News Broadcasting
Dubai TV signs Barco for backdrop display in new studio
MUMBAI: Dubai TV, which is investing in a new television studio with cutting-edge high-tech equipment in the Dubai Media City, has signed on Barco to provide iPresent – its high-quality backdrop display solution, featuring high resolution, excellent on-camera performance, superior flexibility and high interactivity.
Three Barco iPresent walls have been installed in the studio that was inaugurated in June this year.
Dubai, which is at the crossroads of the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, is rapidly emerging as a global media hub. Dubai TV’s newsroom is centered around an impressive multi-stage, multi-floor set design and includes studio facilities and state-of-the-art audio-visual and IT technology as well as dynamic news production equipment.
The studio includes six different sets for main international news bulletins, international news briefs, sports news, political programmes, talk shows and debates, current affairs, local news briefs, dynamic stand-up locations, weather and guest programmes.
Barco installed two backdrop walls of 4×2 modules and one of 3×2 modules, each consisting of 50″ projection modules with XGA resolution and the latest DLPTM technology. The iPresent backdrop solution consists of specifically adapted rear-projection modules allowing Dubai TV to use the wall as a high-quality alternative for a traditional on-stage video wall.
“One of the main issues that we have always had with video walls in the past is that the minute a lamp goes out, it’s very difficult to calibrate the monitor so you can’t retain the same color temperature and video levels as the others,” explains Broadcast Design International’s Mark Karlen.
“But the Barco solution installed at the newsroom is a new, sophisticated solution that uses a dual lamp system. The minute one lamp goes out, another instantly lights up in its place and within two to three seconds, the internal software automatically calibrates the brightness level to match the rest of the cubes on the wall.”
“All the equipment you see in the newsroom has been purchased specifically for this project. There is no old material, upgraded or retrofitted equipment here,” says Karl Hijazi. He adds that the solution at the newsroom is flexible and can be adapted and grown so that in the future, they will be able to expand, and that the system enables Dubai TV with a 24-hour news channel, which is their ultimate goal.
The Dubai TV Newsroom was planned, designed and created in just four months. “This was a real challenge, because, normally operational efficiency drops during installation. But we worked very closely with Intertech Vision Middle East, our business partner in Dubai, and Mr Hassan Chahine from Dubai TV. We’ve put a lot of effort into the project management side of things and the planning to ensure that we counteracted those risks,” explains Barco director market development Johan Quartier.
“Our goal is to be the number one Pan-Arab station in the next two years,” says Dubai Media Inc. CEO Hussein Lootah. More than 20 new programmes that have been produced locally have been included into the schedule. Presenters and hosts include prominent political scientists like Dr. Abdulkhaleq Abdulla and Dr. Mohammed bin Huwaidin, stars like Dina Al Sharaf and Khalid Al Marri and Arab TV personalities like Lina Sawan, Marianne Klat, just to name a few.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Fury in the Gulf conclave on West Asia crisis
Three-hour summit to unpack geopolitical fallout and impact on India
MUMBAI: CNN-News18 is set to host a special three-hour broadcast, Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave, on April 7, aiming to decode the escalating West Asia crisis and its far-reaching implications for India.
Scheduled from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, the conclave comes at a time when tensions between Iran and the United States are reshaping global geopolitics and triggering economic uncertainty. With India’s deep energy ties, trade links and large diaspora in the Gulf, the developments carry significant domestic relevance.
Built around the theme ‘Conflict, Consequences, and The Future,’ the programme will feature six curated sessions combining one-on-one interviews and panel discussions. The focus is to cut through the clutter and offer viewers a clearer understanding of the fast-evolving situation.
Key sessions include ‘Diplomacy in Times of War’ featuring Shashi Tharoor, and ‘World After the Iran Conflict’ with voices such as Ram Madhav, Reuven Azar, representatives from the European Union and the Iranian Deputy Envoy. Another session titled ‘Another Dunkirk?’ will bring together K. J. S. Dhillon and Jitin Prasada among others.
CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar said, “In times of war, clarity becomes the most powerful tool. Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave brings together credible voices to address the questions and confusion that arise amid an overwhelming influx of information.”
He added that the initiative is aimed at delivering “facts, perspective, and insight” at a time when misinformation can easily cloud public understanding.
Echoing the sentiment, CNN-News18 CEO– English and business news Smriti Mehra said the conflict marks a defining global moment, with consequences that extend well beyond the region. She noted that the conclave seeks to present the crisis with “depth, nuance and responsibility” so audiences can better grasp its real-world impact.
As geopolitical tensions continue to dominate headlines, the conclave positions itself as an attempt to bring order to the noise, offering viewers a structured, insight-led look at a complex and rapidly shifting global situation.
