Leading Middle East pay-TV platform builds new broadcast centre at Dubai Media City

The move will consolidate the network's broadcast operations which are currently split between a purpose built facility at the MTV/Viacom studios in Hawley Crescent, London, and a complementary uplink centre at 6th October City, Cairo.

Sony Professional Services has been selected as the system integrator for the network operations centre with Digital Video Broadcast systems from Harmonic, Omneon providing central server and ingest operations hardware and Pebble Beach Systems supplying playout automation equipment.

Showtime broadcasts 50 channels of predominantly Western entertainment to the Middle East and North Africa from the NileSat position at 7 degrees West. The network also has customer contact centres located in Dubai, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan.

Located in the rapidly expanding Dubai Media City (DMC) campus, the Showtime headquarters and transmission centre is expected to be operational by June this year (2004). It will ultimately accommodate over 400 staff.

The 50,000 square feet facility will also house the network's headquarters operations including sales and marketing activities and advanced call centre and online customer service functions.

DMC will provide up-link services for 19 Showtime channels to two transponders on the NileSat 102 satellite, with services to a third transponder being added in the future.

The broadcast centre is the first turnkey DVB head-end project in the Middle East using satellite technology. The primary broadcast elements include an NVOD playout and satellite system enabling 16-channel delivery over a single multiplex and the capability to introduce a range of interactive entertainment services.

Simon Dore, Senior Vice President, Technology & Operations, Showtime, commented: "Our objectives and business benefits from this move were clearly specified. The new system had to be cost effective and provide a more reliable broadcast platform while delivering additional capacity to allow for an expanded bouquet of services."

The deal demonstrates the flexibility and bespoke nature of Sony's partnership approach to providing media solutions. Simon Dore added: "A partnership approach to systems integration is key to success. Sony demonstrated the experience required to coordinate the different products and technologies from a variety of specialist manufacturers."