BBC Broadcast gains seven year Flextech Television playout contract

BBC Broadcast has won a seven-year playout contract for all Flextech Television channels.
The agreement follows a competitive tender initiated in August 2004 and will see the channels start playout from the Broadcast Centre in the first half of 2006.
BBC Broadcast will build and operate an end-to-end tapeless post-production and playout solution for Flextech. The solution includes desktop editing and is managed by BBC Broadcast's digital asset management system known as MOMS (Media Object Management System). MOMS manages the digital storage and workflow of media, enabling easy and cost effective manipulation and playout of content.
Playout will take place from the Broadcast Centre in West London, with post-production taking place in a brand-new post-production ‘village’ currently under construction at Flextech’s Central London headquarters.
Jon James, Director, Commercial & Operations for Flextech Television comments: "We’re extremely excited about our new partnership with BBC Broadcast, which we believe offers a solution and service second to none. BBC Broadcast won a rigorous tender by offering a state-of-the-art tapeless solution with a proven track record which we believe will radically transform the way we operate. The solution should significantly improve our workflow efficiency, while increasing our on-air flexibility and enhancing our opportunities for on-air creativity – helping Flextech channels stay one step ahead of our competitors”.
The playout deal includes LivingTV, Bravo, Challenge, Trouble, FTN, LivingTV2 and the four associated time shift channels.
Pam Masters, Managing Director, BBC Broadcast, says: "Flextech is one of the UK’s most dynamic and demanding broadcasters and we are delighted to have been given the opportunity to provide this service to them. Our technology and workflow solution for Flextech extends the proven capabilities of the Broadcast Centre – Europe’s most advanced playout environment - still further to deliver an end-to-end solution for the management of all Flextech’s media, post-production and workflow".
(SP)