TSL completes Sky News Arabia integration
Published: MEA
UAE: TSL has completed the installation of Sky News Arabia’s new news station in Abu Dhabi, one of the largest of its kind in the region. Due to launch this Spring, the new broadcaster will use its state-of-the-art production facility to bring 24/7 news in Arabic to the Middle East, including user-generated ‘non-broadcast’ content from channels such as Skype or YouTube as it appears online.
Designed and built by the local TSL office, the fully file-based TV station is comprised of a production facility housed in a studio on the twofour54 campus, with a separate building for the newsroom, graphics and editing, machine rooms and operations centre.
The solution contains a bespoke universal bookings system which removes the need to manually co-ordinate the booking of each element separately by automating the scheduling and QC of all input/output circuit bookings across Sky News Arabia’s control room.
‘The way the scheduling system has been fully integrated across the whole solution is a good example of why we are way ahead of anyone else,’ said Bevan Gibson, launch technical director for Sky News Arabia. ‘The skills and experience of TSL’s engineers not only enabled them to come up with this cutting edge integration, but they could also push the vendors beyond their normal comfort zone to make it all happen.’
All of the station’s content transfers over IP, meaning that TSL had to design a very solid infrastructure, while achieving broadcast standards of reliability, and allowing priorities to be set for traffic close to air time. ‘We have invested significantly in our skills and staff recently to develop a very high level of expertise In the IP space - which Sky News Arabia really appreciated,’ said David Phillips, managing director of TSL. ‘Furthermore, we’ve delivered a system which is not only functional but easy to support over the lifecycle of its capital investment.’
Automation is heavily implemented to minimise the requirement for operational staff and to ensure that the broadcaster’s operational budget is maximised for getting journalists and crews out to the scene of breaking news.