As part of a plan to expand their existing operations,
Liberty Media's Amsterdam-based Digital Media Center has formed a partnership
with RRsat Global Communications, an Israeli firm providing playout, production
and transmission services. The alliance allows both companies to expand their
global reach and better compete in a playout and transmission landscape that is
increasingly dominated by global companies.
DMC already handles over 60 HD and SD channels, including
a number of major U.S. programmers like History Channel, National Geographic,
MGM, E! and Fox that have extensive global operations. For its part, RRsat also
does business with a number of global players, working with over 550 channels,
including Fox News and Sports, MGM, BabyTV, Fashion TV and Nickelodeon.
DMC vice president of commercial, operations and
corporate development Robin Kroes noted in a statement that DMC had always been
a leader in the European markets but that the partnership with "RRsat in a new,
global broadcaster service [will] take our offering to a global scale. We
believe that the bundling of our capabilities with RRsat's leading fiber and
satellite networks will deliver a convenient, high quality, cost efficient
service that clients will find very appealing."
The DMC, which is owned by ChelloMedia, the content arm
of Liberty Global, is a relatively new facility and one of the most advanced in
Europe. It began operations in 2000 and in 2006, moved to full HD and digital
delivery in 2006. The facility, which carried out its first 3D broadcast this
year, is also equipped to deal with stereoscopic content.
