Megahertz wins Al Jazeera Sports Channel contract

Megahertz Broadcast Systems, in conjunction with its partner company, Mideast Data Ltd, Doha, has won a major contract to build three turnkey Master Control areas and satellite upgrades for the Al Jazeera Sports Channel in Doha, Qatar.
Acknowledged as one of the world’s premier independent broadcasting system integrators, Megahertz Broadcast Systems has extensive experience in every aspect of systems activity including the management of complete turnkey projects, as well as the design and construction of sophisticated Outside Broadcast vehicles.
Megahertz beat strong international competition to win the Al Jazeera contract, which was officially put out to tender earlier this year. The Al Jazeera Sports Channel was impressed by the company’s highly competitive offer, the versatility of the equipment specified and the flexibility of Megahertz’ system solutions.
Steve Hope, Megahertz’ Project Manager, said: “We were also successful in winning this project because of our ability to react quickly and meet the Al Jazeera Sports Channel’s short and demanding timescale, without compromising on quality or flexibility.”
Each of the three Master Control areas will be equipped with sophisticated systems that incorporate a Thomson GVG Saturn, Pinnacle Thunder, DecoCast and Miranda Imagestore. The outputs from each area will be connected via fibre optic cables to an encoding area, where they will be encoded using Tandberg equipment. Megahertz is also supplying Al Jazeera with custom-built control room furniture, which will be designed and manufactured at the company’s cabinet making facilities in the UK.
The project, which is currently underway, will be completed by the end of the year. Steve Hope added: “The time frame for this project is particularly tight because all three of the Master Control areas have to be on-air ready by mid-November in order to fit in with Al Jazeera’s broadcast requirements.”
The Al Jazeera Sports Channel, a division of Al Jazeera News, was launched last year and has exclusive rights to a range of major international events, including the French Open Tennis Tournament. It also has broadcast rights to next year's Australian Tennis Open.
(GB)