A podcast exploring the forces that shape the media, news, and entertainment business. Tune in for interviews on trends, talent, and tech. By industry leaders, for industry leaders. New episodes every other Monday. Send us your questions and comments: mak
S5E10: Predicting the FutureMoves by respected news organizations to be transparent in their reporting may become meaningless to consumers bombarded by such claims. This could even lead to what is being called “Trust Washing,” where claims of being a trusted news source are used by people spreading misinformation. This is just one of the predictions in a recent major report by the organization the DPP. In this episode of the Making the Media Podcast, Edward Qualtrough, the DPP's editorial director, discusses their 2025 Predictions Report.Our Guest This Episode:Edward QualtroughDPP Editorial DirectorEdward is editorial director at the DPP, the international network for media and technology, where he produces industry research and facilitates events and workshops that help enable DPP members to tackle some of the biggest technology and business challenges in media, broadcasting, news, and entertainment.Edward was a technology and business journalist for 15 years. As a former editor of CIO magazine and technology editor at New Statesman Media Group, Edward engages regularly with chief technology officers, chief information officers, digital leaders, and tech executives to discuss C-suite challenges, industry trends, and disruptive threats.More ResourcesFor more on this topic, check outThe European Exchange– What are the major concerns of Europe's leading broadcasters?Shaping the Future of Journalism – How can a story-centric approach change the way newsrooms operate?Avid Ada Solutions – Discover Avid's work to implement AI in products. Contact UsQuestions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid.CreditsHost:Craig WilsonProducer:Matt DiggsSocial:Wim Van den BroeckThemeMusic: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S5E09: Local MattersLocal TV stations in the United States want to take advantage of AI to make them more efficient but insist this cannot come at the risk of their journalistic credibility. That is the view of an Emmy® award-winning newsroom leader in the latest Making the Media Podcast, who also highlights the role of streaming and social media in building and retaining audiences. In the episode, Bob Ellis, VP and general manager of WDIV in Detroit, Michigan, says that they are investigating ways in which AI can help their reporters through the generation of interview transcripts, for example, but he says it is crucial that their reporters and producers verify content before publication.Our Guest This Episode:Bob EllisVP and General Manager, WDIV in Detroit, Michigan Bob Ellis is the vice president and general managerof WDIV, the Graham Media Group, Inc. media hub in Detroit. It's his second stint at the station, he previously spent 15 years of his career at WDIV in various management roles, including news director. He has held the position since October 2021. Ellis, known for his creativity and bold ideas, has led WDIV in launching several innovative projects to, as he often says, “Putmore local in Local 4.” In both 2023 and in 2024, Radio + TV Business Report placed Ellis #1 on their annual Top Local TV Leaders List as the top general manager in America. In 2020, Ellis participated in the 20thanniversary class of the National Association of Broadcasters Broadcast Leadership Training program. From 2009 to 2021 Ellis served as the vice president and general manager of WJXT and WCWJ, the Graham Media Group, Inc. duopoly in Jacksonville, Florida. In 2013 Ellis was named General Manager of the Year for markets 25-50 by Broadcasting and Cable Magazine. A Michigan native, Ellis graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in Radio, Television, and Digital Communication. He began his TV career in sports with his first job as producer of the football and basketball coach's shows at MSU. Ellis is an 11-time Emmy winner and under his leadership, his stations have earned two national Edward R. Murrow Awards. Emmy® is a trademark of National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (“NATAS”) and The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (“ATAS”).More ResourcesFor more on this topic, check out:Shaping the Future of Journalism – How can a story-centric approach change the way newsrooms operate?Avid Ada Solutions – Discover Avid's work to implement AI in productsBarreling Towards Burnout – Hear Bob's earlierappearance on the podcast from 2021 Contact UsQuestions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid.CreditsHost:Craig WilsonProducer:Matt DiggsSocial:Wim Van den BroeckThemeMusic: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S5E08: TikTok Trailblazing Developing a successful strategy for storytelling on the social media platform TikTok can help tackle the challenge of news avoidance, particularly among younger audiences. That's the view of a senior news leader at the Canadian Public Broadcaster, CBC, which has recently passed the milestone of one million subscribers on the video sharing platform. In this episode of the podcast, Irene Thomaidis, who is the acting managing editor of digital publishing for CBC News, talks about how they have grown on the platform since launching in 2022. She says that being authentic on the platform has been critical to their success. Irene Thomaidis Acting Managing Editor of Digital Publishing for CBC News Irene Thomaidis has more than 20 years of experience in digital news and is currently the acting managing editor of digital publishing at CBC News, where she has worked for nine years. Previously, as executive producer of social and audience, she led the launch of CBC News' TikTok and Snapchat channels and expanded the network's presence on YouTube, focusing on strategies to engage younger and more diverse audiences. Before joining CBC News, Irene held roles at Postmedia, CanWest Interactive, and AOL Canada, building a strong foundation in digital media. She began her career 25 years ago as a print reporter and has always prioritized understanding and responding to the evolving needs of news audiences. More Resources For more on this topic, check out CBC TikTok – Check out CBC's TikTok channel Exploring New Audiences – Find out more about the CBC FAST Channel, CBC Explore Avid and Wolftech – Discover the story-centric, digital-first future of news Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S5E07: Transparency and Trust A standards body fighting against misinformation and media manipulation is building an evolving toolkit which can be used “as a Swiss Army knife,” according to its chair. In this episode we are joined by Andrew Jenks, chair of the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA), and he tells host Craig Wilson of the work of the organization and how it is having to rapidly evolve to deal with emerging challenges. The C2PA is attempting to address the issue of media provenance by developing technical standards which the industry can use to verify content. It is supported by major tech companies and media organizations such as Microsoft, Meta, Google, Adobe, the BBC, Amazon, Sony, and others. Avid is a member of the C2PA. Andrew Jenks Chair, Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity and Director of Media Provenance, Microsoft Andrew Jenks leads the Azure Media Security team that focuses on ensuring the safe distribution and uses of digital media in accordance with the owner's intent. This work includes directing media provenance investments across the company and overseeing PlayReady, the industry-leading digital rights management streaming service. Andrew currently serves as Chair of the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity and leads a global, cross-company team of experts in developing the next evolution of authentic media and bringing a new level of transparency and trust to published media. He is also actively involved in related media provenance initiatives supporting digital news efforts with Project Origin and creators with Content Authenticity Initiative. More Resources For more on this topic, check out C2PA – Discover the work of the C2PA and the technical standards they produce Do You Trust Me? – Listen to this episode from season 1 of Making the Media about Project Origin Avid Champions Responsible AI in the Media – Find out more about Avid's approach Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S5E06: Training Talk The role of post production supervisors in film and television production is receiving a boost through new micro-certifications, crucial to smoothing the way a project moves from preparation to delivery. The certifications are a joint approach from Avid and the organization Post Super, whose founder is the latest guest on the Making the Media Podcast. Gemma Nicholson says there has been a clear gap in the market for training people in the role to be better prepared for the challenges they face. Our Guest this Episode: Gemma Nicholson Gemma Nicholson is one of the co-founders of Post Super alongside her sister. The inspiration behind this was a desire to create a platform that post management could tap into for community, information, training, and tools. Post Super is a personal passion project for Gemma, who had spent over 22 years in post production. Gaining a wealth of experience from working on prestigious and diverse projects, such as multiple Harry Potter films and massive high-end episodic television productions like Netflix's The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Gemma was first a sound editor, then a successful post coordinator and supervisor, and it was through her experiences as the latter that she came to fully understand the frustrations and needs of the post management community. Gemma gets excited about the information and training part of Post Super, and she runs multiple courses on post supervision for the NFTS, ScreenSkills, and has recently partnered with Avid Technology to create Avid Post Super Micro-Certifications. More Resources For more on this topic, check out Avid and Post Super Courses– Get the information on the latest courses available What's New in Pro Tools– Discover the updates in the world's leading DAW What's New in Media Composer – From transcription to Titler+, find out the cool features Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S5E05: Post Problems More needs to be done to help people struggling to find work in the post-production market in the UK by offering new training or opportunities in other roles. That's the view of sound mixer, editor, and industry mentor Emma Butt, who says that the sector is under enormous pressure now due to a downturn in commissions and program production. She says more opportunities need to be given to people already working in the industry in order for them to remain in the business. Our Guest this Episode: Emma Butt Emma is a freelance dubbing mixer, dialogue and SFX editor with over 16 years of experience in post-production sound in both the UK and Irish industry. She works across multiple genres, from documentaries (both TV and feature), HETV, entertainment shows, and animations. In her spare time, she is a mentor, helping to support the next generation of filmmakers and creative talent. She is an advocate for diversity in film and TV and completed a report on "Diversity in Post-Production Sound'' through the Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity, which highlighted the lack of diversity in post-production sound and offered solutions as to how this can be changed and improved. She has worked as a consultant and helped design Channel 4's 4PP (4 Post Production) program, which is a development program designed to accelerate the careers of mid-senior talent from underrepresented backgrounds working in post-production roles. She has also worked as a consultant with Audible UK on their “Off Mic” workshops which aim to improve diversity and inclusion. More Resources For more on this topic, check out Staffing the Future – How are post facilities and the education sector working together Mental Health Matters – Discover the work of the Headlines Network Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S5E04: The Story-Centric, Digital-First Future of News The planned combination of Avid and Wolftech will transform news, sports and live production workflows, according to the leaders of both companies after announcing plans to acquire the Norwegian-based story-centric planning and publication specialist. · The tight integration of Avid MediaCentral and Wolftech News into a unified toolset will enable customers to increase efficiency by optimizing collaboration between digital-first and traditional TV with a streamlined, end-to-end workflow. · Newsrooms will benefit from an industry-leading, digital-first, AI framework and an open API approach to integrations to power workflows today and tomorrow, on-premises, hybrid or in the cloud. In this special edition of the podcast, we hear from those behind the deal, and from other leaders in the business about the benefits it will bring to customers. Episode Guests · Wellford Dillard, Avid Chief Executive Officer · Arne Berven, Wolftech Chief Executive Officer · Tim Claman, Avid Chief Product Officer · Régis André, Avid Senior Director of Product Management · Tom Evetts, Avid Chief Sales Officer More Resources For more on this topic, check out Avid and Wolftech combine – Get the latest information Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S5E03: Efficiency and Avatars A leading technologist discusses the efficiency gains which news broadcasters are seeking to make using AI, including experimenting with AI-generated news readers. Miro Ambra is the chief technology officer of the Slovakian-based system integrator and software developer, Traco Systems. Traco have developed AI tools that integrate with Avid MediaCentral | Cloud UX. Miro says this heralds a new era in journalism, with AI assisting reporters and helping them verify sources. He says they have also begun preliminary work to create an AI-generated presenter for one customer, looking at options for reading short bulletins overnight. Our Guest This Episode Miro Ambra Miro Ambra is the chief technology officer (CTO) at Traco Systems a.s., a position he has held since 2017. He began his journey with Traco Systems in 1998 as a technical engineer and quickly advanced to project manager. Under his leadership, Traco Systems has successfully executed numerous significant projects. Miro played a key role in Traco Systems' expansion into the Czech market, overseeing projects for major broadcasters such as Prima CNN News, Česká televize, Nova TV (CME group), and Barrandov TV. He has been instrumental in building strong partnerships with industry leaders like Avid Technology, Vizrt, Telestream, and Ikegami. As CTO, Miro has driven the company's research and development efforts leading to the creation of innovative solutions under the TracoApps brand. These include applications for Avid MediaCentral | Cloud UX such as Traco GFX, Traco MediaDistributor, and the Octopus plugin, as well as the AI-driven Traco AI platform. More Resources For more on this topic, check out Avid's Role in News in India – Discover how Avid's solutions are powering newsrooms across India. Avid at IBC 2024 – Get all the updates from the show floor from Amsterdam about what is new for Avid. Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S5E02: AI and Archives – the Human Touch The role of the archivist may be changing with the advent of AI-enabled services to enrich metadata, but there must be human oversight to ensure the accuracy of data. That's the view of leading library and media management expert, Kathey Battrick. In the episode, she also outlines the importance of identifying use cases where AI-enhanced metadata can help users find what they need, and her desire for more work to be done in the field of large language models (LLMs) to support the Arabic language. Our Guest This Episode Kathey Battrick Kathey Battrick joined Asharq News in 2019 as a senior manager in the library and media management department. She is responsible for setting up and leading the media library at Asharq, overseeing the management, cataloguing, AI indexing, and preservation of the organization's valuable production assets and archive. She has a wealth of experience in media and archive management and previously worked as the director of operations for ITN Source, the archive and clips sales arm of ITN News in London, where she led projects such as the digitization of ITN's archive and managed the archive operations team. More Resources For more on this topic, check out Avid Guidelines on Responsible AI – Avid CTO Kevin Riley sets out the company's approach to AI Avid White Paper on Responsible AI for Creative Professionals – How can AI be applied to assist creative teams? Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S5E01: Avid at IBC 2024 Preview The IBC Trade Show in Amsterdam is a showcase for the latest innovation in the media world, and this year, Avid will be at the forefront once more with new advances in AI, news workflows, remote video collaboration, video and audio interop, and much more. In this episode of the Making the Media Podcast, we get a sneak preview of some of the latest developments which Avid will be demonstrating at the booth and reflect on some of the key customer workflow challenges which these solutions address. Our Guests This Episode Matt Feury Matt is the senior director of market solutions in charge of Media Composer and video post-production. Derk Hagedorn Derk is the director of market solutions for audio, looking after all of our audio solutions. Daliah Naor Daliah is the director of market solutions at Avid, looking after newsroom and video servers. Ray Thompson Ray is the senior director of alliances and partnerships, working with our wide range of partners in the industry. Danny Hollingsworth Danny Hollingsworth is business development manager for cloud and SaaS. Luke Strent Luke Strent is the lead product owner for Avid NEXIS shared storage. More Resources For more on this topic, check out Avid Ada Solutions – Discover what AI solutions Avid is offering today Avid White Paper on Responsible AI for Creative Professionals – How can AI be applied to assist creative teams? Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S4E12: The European Exchange The majority of European broadcasters want to be “fast followers” when it comes to the adoption of AI technologies in their workflows, but few want to be on the “bleeding edge.” That's one of the conclusions of a recent European media summit, which brought together major broadcasters and industry vendors, and is the subject of the latest Making the Media podcast. Our Guest This Episode Rowan de Pomerai Rowan de Pomerai is the chief executive officer of the DPP. He brings a highly rounded understanding of the media and technology industries, with experience working in broadcast, production, streaming, and software companies .He joined the DPP in 2018, spending a number of years as the CTO. In 2024 he became CEO, leading the DPP team to deliver against its strategy to be the leading media association, delivering more value to more members around the world. Rowan also leads many of the DPP's outputs, from authoring insight reports to programming and hosting major events. More Resources For more on this topic, check out Avid at NAB 2024 – Check out the Avid website for the latest updates on what was shown at NAB24 DPP Insights – Download the DPP Report European Broadcasters Summit – Read the blog Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S4E11: The Innovation Advantage Innovation in the media business is key, but only where it makes business sense and can drive tangible benefits. That's the advice from the head of innovation of one of the UK's largest media systems integrators. In the new episode of the Making the Media Podcast, Chris Bailey, head of innovation at Jigsaw24 Media, tells host Craig Wilson of the importance of staying grounded around new technologies, such as AI, avoiding so-called “hype cycles.” Our Guest This Episode Chris Bailey Chris Bailey is the head of innovation at Jigsaw24 Media, the UK's leading media solutions provider. Chris has spent 24 years in the post-production industry, starting as a runner at root6 and working his way through the engineering ranks, providing technical support for editorial, storage, and media management systems. Chris was head of support at root6 for nearly five years, managing the delivery of support for multi-vendor solutions across the post-production and broadcast sectors. In 2017, Jigsaw24 acquired root6 and Chris moved into pre-sales, where he led the team over the next four years as they designed cutting-edge on-prem and cloud-based solutions for future-focused workflows and deployments. With one eye always on emerging technology, Chris then began his current role as head of innovation, where he focuses on developing customers' future technology roadmaps as well as assessing and aligning Jigsaw24 Media's current and future solutions portfolio. More Resources For more on this topic, check out: Avid @ NAB 2024 – Check out the Avid website for the latest updates on what was shown at NAB Jigsaw24 Media–Find out more about the services which Jigsaw24 Media offer. Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
The NAB Trade Show in Las Vegas is a showcase for the latest innovation in the media world, and this year Avid will be at the forefront once more with new advances in AI, news workflows, video and audio interop, immersive mixing and more. In this episode of the Making the Media Podcast, we get a sneak preview of some of the latest developments which Avid will be demonstrating on the booth and reflect on some of the key customer workflow challenges which these solutions address. Our Guests This Episode Daliah Naor Daliah is the Director of Market Solutions at Avid looking after newsroom and video servers. Matt Feury Matt is the Senior Director of Market Solutions in charge of Media Composer and video post production Derk Hagedorn Derk is the Product Marketing Director for audio, looking after all of our audio solutions Ray Thompson Ray is the Senior Director of Alliances and Partnerships, working with our wide range of partners in the industry. More Resources For more on this topic, check out Avid at NAB 2024 – Check out the Avid website for the latest updates on our plans for NAB Ingest and Playout White Paper – Where is the industry headed in the transition to IP for ingest and playout and what are the challenges involved? Download the White paper. Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S4E09: Change Is Constant The one constant in the media business is change, and the approach to change within an organization needs to be systematic, rather than reactive. In this episode of the Making the Media Podcast, Dina Nimer, head of media operations for Al Arabiya, based in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, outlines her approach to working with teams across the editorial and technical parts of the organization. She discusses the use of AI in the media, championing women, and the challenges of working effectively with multiple sites of operations. Our Guest This Episode Dina Nimer Dina is head of media operations for Al Arabiya TV network, based in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Since graduating in computer science and mass communication broadcasting, she has worked in various roles at the network since 2005, starting as a researcher then going on to report and produce on key stories in the region. Following her time on the editorial side, she completed her engineering path MBA which paved the way for her to move into the new roles related to media management and project management before moving into the organization's international operations and then into her current role working with cross functional teams on media workflows, projects, trainings, and with international suppliers and commercial contracts. More Resources For more on this topic, check out: Avid, AI, and the EBU – A senior leader from Avid outlines the approach to AI and ongoing developments to the European Broadcasting Union's Production Technology Summit Frame the Future: The Customer at the Forefront – Discover more about the Avid Community Association and how to get involved MediaCentral Top Tips Video Series – Check out these short videos on how to get the best out of Avid MediaCentral Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S4E08: Distinctly Different A leading news producer has said that the news industry will need to deliver distinctive, original coverage tailored to the needs of their audiences if they are to combat the potential threat from AI-powered online disinformation. In this episode of the Making the Media Podcast, Duncan Hooper, who has worked across the media business and is currently head of content for CGTN Europe, highlights his fears, but also outlines strategies for how this could be combatted and where opportunities for growth exist in the news market. Our Guest This Episode Duncan Hooper Duncan Hooper has worked on a newswire, magazine, newspapers, digital media platform, and at three television channels. His work has been focused on organizing the production, distribution, and monetization of content across digital platforms. In 2019, he helped launch CGTN's European operations in London and now leads television and digital output as head of content, overseeing social, messaging, audio, website, and linear broadcast. More Resources For more on this topic, check out Ros Atkins – Let Me Explain – The BBC presenter outlines strategies to deliver clear and concise information AI – Threat or Opportunity? – A leading academic assesses the use of AI within the news business MediaCentral Top Tips Video Series – Check out these short videos on how to get the best out of Avid MediaCentral Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S4E07: Predictive Text 2024 will be the year that broadcasters focus on driving greater revenues from their audiences on all platforms and seek to deliver more efficient workflows throughout their organization. That is the view of Rob Ambrose, co-founder of one of the leading industry analysts, Caretta Research, and detailed in the first episode of the Making the Media Podcast of the new year. This episode looks back on the major developments and trends of 2023 and assesses what are going to be the key developments in 2024 across the media landscape, including in general production and news. Our Guest This Episode Rob Ambrose Rob is a consultant, industry analyst, writer, and technologist advising international broadcast and media companies, technology vendors, and industry associations. He started in the analogue industry at the age of 15 in BBC local radio, going on to a wide range of production, technology, and consulting roles for tech vendors and broadcasters across Europe, MEA, and Asia. As co-founder of Caretta Research, Rob is working with the industry's biggestand most-experienced team of media-tech analysts, helping buyers and vendors. Caretta Portal now provides the industry's best source of market data, product deployments, vendor news, and market sizing data. In his consulting work, Rob has advised dozens of technology vendors and media/telco companies on go-to-market strategy, account planning, addressable markets, buyer cohorts, product and competitor information, as well as producing reports and advising investors. More Resources For more on this topic, check out How Real is the Move to the Cloud? – Avid's VP of strategy, development, and alliances, Craig Dwyer, answers the big questions. What's New in Avid | Stream IO – Get the latest updates on Avid's innovative ingest and playout software solution. Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S4E06: Navigating the Media Maze Leading media technologist, Roberto Raponi, discusses the challenges with cloud developments, the move to more software-based applications, and artificial intelligence are posing to the industry. An industry veteran from the Italian Public Broadcaster, RAI, he says that this is an exciting time for the industry, with a rapid pace of developments, but it is also impacting the skills required among the technical teams to address the challenges. Cloud workflows are a case in point, highlighting the need for highly-skilled local teams to support new workflow opportunities. Our Guest This Episode Roberto Raponi Roberto is a broadcast industry veteran and workflow specialist. Working within RAI CTO-Technology department, he advises their news and production areas on digital workflow, training, and project implementation. He oversees and provides technical support for suppliers and technology partners on RAI-Technology major projects. He is also responsible for assessing new trends and tools within the broadcast industry, gathering and analyzing product solutions, and delivering proofs of concept within RAI and using them to identify new workflows. More Resources For more on this topic, check out Create, Collaborate, and Deliver with AI and Avid MediaCentral – watch the virtual event to get the latest news of Avid and AI AI – The Human in The Loop - Discover the view of the BBC's Laure Ellis in this podcast episode on AI Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S4E05: Community Service New approaches to journalism are required to engage with audiences, restore trust, and connect with communities turned off by the traditional news agenda. In this episode, we explore the view of a US-based journalist and academic who is the co-author of a report calling for the establishment of more community-centered journalism as a way of turning the tide against news avoidance. Damian Radcliffe was one of the authors of the report, “Redefining News: A Manifesto for Community-Centered Journalism,” which calls for a radical new approach to story creation and agenda setting. It calls for far greater involvement with communities to understand their needs and tell their stories in ways that re-establish the value which journalism can bring. Our Guest This Episode Damian Radcliffe Journalist, researcher, and professor based at the University of Oregon with over 25 years of experience in the media industry, Damian has worked in editorial, strategic, research, policy, and teaching roles in the USA, Middle East, and UK. His work focuses on digital trends, social media, technology, the business of media, and the evolution—and practice—of journalism. As an analyst, researcher, and trainer, he has worked with a wide range of additional industry and academic organizations including the BBC World Service, Facebook, FIPP, INMA, Thomson Reuters Foundation, World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), and the United Nations. He has been quoted on issues relating to digital media and journalism by major outlets such as AFP, BBC News, Business Insider, NPR, The New York Times, Snapchat, Wired, and Voice of America. As a freelance journalist, his work has also been published by leading publications and trade outlets such as the BBC, Columbia Journalism Review (CJR), Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN), Harvard's Nieman Lab, HuffPost, PBS MediaShift, Poynter, TheMediaBriefing, and ZDNet. More Resources For more on this topic, check out A Manifesto for Community-Centred Journalism – Read the paper MediaCentral virtual event – Watch the webinar to find out more about news collaboration Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid.
S4E04: Challenging the Norm Overcoming challenges which many companies in the Western world would not even contemplate has been a hallmark of the Rudaw Media Network in Kurdistan. But now, twelve years after launch, they are continuing to expand. In this episode of the Making the Media Podcast, Hejar Berenji, the CTO of the Rudaw Media Network, which is based in Irbil in Iraq, has spoken of how they stayed on air in the face of power cuts, the fight against ISIS, recruiting and training staff to deliver high-quality news, and remaining fiercely independent. Our Guest This Episode Hejar Berenji Chief Technical Officer at Rudaw Media Network, With over eleven years of experience, Hejar excels in managing technical departments, specializing in broadcast technology, project management, and business development. He is dedicated to enhancing news and media production and delivery while ensuring network security and reliability. Hejar fosters a creative work environment, empowers his team, and forges strategic partnerships with other media outlets and stakeholders. More Resources For more on this topic, check out Avid MediaCentral and AI webinar – Watch a demonstration of Avid Ada AI tech previews Fosterning Creativity through the use of AI – Read about AI innovations Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S4E03: The State of Media Tech Media technology companies are increasingly looking beyond their traditional markets for new revenue streams, and the use of artificial intelligence is growing in importance, according to a new report. In the new episode of the Making the Media Podcast, the IABM's head of knowledge, Lorenzo Zanni, discusses the findings of their recently released report, The State of Media Tech, published at the IBC Trade Show. Our Guest This Episode Lorenzo Zanni IABM Head of Knowledge A graduate of Pisa, Durham, Swansea, and Glasgow Universities, Lorenzo Zanni holds a BSc in economics and management, an MSc in business economics, and an MSc in data analytics. Lorenzo is the head of knowledge at IABM, and he has been responsible for growing IABM's Business Intelligence portfolio into the authoritative resource it is today. Lorenzo's research is widely quoted in international industry publications, and he has presented at shows around the world, including IBC and NAB Show. More Resources For more on this topic, check out Avid MediaCentral and AI Virtual Event – Watch a demonstration and discussion of Avid Ada AI tech previews Fosterning Creativity Through the Use of AI – Read about AI innovations Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S4E02: Let Me Explain Journalists must always consider whether the way they are telling stories is right for the audiences they are trying to reach to ensure that their work remains relevant. In the new episode of the Making the Media Podcast, BBC News analysis editor, presenter, and author, Ros Atkins, discusses how he constantly re-evaluates his work to ensure he explains topics clearly enough across multiple platforms. Ros has just released a new book, called The Art of Explanation, and in the podcast episode, he outlines the techniques he deploys when gathering, interpreting, and then presenting information. Our Guest This Episode Ros Atkins BBC News Analysis Editor, Presenter, and Author Ros is the creator and presenter of “Outside Source” on the BBC News Channel. His “Ros Atkins on….” explainer videos have become an online hit with millions of views across a variety of platforms. He co-presents “The Media Show” on BBC Radio 4 and the topical program “Ros Atkins On The Week” on BBC1. A journalist for more than thirty years, he is based in London. More Resources For more on this topic, check out Data Driven – Discover how Channel 4 News in the UK are using data to enhance their journalism Avid Empowers the Modern Newsroom – Discover how Avid is delivering innovative news workflows Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S4E01: AI: The Human in the Loop Decisions being made today about the use of artificial intelligence in journalism may have enormous consequences for future generations, according to the head of technology forecasting at the UK broadcaster, BBC. In the first episode of season four of the Making the Media Podcast, host Craig Wilson talks with Laura Ellis about her role within the organization and how they are assessing the impact of AI and machine learning on a whole raft of content creation areas. Our Guest This Episode Laura Ellis Head of Technology Forecasting BBC R&D Laura Ellis is a technologist and journalist with a focus on emerging technology, machine learning, disinformation, and data. She has worked on news teams in radio, TV, and online, and led two regional news and current affairs teams through significant technology change, establishing the BBC's first end-to-end digital newsroom. In her current role she focuses on ensuring the BBC is best placed to take advantage of emerging technology and takes a particular interest in ethics, personalized and automated journalism, machine learning, generative AI, AI in content production, and analysis. More Resources For more on this topic, check out AI – Threat or Opportunity? – The head of a major research body into the use of AI in journalism shares their views Avid and AI. Past, Present and Future - Find out the work which Avid is doing to assist the creative community with the responsible implementation of AI. MediaCentral – Fostering Creativity through AI – Get the latest technology previews which Avid showcased at the IBC show in Amsterdam Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S3E20: The value of mentoring and encouraging staff to continually learn and develop their skills cannot be underestimated, particularly with the advent of remote working in the post-production industry. In the final episode of season three of the podcast, host Craig Wilson talks with Ed Bengoa, director of post production at ITN in the UK, about the challenges and benefits posed by the advent of remote working procedures. Our Guest This Episode Ed Bengoa Director of Post Production ITN Ed is currently the Director of Post Production at the UK-based news and content producer ITN, where she has worked since 2021. Prior to this Ed was the Head of Post Production at MSV Post, part of the Tinopolis group of companies and also has experience working as the Facilities Manager with Directors Cut Films. Audio was her first love, and she spent nine years working with BBC Studioworks in a variety of audio-related roles. Prior to this, she worked as a dubbing editor at the leading post-production house, Molinare. More Resources For more on this topic, check out Avid | Edit On Demand – Discover the benefits of a fully cloud-deployed post-production environment with Media Composer and Avid NEXIS running in Microsoft Azure Avid NEXIS | EDGE – Open up new possibilities for remote post-production working, connecting to your on premises Avid NEXIS storage Making the Media Season Three – Catch up on all 20 episodes of Season Three Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S3E19: Post production, like many industries, is facing recruitment challenges, and not just at entry levels. There is a recognition that hiring and retaining staff is now tougher than ever post-pandemic, and that greater competition from other content creators is posing challenges to the sector. In the latest episode, host Craig Wilson speaks to Jai Cave, technical operations director at the UK-based post house ENVY and Caroline Orme, associate professor at Ravensbourne University in England about the current situation and the work they are doing to address the challenge. Our Guests This Episode Jai Cave ENVY Post Production Technical Operations Director Jai has over 17 years of experience in the broadcast industry and holds the position of technical operations director at ENVY. He is involved in all aspects of the business, from client liaison and business development, through to workflow design and project management. He designs and manages operational change throughout the company and researches and implements new technology, from system design through to the implementation of new services. His previously held roles include head of operations, where he managed a multi-level team of 70 through the move to fully file-based acquisition and delivery. More recently he has designed and delivered the company's new ENVY Remote platform, a full suite of remote editing and collaboration tools available across web and mobile apps. Caroline Orme Associate Professor Ravensbourne University Caroline is an interdisciplinary artist, international director, editor, and post-production expert, specializing in 3D stereoscopic and color grading. Caroline's work has featured in 30 film festivals throughout the UK, Europe, and internationally. Following an MSc in 3D stereoscopic media, her research has been presented at conferences, and her paper, titled Do 3Ds and VR Share the Same Visual Grammar? was presented at the International Broadcasting Conference (IBC) in Amsterdam. She also has experience in broadcasting and worked as an audio commentary systems operator at the London Olympics in 2012. She has done live projects at Ravensbourne with the Museum of London, The Queens House, The Science Museum, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Sharpshooters, Tag Rugby Trust, and UNESCO, that led to exhibitions and screenings at the Science Museum, Imperial War Museum, BBC Rugby Union Online, and Sky. Caroline specializes in teaching asset management (Avid NEXIS), the art of editing, Avid (as an Avid-certified trainer), online (working to a digital production partnership high-definition specification) and color grading (Nucoda). More Resources For more on this topic, check out Media Composer for Students – Discover Avid's new program giving students free access to the industry-leading editing software The Skills Crisis – Listen to this podcast to discover how one high school is innovating to help students, and the importance of diversifying the workforce in post production. Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S3E18: Using data to illustrate stories in new ways or uncover hidden stories is a key facet of modern journalism. But how do you take that information and turn it into informative and engaging content that works across multiple platforms? In the latest episode, host Craig Wilson speaks with Sunita Bhatti, head of regions from Channel 4 News in the UK, on how they are planning to use data to do just that, and how artificial intelligence (AI) can also help them do it. Our Guest This Episode Sunita Bhatti Head of Regions Channel 4 News More Resources For more on this topic, check out Technology Builds Collaboration and Content – Two news leaders discuss the ways in which technology is assisting their news teams to do more and deliver across multiple platforms. Stream On with Avid News – In this webinar, discover the latest on Avid's news solutions. The Innovation Station – How are ABC News Australia innovating to find new audiences? Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S3E17: A major new report has highlighted key areas which need to be addressed in order to ensure that broadcasters take advantage of advances in technology in a rapidly changing media landscape. In the latest episode, host Craig Wilson speaks with Mark Harrison, the chief executive of the DPP, about their European Leaders Report, compiled after a two-day conference of broadcasters and media vendors in Berlin, Germany. Our Guest This Episode Dr Mark Harrison CEO DPP Ltd Mark began his career as an historian at Cambridge University, before moving into the media industry. He spent many years as a director, producer, and executive producer, and won numerous awards for his filmmaking, including an International EMMY and a BAFTA nomination. Mark has held senior roles within the independent production sector and the BBC. He was MD of an independent production company before being appointed to be BBC's head of arts, and then head of multiplatform production. He was subsequently controller of production for BBC North and leader of the BBC's End-to-End Digital program, before becoming director of transformation for BBC Design & Engineering. In 2015, Mark became CEO of the DPP—the media industry's international business network, which he founded. Today, the DPP has nearly 500 member companies from across the whole media supply chain—from global tech giants to start-ups. More Resources For more on this topic, check out: Tomorrow's News – Explore a series of articles detailing the DPP Tomorrow's News reports AI – Threat or Opportunity – AI in journalism expert Charlie Beckett debates the latest technology advances Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S3E16: The nature of storytelling is changing, and to fully embrace this change and attract new audiences, broadcasters need to make greater use of mobile journalism and capitalize on their trusted relationship with their viewers. In the latest episode of season three of the podcast, host Craig Wilson discusses the world of mobile journalism (known as “mojo”) with mobile innovator and pioneer Glen Mulcahy. Our Guest This Episode Glen Mulcahy Glen is an internationally recognized Irish media trainer and technology innovator who's best known for his contributions to the field of mobile journalism. He began his career in media in the mid 1990s, working for the newly launched Irish language TV station TG4. He later joined the Irish national broadcaster, RTÉ, where he worked as a manager in the news technology team before moving to the role of head of innovation. In 2007, Mulcahy became interested in the potential of smartphones for mobile journalism and he later founded the mobile journalism conference, RTÉ MojoCon. The event quickly became a global gathering of journalists, broadcasters, and technologists interested in exploring the possibilities of mobile journalism. After leaving RTÉ in 2017, Mulcahy established MojoFest, a technology and innovation festival that brings together experts from various industries to share insights on the latest developments in the field of mobile journalism and professional content creation. He is regarded as a thought leader and pioneer in the field of mobile innovation and continues to inspire and mentor journalists around the world. More Resources For more on this topic, check out: Mr Mojo Risin' – Philip Bromwell, from Irish broadcaster RTÉ, details their use of mobile journalism Do You Trust Me? – Discover the work of Project Origin and its efforts to ensure content authenticity The DPP Tomorrow's News Reports – An in-depth series of reports on the future of the news business Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme: Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S3E15: Communicating constantly. Collaborating collectively across the globe. Delivering 24-hour news in the most cost-effective way possible. And widening the net to recruit a more diverse staff. These are just some of the challenges facing one of the best-known news brands in the business. In the latest episode of season three of the podcast, Craig discusses all of these issues with Rebecca Moore, director of technical operations with CNN International. Our Guest This Episode Rebecca Moore Rebecca is director of technical operations at CNN International, based at the network's London bureau. As part of her role, she is responsible for the day-to-day leadership of the London and Abu Dhabi control rooms, studios, lighting, and makeup teams. She has been with CNN for over 25 years, and is skilled in the fields of broadcasting, communication, change management, and television. More Resources For more on this topic, check out Standing Out from the Crowd – Discover how a new news channel is making its mark. Tech Builds Collaboration and Content – News leaders discuss how their news operations are facing the future. The Skills Crisis – Many people working in the media industry see a looming skills crisis. What needs to be done to address the challenge? Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S3E14: Risk-taking and being prepared to fail (but fail fast) are some of the key learnings from a news station which launched in the pandemic and is continuing to grow and find an audience. In the latest episode of season three of the podcast, Craig speaks with Matt Goldberg, vice president of content strategy at NBCUniversal Local, about the work of NBC LX almost three years on since it went on air. We featured the work of NBC LX in season one of the podcast, so this is the chance to discover what worked, what did not, and what the future holds for the US-based station. Our Guest This Episode Matt Goldberg Matt is the vice president of content strategy for NBCUniversal Local. In this role, Matt oversees content, brand, marketing, and programming, and manages the team at LX News. He also works directly with sales, business development, and distribution in generating revenue for the network. Matt has been with NBCU for 20 years, previously working as the assistant news director at KNBC in Los Angeles and at NBC Bay Area. Prior to moving into management, Matt was an investigative producer in Los Angeles, where he won numerous local and national awards for his work. Matt served as an elected board member of the non-profit Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE) and was the board president from 2016 to 2018. He started his career in TV news while attending Arizona State University and has also worked in Houston, Texas. More Resources For more on this topic, check out Multi-Platform Madness – In season one of the podcast, Matt reflects on the launch of NBC LX The VICE Squad – Maral Usefi from VICE News explains how they work to create content across multiple platforms as efficiently as possible Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme: Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S3E13: How has the technology behind news and sports graphics changed the way in which stories can be told in the studio, and what does that mean for the collaboration between editorial and technical teams? In this episode, Craig is joined by graphics expert Antonio Tena, from the Spanish company Telemadrid, to discuss the way graphics are used to enable new storytelling techniques. Our Guest This Episode Antonio Tena Head of Processes and Innovation, Telemadrid In Telemadrid, Antonio has been the head of the graphics department and is currently the head of processes and innovation. In the past, he was the head of post production and graphics in Quiero TV and was involved in the launch of CNN+ in Spain, as a graphic designer. In Canal+ he was in charge of the graphic design of several shows like Lo mas + and in TVE he was a graphic designer in iconic shows like Quién sabe dónde. He also collaborated in the character, 2D, and 3D design and landscape design of several video games by Warner Interactive, Pendulo Studios, and Dynamic Multimedia, and he worked as an animator in several cartoon series for Walt Disney Studios, Hannah Barbera, Warner Studios, Equip Studios, and Cruz Delgado. In 2011 he was awarded the “Premio Talento” by the Television Science and Arts Academy in Spain. More Resources For more on this topic, check out: Take the Weather with You – Nora Zimmet from The Weather Channel details their innovative use of immersive mixed-reality graphics Stream On with Avid News – Discover the latest news collaboration workflows on premises and in the cloud Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme: Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S3E12: From TikTok experimentation to working out the best way to take advantage of the latest developments in the world of artificial intelligence, how are newsrooms working to deliver more creative and immersive storytelling? In this episode, Craig is joined by Gina McKeon, Innovation Editor at the Australian Public Broadcaster, ABC. Our Guest This Episode Gina McKeon Innovation Editor, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Gina has a wealth of experience working on innovative digital and investigative stories as a producer and journalist for ABC and SBS. She has an extensive track record in high-quality, original digital storytelling and has won numerous awards, including a Webby Award, SXSW Interactive Innovation Award, and multiple Walkley Awards. More Resources For more on this topic, check out: The Vice Squad – Maral Usefi from Vice News outlines their strategy to tap into new markets. Stop, Collaborate, and Listen – Discover how Avid is enabling new[OL1] [CW2] workflows on premises and in the cloud and bringing together distributed teams in this webinar. Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin [OL1]@Craig Wilson this word should be “news,” right? Just want to make sure, because “new” would make sense as well. Hi Owen, in this context "new" is the correct term, but thanks for checking. [CW2]
S3E11: When your overriding mission is to save lives, how does The Weather Channel in the United States use the power of immersive storytelling, collaborative ways of working, and innovative graphics to achieve its goals? In this episode, Craig is joined by Nora Zimmett, from The Weather Channel, to explore their approach to news and how they are constantly looking to enhance their coverage, both inside the studio and from location. Our Guest This Episode NORA ZIMMETT President of News and Original Series, The Weather Channel Television Network Nora oversees all aspects of the network's live and original programming, and its world-renowned storm coverage. She also oversees all weather content for the network's digital platforms. She is responsible for the overall editorial direction of the network and helped lead the channel to its first-ever News and Documentary Emmy Award in 2019. Nora joined The Weather Channel in September 2014 from CNN where she served as co-creator and executive producer of both New Day Weekend and Smerconish. Prior to joining CNN, she held senior producer and producer roles at Bloomberg Television and Fox News Channel. Nora is an award-winning journalist, and in addition to the 2019 Emmy, she received an Emmy Award at CNN for her work on the 2012 presidential election. More Resources For more on this topic, check out Going Green – Discover the work of BAFTA Albert and how it is helping broadcasters and producers minimize their impact on the environment. The Evolution of Production – A series of articles on cloud-based production techniques Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S3E10: How is data informing both editorial and strategic decision-making with the newsroom at a time when audience behavior is changing rapidly? In this episode, Craig is joined by leaders from CBC in Canada to discuss the launch of a new streaming channel and how they are working to attract diverse audiences throughout the country with new styles of programming. Our Guests This Episode Andree Lau, Senior Director of Digital Publishing and Streaming, CBC Andree Lau oversees the national website, news app, social media content, the CBC News Network 24-hour news speciality channel, and the CBC News Explore FAST channel. Andree started her journalism career running the overnight homepage for CBCNews.ca. At CBC, she's worked as a TV reporter, video journalist, food columnist (radio and online), and as a writer, producer, and editor (TV and digital) in nine newsrooms across Canada. She spent eight years at HuffPost Canada, where she helped build one of the most diverse and young newsrooms in the country. They broke enterprise, politics and lifestyle stories with an inclusive lens and experimented with livestreams and digital video. After three years as editor-in-chief of HuffPost Canada, Andree returned to CBC in 2020 to lead its digital news publishing strategy. Michael Gruzuk, Senior Director, CBC News Studios Michael Gruzuk is the head of CBC News Studios—a development, strategy, and production team supporting local and network content across all CBC News platforms. Prior to this role, Michael was the head of network programming for CBC News. Before returning to CBC, he was the director of news and digital for VICE Canada. Michael started his career as a current affairs producer working on investigative documentaries and current affairs for Alliance Atlantis and CBC News productions. Michael's development leadership includes the 2021 relaunch of CBC News Network, Canada's #1 daily news podcast, Front Burner, Rosemary Barton Live, and Canada Tonight. Michael has created and re-launched several innovative programs including Face to Face (CBC News), VICE Canada Reports, and Cut-Off (VICE Media). He was previously a program leader at The National, CBC News Marketplace, and was the executive producer of CBC News Specials, overseeing all domestic and international news events, including CBC's Olympic news coverage and the 2015 federal election. He was a lead producer of the 2019 and 2021 Federal Leaders Debates. More Resources For more on this topic, check out: X Marks the Spot – ITV's director of news and current affairs, Michael Jermey, details their strategy for national and regional news. Stop, Collaborate, and Listen – Discover how Avid's newsroom tools are enabling new workflows. Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S3E09: What will the use of artificial intelligence mean for the news and media industry? Is it a threat to jobs or an opportunity to be more creative and uncover new stories and new audiences? In this episode, Craig Wilson is joined award-winning journalist Charlie Beckett from the Polis Journalism and AI project at the London School of Economics to discuss this topic. Our Guest This Episode Charlie Beckett Charlie Beckett is a professor in the Department of Media and Communications. He is the founding director of Polis, the London School of Economics' (LSE) international journalism think tank. Professor Beckett is currently leading the Polis Journalism and AI project. He was director of the LSE's Truth, Trust, and Technology Commission that reported on the misinformation crisis in 2018. He is the author of SuperMedia (Wiley Blackwell, 2008) that set out how journalism is being transformed by technological and other changes. He was an award-winning filmmaker and editor at LWT, BBC, and ITN. He began his career on the South London Press and ended it as a program editor at Channel 4 News where he covered major stories such as the terrorist attacks on New York and London. He was a specialist in politics and international affairs. More Resources For more on this topic, check out All Things AI – A podcast from 2021 looking at AI within the newsroom Tomorrow's News – A series of reports based around the DPP Tomorrow's News initiative Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S3E08: What are news organizations doing to support journalists and crews facing mental health challenges and how is the rise of online hate impacting those teams? In the eighth episode of season three of the Making the Media Podcast, host Craig Wilson is joined by journalist Hannah Storm, founder and co-director of the Headlines Network, to discuss how to handle these issues. Our Guest This Episode Hannah Storm, Founder and Co-Director, Headlines Network. Hannah is the former CEO of the International News Safety Institute and the Ethical Journalism Network, as well as a sought-after speaker, facilitator, trainer, and writer. Hannah co-authored the first study into moral injury and the media for the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism with Professor Anthony Feinstein and has written extensively at the intersection of gender, mental health, physical and online safety. In 2020, she wrote publicly about her own experiences of post-traumatic stress, her recovery, and how those experiences shape her work. Hannah is also a qualified Mental Health First Aider with MHFA England. More Resources For more on this topic, check out: Rise Up – A podcast on the work of the Rise organization to champion inclusion and diversity in the media industry. The Headlines Network– A network to support those working in the media Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S3E07: VICE Media Group has built a successful news brand aimed at a young audience, but how are they trying to expand that audience, stay true to their values, and deliver commercially in a tough and competitive market? In the seventh episode of season three of the Making the Media Podcast, host Craig Wilson is joined by Maral Usefi, vice president of news and editorial operations at VICE Media Group Our Guest This Episode Maral Usefi , Vice President of News and Editorial Operations at VICE Media Group Maral is responsible for news and documentary coverage, unscripted series, development, and specials. She also leads all internal VICE News operations with oversight over its studios, control rooms, and production scheduling. Maral serves as a Senior Executive Producer of the award-winning VICE News Tonight, along with a number of series including Small Town Secrets, Border to Border, and BLM: A Global Reckoning. Usefi is the recipient of multiple National News Emmy® awards, a George Polk Award, two Edward R Murrow Awards, and a Peabody, among others. Prior to VICE, she developed and launched Starting Point with Soledad O'Brien for CNN and served as senior executive producer of the morning programming slate for Al Jazeera America, along with a stint at Fox News. She got her start producing the morning show at KCRA in Sacramento. She is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism. More Resources For more on this topic, check out Tomorrow's News—This series of articles details the findings from a recent major report from the DPP. Making the Media with Avid CEO Jeff Rosica – Get the thoughts of Avid's chief executive on the state of the media business and the future. Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S3E06: ITV News has been at the heart of British broadcasting for more than sixty years. How is it planning to take on the streaming platforms with news at its core and deliver a new experience for its audience? In the sixth episode of season three of the Making the Media Podcast, host Craig Wilson is joined by ITV's Director of News and Current Affairs, Michael Jermey. Our Guests This Episode: Michael Jermey, Director of News and Current Affairs, ITV Michael has led ITV's expansion of news programming and investigative current affairs output over the past decade on both television and digital platforms. Michael is a news industry veteran. Early in his career he worked on location on stories such as the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the 1990-91 Gulf War. In the early 1990s he was program editor of ITV's flagship program, News at Ten, and went on to run ITV's international newsgathering, and later all its regional news operations across the UK. As director of news and current affairs, he commissioned the first UK General Election leaders' debate in 2010 and subsequent debate program at every national election since. He's expanded the channel's broadcast journalism with the launch of political series Peston, the award winning investigative current affairs strand Exposure, and international affairs program On Assignment. In March 2022, Michael launched a new hour-long evening news program on ITV's main channel. It's currently the best rating commercial news program in the UK. Before the end of 2022, Michael will lead the launch of a bespoke news service designed for ITV's new free streaming platform, ITVX. Michael is an advocate for strong, impartial public service broadcasting. He is an honorary visiting Professor at the Cardiff University Journalism School and a former Chair of the Rory Peck Trust, a charity devoted to the safety of freelance journalists and camera operators. He has a degree in philosophy, politics, and economics from the University of Oxford. More Resources For more on this topic, check out: Content from Anywhere– This e-book examines the impact decentralized production is having on modern broadcast news, as well as all the new possibilities it invites Avid's News Solutions – Discover how Avid is enabling newsroom workflows for broadcast and beyond. Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S3E05: The media industry is facing a skills crisis right when the demands for content are soaring. What can be done to encourage more people to join the sector and to retain them once they are there? In the fourth episode of season three of the Making the Media Podcast, host Craig Wilson is joined by two guests to discuss the issue. Our Guests This Episode Charlotte Layton With over 25 years in the industry, Charlotte has worked across the content creation pipeline. From a transmission controller at first L!VE Tv and then MTV, she joined BBC Resources (now Studio Works) in the early 2000s as a post-production producer. She then became Commercial Manager, taking on responsibility for the Television Centre studios, as well. After relocating the studio provision to Elstree, following the TVC site sale, she joined The Farm as Commercial Director, growing the business over seven years in preparation for its sale in 2019. Following the sale, Charlotte co-founded Racoon with The Farm's senior management team in 2021. Racoon is the post-production model for the future, focussed on redefining how we collaborate creatively in the work-anywhere world. Jay Welk Jay recently retired from the Davis School District after having oversight for the design and build of the Davis Catalyst Center, a technical high school where students work with industry partners to develop technical and professional skills in preparation for career and post-secondary education opportunities. Davis District is the second largest district in Utah with an approximate K-12 enrollment of 72,000 students. The ten high schools in the district offer a full menu of courses in all career and technical-education pathways. More Resources For more on this topic, check out: Live and Learn – Trevor Rumes from Thomas More University outlines how they prepare the next generation of media students. Avid for Education – Find out how Avid is helping education the media workforce of the future Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S3E04: Innovative ways of engaging with sports audiences may be driven in the future by smaller leagues and teams because they are more willing to take more risks to attract new viewers and followers. In the third episode of season three of the Making the Media Podcast, host Craig Wilson is joined by Brian Leonard, Head of Engineering: Post and Workflows at the sports producer and rights holder, IMG. Our Guest This Episode Brian Leonard Brian has been working for IMG for more than twenty years in the engineering department, working across all facets of TV production (both live and post). Working his way up from a junior engineer to now heading a department that supports some massive federations with typically a focus on their world distribution, Brian is based at IMG Studios technical hub in London. He is trying to push boundaries in all AI/ML/Virtual and cloud production while holding some big manufacturers' feet to the fire in all areas of what they are offering, while also asking tough questions on all things around sustainability. He is excited about what the future holds in sports production and thinks we are approaching a new age in cost-effective sports production, especially with a focus on the lower tiers. More Resources For more on this topic, check out: Getting Games Ready– Trevor Pilling from Olympic Broadcasting Services details the preparations for the world's biggest sporting events. Avid NEXIS Shared Storage – Avid's shared storage powers the biggest productions in the world. Find out more. Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S3E03: TV news is already a crowded market, so when launching a new channel, how do you make shows which are distinctive and find an audience, and where is that audience, anyway? In the third episode of season three of the Making the Media Podcast, host Craig Wilson is joined by Erron Gordon, executive director of News UK Broadcasting, the company behind TalkTV, one of the UK's newest news channels. Our Guest This Episode Erron Gordon Erron is the executive director of News UK Broadcasting and is head of studios and creative for TalkTV and Piers Morgan Uncensored. He was the launch and former series director of Good Morning Britain and Peston for ITV. Erron is a patron of The National Student Television Awards. More Resources For more on this topic, check out: Getting Creative – John Mason from STV in the UK shares his passion for live TV Avid Maestro Graphics – Discover the new Maestro Graphics, now available as a software-only subscription Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S3E02: Newsmakers know they need to adapt to survive in a multi-platform world—but how can they do it, continue to remain profitable and relevant, and deliver to a new audience? Not easy. In the second episode of season three of the Making the Media Podcast, host Craig Wilson discusses a new series of reports on the news business, called “Tomorrow's News”, with the chief executive of the body which produced them, the DPP, Mark Harrison. Our Guest This Episode Dr Mark Harrison CEO DPP Ltd Mark began his career as an historian at Cambridge University, before moving into the media industry. He spent many years as a director, producer, and executive producer, and won numerous awards for his filmmaking, including an International Emmy and a BAFTA nomination. Mark has held senior roles within the independent production sector and the BBC. He was MD of an independent production company before being appointed to be BBC's head of arts, and then head of multiplatform production. He was subsequently controller of production for BBC North and leader of the BBC's End-to-End Digital program, before becoming director of transformation for BBC Design & Engineering. In 2015, Mark became CEO of the DPP—the media industry's international business network, which he founded. Today, the DPP has nearly 500 member companies from across the whole media supply chain—from global tech giants to start-ups. More Resources For more on this topic, check out: The Future of News and Cloud Production – Hear from news leaders from the BBC and ABC Avid Enables Story-centric News – Find out more about MediaCentral | Collaborate Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S3E01: Look Ahead Enabling production teams to work efficiently and delivering innovations to aid the media industry on their journey to the cloud are key elements of Avid's strategic direction. In the first episode of season three of the Making the Media Podcast, host Craig Wilson discusses the state of the media business with Avid's chief executive officer, Jeff Rosica. Our Guest This Episode Jeff Rosica Jeff Rosica was appointed CEO of Avid Technology in February 2018. He joined the company in 2013 as the senior vice president of worldwide field operations and later became senior vice president, chief sales and marketing officer. He has more than 30 years of experience in broadcast, media, and entertainment technology, which includes a variety of senior leadership roles for Thomson/Grass Valley and Philips Electronics. Jeff also serves as Board Chairman for Boston Arts Academy Foundation, with the mission to drive awareness and funding for Boston's only high school dedicated to preparing a diverse community of aspiring artists, scholars, and global citizens to succeed in their chosen professional paths and become active, engaged members of their communities. More Resources For more on this topic, check out: Production Without Pause Webinar – Discover how Avid's news solution is bringing together remote and distributed teams Sinclair CTO Shares His Cloud Experiences – Mike Kralek from Sinclair discusses working in the cloud with Avid CTO, Kevin Riley Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
Making the Media is on season break! While we're gearing up for season three, enjoy this favorite episode from earlier this year. We'll be back with brand new episodes in September. S2E12: Getting Games Ready How do you prepare for the biggest sporting event in the world, ensure innovative ways of covering events, and deliver thousands of hours of content tailored to the needs of global audiences? In this episode of the Making the Media podcast, host Craig Wilson talks in-depth with Trevor Piling from Olympic Broadcasting Services about the work of Olympic Channel News. Our Guest This Episode Trevor Piling is a seasoned sports broadcasting executive based in Madrid, Spain, working as host broadcast producer for Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS). Trevor joined OBS in 2019 after a successful career in Canada where he was involved in the production of some of the biggest and most watched sporting events of the past twenty years, mostly working with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Trevor has worked at twelve Olympic Games and with OBS was the director of Olympic Channel News for the past three years, leading coverage at the Tokyo and Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne, Switzerland. More Resources For more on this topic, check out: What Can Newsrooms Gain from the Cloud – Discover the work of Project Origin and its bid to authenticate media MediaCentral | Publisher – Beat the competition and distribute stories quickly and easily to all your social and online platforms Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
Making the Media is on season break! While we're gearing up for season three, enjoy this favorite episode from earlier this year. We'll be back with brand new episodes in September. S2E10: The Sky's the limit What do broadcasters need to do to capitalize on the streaming revolution? And what skills do their staff need in order to deliver continuous innovation? In this episode of the Making the Media podcast, host Craig Wilson talks in-depth with former Sky executive Darren Long to get his take on the hot topics. Our Guest This Episode Darren Long After graduating from Brunel University, Darren spent seven years working at the National Film and Television School (NFTS) teaching students in television production and helping to run the NFTS TV department. After leaving NFTS, Darren spent a year working in the TV industry as a vision engineer before joining Sky at the birth of the company back in 1989. He was one of the pioneers changing the way the world watches sport, overseeing the technical, operational developments and innovations across Sky Sports—from simple ultra-motion replay, HD and 3D, through to today's interactive and digital developments that now appear in most sports broadcasts. Darren was the stakeholder in the conception and development of the UK's first sustainable broadcast facility, Sky Studios, which has fourteen production studios, over 77 post-production suites, and one of the biggest integrated tapeless systems in the world which runs all of Sky's linear, online, and OTT playout. In November 2012, Darren took over the leadership role for Sky Production Services (SPS). Darren was responsible for 760 full-time employees split across four groups that deliver key production services to all of Sky's content creation teams—production studios, post-production, content services, and business planning & programming. The department encompasses a vast range of skills including cameras, sound, lighting, media management, graphics, and video and audio post-production. Darren was also responsible for setting the vision for Sky's group content operations workflow in its strategic IP program for content distribution. This program is moving all Sky's group content operations and processing systems into the cloud and integrating into the wider Comcast businesses, ensuring everything Sky does is done in the most efficient and timely way. Darren's last role at Sky was as group operations transformation design in CT&I, looking at how we transform the operations as we move into these new workflows and align our business models. Darren is also a board trustee for the British Forces Broadcasting Services (BFBS) and is on the board of the Avid Community Association. More Resources For more on this topic, check out: Secure collaborative cloud editing and storage through SaaS and subscription – Discover the flexibility of Avid | Edit on Demand All Things AI – Is AI a threat or opportunity for the newsrooms of the future? Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
Making the Media is on season break! While we're gearing up for season three, enjoy this favorite episode from earlier this year. We'll be back with brand new episodes in September. S2E09: Capital Ideas How do you cover the seat of the United States government, the White House, the Pentagon, the Supreme Court, cooperate with competitors, discover exclusives, keep staff safe, and deliver to multiple platforms? In this episode of Making the Media, host Craig Wilson talks in-depth with Andrea Owen, Director of the Washington D.C. Bureau for ABC News. Our Guest This Episode Andrea Owen Andrea Owen has been director, D.C. Bureau operations at ABC News since April, 2015. In that role, she oversees all newsgathering operations from Washington for both in the field and the bureau's studios and control room operations. Owen leads a large team of managers, crews, engineers, studio crews, and editors covering the White House, Capitol Hill, the Supreme Court, and all aspects of Washington D.C. coverage for ABC News, as well as large-scale live productions. As a 30-year veteran of ABC News, Owen has always kept a hand in the editorial side and another in the operational side. She began her career as an intern in the ABC News London Bureau. Since then she worked as an assignment editor, both an editorial and graphics producer for World News Tonight, operations producer for This Week and World News Tonight, anchor producer, special events producer, and managed training, digital operations, and new workflows. Owen has transformed every aspect of the Washington operations team, while also serving as the backbone of many D.C. special events, such as the inauguration of President Biden, the January 6th riot on Capitol Hill, Senate Impeachment hearings of President Trump, Overall US Network Pool Producer for the 2020 Democratic National Convention, Black Lives Matter protests in D.C., the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, including US Network Pool coverage of the ceremony and lying in state at the Capitol, four State of the Union Addresses with a full, new set builds each year, 130+ special reports in one year for mostly President Trump's first year in office, the state funeral for President George H.W. Bush, the National Service for Sen. John McCain, the Inauguration of President Trump, Pope Francis's visit to Washington, and a Town Hall with President Barack Obama, pulled together in 78 hours with live studio audience. Owen is a graduate of York University in Toronto and the British Columbia Institute of Technology's Broadcast Journalism program. More Resources For more on this topic, check out: Making the Media Podcast – Moving the Media – Discover how one news channel is moving its entire operation thousands of miles, while staying on air. What Can Newsrooms Gain From the Cloud– Find out more in a new e-book about the news business Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
Making the Media is on season break! While we're gearing up for season three, enjoy this favorite episode from earlier this year. We'll be back with brand new episodes in September, S2E08: Here is the News Story versioning, remote collaboration, using web-based tools in the cloud, sustainability, story-centric ways of working, delivering for diverse audiences, developing new services with innovative technologies—these are just some of the challenges facing the UK's largest news provider. In this episode of Making the Media, host Craig Wilson talks in-depth on all of these subjects with Morwen Williams, Head of UK Operations for BBC News. Our Guest This Episode Morwen Williams Morwen Williams is director of UK operations for BBC News, leading the technical and studio teams of BBC News. She is responsible for creative technical news gathering, as well as all news studios in London and Salford at MediaCityUK and editing in London—a team of more than 750 people. She is the bridge between the BBC's journalism and technology, using technology to its fullest to tell stories better for audiences. Previously she was BBC News' deputy UK editor and led on major special (particularly royal) events in the UK, and has worked as a program output editor and producer in the BBC Regions. She is chair of the WBU (World Broadcasting Union) International Media Connectivity Group, working with other broadcasters to find common solutions in this area. She recently completed the Media Transformation Challenge at Harvard University's Kennedy School as well as visited Stanford University to share learning there. Morwen is a keen supporter of the BBC's apprentice schemes to deliver new and more diverse technical talent in the BBC, as well as working with BBC News' Women in Technology program. She's been a mentor for RISE Women in Broadcasting and the John Schofield Trust for young journalists. She is proud to have been named RISE Women in Broadcasting Woman of the Year 2019 at IBC. Morwen is married, with two sons. A keen road cyclist and loves swimming and skiing, she comes from a family of award-winning cheesemakers in Cheshire. More Resources For more on this topic, check out: Making the Media Podcast – Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes – Discover how BBC News deals with change management Making the Media Podcast – Rise Up – Find out more about an innovative scheme to support diversity within the media industry Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
Making the Media is on season break! While we're gearing up for season three, enjoy this favorite episode from earlier this year. We'll be back with brand new episodes in September. S2E04: Moving the Media News never stops. And that is never more evident than when a major technology upgrade or station move is to take place. Going off-air is not an option, so how do you maintain your quality of service while delivering the infrastructure and new workflows you need for the future, and do that while moving your newsroom more than three-thousand miles? In this episode we focus on the key areas to consider for the newsroom of today and tomorrow. Our Guest This Episode Ali Husseini Ali is a seasoned TV executive with over 18 years of experience in broadcast business transformation and technology. He brings a wealth of expertise with particular strengths in areas such as transformation, mergers, centralization, business processes and both technical strategy and operational oversight. With an abundance of international experience, Ali has a strong understanding of various content generation, distribution models throughout America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Currently, Ali operates as Director of Broadcast Operations & Creative services at Fadaat Media, Al Araby Network, which he joined late 2019; his responsibilities include IT, broadcast engineering, broadcast IT, operations, information security & creative services. Prior to joining Fadaat Media Group, Ali oversaw numerous large-scale transformation activities during his 12 years with Al Jazeera Media Network where he served as the Chief Transformation Architect for the network, and where he held responsibility of broadcast operations expansions for multiple channels averaging $100M per project. With his contribution, Al Jazeera technical operations transformed from a mid-size broadcaster to a leader in the industry where they managed to deliver with his team of SME's the network locations in NY, DC, London, Beirut, and the channels at the HQ in Doha. More Resources For more on this topic, check out: What's Next – How Europe's major broadcasters are facing the future. MediaCentral | Collaborate – Avid's solution for story-centric news workflows. Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S2E14: Pick and Mix The relationship between program makers and their technology providers has changed forever, and the cloud has the capability to enhance it further, according to one of Britain's biggest broadcasters. In the next episode of the Making the Media Podcast, host Craig Wilson discusses these topics in-depth with ITV Studios' Director of Technology, Peter Russell. Our Guest This Episode Peter Russell Peter Russell has been the director of ITV Studios' technology since 2016. His role acts as a key technology partner for the ITV Production Labels (both in the UK and globally), news, sport, and group marketing. Peter's previous roles have included director of studios & post-production and director of production technology at The London Studios, and director of technology for GMTV. Much of Peter's time has recently been spent on the ITV site move to White City, but his passion has always been designing systems and fixing problems to make great content. More Resources For more on this topic, check out: Avid's Cloud Solutions – Discover how Avid is enabling cloud workflows The Future of Integrated Media Production in a Distributed World– Get insights into new ways of working Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S2E13: Getting Creative News broadcasters need to continually evolve the way they tell stories and interact with their audiences in order to remain relevant and not risk becoming “legacy businesses.” In this episode John Mason, head of program output (technical) at STV in Scotland, outlines how they are addressing the need to retain their traditional TV audience while moving heavily into the digital world. Our Guest This Episode John Mason John works in the news division at STV in Glasgow, Scotland, and is responsible for a number of programs covering news and current affairs, as well as some lifestyle and entertainment shows for the channel. His role is to connect editorial, technical teams and resources to ensure the highest standards are met and that products remain relevant. As a former senior news director, his passion has been live news programming, but his latest challenge is working with location (ESC) teams to deliver high-quality and entertaining productions. He is still heavily involved in news and current affairs and aims to innovate and diversify their output, to reflect the outward-looking confident country in which he lives. More Resources For more on this topic, check out: Italy's Biggest Public Broadcaster Upgrades with Avid – Find out why RAI is investing in the future with Avid's newsroom solutions Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes– Discover how BBC News handles change in this podcast episode Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S2E12: Getting Games Ready How do you prepare for the biggest sporting event in the world, ensure innovative ways of covering events, and deliver thousands of hours of content tailored to the needs of global audiences? In this episode of the Making the Media podcast, host Craig Wilson talks in-depth with Trevor Piling from Olympic Broadcasting Services about the work of Olympic Channel News. Our Guest This Episode Trevor Piling is a seasoned sports broadcasting executive based in Madrid, Spain, working as host broadcast producer for Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS). Trevor joined OBS in 2019 after a successful career in Canada where he was involved in the production of some of the biggest and most watched sporting events of the past twenty years, mostly working with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Trevor has worked at twelve Olympic Games and with OBS was the director of Olympic Channel News for the past three years, leading coverage at the Tokyo and Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne, Switzerland. More Resources For more on this topic, check out: What Can Newsrooms Gain from the Cloud – Discover the work of Project Origin and its bid to authenticate media MediaCentral | Publisher – Beat the competition and distribute stories quickly and easily to all your social and online platforms Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin
S2E11: Take It on Trust What do media and tech companies need to do to fight disinformation and what are the dangers to journalism and journalists if they do not? In this episode of Making the Media, host Craig Wilson talks in-depth with disinformation expert and former BBC executive Jessica Cecil. Our Guest This Episode Jessica Cecil Jessica is a leading media industry figure and an expert in the field of disinformation, currently working as a consultant to media and tech companies. She founded the Trusted News Initiative(TNI), the world's only alliance of major international tech companies and news organizations to counter the most harmful disinformation in real-time. The TNI's membership includes Meta, Google, Twitter, and Microsoft, alongside the BBC, AFP, AP, Reuters, and other leading global news providers, and its members have a fast-alert system to counter the most harmful disinformation. Jessica's media industry leadership experience was honed over a 30-year career at the BBC, which serves an audience of 450 million people around the world. As chief of staff to four Directors-General, she had a track record of creating and leading global alliances responding to the changes tech is having on audiences' lives Jessica's background is as a news journalist and documentary maker. She was an international news producer and assistant editor of BBC Newsnight. She is an Emmy nominee for the prime time TV science documentary, Human Instinct. Jessica is also a trustee of the University of Bristol, where she chairs the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Oversight Committee. She sits on the Council of Advisors for RAND Europe and is an adjunct fellow of the Queen Elizabeth II Academy for Leadership in International Affairs at Chatham House. More Resources For more on this topic, check out: Making the Media, S1E15: Do You Trust Me? – Discover the work of Project Origin and its bid to authenticate media. The Rise and Future of Social Storytelling – What are some of the new ways news is being source and told? Contact Us Questions? Comments? Cool ideas? Get in touch: makingthemedia@avid.com or @craigaw1969. Follow Avid at @avid. Credits Host: Craig Wilson Producer: Matt Diggs Social: Wim Van den Broeck Theme Music: Greg “Stryke” Chin