News

January 14, 2015

Piksel has hired three senior executives to advance commercial expansion in EMEA. Greig Hilton, Jason Johns, and Jonathan Steel join the Piksel EMEA team under Executive Vice President of Commercial...

Cisco Makes Connections at IBC Content Everywhere

January 13, 2015

Stunning display shows the possibilities when everything and everyone is connectedOne of the highlights of IBC Content Everywhere MENA will be the connected home demonstration presented by Cisco. Visitors to...

ViaSat selects Space X for ViaSat-2 launch

January 13, 2015

ViaSat has selected SpaceX to launch ViaSat-2, the next generation of high-capacity broadband satellite. ViaSat-2 is scheduled for a late summer 2016 launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy from the...

Imagine Communications awarded at Emmys

January 13, 2015

John Mailhot of Imagine Communications at the Technical Engineering Emmy Awards.Imagine Communications has been recognised with a Technology and Engineering Emmy Award at the 66th Annual Technology...

In Orbit Testing of ASTRA 2G complete

January 12, 2015

Airbus Defence and Space has successfully completed the initial in-orbit testing of ASTRA 2G and has handed over the control of the satellite to SES who will now validate the...

Nevion bags technical and engineering Emmy

January 12, 2015

Janne Morstol with the award.Nevion has received a Technical and Engineering Emmy award from National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS), at a ceremony during...

Bridge Technologies partners with MERA-TECH for MENA

January 12, 2015

Simen K Frostad, Chairman, bridge Technologies.Bridge Technologies has appointed MERA-TECH as its regional business partner for MENA. With a new office in Dubai, MERA-TECH will carry...

Research shows satellites broadcast TV into 274m homes in Europe, N. Africa and ME

January 11, 2015

Eutelsat has revealed headline figures of research on the number of homes receiving channels broadcast by eight of its flagship television neighbourhoods serving Europe, North Africa and the Middle East....

Etisalat partners with twofour54 to showcase local content

January 11, 2015

Maryam Al Mheri, COO, Twofour54.Etisalat and twofour54 have partnered to showcase locally produced content on Etisalats VOD platforms. An extensive collection of films produced by twofour54s...

Christie acquires coolux

January 9, 2015

Christie, a visual displays and audio technologies company has acquired Cologne-based coolux GmbH (coolux), a developer and supplier of 3D compositing and rendering systems. coolux will be integrated into Christies...

Saudi Broadcasting Corporation launches training centre in Riyadh

January 8, 2015

Dr. Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah Al Khudairi at the launch of SBC's training centre.Saudi Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) has officially launched its new training centre in Riyadh,...

Telestream acquired by American equity firm

January 8, 2015

Telestream, an on-demand digital video tools and workflow solutions provider is being acquired by San Francisco-based private equity investment firm Genstar. No financial details were released but the transaction is...

CABSAT 2015 to highlight MENA media growth

January 7, 2015

CABSAT 2015, a platform for the broadcast, production, content delivery, digital media and satellite sectors across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA), will examine how global media and...

Du and Anite start operations at Terminal Innovation Lab

January 7, 2015

Du and Anite have announced the commencement of live operations at its Terminal Innovation Lab in the UAE – a first in the Middle East region.The facility is equipped with...

Thales Alenia has been selected by CNES to build oceanography sat

January 7, 2015

Thales Alenia has been selected by CNES (Centre National dEtudes Spatiales) to build its oceanography satellite SWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography).SWOT is an oceanography program that will demonstrate new applications,...

Alarab deploys Imagine Communications solutions

Bahrain based Alarab TV has awarded a contract to supply an integrated media traffic, planning and scheduling system to Imagine Communications. Alarab TV is scheduled to launch in February this...

Icflix releases second original production

A screenshot from Al Makida.Icflix has released Al Makida, the second of its 12 original productions, to its subscribers.A crime thriller, Al Makida is set in...

Delivering Sports Content Everywhere: Second Screen as First Choice

by Guest Columnist

The past year proved a milestone for the delivery of live sports online. Events such as the World Cup in Brazil allowed the broadcast industry to further understand the opportunities...

Quantum appoints Patrick Morel as senior EMEA Channel Manager

Patrick Morel.Quantum Corp. has announced that Patrick Morel has joined as senior EMEA channel manager scale-out storage. The new role will see him manage and expand...

Illingworth exits Irdeto, joins content security firm

by Vibhuti Arora

John Illingworth at Dubai Autodrome.John Illingworth is now Business Development Director MEA at Friend MTS, a content and platform security company, which has introduced a new...

Physique TV and Super Sports partner

Physique TV has announced a strategic media partnership with sports event management company Super Sports to showcase sporting events in and around the UAE. In the studios...

Sony to showcase latest cinema cameras at IBC Content Everywhere MENA

Underlining the MENA region as a growing market for creative content, Sony will show its latest cinematography cameras at IBC Content Everywhere MENA, in Dubai on 20-22 January 2015. Sony...

Go by OSN adds more than 50 blockbusters

OSN has added the full box-set of the much-acclaimed series Breaking Bad to Go by OSN.OSN has added the full box-set of the much-acclaimed series Breaking...

STC to sponsor broadcast of Saudi Professional League on MBC

The newly launched MBC Pro Sports network has signed a megadeal with Saudi telco STC to sponsor the televised broadcast of the Saudi Professional League.The deal, signed in a ceremony...

MBC4 launches local format of Entertainment Tonight

The set of Entertainment Tonight.CBS Studios International, and MBC Group have announced the launch of a regional format of entertainment newsmagazine Entertainment Tonight (ET). The new...

IBC Content Everywhere and NHK bring 8K television to MENA

by Guest Columnist

IBC Content Everywhere is a new series of global events addressing the latest developments in media.With digital out-of-home presentations and high quality acquisition high on the list of current trends,...

Al Jazeera Media Network is now on Eshail 1

EshailSat has announced that Al-Jazeera Media Network (AJMN) is now using the Eshail 1 satellite located at the 25.5-degree East hotspot neighborhood to broadcast content to the full Middle East...

Riedel connects Abu Dhabi F1

by Vijaya Cherian

Ahmed Magd El Din, Head of Riedels Dubai operations, at the Yas Marina Circuit during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.Riedel Communications, which has a long-standing relationship...

G.fast solves UHD bandwidth bottleneck

by Guest Columnist

January 3, 2015

The Broadband Forum, a global association of broadband service providers and technology vendors, has announced support for the new ITU-T ultra broadband access standard, G.fast, as a new way to...

UAE’s TRA sets YouTube usage guidelines

January 3, 2015

The UAE's telecommunications watchdog has launched a white paper on YouTube usage, part of a campaign to highlight the dos and don'ts for users while using the internet in the...

EshailSat Selects SpaceX to Launch Eshail 2

December 29, 2014

EshailSat has announced that following an international consultation, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), has been selected to launch the companys second satellite, Eshail 2, in the fourth quarter of 2016 on...

Kuwait’s Alrai TV replaces monitor stacks

December 28, 2014

Kuwaiti broadcaster Alrai TV has replaced its monitor stacks in control rooms and playout with a multiviewer system from Apantac. The station has also added a multiviewer in the MCR...

Turner Broadcasting promotes Tarek Mounir to General Manager

December 24, 2014

Turner Broadcasting has promoted Tarek Mounir to the new role of General Manager, Turkey, Middle East, North Africa, Greece and Cyprus. Reporting to Rani R Raad, Turner Broadcasting Managing Director...

Al Jazeera to switch from Arabsat to EshailSat from Jan1

December 23, 2014

Al Jazeera English, Doha newsroom.TV viewers using Arabsat have been asked to change the frequencies on their set-top boxes as Al Jazeera Media Network will permanently...

Doha Film Institute appoints new CEO

December 22, 2014

Fatma Al Remaihi.Fatma Al Remaihi has been appointed as CEO of Doha Film Institute (DFI). Al Remaihi will also serve as Director of the Ajyal Youth...

IRG Members to Benefit from Eutelsats GSM Demodulation Tool

December 21, 2014

Members of the Satellite Interference Reduction Group (IRG) are to benefit from a new GSM Demodulation Tool developed by Eutelsat, and being offered to all IRG members including new members...

Arianespace launches four more O3b satellites

December 21, 2014

Following the successful launches of the first eight O3b satellites in two batches, on June 25, 2013 and July 10, 2014, Arianespace has orbited four new satellites in the O3b...

International crowd-curated video news service opens Cairo bureau

December 19, 2014

Newstag, a Stockholm-based crowd-curated news service, is opening a subsidiary in Cairo, Egypt to handle its incoming video news content.Newstags pioneering and innovative approach to sharing news through social media...

O3b set to launch four satellites from French Guiana

O3b will launch its latest four satellites from the Space Center in French Guiana. The newly launched satellites will be the latest addition to a network designed to connect the...

OSN adds Viacom channels for youth and kids content

David Butorac, CEO, OSN.OSN has added three new 24-hour channels that appeal to youth and families through its partnership with Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN), a...

Ericsson and Ethiopia Telecom transform network in Ethiopia

Ericsson signed a framework agreement on 2G/3G mobile communication equipment and related services such as design, planning, deployment, tuning, and optimisation with Ethio Telecom.The newly signed framework agreement...

DIFFs 11th edition concludes with red carpet gala

A still from 'Into the Woods'.Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) wrapped up the 11th edition after an action-packed, spectacular eight-day event that showcased films from the region...

DFM announces inaugural Dubai Distribution Programme acquisitions

December 17, 2014

A still from the film Dolphins.Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) has announced the films that have benefitted from Dubai Distribution Programme, a new initiative by Dubai...

Ethiopia Telecom and Ericsson sign agreement for 2G/3G

by Vibhuti Arora

December 17, 2014

Ericsson has signed a framework agreement on 2G/3G mobile communication equipment and related services such as design, planning, deployment, tuning, and optimisation with Ethio Telecom.The newly signed framework...

DIFF’s Muhr Awards for regions best filmmakers

December 17, 2014

Muhr Awards winners with HH Sheikh Mansour Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.The annual Muhr Awards rewarded the regions best filmmakers for their work in the...

Arabsat delivers new satellite hub to STC

December 16, 2014

As part of Arabsat and STCs long term partnership, ARABSAT has announced the successful accomplishment of its project with STC to renew and upgrade its satellite hub in Riyadh (Dirab),...

Thuraya unveils value-based satellite phone

December 16, 2014

Thuraya has launched the first industrys value-based satellite phone, Thuraya XT-LITE. The entry-level satellite phone provides users with instant satellite connectivity at an unbeatable value. The Thuraya XT-LITE is built...

Alarab News Channel to launch in February; promises independent and credible reportage

by Vijaya Cherian

December 16, 2014

From left: Fahad Alsukait, Chairman and CEO of Alarab News Channel, and Jamal Khashoggi, well-known Saudi journalist and General Manager of the channel, address the press...

Tview recommended for industry wide adoption

Noura Al Kaabi.The UAEs TV audience ratings system, tview, has been given the green light for wide-scale industry adoption, following an intensive quality audit conducted by...

Intelsat appoints Deputy CEO

Intelsat has announced that current Intelsat President and Chief Commercial Officer Stephen Spengler has been promoted to Deputy Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.Under the companys succession plan, Intelsat Chairman and...

Thales Alenia Space to supply optical payload for UAEs Falcon Eye program

Thales Alenia Space has been selected by the United Arab Emirates Air Force (UAEAF) to develop the very-high-resolution payload for their Falcon Eye program, within the scope of a consortium...

Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council Hosts Second Plan Maritime 2030 Charette

The UPC has held its second charette of the year to update stakeholders on the progress of the Plan Maritime 2030: Coastal and Marine Framework Plan. More than 200 Government...

Syria’s Hazem Sharif wins Arab Idol

The winner of Arab Idol Season 3 - Hazem Sharif.Syria's Hazem Sharif has won this year's edition of Arab Idol, a popular show that is estimated...

17 Enjaaz films to showcase at DIFF

December 14, 2014

A still from the film The Sleeping Tree.Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) has announced that its Enjaaz programme has supported a total of 17 films at...

Twofour54 and SBC set up media training academy

December 13, 2014

Noura al Kaabi and Abdul Rahman Al hazza sign partnership to set up training academy in Riyadh.Twofour54 has signed a strategic partnership with the Saudi Broadcast...

Vitec Group acquires business of SmallHD

December 12, 2014

Vitec Group has acquired SmallHD, a provider of high-definition on-camera field monitors used by broadcasters and independent content creators.Under the terms of the acquisition, the initial estimated cash consideration is...

Eleventh DIFF kicks off with red carpet gala

The eleventh edition of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) got off to a glamorous start on Wednesday night at the Madinat Jumeirah with the red carpet opening gala screening of Stephen...

Barajoun Entertainment announces new film at DIFF

Barajoun Entertainment, a Dubai-based animation and visual effects studio marked its debut outing at the Dubai International Film Festival with the announcement of a new film for 2015 featuring Hollywood actor...

EIAST signs MoU with Higher Colleges of Technology

Aiming to strengthen its relationship with academic institutions within the UAE, EIAST has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT).The MoU is in line with...

IRG membership fees reduced