Italy’s Giglio Group looks to the future after M-Three Satcom acquisition
Established in 2003, Giglio Group SpA has become a leading content provider with presence on a number of different platforms. Among its interests are the Nautical Channel and TV HK Giglio.
The first is a channel distributed in 43 countries, across five continents, and in six different languages. It is dedicated to boating and water sports, and can be viewed in HD throughout Europe and Russia.
Giglio TV HK, founded in 2014, manages Group activities in China, where it is the first and only Italian television group present on all major platforms as well as web TV services, with a variety of content focusing on the Italian lifestyle.
Giglio Group SpA has two channels on Italian DTT, Acqua and Play.me, and provides technology services to the Group companies and to third party companies as well.
Most recently, on August 7 2015, the Giglio Group entered the stock market, then in September acquired a 100% stake of M-Three Satcom.
The new board structure sees Alessandro Giglio serve as chairman, Michele Magnifichi with AD operational role in the coordination of activities, and Myriam Amato as CFO. In the intermediate structure, the technical direction was given to Andrea Bertolaja, whilst Silvio Borri oversees the sales department.
The Giglio Group acts as a technology centre not only capable of producing and collating television content, but also distributing television signals via optical fibre and satellite worldwide. This unified approach delivers improvements to the production process, yielding an advanced platform that integrates TV channels and a wide variety of content. Among the services offered are IP contribution services with Ka-Sat NewsSpotter and Hub Vidyocast, the contribution network via multiformat IP.
Beyond the acquisition
The new addition allows Giglio Group to incorporate a strategic partner capable of integrating distribution technologies for the TV signal with optical fiber and satellite. Giglio Group now has two teleports, in Milan and Rome, connected by a high capacity fiber optic network to major broadcasters and a number of POP and teleport partners worldwide. The services are permanent on many orbital locations, including Hot Bird 13E, E9a, E12W, the new E70B coverage Middle East, India, Far East and others.
The result is a ‘Media Factory 3.0’, able to manage content globally on all existing digital platforms, and in an advantageous position for the challenges that new technologies will impose. Also present are facilities for filming and production, from monocamera to multiple HD cameras, and then editing and post-production facilities in outside vehicles and within the teleports.
The arrival of M-Three in Giglio Group is an opportunity to launch a new phase of development. Parallel to an expansion in trade, investment will be made in the technical sector to gradually align all DSNG vehicles to HD H.264. Currently, 3 out of 7 vehicles have been updated to this standard. To strengthen the production and airing department, two filming studios are situated within the two teleports. In terms of transmission infrastructure and permanent fiber connectivity, the two teleports, along with nine uplink stations to different orbital positions and the circuit by fiber, have already been adapted to the developments planned for the next three years.
Now the company aims to focus on the integration of the creative and production elements of content besides those of transport and distribution. This process begins with the aforementioned expansion of the teleports, creating two production studios with different configurations. These are available to customers, optimising the workflow.
The management of the playout area will be carefully optimised, including an enlargement of the facility and the consolidation of relationships with partner companies in order to share services. In addition, there is an intention to work on signal management and the entire OTT area.