Month: September 2021

TVBEurope Article

Written by Jenny Priestley with contribution from Yucel Timur, Director of Operations

TVBEurope hears from industry stakeholders about whether the TV industry could move to a shorter working week, and how they’re working to reduce colleague burnout.

Over the past 18 months the broadcast industry has dealt with some of the most challenging times it has ever faced. The pandemic forced broadcasters, vendors, and technologists to think on their feet in order to keep content on air when staff were asked to work from home. Even when stay-at-home orders were lifted, broadcasters had to develop new ways of producing shows while dealing with social distancing etc. Add to that a busy summer following the postponement of major sporting events, and it’s not surprising that some industry colleagues are in need of a break!

The idea of a four-day working week has been gaining ground around the world in recent years. France is said to be considering a move to limit the working week to 32 hours, while a four-day week trial is currently underway in Scotland. A recent UK report suggested a decrease in working hours increased productivity by 700 per cent.

But would that work for the broadcast industry, and how are companies working to reduce burn out? During the pandemic companies introduced everything from quizzes to virtual coffee mornings, and even a weekly virtual pub to keep in touch with colleagues and industry contacts. And the idea of a reduced working week is starting to gain traction…

Click HERE to read the article in full.

TVBEurope – leading broadcast magazine | Case Study – Double Page Spread

Asharq News broadcasts from a new all-IP facility and, with the support of Pebble’s playout solutions, recently launched as one of the first SMPTE ST 2110 NMOS-compliant broadcasters operating in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Asharq News is a 24/7, multi-platform Arabic economic and political news service. Content is delivered through a dedicated television channel and multiple digital platforms. Much of Asharq’s programming is driven through an exclusive content agreement with Saudi Research and Marketing Group (SRMG) and Bloomberg Media, which powers a key component of the channel: “Asharq Business with Bloomberg.”

Production Flexibility

As a new broadcast platform, Asharq News’ main goal was incorporating as much flexibility as possible to accommodate future growth and expansion and keep its production workflows current. 

Establishing a fully IP environment has prepared Asharq News to handle any production requirements for any delivery platform. And being NMOS compliant allows the broadcaster to leverage interoperability, working with multiple vendors on several integrations.

Network connection and device management also becomes more manageable with IP, important for remote production and collaboration. While Asharq News is headquartered in Riyadh with central offices in Dubai, the network also manages key hubs and studios in Cairo, Abu Dhabi and Washington, D.C. in the United States, as well as regional offices and correspondents across key Arab countries and in major global cities.

Managing an operation of this scale using traditional SDI or coaxial connections becomes logistically burdensome and cost-prohibitive over the long-term. IP gives Asharq News the benefit of flexible system configurations without the constraints of SDI’s physical connections. The channel can set up as many inputs and outputs as needed, while adding more easily without requiring additional hardware…

Click HERE to read the case study in full