IBC 2010: Al Jazeera builds the most progressive training centre in the Middle East

For the setup of the training centre for media and TV technologies (AJTC – Al Jazeera Training Centre) the Arabic broadcasting network Al Jazeera has engaged the services of Qvest Media FZ LLC based in Dubai. With a convincing concept, the company succeeded in a worldwide tendering process against international competition. With awarding of the contract, Qvest Media will have responsibility for the complete realisation of a cross-functional, media-technical infrastructure, which will enable the broadcaster to conduct future-oriented training courses for its employees. As a result, at the headquarters of Al Jazeera in Doha, Qatar, one of the most modern training centres worldwide will be established, which orientates itself on the highest technical standards.

In the role of a general contractor, Qvest Media will be responsible for all phases of the project, such as preparation of the technical concept, planning, technical integration and the start of operations, as well as training of the teaching staff.

As a result of the rapidly progressing convergence of the media, the individual vocational fields in the media business are today increasingly growing together. For example, in areas like broadcasting cross-functional networking is taking place combining Internet and communication. For media producers this development presents completely new challenges and tasks. Al Jazeera is now purposefully facing up to this process of change with the construction of its training centre for tri-medial training and further training. Qvest Media will establish a complete multi-media technical infrastructure in a building newly-created especially for this purpose. This will enable a perfect interplay for training in creative, technical and administrative vocations.

In order to demonstrate the many facets of different TV formats, such as shows, news and talk, Qvest Media will equip a total of four studios and the associated control rooms with state-of-the-art technology. The studios will be supplemented by auditoriums, with a capacity for up to 200 persons. Here, the latest presentation and communication technology will be used for interactive live training courses. The complete training complex, as well as its areas of recording, production and further processing will thereby be equipped entirely with HD-capable technology. In the interconnected control room facilities, special importance will be attached to the handling of the most varied broadcast formats. Therefore, the infrastructure will allow the training of the specialist personnel in all file-based audio and video formats and also for the HD/SD formats currently present on the market.

The trend in the area of IT infrastructure today is quite clearly shifting from AV to IT-based processes. For this reason, the concept of file-based workflows is being followed consistently. Thus, Qvest Media is implementing a fully redundant, central Media Server System, which is based on Avid Unity ISIS storage servers. Control of ingest and playout processes will be handled by Avid Interplay platforms. Decentralised areas of the Media Server System, such as on-air graphics, LowRes browsing and craft editing will be linked via IP to the Avid storage system. Additionally, Qvest Media will install a fully functional newsroom for editorial training purposes. On the base of Avid iNews this will be connected with all large feed and agency networks. The video and graphics processing will be realised using Final Cut Pro and 3D graphic workstations networked with the system environment. In accordance with the requirements of a modern broadcasting installation, all central components will be brought together at one location. Thus, the systems for routing, multi-viewing, signal conversion or synchronisation will be accommodated in a central equipment room.

Peter Nöthen, Managing Director of Qvest Media speaking about the new training centre said: “We are delighted that Al Jazeera is placing its confidence in us for this trend-setting project. Based on our experience we can say that with its innovative approach to uniting all multi-media training areas under one roof, the broadcaster has its finger on the pulse of the time. Creating a training infrastructure which unites all processes and tasks of the increasingly convergent media, is certainly an important investment for the future.”