Giving Opportunities

Technology Needs

Technology Changes

SAT-7 was born near the end of the analog age. Programs were shot with analog cameras, recorded on analog tape and broadcast by analog satellite. Today we broadcast by digital satellite, which gives a better picture at significantly lower cost. However, our production equipment is still a mix of analog and digital. We need to move to all digital as quickly as possible because it is much better quality, more reliable and less expensive. It is no longer cost effective to maintain the old analog equipment.

SAT-7 Lebanon Production Control Room

Newer digital technology produces superior pictures and cleaner sound. Although viewers are mostly interested in the content of a program, if the sound is muddy or the picture is fuzzy or jumpy they will change channels. Picture and sound quality influence the audience's opinion of a channel and the message it conveys. SAT-7 has done much with little, but to fully use the amazing opportunity before us, we need a giant leap forward in technology.

Increasing Demands
Another challenge has been the huge growth in broadcast hours. SAT-7 started in 1996 broadcasting only two hours a week. Now with three full-time channels, we broadcast 504 hours per week! Growth in facilities and technology has not kept pace with the increasing hours of broadcasting. The shortage of equipment may be the greatest limiting factor for SAT-7 to reach its potential in reaching more of the millions of hungry souls in the Middle East.

Here's an example: when SAT-7 Lebanon does a live show on location, they must first take apart their main control room, transport the various pieces of equipment – cameras, switcher, monitors, audio board, cables, lights, etc. – to the location. There they re-assemble it, do the live broadcast, then reverse the process. Because they don't own all of the equipment needed, they must rent some of it, at high cost. During all this time no production can be done in their main studios since they only have one set of production equipment. They must do this whenever they shoot at another location. This is extremely inefficient, not to mention wearing on both equipment and staff. They urgently need a second set of equipment which can be permanently mounted in their "outside broadcast" van. They have the van, but they don't have the equipment to go with it.

A temporary solution has been to rent equipment, but this is not cost-effective long term. The rental for four cameras with associated equipment is $1,000 per day. If they rented the cameras on a regular basis they would spend more in a year for rental than it would cost to buy the cameras! However, the SAT-7 Lebanon budget only allows for occasional rental, so many opportunities are missed. Here are some examples of the kinds of equipment needed:

Cameras
SAT-7 Lebanon has requested Sony DXC-D55PL cameras. Although moderately priced for broadcast equipment, these cameras are of excellent quality, and have a strong reputation for durability. The cameras, when fully equipped with lenses, viewfinders, triax cables, triax adapters, camera control units, and tripods cost $51,200 each. This includes the cost of shipping them to Lebanon, and all applicable taxes and import duties.
Each camera system: $51,200
Four camera systems: $204,800

Switcher
SAT-7 Lebanon has requested a Sony MFS-2000 switcher. This is a very capable digital video switcher, essential for studio production. It comes with the ability to do chroma-key and has a large number of digital special effects. With the various necessary sub-assemblies, power supplies, board sets, etc., and with the needed video monitoring system, and a master clock system, the cost, including delivery, duties and taxes, comes to $117,800.

Monitors
For the above system to be useful, a set of monitors is needed. These are similar to LCD television sets, but are much more accurate. When you get a poor picture on a poor quality monitor, you can't tell if it's the monitor or the signal that's bad. This set is intended for mounting in a van. It is made up of six small 8- inch monitors – one for each camera or other video source – two high quality 14-inch monitors for program and preview outputs, and two sets of triple 5 inch very bright monitors for field use. The entire set, with mounting hardware, power supplies, shipping, taxes, duties, etc., comes to $24,525.

All of the Above
The three systems previously mentioned are all needed to equip the existing van, and will double the production capability for SAT-7 Lebanon. The acquisition of any part of this will, of course, be a significant step in the right direction. To fully equip the van the total cost including the four camera systems, switcher and monitors comes to: $347,125.

Urgency of Need
This need is urgent. The addition of these systems will double the amount of studio production that can be done by SAT-7 Lebanon. At the same time, it will reduce the cost. This will result in fresher and better programming on the air, making the channel more appealing to viewers. It will also greatly facilitate live broadcasting (see below). A similar set is also needed for Egypt.

Live from Lebanon

Why Live?
In the early days of SAT-7, when all of the programming had to be recorded in advance and sent on tape to be uplinked from London, SAT-7 could not react to events as they happened. However, the installation of the Master Control Room and uplink facility in Cyprus opens up a new possibility – live broadcasting.

Why is Live Broadcasting Important?

• More timely. For example, in the case of a natural disaster or outbreak of warfare, viewers desperately search for up-to-date information about what is happening and how to deal with it. Until recently, SAT-7 was unable to respond in a timely way, and as a result, lost audience and credibility.
• Greater audience. In times of stress people will leave channels that are not carrying coverage of the situation and will search for channels that are.
• More relevant. Particularly in times of uncertainty, people are more open to new ideas if the programming addresses the anxiety they are feeling at the moment.
• More exciting. Even when there is no emergency, live programming seems more exciting, less predictable. When it can't be edited, anything can happen. It's like walking a tight rope without a net – dangerous and exciting.
• More credible. A channel that broadcasts live some of the time will seem more real and trustworthy even when it is not live.
• Respect. When a television channel broadcasts events live it gets the notice and respect of community leaders. This can open doors of opportunity.

Satellite News Gathering (SNG) Unit

To make this possible, several pieces of equipment must be acquired:

• A "Satellite News Gathering" (SNG) Unit. This is basically a portable satellite dish that can aim itself to the appropriate satellite and send a signal. This unit has already been purchased.
• A truck to mount the SNG unit on. The unit would be powered by a generator. The cost of this truck, including costs relative to installing the SNG and a generator, is $53,300 (using a used truck), including transportation and customs. The acquisition of these components would make live broadcasting from the main studio possible. By "borrowing" production equipment from the main studio, live broadcasting would be possible from other locations – which disables the main studio until the equipment is returned.
• To do location live broadcasting without disrupting other production, a second set of production equipment (cameras, switcher, monitors, etc.) will be needed to fully equip the existing "Outside Broadcast" (OB) van.

Urgency
In the early days of satellite broadcasting in the Middle East and North Africa just being on the air was considered almost miraculous. But twelve years later, and with 600 competing Arabic satellite channels, the audience is becoming more sophisticated. Without the ability to broadcast live on a regular basis, SAT-7 will be at a considerable competitive disadvantage. For a relatively modest investment you can help SAT-7 greatly enhance their image and increase their visibility. This is an urgent need.

Live Broadcast Package
This includes four high quality camera systems, an excellent switcher and monitor set, all of which would be installed in the existing outside broadcast (OB) van, plus the purchase and equipping of a truck on which to mount the recently purchased satellite news gathering (SNG) unit. With this system, live broadcasting will be possible from virtually anywhere the trucks can go, and without disrupting studio operations. Details are given in the sections above. Package price: $400,425.

Other Technology Needs

There are many other technology needs, including these listed below. We will be happy to supply detailed information about any of these:

• Second set of production equipment for Egypt studio, similar to the needs previously listed.
• Two new video editing systems for Egypt. Total: $8,900
• Two new DVCam recorders for Egypt. Total: $11,100
• Two 1 terabyte external hard drives for Egypt. Total: $1,670
• Seven editing desks for Egypt. Total: $5,550
• Cummings Diesel Generator for Egypt with acoustic enclosure. Total: $43,000
• Uninterruptible power supply for Egypt. Total: $8,900
• Editing hardware and software for Cyprus. Total: $25,800
• Encoder/decoder units for high speed (including live) video transfer from Egypt to Cyprus. Total: $23,300

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