The Saudi Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) has upgraded the Netia Radio-Assist radio automation suite used by the kingdom’s national audio archives.
A governmental body organised under the Ministry of Culture and Information, SBC worked with Netia’s area partner, First Gulf Company, to upgrade its existing systems to Radio-Assist 8.2 in order to provide smooth exchange of content between the national archives facility and SBC’s two flagship radio stations, Radio Riyadh and Radio Jeddah.
‘We have developed a strong relationship with Netia and a familiarity with the company’s automation software that give us confidence in using Radio-Assist to enable ongoing expansion of Saudi Arabia’s digital media archives,’ said Naim Saidi, CEO at First Gulf Company. ‘With this latest extension of Netia software, we have improved the ease and speed with which various SBC sites can access and work with media. Convenient sharing of assets across these sites ultimately will enable SBC to be more efficient in preserving and repurposing unique media assets reflecting the kingdom’s rich heritage.’
SBC began working with Netia in 2008, when it worked with First Gulf Company to install Radio-Assist at Radio Riyadh and Radio Jeddah, as well as at the national archives. The installation supported the migration of archived tapes to digital and, in turn, facilitated the restoration, preservation, and repurposing of historical assets that might otherwise have been lost. In 2012, the two companies deployed the Netia radio automation suite at three additional regional sites: Jizan, Hail, and Tabuk.
Now, with the upgrade to Radio-Assist 8.2, SBC and First Gulf Company have integrated the Netia software with a new HSM system and management interface to centralise audio and video assets and make them available to users working at the national archives, Radio Riyadh, and Radio Jeddah.
‘Through the evolution of its digital archives and the software supporting it, SBC is creating a valuable and readily available historical resource for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,’ says Netia Middle East & Africa Area Sales Manager, Mathieu Poussin. ‘We look forward to working further with SBC and First Gulf in optimising, centralising, and managing Saudi Arabia’s audiovisual assets on a nationwide level.’
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