TVU Networks and Arabsat forge deal to advance broadcast innovation in MENA
TVU Networks has entered into a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Arabsat, the satellite operator, during the 2025 edition of CABSAT. The newly formed alliance marks the beginning of a long-term collaboration aimed at driving technological innovation, enhancing customer value, and expanding both companies' influence across the broadcast and media industries in the MENA region.
The partnership is grounded in a mutual commitment to modernise media delivery. By combining Arabsat's satellite infrastructure with TVU Networks' cutting-edge IP-based technologies, the two organisations will develop flexible and scalable solutions designed to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving broadcast environment. As part of the initiative, TVU will work directly with Arabsat's technical teams to support infrastructure enhancements and create customised service offerings for their client base.
A core component of the agreement includes the evaluation of TVU's cloud-native flagship solutions by Arabsat, particularly the TVU MediaHub — an IP-based routing and distribution platform. To support this phase, TVU will provide Arabsat with a dedicated loan server, enabling in-depth technical testing and system integration.
Speaking about the partnership, Castillo, Vice President and General Manager for EMEA and LATAM at TVU Networks, said: 'We're committed to working closely with Arabsat's technical teams to integrate advanced IP technologies, support infrastructure development, and design exclusive, tailored service packages for their customers. This agreement reflects our shared focus on innovation, collaboration, and long-term growth across the region.'
Emad Qawasmi, Managing Director MENA at TVU Networks, added: 'This is a win-win for both sides. By combining our strengths, we can expand our customer networks and deliver more tailored, value-driven solutions to broadcasters across the region. It's a strategic step that enhances the reach and relevance of both TVU and Arabsat in a rapidly evolving media landscape.'
The collaboration also entails joint sales initiatives, coordinated appearances at key regional and international industry events, and mutual promotional efforts to extend market reach and deepen engagement with broadcasters. Together, TVU Networks and Arabsat are positioning themselves to deliver innovative, efficient, and future-ready media solutions that align with the shifting needs of content creators and distributors in the Middle East and North Africa.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Broadcast Pro
2 days ago
- Broadcast Pro
DAZN and TVU transform FIFA Club WC coverage with cloud workflow
By feeding 32 TVU RPS One transmitters into TVU MediaHub, DAZN could instantly route any live moment, from a penalty in L.A. to a save in Miami, to broadcasters worldwide. DAZN, the global sports entertainment platform, partnered with TVU Networks to power a fully cloud-based production and distribution system for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, transforming how live sports are delivered to global audiences. This year's tournament, hosted across major stadiums in the United States, marked the debut of the Club World Cup's expanded format featuring 32 top football clubs from around the world. Over the course of a month, the event united fans from all continents in a celebration of elite football. Through the use of TVU Networks' advanced cloud technology, DAZN connected production teams across nine countries in Europe, Asia and the Americas. This enabled seamless real-time coordination and remote management without the need for large on-site crews. Key to this setup was TVU MediaHub, which made all 32 TVU RPS One transmitters available instantly for global broadcast, allowing pivotal moments, from high-stakes goals in Los Angeles to dramatic saves in Miami, to reach regional networks worldwide with exceptional speed and efficiency. Centralising operations in the cloud allowed DAZN to streamline complex international workflows, reduce logistical burdens and accelerate content delivery while minimising environmental impact. The result was a more agile, sustainable and globally synchronised production model. This collaboration between DAZN and TVU Networks not only ensured top-tier coverage of the tournament but also set a new benchmark for the future of live sports broadcasting. By embracing cloud infrastructure, the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup demonstrated how cutting-edge technology can enhance viewer experience and redefine global event production.
Gulf Today
24-06-2025
- Gulf Today
Trump order requires truckers to speak English
At a trucking school in New Jersey, students are maneuvering 18-wheelers around traffic cones. Other future drivers look under hoods to perform safety checks, narrating as they examine steering hoses for cracks and leaks. An instructor glides between speaking Spanish and English as he teaches Manuel Castillo, a native Spanish speaker, how to inspect a school bus. They're using a printed script of English phrases to practice what Castillo would say during a roadside inspection. Brushing up on English has taken on new urgency for future and current truck drivers after President Donald Trump issued an executive order saying truckers who don't read and speak the language proficiently would be considered unfit for service. "A driver who can't understand English will not drive a commercial vehicle in this country. Period," Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said last month while announcing enforcement guidelines that take effect on Wednesday. Updated US Department of Transportation procedures call for enhanced inspections to determine if commercial motor vehicle operators can reply to questions and directions in English, as well as understand highway traffic signs and electronic message boards. Truckers who learned English as a second language are concerned they may lose their jobs if they make a mistake or speak with a heavy accent while under questioning. Some have worked to improve their English fluency by taking classes, reciting scripts and watching instructional videos. "If it's not the language that you prefer to use daily, you may get a little nervous and you may feel, 'What if I say the wrong thing?'" said Jerry Maldonado, chairman of the board of the Laredo Motor Carriers Association, a trade association in Laredo, Texas, that represents approximately 200 trucking companies. "It's going to be, at the end of the day, the interpretation of the officer, so that makes people nervous." The guidance applies to truck and bus drivers engaged in interstate commerce. It aims to improve road safety following incidents in which truck drivers' inability to read signs or speak English may have contributed to traffic deaths, the Transportation Department said. Requiring truck drivers to speak and read English isn't new, but the penalty for not meeting the proficiency standard is becoming more severe. To get a commercial driver's license, applicants must pass a written test and be able to name the parts of a bus or truck in English as they check tire inflation, tread depth, lug nuts and coolants. The revised policy reverses guidance issued nine years ago, near the end of then-President Barack Obama's final term, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. In 2016, the agency said drivers whose English skills were found lacking could receive a citation but not be prohibited from working. Before that, the penalty was getting placed on "out-of-service status." "We have bridges that get hit because drivers don't understand the signs on the bridges for things like height clearance," Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association President Todd Spencer said. In Laredo, a border city where many residents speak a mix of English and Spanish, Maldonado's association is offering free English classes on weekends to help truckers feel more confident in their ability to communicate. "Everybody knows what a stop sign looks like," Maldonado said. "But if there's construction or if there is an accident five miles down the road, and they have to put up a sign — 'Caution, must exit now, road closed ahead,' and you are not able to read that or understand that, that could potentially be a safety issue." At Driving Academy in Linden, New Jersey, multilingual instructors teach students how to inspect vehicle parts in their first language and then provide explanations in English, according to founder Jonathan Marques. The school created scripts so students could practice what to say if they're stopped, he said. Students are advised to watch training videos as homework, while licensed truckers can listen to English language apps instead of music when they're on the road, Marques suggested. Instructor Paul Cuartas helps students prepare but worries that inspectors will now expect truckers and bus drivers to have perfect English. "I'm concerned because now for all the Spanish people it's more difficult," he said. Castillo, who moved to the US from Ecuador in 1993, said he has no problem understanding English but has been watching videos to study industry terms. "Some words I don't understand, but I try to learn more English," he said. Asked whether he supports the president's executive order, Castillo said he voted for Trump but doesn't agree with the president's push to deport some immigrants who haven't committed crimes. "He makes a lot of problems, especially for Hispanic people," Castillo said. GTR Trucking School in Detroit also has offered students ESL classes. Co-owner Al Myftiu drove a truck after moving to the U.S. from Albania in 1993. He said he wants to create a small book of phrases that truckers need to learn. For students with a thick accent, "I tell them, 'Slow down, speak slowly and people can understand you, and if you don't understand something, you can ask,'" Myftiu said. Roadside inspections can be initiated over issues such as a faulty brake light or on a routine basis, and often take place at weigh stations. The guidance directs inspectors who suspect a driver doesn't understand what they're saying to administer an English proficiency test, which includes both an interview and a highway traffic sign recognition component. In the past, some drivers used translation apps to communicate with federal inspectors. The updated policy bars the use of interpreters, smartphones, cue cards or other aids during interviews. Several truck drivers taking a break at Flying J Travel Center in New Jersey said they support Trump's order, adding that drivers who heavily rely on translation programs probably wouldn't be able to read important signs. "We try to ask them questions about the business just to strike a conversation, ... and they're not able to communicate with us at all," Kassem Elkhatib, one of the drivers at Flying J, said. It's unclear how safety inspectors will decide whether a driver knows enough English because that portion of the instructions was redacted from the guidance distributed by Transportation Department. The department advised motor carriers that drivers should be able to answer questions about shipping documents, the origin and destination of trips, and how long they've been on duty. A trucker placed out of service and the company they work for are responsible for ensuring a language violation is corrected before the driver hits the highway again, the Transportation Department said. Truck drivers who practice the Sikh religion already face discrimination in hiring and at loading docks, according to Mannirmal Kaur, federal policy manager for Sikh Coalition, an advocacy group. Now they are worried about inspectors making subjective, non-standardized determinations about which of them are proficient in English, she said. "A truck driver who does speak English sufficiently to comply with federal standards but maybe they speak with an accent, or maybe they use a different vocabulary that the inspector isn't used to hearing: Is that person then going to be subject to an English language violation?" Kaur asked. "And under the new policy, are they then going to be designated out-of-service, which could result in unemployment?" Associated Press
Broadcast Pro
16-06-2025
- Broadcast Pro
Grass Valley scales up with software and IP workflows
With a growing footprint across the Middle East, Grass Valley is navigating the challenges and opportunities of a broadcast market in transition. In an exclusive interview with BroadcastPro ME, GV's VP of Sales for EMEA, Mark Gardner, discusses how evolving needs in the Middle East are shaping the company's regional strategy. What kind of momentum are you seeing for Grass Valley across the Middle East? We're continuing to see strong growth in our traditional products such as cameras, switchers and IP solutions. However, what's especially exciting is the growth in our software offerings. At last year's CABSAT, we announced a new partnership with Arabsat to provide our cloud playout software, Playout X, as a managed service. This year Arabsat showcased it at their booth, and we're thrilled to welcome new customers to the platform through this partnership. We're also seeing increasing interest in remote production for sports coverage. Technologies we've been successfully deploying in mainland Europe, particularly in the Netherlands and the UK, are now beginning to gain traction in the Middle East. Can you share any customer use cases in the region? We worked closely with NEP on their new IP trucks for the Middle East, supplying cameras and switchers, which were showcased at CABSAT. This collaboration also included our new shallow-depth-of-field camera, the LDX 180, a single large-sensor model that delivers a cinematic look for sports. Although the camera's official release is scheduled for IBC, NEP provided a regional sneak preview. This highlights the strength of our partnership. What stands out is how this technology allows broadcasters to achieve cinematic storytelling without added operational complexity. NEP was able to connect the camera to their system just like any other, integrating it into their existing live workflow. The result is the ability to tell more creative stories while maintaining a streamlined and more efficient production process. You've been discussing AMPP for some time. Has that translated into real-world applications? It's more than a POC now. For example, AMPP is being used across all Saudi Pro League games. They are using it for ingest and then using FrameLight X, our production asset management system, for highlight cuts. This relationship continues to grow, and we are helping them explore additional ways to use AMPP, particularly in cloud and remote production workflows. Given the breadth of your portfolio, where are you seeing the most traction? Last year we saw significant growth in cameras and switchers, but one of our key areas of focus is software products. Playout for example is an area where we see strong potential in the region. We're currently working with several customers on tests and proof-of-concept projects for both on-premises and cloud deployments. One of the strengths of our product line is its flexibility. You can deploy on-premises using COTS servers or in cloud environments such as AWS, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud, Alibaba or whichever platform best suits your business needs. What overarching message did you bring to CABSAT this year? It's the Grass Valley Media Universe, bringing all of our existing hardware products into the AMPP ecosystem. It's a true platform approach, with the entire product range connected. We're also making sure customers understand that it's an open ecosystem. Third-party vendors are encouraged to join the system and benefit from the platform approach. In addition, we've been working on the Media Exchange Layer (MXL). This is an EBU initiative, and Grass Valley has been a strong supporter. It enables the exchange of video and audio flows on a CPU-based platform. We expect to make the SDK available to customers in the coming months, giving them confidence that the platforms will remain open and that interoperability is built in. What are the biggest challenges right now from a sales standpoint? The breadth of our portfolio is always a challenge. We're selling software products, solutions that can be deployed on-premises or in cloud environments, and more traditional hardware products. We offer a lot of choice to customers, and while they benefit from that flexibility, they also want a clear understanding of where things are headed. Cloud may be ideal for one customer, while another may benefit more from an on-premises deployment. For example, we spoke with a few customers in Saudi Arabia who feel that connectivity charges are still too high, making cloud less viable for them at the moment. In other parts of the region, however, customers may see the benefits of cloud and be ready to adopt it. We're working to tailor our message to each individual market. It's a mistake to treat the Gulf as a single homogenous market. Each country is unique, with its own specific needs and conditions. Where will Grass Valley focus its efforts next? Interoperability remains a top priority for us. We are actively involved in initiatives like the Media Exchange Layer (MXL) and are accelerating our efforts in this area. Our goal is to ensure that customers can seamlessly integrate our solutions with other software environments. We understand that customers make long-term investments and need confidence that their systems will stay flexible and future-proof. By supporting open standards and speeding up development in areas like MXL, we are helping customers achieve the security and adaptability they need.
