BroadcastPro ME • 21 September 2023

Decoding AI and new technologies in media

At the recent BroadcastPro Tech webinar, panellists shared their thoughts on AI, cloud, next-gen technologies and FAST business models. Moderated by BroadcastPro ME editor Vijaya Cherian, the panel discussion featured Manish Kapoor, Executive VP of Broadcast and Technology, Zee Entertainment Middle East; Salloum El Dahdaah, CEO of White Peaks, who attended with COO Jessy Abou Habib; Melvin Saldanha, OSN Director of Technology; and Suhail Ahmed, Advisor of Technology and Strategy at International

BroadcastPro ME • 22 September 2022

Moving to a fast future

In recent years, the growth of streaming platforms and the tentative future of linear have been discussed extensively. Taking the stage now is FAST – a marriage of the two concepts. Exploring the FAST model, its monetisation opportunities and its place in the Middle East were Manoj Mathew, Territory Head of Zee Network Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan and Turkey; Sanjay Raina, Global Media & Entertainment Professional and StartUp Advisor; and Zahra Zayat, Chief Commercial Officer at evision b

BroadcastPro ME • 20 September 2022

OTT video delivery: Challenges and aspirations

If the pandemic changed the way we lived and worked, it also changed the way we entertained. Lockdowns and work-from-home have had an impact on the way we consume content on television and OTT platforms. While the world goes back to ‘normal’, the changes in the media sector are here to stay.

Discussing these changes in depth were Mike Cohen, Senior Solutions Engineer at Edgio; Barry Mehdizadeh, CTO, Mawarid Media & Communications Group; William Sharp, CTO, Intigral; Dr Naser Refaat, CTO, Rotana

BroadcastPro ME • 24 August 2022

Taking art seriously

How is Jameel Arts Centre different from other galleries in the way you integrate different art forms?

Jameel Arts Centre is essentially Dubai’s contemporary art museum. We have a collection that we show within our exhibitions’ programme; the robust film programme; the culture park where we commission works; festivals and events; and an arts library. This is the first open-access library in the Gulf that looks at art history theory, social theory and architecture, and includes a large holding o

BroadcastPro ME • 15 August 2022

Media convergence and its many facets

The discussion on Media Convergence: Evolving Trends in Broadcast and Streaming in MENA explored the shift of the region’s media industry towards convergence. Steve Russell, Chief Product Officer at Red Bee Media, moderated. Joining us for the roundtable were Afzal Lakdawala, Head of Digital Transformation, ARM Holding; Bassem Maher, Director of Media Operations, Warner Bros. Discovery; Feras Al Kiswani, COO, Progressive Generation Studios; Heba Al Samt, Digital Media Director for TV and Radio,

BroadcastPro ME • 15 June 2022

MENA sports production – The missing links

The IP Studios Future of Sports Broadcasting Summit held its first Arabic panel discussion, exploring the progress of sports organisations in the region and the steps taken to ensure international success. Moderated by Mohammed Yehya, Founding Director of IP Studios, the panel saw Fouad Darwish, Palms Sports PJSC CEO and Managing Director; Roland Daou, Media Mania Managing Partner; and Yusuf Mohammed Buti, Twofour54 Head of Technology and Engineering, discuss the latest trends in 5G and AI techn

BroadcastPro ME • 12 May 2022

The future of entertainment is sport

Karim Saade, Director of Marketing at Jawwy TV and Dawri Plus, Intigral, moderated the keynote session exploring the sports broadcasting climate, focusing on understanding emerging business models within the region. Danny Bates, StarzPlay co-founder and CCO; Malek Doughan, Marketing and Commercial Affairs Director at UAE Pro League; Mohamad Yehya, IP Studios Founding Director; and Peter Einstein, Extreme Sports Channel CCO, discussed the latest trends in OTT streaming, broadcasters’ business mod

BroadcastPro ME • 9 May 2022

Driving good storytelling

A significant chunk of Lina Matta’s job is watching series and reading scripts to identify the best stories. From already having a catalogue in her brain, being exposed to TV and movies throughout her life and hearing stories from people around her, Matta has fine tuned her ability to find talent among storytellers. “There’s no science to it, it’s very instinctive and simply based on having been exposed to a lot of content.”

Matta’s affinity for good stories was fostered from a young age, and s

BroadcastPro ME • 22 March 2022

Taking the OTT bull by its horns

How has 2021 been for Zee5 Global?

2021 has been a high-growth year for us. The biggest highlight of the year was our much-awaited launch in the US which, with 5.4m South Asians, is the biggest international market yet. We launched Zee5 in the US on June 22, 2021, with a mega-event featuring Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas as the chief guest for the evening, and we had more than 10,000 people attending the event in the country and across the globe. We have grown exponentially since then

BroadcastPro ME • 7 February 2022

Breaking the mould with ‘The Red Ape Family’

Late last year, the industry witnessed a global first with the premiere of the first episode of an English-language sitcom titled (TRAF), starring NFTs (non-fungible tokens). Created by Dubai animation house Zaini Media, the show has created a virtual stampede in the NFT community to buy the episode, which was restricted to 333 tokens. The lucky owners will also have a share in the profits should the rights be secured by a broadcaster or a streaming platform in the future.

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