Channel 8, Iraq’s latest television station, is making a splash with its impressive state-of-the-art studios and a vision to captivate diverse audiences. Vijaya Cherian takes a tour of the modern media facility.
Channel 8, a brand-new private TV station based in Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, went live earlier this year from a state-of-the-art TV complex comprising two buildings designed specifically for the broadcaster. Along with three studios and the studio sets within them, they were constructed based on designs from renowned German designer Flint Skallen, well-known for similar work for Oman TV and several international broadcasters. Iraqi systems integrator Wave Media provided the technical design as well as the supply, installation, commissioning and training for all areas of the facility, including its studios.
Wave Media calls this one of the biggest TV investments in the country. “We built this facility from scratch for the client, and the channel’s technology investment alone was significant,” says Zaid Wattar, Managing Director of Wave Media.
“Channel 8 has only one channel at the moment, which is in Kurdish,” says GM Syed Hassan Raza, but the plan is to eventually have channels in multiple languages. “We have plans to launch an Arabic-language channel very soon. That will be followed by a children’s channel and an English-language channel as well. Our aim is to cover various communities comprehensively.”
With 56 channels currently on air in Iraq, a country of 40m people, and political parties behind each of them, we ask Hassan if the market is not already saturated with news channels. His response is that the country is in dire need of unbiased reporting and that Channel 8 hopes to provide that.
“Channel 8 was launched on March 8, which is International Women’s Day, as we wanted to pay tribute to women. It also symbolises infinity; the channel mainly targets Kurdish viewers both in the region and around the world. Our Arabic channel will be aimed at Arab viewers and will have Arab journalists. It will not be an Arabised version of its Kurdish counterpart.”
A tour of the broadcaster’s brand-new TV complex reveals three large HD studios that are 4K-ready, with three corresponding production control rooms (PCRs) and a master control room (MCR) spread across two buildings. Two big studios — a main with five cameras and a second with three — attached to each other but separated by a high-tech glass wall are housed in the main four-floor building. They operate in silos and cannot be combined. The glass wall serves to provide a more expansive view of the adjacent studio. Above the studios on the mezzanine floor is a high-roof studio, where the team can shoot small news features and programmes. A third open five-camera studio occupies the second building.
“We think our studios are bigger than any of the other TV stations in the region,” says Hassan. “Designed by the famous Flint Skallen, graphics have been combined with the studio design to enhance our augmented reality set.”
Channel 8’s facility in Iraq is outfitted with cutting-edge technology, starting with the Avid MediaCentral Cloud UX platform for comprehensive newsroom journalism, editing, storage, MAM, video servers and social media publishing. The channel boasts three big, beautifully done-up studios, two in one building and a third larger one in the adjacent building.
The main studio features five Ross Furio robotics and Ross Skydolly ceiling robotics, introduced for the first time in Iraq, along with Ross OverDrive studio automation. Graphics and branding are powered by Avid Maestro Graphics for all studio CG, videowall graphics and MCR branding. Pebble Beach Marina MCR and playout automation with Dolphine video servers have been deployed to manage two channels. The studios are intended for an HD workflow, with MPEG-2 XDCAM 50 as the master house format.
The facility also boasts Ross Voyager Unreal Engine AR graphics, another first in Iraq, for the main studio, and Vizrt AR/VR graphics with Unreal Engine for the other. Both studios are equipped with Sony studio cameras and Ross Carbonite vision mixers. The Imagine Communications Platinum central router and Ross MC1 + Ultrix platform serve as the MCR switcher.
Vari-lite provides complete studio LED lighting systems and control, with motorised suspension rigging. High-end audio is ensured by Yamaha CL5 mixers and Sennheiser systems for wireless microphones and in-ear monitoring. MediaKind handles encoding and IRD systems for satellite transmission, while Telestream Vantage and DIVA systems manage transcoding and LTO archive storage respectively. The facility also includes an RTS intercom system, Vinten studio pedestals for the second and third studios, and Autoscript prompters.
“The workflow for Channel 8 has been meticulously planned, with significant integrations to ensure seamless operations across various production aspects,” explains Wattar. “The Ross OverDrive system plays a central role by receiving rundowns from Avid iNews and distributing commands to video, graphics, AR/VR, vision mixers, audio mixers, camera robotics and lighting control. This integration allows for synchronised control and automation across multiple production elements. Avid’s production PAM is integrated with Pebble MCR playout, enabling smooth file exchanges and efficient archiving with the DIVA system. This set-up ensures that all media assets are readily available for playout and long-term storage, streamlining the production process.”
The decorative LED RGB lights in the studios are programmed with scene- and programme-type colour themes, all controlled by Vari-lite lighting controls and Ross OverDrive automation. This integration creates a harmonious look and feel for every programme, aligning the videowall and lower third graphics colour themes with the lighting to enhance visual coherence. Additionally, beauty shots are created by triggering Ross OverDrive automation to control the camera robotics, in sync with music, graphics and lights. This is particularly effective for programme intros and outros, creating visually appealing transitions that captivate the audience.
Overall, these integrations facilitate a cohesive and efficient workflow, ensuring that all production elements are harmoniously coordinated to deliver high-quality broadcasts.
“The technical highlight of this project is the fully pre-programmed workflow, spanning from NRCS to studio automation, which enables seamless and harmonious commands with minimal effort,” explains Omar Hussein, Chief Technology Officer at Wave Media. “This comprehensive integration includes all major PCR equipment, working together to achieve outstanding visual and operational results. The use of advanced studio robotics significantly reduces the need for manual intervention, allowing the entire system to be managed by only three operators in the main studio PCR, as Ross OverDrive takes control. This setup not only enhances the overall production quality but also optimises resource utilisation.”
Hassan proudly says that Channel 8 has “one of the best graphics and branding equipment in the Middle East”.
“Because these are all seamlessly controlled by the same manufacturer’s products, support is so much easier. Of course, it integrates with products from other vendors as well, but they are all industry-standard solutions. It takes less time to solve a challenge that is critical to the broadcast environment.”
The broadcaster has major expansion plans and hopes to hire more employees to operate upcoming channels. It will continue working with Wave Media on subsequent projects.
“Wave Media was chosen for this project for several reasons,” explains Wattar. “In Iraq, we are renowned for our exceptional project management, technical delivery, design expertise and advisory services. As a major systems integrator, we operate from two major offices in Baghdad and Erbil, supported by our headquarters in Dubai. We boast the largest and most specialised broadcast technology and operations team in Iraq, with the industry’s most qualified and certified technical professionals. We have a zero history of project failures. Every project we undertake in Iraq has led us to secure more projects. We help our clients right from the start of a project, and have gained their trust by helping them choose solutions that fit their needs and objectives rather than something we represent.”
Channel 8 was conceived during Covid, but like most projects it faced significant delays due to a lack of parts, shipping and other logistical issues, says Wave Media’s Project Manager Ali Wattar. “Despite these challenges, our dedication to excellence never wavered. We utilised our expertise and collaborative efforts to overcome every obstacle, ensuring that Channel 8 would emerge as a leader in the broadcast industry.”
The channel eventually took shape only early this year and its Kurdish channel is doing well, claims Ahmed Najm, Chairman of the Board, Channel 8. Plans are now on to launch the Arabic channel.
“When we launch an Arabic channel, we want it to target the Arabic community,” clarifies Najm. “It must resonate with and represent the Arab community. There will be some bits of Kurdish flavour in some areas of the channel, but for the rest of the channel it will be for the Arab community. We have three presenters from Lebanon, one from Tunisia, one from Egypt and two from Syria for this channel at present.”
The broadcaster also has significant plans to enhance its digital presence. At present, it has one game on its app, but intends to have more soon and has a big presence on Facebook, Instagram and other popular social media platforms. It also has big plans to expand to other cities with a mix of small and big studios.
“We have integrated AI, which our programmers created especially for our app and website. We are now testing a radio channel as well. Soon we will go on air with our FM radio station as well. We are slowly expanding,” explains Hassan. “Right now we only have operations in Kurdistan, but intend to have studios soon in Baghdad and Erbil and have discussed opening news bureaus and studios in the US, and then in London and Europe.” Channel 8’s ambitious growth strategy, from its state-of-the-art facilities to its multilingual broadcasting goals, positions it as a major player in Iraq’s media landscape. Perhaps Ahmed Najm, Chairman of the Board, best summarises its ambitions: “At Channel 8, our ambition transcends borders and languages. We are not merely creating a television station; we are building a bridge to connect global audiences with the rich, diverse stories of the region. Starting with our cutting-edge facility in Sulaymaniyah, we envision a future where Channel 8 becomes a beacon of unbiased journalism and cultural exchange, reaching homes across the world. This is just the beginning of our journey to redefine media standards and create a truly global platform.”