there. Being a producer helped in that way. I had to live in the smell of the slums and feel its violence and its dirt. So the music had to be dirty and humble at the same time, and I had to change from the violin to the Cretan lyra, which is a more humble sound… so the music was more primitive, and yet it had to be contemporary because it was almost prophetic. It was no longer a local Lebanese story because every city in
the world in the next 50 years will have a Capernaum and such slums in the suburbs, with people living in the most inhumane conditions. The music, therefore, had to have that raw and primitive feel to it while also taking on Biblical, futuristic tones.“ Mouzanar also realised that music was not very easy to place in the film, due to its quasi-documentary nature. After a lot of trial and error, the team divided the film into chapters. In some, there is no score, just the sound of the city. “For the viewer to be immersed in this Capernaum, in this chaos, sometimes we just kept it dry; and in other places, where the documentary becomes more poetic and dreamy, with slow motion and aerial shots, where we felt the score had something to say, we allowed ourselves to put in a real score. So the whole film was like this, very dry in some places and very poetic
The filmmakers made a conscious decision to shoot the film in chronological order to show the gradual attachment between the children, who were initially strangers.
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PROCOVER
With the success of Capernaum, Nadine Labaki hopes she will have a more powerful voice in compelling governments to revisit their policies on illegal migrants.
in others,” explains Mouzanar. Shooting in 4K, mixing in 5.1 Surround and editing 500-plus hours of footage brought along a whole set of technical challenges. “I had to re-equip my music studio with Dolby Surround so we could mix in my studio, and I had to learn to mix in 5.1. In hindsight, the whole thing was crazy because while shooting, I was trying to see how many editing venues we needed. We started with one and ended up with four. We had four stations for editing, four for sound editing and two for mixing, because we had 500 hours of footage and we needed to be ready for Cannes.” It was only three months after Cannes, though, that Capernaum was fully ready. “We re-edited, re-recorded and remixed.” Asked if the team would do things differently in hindsight, Mouzanar says: “Artistically, no. We shot in a manner that afforded us full artistic freedom. No one has done anything like we have done. When I started, I didn’t know what an associate producer was and who does what… we were learning along the way.
“Sometimes we were shooting scenes that were so close to reality that we could no longer tell the difference between fact and fiction” Nadine Labaki, Director, Capernaum When we reached Cannes, I was even selling the film. Now I know all aspects of filmmaking, although the one I like best continues to be music composition.” On how the director wife and the producer husband addressed creative tension, Mouzanar says: “There’s a lot of arguing, but both of us are conscious that art is bigger than us and at the end of the day, art is more important.” They also declare that the film has changed them forever. “I have matured along the way. With your first film, you don’t know what tools and expertise or skills you need to achieve your vision. I was experimenting and learning how to lead the crew and hold the rhythm of the film, which is not a 30-second ad,” says Labaki, who previously worked in advertising. “I have always dreamt of achieving what I have achieved now, but did not
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have the tools to do it back then. Now I do, and it has given me wings. It has shown me how to get those great performances from people. It has changed me. I will never go back to the normal way of making a film. I loved the chaos that we had. I don’t like the structure or the way we are used to shooting a film. Of course, you need to have a crew that believes in your vision and follows you and that empowers you. It was chaos, but it was organised chaos.” The film may not have won an Oscar, but it has already been picked up globally for distribution and has given its actors wings, with Zain living with his family in Norway and some of the others’ papers sorted. With Labaki having shot to fame on international shores, the filmmaker is confident she will have a more powerful voice in compelling governments to revisit their policies on illegal migrants. “The connection to the film is visceral. People are very moved, not because they watched a good film, but because it inspires them to do something. When I see this reaction, I feel we have achieved something,” she says.
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PROOTT
HoW tHe StarS Play the Game
Starz Play organised a roundtable last month to announce that it had exceeded the one million subscriber mark and addressed the reasons for its rapid growth, subscriber churn and market share. We bring you the highlights from different members of the management team
The management team at Starz Play share the growth trajectory of the streaming service.
The journey, in the words of Maaz Sheikh, CEO and co-founder of Starz Play When we first launched the service, we had 2,500 hours of content, and now we have more than 10,000 hours of content. Five years ago, we launched with four major studios, and now we work with all the majors. We are one of the few services globally that licenses content from all major US studios. It is unusual for an OTT service to do that, but in a high-growth market like this, where traditionally pay TV penetration has been quite low,
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studios are keen to work with growing platforms like ours. As a result, we have a lot of Hollywood content. In addition to that, we have 2,500 hours of Bollywood content, around 1,000 hours of Arabic content and 2,000 hours of Frenchlanguage content. So it’s been an incredible journey. Starz Play pricing in different markets In the UAE and Saudi, we are priced at $11 a month, and in North Africa, we are priced at $4 a month. Other global
PROOTT
platforms tend to have uniform prices across different countries. We think charging customers in their local currency is important and pricing the service according to the affordability in each country is important, as each market is unique. This has been a very successful strategy for us. Funding for Starz Play We have raised $125m since our inception. State Street Global Advisors and Lionsgate-owned Starz are our major investors with SEQ Capital Partners, our seed investor, and Delta Partners, which came into our last funding round. It is a unique set of investors because this is a capital-intensive business and so the business model and the markets always need to be validated by a strategic Hollywood investor that understands the economics of this business. State Street is a household name in the financial world with over $6tn under management. Having a strategic investor from Hollywood like Lionsgate, combined with the financial strength of State Street, has given this company a sound investor base and allowed us to not only raise capital but also have credibility in the market to do the growth and expansion we have been doing. Starz Play content Lionsgate and Starz have an incredibly large library of content. The Twilight series from Lionsgate, The Hunger Games and La La Land are all from Lionsgate. Starz has been producing very successful TV shows like Power, which is one of our most-watched shows across all markets. It is a top-performing show, with 50 Cent having established himself as one of the most successful rap artists of our time. Having him as a co-producer has been a very successful journey for us in the production of Power. We are very proud of the combination of Hollywood, Arabic, Bollywood and French content we have. When the next season
Danny Bates, CCO and co-founder What percentage of your clients have you been able to convert from free trials to subscriptions? In general, I would say around 60%, although it varies from market to market. How many of your subscribers come through telcos as opposed to direct partnership? Most of the subscribers pay through a telco, but 70% of our customers are direct customers. That is indicative of the low credit card penetration in the region. How do you measure success and how do you drive that further? One of the things we are proud of having achieved in 2018 is bringing down our acquisition costs. So the lifetime value that each subscriber will bring in is greater than the cost of acquiring each subscriber. For some companies, it is profitability; for some, it is free cash flow; and for high-growth e-commerce companies like us, it is all about market share and growth. Getting those unit economics right is important, and there is a path to profitability and what creates more shareholder value for us is that growth. We want to double our growth in our
home market. We want to continue to lead in it, and then we want to use this base in Dubai to expand. One of the reasons for calling Dubai our home is that it gives very good access to Pakistan, India, Sub-Saharan Africa, Francophone Africa and so on. The key for us is establishing the credibility for the business in our first territory, which is MENA. We want to ensure we build a strong foundation before we approach other markets. 2019 is a key year for us and we have thoughts on where we want to go. What are you doing to reduce subscriber churn? We see customers follow the content they want. We have learned that volume is key, and this is why our churn rate is lowering. We are also a very data-driven company, so we look carefully at what genres and content subscribers search for. The selection and breadth of appeal we had in the beginning was not enough to keep customers onboard the service and
the churn rate was high, but by increasing the content and revisiting the breadth and relevancy of our catalogue, our churns have dropped each year by half. Also, we have been able to create a lifetime value for our subscribers and that has helped control our churn rate. While as a business it appears as churn, consumers view it as flexibility and choice. That flexibility of not being locked into a contract is one of the reasons for the growth of OTT services. There is no cabling, no dish, no STB and no need for a 24-month contract. That choice and flexibility has been an important part of our growth because it gives you the freedom to come and go as you please. As a business, we do want to reduce churn – but we also accept and appreciate that there is a certain consumer behaviour, and that they can leave any time.
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PROOTT
of Billions comes up at the end of March, it will become one of the most-watched shows. We have also recently started to add manga content and it has been very successful for us. There is a lot of interest for this, especially in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi. For the Arabic animated show Masameer, we worked in collaboration with YouTube multichannel network, and it has been very successful on our networks. Nasr Sayed is also an Egyptian show that did very well on our platform. Payment options in MENA While we have access to a lot of good content and great infrastructure, how do you pay for these services when credit card penetration is less than 5% in MENA countries outside the UAE or the GCC? This is why we allow customers to pay for their services through their mobile phones. In our key markets, therefore, we have multiple partnerships with telcos and we try to have coverage in every market in which we operate. As a result, our footprint has been growing.
Khaled Benchouche, SVP Programming and Acquisitions What percentage of your content is exclusive – and with the price of Arabic content rising, do you see yourself moving to more original productions? We have four or five years of data on people’s consumption habits. Around 70% of our content is exclusive. What makes us unique is that we often deal with the local heads
In 2018, we were blessed with a strong five-year partnership with Etisalat and followed that up with retail distribution with eXtra in Saudi Arabia. Having our pre-paid cards in retail stores with a premium retail network
“We have announced partnerships with most of the telcos and have covered the map from Muscat to Marrakech” Maaz Sheikh, Ceo and co-founder, Starz Play
Sheikh quoted IHS Markit's 2018 report on OTT subscriptions, according to which Starz Play is leading with 23.97% of the market share, Shahid at 21.69% and Netflix in third position with 18.39%.
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while they deal with the global studios… and that’s how we acquired The Big Bang Theory, which is one of the top assets on our service. Costs are increasing, but fortunately we have strong partnerships with Arabic producers and we have been able to acquire the content we want at our price points.
like eXtra took that forward. We announced other partnerships last year with Saudi Telecom Company (STC); we launched on Android TVs; in September, we expanded beyond greater MENA and launched in Pakistan – again a very successful initiative for us. We have Hollywood content, Pakistani dramas and movies, as well as Bollywood movies for that market. In October, we announced a major partnership with Samsung and, depending on the TV you purchased, you could get our service free for a period of six months. We signed a partnership with Mobily, and that again was hugely successful. Market performance, according to analysts The IHS Markit report on OTT subscriptions shows that Starz Play has 23.97% of the market share, with Shahid at 21.69% and Netflix in third position with 18.39%. In terms of revenue, Starz Play enjoys the top position with 31% while Netflix is at 24% and Shahid at 15%. This is the second consecutive year that IHS has done this report, and the top three players seem to be Starz Play, Shahid and Netflix. It looks like it may be a three-horse race in the market. As we expand
PROOTT
more in populous and large markets, whether in North Africa or Pakistan, we expect the same growth rate. Plans to branch out We see ourselves as a regional player… we have certain strengths specifically in our technology platform, in our ability to work with telecom operators both commercially and technically, and we see an opportunity in certain select markets. There is a saying inside the company that where Netflix sees problems and challenges, we see opportunity and hope. Those are the markets to which we like to go. We categorise ourselves not as a global player but as a player for emerging markets. Partnership with telcos We have announced partnerships with most of the telcos and have covered the map from Muscat to Marrakech. We have shown that there is a natural affinity and an opportunity to work together. Is your subscriber churn under control? Our subscriber churn is higher than where we would like it to be, but it is in line with the benchmarks
for our customers. We try to offer the right content for each market. One thing we have noticed is that when new customers come to our services, we see what was first watched. 85% of people who download our app immediately watch something on it, and what they are watching is usually these two shows – Vikings and Power.
Maaz Sheikh says Starz Play sees opportunities in countries where rival platforms see problems.
“We try to find content that matches people’s search requirements. We have that data and it is part of how we personalise that content for our customers” Maaz Sheikh, Ceo and co-founder, Starz Play we see for US-based OTT services. How do you assess what people want to watch? It is a combination of our own data and market data, and we try to find content that matches people’s search requirements. We have that data and it is part of how we personalise that content
But what show has been consumed the most in the last three years? That’s Grey’s Anatomy. Friends and The Big Bang Theory are also highconsumption shows, and the latter is catching up with Grey’s Anatomy. But there are others where we see spikes. So, for instance, with the next season of Billions now out, it has been one of the most-watched. Do you have any aspirations to serve the Arab diaspora outside the region? This continues to be our home turf, but we are looking at options for content and services to serve the Arab diaspora. We have seen how valuable subtitling is and we have four years of history doing it, and we would like to take advantage of that to serve the diaspora.
Karin Baggstrom, CFO, Starz Play ROI at Starz Play In these types of businesses, profitability is not the main goal. The company wants to drive subscribers and this growth is more important. We invest a lot of money into growing our subscribers and building our market. So, are we profitable today? No, but that is not our goal now or
for some time in the future. We want to spend all the money we make on building the market and then growing our subscribers. And then we want to look at how to expand into new markets. As of today, we are fully funded for the 20 countries we operate in; however, we are looking at expanding more into Pakistan and
other regions, and if we do this, we may need to raise more money. We do not know if that will be this year or early next year, but it is on the plan that we will. We also haven’t put a number on how much we would need to raise. That would depend on how we do the expansion – if we do it alone or with our partners.
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PROsPORt
AI mEETS VAR on the field
With the stakes in sport increasingly high, it's important to ensure there are no errors in judgement. This EVS paper looks at how AI-enabled Video Assistance Referee (VAR) systems offer easier, faster and more precise refereeing Football is a year-round hot topic for millions of people around the world. The immense popularity of the sport means there is a lot at stake, and leagues and governing bodies need to constantly adapt to fans’ evolving expectations. Technology is increasingly being used to improve the game and aid fan engagement. Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology, for instance, helps referees make more accurate decisions and is shaping the game in important ways. Since 2018, following a positive and encouraging two-year worldwide trial in major competitions, VAR has been written into the laws of the game by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) on a permanent basis. Its use is currently restricted to the review of four categories of match-changing incident: goals, penalties, direct red cards and mistaken identity.
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VAR is becoming commonplace in football; however, it is still in its infancy and we may wonder how its usage will evolve and how advancements in video technology will help improve decision accuracy and speed. Growing acceptance of VAR From the beginning, VAR has caused controversy, with decisions questioned and supporters claiming it disrupts the flow of the game. Despite these criticisms, the consensus among its defenders is that it provides fewer opportunities for bad judgement and confusion, benefiting players, referees and supporters. The IFAB report says the VAR system’s accuracy increased from 93% to 98.9% during its two-year worldwide trial, and according to FIFA, refereeing accuracy reached 99.2% at the
PROsPORt
World Cup with the help of VAR. (Achieving 100% accuracy for all decisions is impossible, due to human perception and subjectivity in the final decision-making.) Many are keen to point out its positive influence on the game, discouraging foul play and creating a better experience for fans. Spanish football’s top division, LaLiga, introduced a VAR system for the first time in the 2018-19 season, with encouraging results. In 190 matches, VAR recommended 55 reviews to the referee, 27 of them related to goals. This means it corrected 6% of decisions related to goals, a substantial amount considering the impact a goal has on the outcome of a match. The statistics also show how VAR helped reduce protest by 14.5% and simulation by 83.3%, compared to the previous season. According to Carlos Velasco Carballo, LaLiga’s VAR Project Head and Chief Refereeing Instructor: “With VAR, players understand that all the action is being watched and analysed, which is leading to better on-pitch behaviour.” This reinforces IFAB’s statement following its unanimous approval of VAR: "This landmark meeting, chaired by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, represents a new era for football with video assistance for referees helping to increase integrity and fairness in the game.” From the fan perspective, a survey of 1,000 football supporters during the 2018 World Cup revealed a whopping 75% of respondents believed VAR improved the quality of refereeing. While many were worried that VAR would slow football down too much, 81% felt it was worth losing playing time if VAR resulted in the correct decision. It’s likely the use of VAR will continue to provoke passionate debates in the years to come, but one thing is sure: VAR systems are here to stay, and the good news is that
“With VAR, players understand that all the action is being watched and analysed, which is leading to better on-pitch behaviour” Carlos Velasco Carballo, VAR Project Head and Chief Refereeing Instructor, LaLiga technology advancements are further improving them, helping them become faster and more accurate. One disruptive area of technology that can truly make a difference is artificial intelligence (AI). AI for easy, fast and accurate refereeing AI is gaining a foothold in many fields and industries, to boost operational efficiency through the reduction of manual processes. Many of today’s current applications are in fact based on machine learning, a specific subset of AI. This approach may use multilayered artificial neural networks able to perform high-level complex tasks by learning from a set of humanlabelled data and then improving from experience. This technique is particularly useful to assist human beings in their work, as AI can carry out mundane or repetitive tasks in a way that is faster, smarter and more efficient than
what humans are capable of. One example is the use of AI to augment and enhance the decision-making process for referees by facilitating the identification of offside offences. The newgeneration VAR system uses this neural-network technique to automatically calibrate the field of play and produce an offside line with a three-dimensional component from multiple viewing angles. The AI performs a continuous analysis of the images generated by the broadcast cameras in real time and calculates the transformation between the camera image and the 3D model of the field, allowing the display of the offside line in augmented reality at any moment and with the right perspective. And because it’s integrated in the system, the need for tedious and time-consuming manual calibration is eliminated. With AI, the offside line is generated in less than a second. In addition, should the camera position change, the system will automatically recalibrate itself so that operators can feel confident that their graphical overlays are always placed on the calibrated field with the highest level of precision.
The VAR system’s accuracy increased from 93% to 98.9% during its two-year worldwide trial, according to the IFAB report.
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PROsPORt The VAR system uses a neuralnetwork technique to automatically calibrate the field of play, enabling multiple viewing angles.
Where is VAR going next? Just as humans learn by example and adjust our behaviour based on new experiences, the more AI is trained, the better it gets. This means the development of AI-enabled VAR systems will be refined over time with the right level of human supervision and a powerful infrastructure in place. Olivier Barnich, Engineering Manager at EVS, says: “Besides the use of AI for the automatic calibration of the field of play, there are other real-world applications that we are currently developing for live sports productions – some of which could also benefit VAR, such as automated camera selection and automated robotic camera steering.” With automated robotic camera steering, AI is trained to locate the action and steer each robotic camera to what it thinks is the most relevant part of the field of play. This could lead to having dedicated VAR cameras in addition to the broadcast cameras surrounding the field. While the broadcast cameras would be used primarily to generate interesting and visually appealing images for the narrative, the dedicated robotic VAR cameras would only be used to show the most appropriate viewpoints intended for VAR analysis. And since the robotic cameras are AI-enabled and not operated by humans, there would be no extra staffing costs.
“Besides the use of AI for the automatic calibration of the field of play, there are other real-world applications ... for live sports productions – some of which could also benefit VAR, such as automated camera selection and automated robotic camera steering” Olivier Barnich, Engineering manager at EVS With automated camera selection, AI is trained to select what it deems to be the best or most appropriate camera angles. If we apply this technique to VAR usage, we can imagine AI learning to detect incidents on the field and suggesting the right camera angles to be reviewed by VAR. This would help speed up the decisionmaking process, as the VAR assistant would have a reduced number of camera angles to choose from. “These are exciting times for video technology in general. The potential of AI is huge, and our teams are looking forward to being part of this journey towards smarter and more effective live production,” concludes Barnich. Another determining factor is the increase of image quality in broadcast. With the adoption of high-frame-rate cameras or newer formats such as
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1080p or UHD 4K, it will become easier to zoom in and still keep a high-resolution image, helping to provide a clearer image and analyse the action with better precision. The success of VAR largely depends on how well it is implemented and understood. Ultimately, the referee has to make the final call. This is why leagues and federations are beginning to develop intensive training programmes for officiating authorities. LaLiga has designed a course that involves workshops, studying other leagues, simulations for referees and communication with clubs, media and fans. Sergio Sánchez Castañer, Technology Director for LaLiga’s VAR Project, says: “The key to VAR success is transparency and communication. From the first day we knew that it could be a success in Spain, but not before we brought all of the stakeholders together to understand the aims of VAR and how to use it.” It’s likely we’ll see more and more training programmes of this kind being offered to referees, to prepare them for any situation and to guide them towards even more efficient use of VAR in real-life competitions. VAR has now become an integral part of football, and it seems hard to go back to a world without it. Despite lingering scepticism, the first statistics behind the worldwide use of the technology show very positive results. However, VAR is still in its infancy and there is always room for improvement. As more and more officials become accustomed to using it, and as technology continues to evolve, VAR systems will be fine-tuned over the next few years and best practices will strengthen over time. The technology will work even more efficiently, to help the quality and accuracy of the game as well as make it more honest and transparent.
Free attendance for industry professionals. Register online antipiracyconference.com
Combating Content Piracy Bringing together legal, technical, regulatory and community stakeholders to work towards a piracy-free environment for the MENA region. Learn about the latest threats to content and protecting IP, and how the industry and regulators are innovating to educate the consumer on the menace of piracy.
23 April 2019 Ritz Carlton JBR Dubai, UAE antipiracyconference.com
Anti-Piracy Confrence and its entities are a product, owned and operated by CPI Trade Media. Š 2019 CPI Trade Media. All rights reserved.
PROshOwcase
BBC BrEAKS new ground
BroadcastPro ME had the opportunity to be part of the BBC Studios Showcase, the world’s largest international content market hosted by a single distributor, now in its 43rd year. Key MENA takeaways from the Showcase were the benefits of merging BBC Studios and BBC Worldwide, and the organisation’s new regional deals
Earlier this year, we witnessed the best of BBC Studios Showcase, which as the title suggests, is a presentation of the best of BBC’s annual content line-up dressed up for producers, industry creatives, commissioners, producers and hundreds of the world’s top TV buyers looking to invest in its
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content. This year, the BBC welcomed the highest ever Asian contingent to Liverpool. The 2019 Showcase also reflects a brand-new chapter in the organisation’s history, after the BBC’s announcement that its production and distribution arms had been merged under one entity, BBC Studios.
PROshOwcase
Grant Welland says the new unified model allows BBC Studios to take its stories to global markets in new ways.
The integration of the BBC’s production and commercial aspects of content financing and sales under one unified business model will enable executives to talk all the way from acquisition to commissioning, according to Paul Dempsey, President, Global Markets. More significantly, it throws up a whole array of new opportunities because with the integration, BBC Studios no longer has to produce all of its content for UK audiences only. It can now make a programme to be shown on other channels regionally or globally, not necessarily the BBC. “Previously, BBC Studios could only technically produce content for the home service. So if the BBC public service said it didn’t like an idea we proposed, production couldn’t take it anywhere else,” Grant Welland, EVP for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa at BBC Studios, tells BroadcastPro ME. “Now, under the new unified entity, we are free to take our stories to ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, etc in the UK, or ZDF in Germany, or MBC in the Middle East. That’s the difference. Again, in the past we were able to bring international co-production money into the UK only if the BBC would take that production. If we didn’t cater to our home audience, we couldn’t do
Natasha Hussain says the BBC has various content deals in MENA with beIN, DMI, Shahid Plus and others.
“We are very hands-on... We see how to convert our content with our partners successfully on the ground, whether that is in the factual or scripted space” Natasha Hussain, VP and GM for the Middle East and Mediterranean, BBC Studios it. But that is no longer the case. The Mallorca Files, for instance, is a show born out of a co-production agreement between ZDF Germany, France Télévisions and public service in the UK. This is a glossy light-crime drama that we know is particularly popular with our customers in Central and Eastern Europe, and working together has now created the opportunity to create something like that.” This has perhaps been one of the biggest benefits of the merger, as the BBC realised that leading global players are investing vast sums in content – but not necessarily in British content reflecting British lives. To be able to partake, it needed to change its business model. The decision was supplemented by research. Consultants Mediatique forecast, for instance, that spending on British programming could fall in real terms by £500m over the next decade, posing a real risk to the
Paul Dempsey says BBC Studios can take customers through the whole chain from acquisition to commissioning.
volume and breadth of British content available, with a potentially damaging impact on distinctiveness, risk-taking and innovation. Joining forces and deciding to take their stories outside if they didn’t find relevance on home ground was an important part of the decision. More specifically in MENA, the BBC has made significant inroads since the last Showcase. Earlier last year, it launched BBC Earth and CBeebies on beIN, and later on Digiturk in Turkey. Now it has BBC First and BBC News as well in the region. “On top of that, we signed a production MoU with beIN Media Group to explore coproduction and development opportunities on the scripted and the factual side,” explains Natasha Hussain, Vice President and GM for the Middle East and Mediterranean, BBC Studios. Other interesting developments in the UAE were announced at MIPCOM in October 2018, with the BBC’s first international format licence deals for No Kitchen Required with Quest Arabiya and Astronauts: Toughest Job in the Universe with Dubai Media Inc. No Kitchen Required, a 10part series based on the BBC America original commission, was produced across Saudi Arabia, the
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PROshOwcase
UAE, Morocco, Oman, Jordan and Romania through a collaboration between Image Nation Abu Dhabi, In Media Plus and Emmy awardwinning producer Marc Lorber, for transmission by the end of October 2018. The localised version – Dabbir Aklak – features top chefs from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Egypt.
“In the past, we were able to bring international coproduction money into the UK only if the BBC would take that production. If we didn’t cater to our home audience, we couldn’t do it. But that is no longer the case” Grant Welland, EVP for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa at BBC Studios
Astronauts: Toughest Job in the Universe will soon make its debut as a local format with Dubai Media Inc on Dubai TV. The 10-part series follows 14 ordinary people as they take on a demanding training regime usually reserved for real-life astronaut candidates. As the candidates push themselves to the limit, they are assessed by a doctor, a psychologist and an experienced astronaut to determine who has what it takes to attempt the toughest job in the universe. Filming will take place this year. “Essentially, these licensed agreements allow our partners to take our formats and repurpose them for their markets,” explains Hussain. “But we are very hands-on and have production offices globally. We see how to convert our content with our partners successfully on the ground, whether that is in the factual or scripted space. For that, we fly in producers that go and spend a certain amount of time in those territories. They work
This year’s Showcase welcomed more than 700 buyers to Liverpool under the newly merged BBC Studios banner.
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Khalid Khouri, who was at Showcase 2019, says Dabbir Aklak was a huge hit in the GCC with 12 million digital views.
Khalid Khouri, GM, Quest Arabiya Quest Arabiya in Abu Dhabi, known for its adrenaline-pumping programmes, was the first channel to license No Kitchen Required from BBC Studios after its huge success in the US. An action-adventure cooking competition, No Kitchen Required follows wellknown chefs as they work with locals to hunt, forage and collect ingredients to create a locally-inspired meal. Khalid Khouri, GM, Quest Arabiya, was at Showcase this year. He sheds more light on this production and unveils some details about another one in the pipeline. “We shortlisted 20 chefs for this series and shot it over the summer in Morocco, Jordan, Oman, the UAE and three episodes in Saudi Arabia. We were looking for chefs who did not have much TV exposure and we worked with those who were consulting, opening restaurants or selling them. In each episode, we worked with three different chefs. “It is a great format because you cover adventure, hunting and cooking. You have to hunt your meal and cook it. Chefs are not used to this. Usually, they sit in their kitchens and have their assistants to get everything together. “We launched this in October 2018 and it went on until December. In Saudi Arabia, we had more than 190,000 views each week on linear and in the UAE, around 90,000. We started really early with our marketing campaign and overall, we had more than 12 million video views on digital. From the BBC, this is the only format we have taken. “Quest Arabiya has also completed a shoot in February for another show, which has to do with fishing. We shot in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Oman and the UAE for this. It was a 40-day production and is in post at the moment.”
PROshOwcase
The BBC welcomed the biggest-ever Asian contingent to Liverpool this year for Showcase.
on the evolution of the scripts, discuss casting, where the series is heading, how to develop the right talent and how to make the show really stand out.” With Dancing With the Stars, a big hit in the Arab world, Hussain says it is interesting to see the sale of high-energy and very different male-skewing factual formats like Astronauts and No Kitchen Required in the region. “That these programmes work for a different segment of the population, and are being adapted, is very exciting.” But that’s not all. A recent deal between BBC Studios and MBC Shahid Plus means a mix of factual and drama titles such as Luther, Silent Witness, Inside the Factory, Ancient Invisible Cities and Secrets of the Bermuda Triangle are now available on the online platform. The Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was sold to MBC Max. Top Gear, which was
“We are also having discussions about Expo 2020 and how we can build a sustainable technology and future with various stakeholders within the Gulf region” Natasha Hussain, VP and GM for the Middle East and Mediterranean, BBC Studios sold to Discovery DMAX, was on MBC as part of a second-window deal. Alhurra picked up factual titles from the BBC including North Korea: Murder in the Family, Diana and 7 Days. The BBC Arabic factual package includes Earth's Natural Wonders, Ancient Invisible Cities and Deadly Dinosaurs. More recently, Kuwait TV picked up natural history and factual packages such as Animals with Cameras, The Hunt and Spy in the Wild.
“There is so much happening in the Middle East, and we are pleased with the progress we are making there. In the UAE, there is a big commitment to the space programme, so the Astronauts format is perfectly placed. “We are also having discussions about Expo 2020 and how we can build a sustainable technology and future with various stakeholders within the Gulf region. The Astronauts format was perfect to take the business to the next level and is intended to be a world premiere,” explains Hussain, adding that the BBC works very closely with its local partners. “Every step of the way, we ensure we are really close to the production process so the partner gets the kind of show they want. We are looking to build on it. We are also licensing various content to DMI on the factual and drama side for Dubai One. This is the next step in that relationship.”
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PRONAB
Grass Valley adds slo-mo support to LiveTouch Grass Valley will debut the latest version of LiveTouch, which incorporates 4K UHD slowmotion replay, direct playout and full super-slowmotion support (2x, 3x, 4x, 6x, 8x) at NAB this year. The new super-slo-mo speeds and support for HDR make it ideal for pairing with the high-end capabilities of Grass Valley LDX cameras in either remote or at-home productions. The new integrated LiveTouch HDR capability easily handles colour mapping from any format to the
production format of choice. In addition, this latest version of LiveTouch offers an advanced audio editing
suite with intuitive controls for quick, easy editing and smooth playout sequences during a live event. Audio and video can be split and edited independently to advance or delay audio in a playlist, and auxiliary audio tracks can easily be dropped into a LiveTouch playlist to add music or sound effects. The tight integration between LiveTouch and Grass Valley’s editing environment is maintained in at-home production with the browser-based Go! production suite. This allows editing of content from any device that
supports an internet browser. Chris Merrill, Director of Product Marketing at Grass Valley, said: "LiveTouch sits at the heart of a complete sports workflow that supports unmatched, fast turnaround replay and highlights creation, with a unique distributed production model at a substantially lower cost than any other system. With its all access to all content design, collaborative workflows in either SDI or IP have never been so easy or fast. We are excited to demonstrate the utmost capabilities of this system to visitors at our NAB booth." NAB Booth: SL106
VITEC announces low-latency contribution solutions at NAB VITEC will demonstrate subframe/ultra-low-latency IP contribution in HEVC with its MGW Ace Encoder and MGW Ace Decoder, which deliver 16ms glass-to-glass latency and video quality up to 4:2:2 10-bit through VITEC’s HEVC GEN2+ codec. VITEC’s EZ TV IPTV & Digital Signage Platform replaces legacy coax systems, delivering enterprise-grade IPTV streams to desktops, TVs and mobile devices with advanced features like multiviewing, video on demand and timeshifted TV. Ideal for sports and entertainment venues, EZ TV enables organisations to stream high-quality live and on-demand video, create dynamic digital signs and
video walls, and deliver it all to every display over any network infrastructure. Within the platform’s HTML5-enabled media library interface, users can access, archive and annotate videos and ISR media with MISBcompliant KLV/STANAG
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metadata from anywhere. The latest EZTV release includes TAA-compliant end-points with HEVC and 4K HDR support (EZ TV EP5). For remote production or applications where IP streams must be played back in sync, VITEC will showcase its MGW
Ace Encoder and quad-channel MGW Diamond HEVC encoders featuring time-synchronised playback, which ensures multiple IP streams across several MGW Ace Decoders. Additionally, VITEC will demonstrate its HEVC contribution solution with MGW Ace Encoder, MGW Diamond, MGW Ace Decoder and Playout Server. The playout Server’s platform manages, captures and previews IPTV-protected streams transmitted by VITEC encoders from any location and distributes them within a target network for rebroadcast, VOD or other applications. NAB Booth: SL6005
PRONAB
MultiDyne enters the compression market
MultiDyne Fiber Optic Solutions will officially enter the compression market with a specialised range of professional, broadcast-quality encoders and decoders for streaming media workflows. The new MD9200 range strengthens the company’s value proposition with OTT and IPTV service providers moving SD, HD and 4K/UHD content over public and private IP and fibre networks. The initial MD9200 series consists of encoders and decoders in stand-alone, desktop configurations, and in the popular openGear card module form-factor. The openGear encoding and decoding modules are compatible with the broader openGear community of infrastructure products. Both encoder models enable highly secure streaming from one to many destinations, supporting virtually any mix of streaming protocols. Each independent encoder configuration
accommodates unique frame size, frame rate, video/audio codecs and data configurations, and can independently encode separately HD and SD streams at high and low bitrates from a single SDI input. All MD9200 series products deliver bandwidth efficiency while maintaining signal integrity and visual quality. Both decoders optimise 1080P AVC (H.264) and 1080i MPEG2 compression, with optional support for very high bit-rate 2160P HEVC (H265) UHD streams. When using the openGear decoder (MD9200-DEC-OG), customers can house up to 20 decoding modules in a single 2RU openGear chassis for high-density signal de-compression to SDI and HDMI. The standalone MD9200DEC delivers the same operational benefits and visual quality for pointto-point streaming. NAB Booth: C5013
Bittree announces Dante patchbay Bittree's Dante audio patchbay will eliminate the complexity of analogue and Dante audio patching in the broadcast infrastructure. It provides a ramp to instantly move 16 channels of analogue audio on and off Dante networks, and serves as a natural bridge to unite legacy audio equipment with IP systems. Beyond broadcast, the Dante patchbay provides connectivity solutions to recording studios, post-production facilities and commercial AV environments (houses of worship, live event and performance venues, and large corporate and higher education campuses). Consultants and systems integrators benefit from reduced labour and integration costs by removing the need to hardwire devices into the patching systems. This eliminates
extraneous cabling and conversion equipment – and the costs that come with it. The Bittree Dante patchbay will interface with Dante Virtual Soundcard, countless Dante devices and almost any analogue component in the same system, including audio distribution equipment, digital audio workstations (DAWs), digital signal processors (DSPs), mixing consoles, multi-track recorders and video routers. The compact stand-alone or rack-mounted 1.5RU powder-coat enclosure carefully incorporates TT patching for audio I/O (16x16), redundant DC power in, external word clock I/O, network status and audio VU multi-level LED metering. NAB Booth: SU6221
Barix steps up broadcast audio quality Barix will unveil the new Silence Monitor solution at the NAB Show. Silence Monitor is a web-accessible, analogue-input audio monitoring device that promises the highest levels of quality assurance, monitoring audio streams 24/7 and sending real-time alerts when an outage or silence is detected. Silence Monitor offers optional LTE 4G/3G/NB-IoT transmission for RF out-of-band connectivity. This back-up communication link ensures alarm detection signals are transmitted, even during an IP network outage. Other products with silence detection send alarm notifications over the same network where the audio should be transported – a definite limitation. Silence
Monitor allows the use of both local and out-of-band connection technology at the same time, for robust reliability. Users can monitor the status of the network and transmission online through a cloud-based management portal. Users can also listen live to the audio at each monitoring site through the web-based interface, with specific location designations identifying points quickly and easily. NAB Booth: C1139
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PRONAB
Telestream debuts media processing platform Telestream will unveil Vantage Cloud Port, a new approach to media processing workflows for the cloud, onpremise or both. It will demonstrate how the processing platform can create hybrid cloudbased deployments with predictable SaaS pricing. Max Denton, Product Manager at Telestream, said: “Vantage Cloud Port can implement jobs from a repository of containerised version-matched Vantage processing engines in the cloud. This enables flexible, intelligent hybrid media processing workflows.” Vantage Cloud Port allows customers to modify workflows, without any onboarding. Any existing user can augment on-
prem processing. It couples the power of Vantage with the simplicity of SaaS. Vantage Cloud Port, running on Telestream Cloud, is a simple, deterministic approach for billing based on output content minute. NAB Booth: SL3308
LYNX Technik launches HDR to SDR convertor LYNX Technik AG will introduce HDR Evie, an enhanced video image engine powered by the greenMachine multipurpose processing platform. HDR Evie is reportedly the world’s first system using advanced algorithms, which automatically analyses and applies optimal corrections in real time on a frame-by-frame basis. Along with dynamic HDR conversions, greenMachine is also equipped with integrated frame synchronisation, up/ down cross conversion and a suite of powerful audio processing capabilities. Typically, HDR to SDR conversion is achieved using a single static correction for the entire production, which can
be accomplished with LYNX Technik’s greenMachine HDR Static Conversion solution. greenMachine HDR Evie supports single-channel 12G SDI 4K/UHD conversions or can be configured as a four-channel device for 3G (HD) applications. 4K Quad 2SI inputs and optional 12G fibre I/O connectivity make it compatible with almost any system. A wide array of conversion possibilities are supported, including 4K HDR to 4K SDR, 4K HDR to HD SDR and even conversion between HDR standards. HDR Evie supports a range of open standards for conversion, tone mapping and colour gamut, including HLG, PQ, SDR and SLog3. NAB Booth: N2827
Cartoni to steer new lightweight pedestal at NAB
Slomo.tv goes affordable with VAR technology
Cartoni will launch the new lightweight Steering P70 pedestal at NAB. With smooth performance and the ability to handle camera packages of up to 75kg, it offers the highest up-to-date technology at a competitive price. Elisabetta Cartoni, President and CEO of Cartoni, said: “Broadcasters are looking for costeffective ways to add value to their telecasts without compromising performance. The new Steering P70 Pedestal offers an incredible payload capacity and precise, smooth movement
Slomo.tv will introduce a new entry level model of its Video Assistant Referee solution – videoReferee-ST. Claimed to be the market’s most affordable VAR system. With12 SDI video inputs, it meets the minimum FIFA/IFAB VAR requirements of supporting at least eight cameras, one of which is high speed. videoReferee-ST has an adjustable input delay for the referee’s monitor, multiviewer and special buttons for the VAR and RO (red, green and blue). The system supports gesture control via the touch screen referee monitor and also provides SDI Output for the replay review area (RRA) monitor on the side of the playing field and broadcasters. When it is necessary to increase the number of input
in a compact and portable design.” The new Steering P70 is a single-stage steering system for studio and OB production, with a removable steering wheel for extreme portability. Its column design promises outstanding stability and smooth, precise movements. The Steering P70 offers extensive on-shot movement capability, with full crabbing for easy manoeuvrability. The Cartoni pedestal comes with a five-year warranty. NAB Booth: C9020
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channels, users can expand the capabilities of the system to 16 inputs by purchasing an additional license. Also, the system can have the optional second workplace for VAR assistant (AVAR). The second workplace allows two replay operators (RO) to simultaneously and independently work with different questionable moments or on the same moment with different camera angles. This can significantly speed up the referring process – one RO works with VAR, the other one – with AVAR. The four graphical system output provide flexibility in organising any configuration of interfaces. It is 4U, 56sm and weighs 19.5Kg. NAB Booth: C9020
PRONAB
GatesAir scales new heights with Intraplex Ascent GatesAir will unveil Intraplex Ascent, a scalable, multichannel audio over IP transport solution that addresses the convergence of broadcast operations with IT infrastructure. The complete working solution will be officially introduced at NAB. Ascent offers a direct connection to traditional digital and analogue audio interfaces and is compliant with both the AES67 standard and AoIP networking solutions (Ravenna, LiveWire+ and Dante). Ascent is available in two form factors: a 1RU server with configurable options for physical and AES67 channels, and a softwareonly solution that operates in a virtualised container.
Both versions support up to 32 audio channels (AES3, AES67, analogue) and are interoperable with most Intraplex audio-over-IP codecs. GatesAir’s first Intraplex system provides broadcasters with a highly scalable, redundant and cloud-based transport platform for
multichannel contribution and distribution. The platform streamlines installation and management by removing the need for many separate codecs and auxiliary hardware components, freeing multiple equipment racks in enterprise-level facilities. Keyur Parikh, VP and GM,
Intraplex Product Line, said: “Audio over IP has become a widely accepted technology, with a growing number of hardware and software solutions for broadcasters to choose from. GatesAir is taking the next logical step for our customers with direct integration into the IT infrastructure. With our Dynamic Stream Splicing application and SRT capability to fortify stream security and reliability, our customers now have a simple platform to manage many channels coming in and out of the studio or headend – all on a single, highly-redundant, multi-core server.” NAB Booth: N3303
VSN helps customers with NewsConnect VSN will showcase VSN NewsConnect, an HTML5 plugin for NRCS that allows users to create a news production environment specifically suited to their requirements, complementing and improving
the media production workflow at any facility. It simplifies and increases the speed at which news is generated, and improves efficiency and productivity by eliminating the need for
users to work with and switch between different tabs and interfaces. Users can also see in real time how the final stories – including graphics and video – will look. An add-on for the VSNExplorer platform for media and workflow management, the web plug-in allows users to visualise all the assets and videos stored in the VSNExplorer MAM/PAM system within the interface of the large majority of NRCS systems available in the market, and to quickly allocate and drag and drop files into NRCS stories in order to complete their news pieces. The plug-in
also gives users simple, straightforward access to all the advantages and features of VSNExplorer MAM media management, such as fast cataloguing; fast, advanced search of assets and video files; proxy player; and retrieval of content directly within the interface of the NRCS system of the user’s choice. VSN NewsConnect has been integrated, using metagraphics, with computer graphics systems to access the CG templates directly from the NRCS interface, as well as to unify them with video for broadcast or publishing, through Wedit, a VSNExplorer proxy video editor. NAB Booth: SL7606
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PRONAB
Mediaproxy shows monitoring and content-matching workflows at NAB Mediaproxy, a softwarebased IP broadcast solutions provider, will showcase its updated LogServer software suite for compliance, monitoring and analysis at NAB. It will introduce the concept of exceptionbased monitoring via IP penalty boxes, to enable broadcasters and MSOs working at scale to efficiently handle quality control and compliance. For network operators managing multiple stations and playouts, Mediaproxy has introduced a new live source comparison feature for real-time identification of mismatched content. The new feature enables one or more live sources to
be immediately compared based on video content. Operators are alerted when there is a mismatch and content is not matching. Support for Newtek NDI and SMPTE 2110 mediaover-IP formats further enhances the options available for compliance recording and monitoring solutions. By capturing NDI and SMPTE 2110 sources,
including metadata, Mediaproxy LogServer allows broadcasters to ensure full compliance during all stages of IP deployment. Erik Otto, CEO of Mediaproxy, said: “Reining in control over a large number of OTT streams can be daunting, which is why having a unified system for monitoring compliance and identifying issues across all traditional
and OTT playouts is critical. Mediaproxy LogServer enables operators to log and monitor outgoing ABR streams as well as transport stream and OTT stream metadata, including SCTE triggers, closed captions and audio information, all from one place. It is the key to surviving the multiformat game of the future.” NAB Booth: SU2802
Marshal Electronics to introduce wide viewing angle monitors Marshall Electronics introduces the new 24inch V-R241-4K Master Confidence Monitor with a wide viewing angle that can display resolution inputs all the way up to 4K. The monitor supports SDI inputs up to 12G and HDMI inputs up to HDMI 2.0, all with HDR. Marshall’s V-R241-4K will be on display at the show. The V-R241-4K comes with waveform and vectorscope functions along with in-monitor displays (IMD/UMD), tally, text and timecode. It includes 16-channel audio bars, closed captioning decoding, built-in speakers and more. Gary Carter, Product Manager, Marshall Electronics, said: “The V-R241-4K is
a multi-format monitor that is ideal for broadcast applications because of its feature-rich design. This monitor can support video formats up to 4K/ UHD wide color gamut, HDR calibration and much more.” For system integrators,
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the V-R241-4K has multiple ports for control over Ethernet, RS422/485, RS232 and GPI. The V-R241-4K is also compatible with controllers from Extron, AMX, TSL Products, Image Video, Evertz and other common control interfaces, making it ideal
for use in remote production, among other applications. The V-R241-4K includes LED and on-screen tally lights, image flip ability and a headphone jack for confidence monitoring. In addition to being feature-rich, the V-R241-4K is eco-friendly with low power consumption in standby mode and remote wake. Among other features, the standout features of V-R241-4K include UHD/4K support via 12G SDI, Quad 3G SDI, Interleaved 2SI and HDMI 2.0. It displays all HD, UHD and 4K resolutions along with built-in confidence speakers to confirm the presence of embedded audio. NAB Booth: C6508
BroadcastProMEAwards.com
HABTOOR GR AND HOTEL / DUBAI / UAE
1 day / 1 evening / 4 panels 23 speakers / 17 awards 1 gala awards dinner 13 November 2019
Sponsorship
Nominations
Information
Raz Islam +971 50 451 8213 raz.islam@cpitrademedia.com
Vijaya Cherian +971 55 105 3787 vijaya.cherian@cpitrademedia.com
Sheena Sapsford +971 4 375 5498 sheena.sapsford@cpitrademedia.com
PROGUEST
“Today’s viewing experience must not only provide convenient and highlyconnected access, it must also replicate the action on screen as closely as possible”
The immersive future of broadcast sport Live sport has been a staple of broadcasting for many years, and its popularity can be attributed to its time-critical and social nature. Built on traditionally loyal viewing audiences, the sports industry has played a crucial enabling role in expanding the delivery of content across an ever-increasing range of locations, devices and platforms. The quality of live sports broadcasting has never been higher. Through advancements in streaming technology and faster broadband connectivity, sports fans are now viewing on second screen devices or via specialised apps, often while on the go. Today’s viewing experience must not only provide highly-connected access, it must also replicate the action on screen as closely as possible, offering immersive and highly personalised technologies of the highest possible quality. The latest research from App Annie’s ‘State of Mobile’ report predicts that in 2019, more time will be spent consuming video on mobile devices. Subscriptions for VOD services are increasing globally; the report predicts there could be as many as 777m global SVOD subscriptions by 2023. We are already seeing movement in the industry; DAZN, the first global puresport live and on-demand streaming service, recently stated that over-thetop (OTT) streaming will eventually replace traditional TV broadcast.
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Improving live streaming – 5G and reducing latency As streaming live sports relies on high connectivity, especially as viewers tend to log in just before a sporting event kicks off, being able to scale up and down is important. Ericsson’s November 2018 ‘Mobility Report’ forecasts that video traffic in mobile networks will grow by 35% annually through to 2024. 5G will play a key role in helping content providers draw out new user experiences by reducing the strain placed on network operators. It will also play a significant role in opening new avenues for live sports broadcasting, especially given the rising demand for new streams such as VR and ultra-high definition/high dynamic range (UHD/HDR). In May 2018, 5G was used to live stream the US Open golf tournament in 4K video. 5G wireless technology was used to transmit 4K HDR images from two Fox Sports cameras through the production truck to viewers at home. New formats for immersive viewing Delivering live productions to multiple screens with the best possible delivery mechanism opens up new opportunities for engagement and viewing – especially in the context of audience fragmentation and consumer demand for a more personalised viewing experience. CBS Sports, for example, used this year’s Super Bowl to deploy multiple
4K and 8K cameras to deliver a variety of new viewing angles and close-ups. These new perspectives were supplemented by VR, enabled by a live wireless hand-held camera that displayed AR pictures via an up-close camera tracking the field. Another technological innovation saw the delivery of the world’s first multi-channel 6K tiled 360-degree live sports event – a basketball game between Telekom Baskets Bonn and EWE Baskets Oldenburg – thanks to a collaborative project involving Deutsche Telekom, MediaKind, Magnum Film, TiledMedia, INVR.SPACE and Iconic Engine. The live streams were delivered to customers of Deutsche Telekom’s commercial Magenta VR service. This demonstration enabled customers to experience the event from the front row of the stadium or from behind the hoop. What made it successful was the ability to live stream in high quality through low bitrates. The future of live sports streaming The challenge today is to leverage the increasing use of second screens and to centralise content via multi-platform compatibility. By generating highly connected, aggregated audiences through a single platform, sports broadcasters have opportunities to find new methods of monetisation and deliver new technical developments which will drive the future sports entertainment experience. Arun Bhikshesvaran is CMO, MediaKind.
SK 6212
Setting the standard for size. Again.
Huge expectations meet a compact design. The SK 5212 once defined the industry standard for compact wireless transmitters. Its digital successor, the SK 6212, is now heralding a new era. This mini bodypack provides 12 hours of operating time, and its intermodulation-free transmission concept enables more reliable channels, even in congested frequency ranges. Size matters — performance counts. sennheiser.com/SK6212