Experienced RF Specialist to Lead EMG Connectivity in North America

We are happy to announce the appointment of accomplished industry executive Nathan Spencer as CEO of EMG Connectivity in the USA. Nathan will lead the expansion and strategy of EMG’s RF and wireless camera execution in the North American market, develop its roadmap, and be responsible for recruiting a world-class delivery team in the US.

He will have a particular focus on the further development and market penetration of RF, 5G, and other connectivity services in which EMG specializes. EMG Connectivity is the business unit into which all of EMG’s RF Services & Connectivity have recently been consolidated. Nathan will be based at EMG’s American HQ at the Trilith Studios near Atlanta, GA.

Nathan Spencer, EMG Connectivity USA said: “I’m excited to be joining an established market leader like EMG. I have known the company for many years and worked extensively with the team at EMG Connectivity UK (formerly known as Broadcast RF). The North American market offers a lot of potential for a specialist like EMG Connectivity.  The know-how of the teams broadcasting the Tour de France and the London Marathon will prove very useful in the coming years and I believe that with my experience of the US market I can make a big contribution”.

Nathan began his broadcast career in the UK in 1992 where he specialized in RF productions and has been active in the United States for many years where he has made a name for himself in both the movie and television industries. More recently, Nathan worked as a Remote Operations Manager involved in business development as well as field support and as EIC for major events across North America like the NFL, College Football, MLS, Super Bowl, Triathlons, Marathons and Cycle Races. Nathan is a member of the International Cinematographers Guild in Los Angeles and has worked on many Hollywood movies such as ‘The Avengers’, ‘Inception’, ‘Mission Impossible 4’ and ‘The Bourne Legacy’”

Shaun Gregory, CEO, EMG, said: “Nathan will work with the rest of our RF colleagues around the world to ensure EMG remains a leader in wireless and RF innovation. Our roots are in Europe, but we operate all over the world for many major international projects. In North America, we see a lot of growth potential supported by the arrival of many major international events such as the new Formula One races, the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 LA Olympics. We would therefore like to make our exceptional RF knowledge and expertise available to our current and new customers in the US. We wish Nathan every success in his new role.”

Bruno Gallais, MD EMG Connectivity / CEO EMG France, said: “To maintain our market leading global position in RF broadcast, we needed a specialist in the USA with industry experience, deep engineering knowledge, robust decision making and vision. We have found that in Nathan, and we are excited to see how he can support EMG Connectivity in continuing to deliver cutting edge technical excellence in RF. He is a great addition to lead our EMG Connectivity team in North America.”

Move unites leading RF and connectivity divisions under one brand led by new international management team

Europe’s leading broadcast service provider EMG today announces that the RF Services & Connectivity in the Group will be united under the EMG brand. This means that the activities of Eurolinx, Broadcast RF and the RF activities of EMG France will be consolidated within a new business unit called EMG Connectivity. The new combination will, as global market leader, continue to deliver the bespoke customer service for which EMG is renowned all over the world. More than 1500 RF events per year are covered by the EMG Connectivity specialists including the most renowned sport events and entertainment shows of the world.

For several years, the various Connectivity business units have been collaborating and working as one at many major international events such as Tour de France and Giro d’Italia, the Olympics and FIFA World Cup, the European Championships in Munich, the marathons of London, Berlin and Vienna and many entertainment shows including Love Island and the BAFTAs. Clients working with EMG Connectivity will now be able to draw on the unrivalled knowledge and resources of the whole Group to integrate world leading solutions in remote production, IP technology, RF, satellite and 5G into their next production.

The new business unit will be led by an international team of EMG experts helmed by Bruno Gallais (Managing Director EMG Connectivity) who will hold this role alongside his work as CEO of EMG France. Gallais will be joined in the management team by Mark Houghton who will lead the UK business and will be Innovation Director for EMG Connectivity. Bruno Coudyzer from Belgium will be responsible for Business Development. From France, Rudy Dendleux will be the Technical Director while Chris Brandrick, known from Broadcast RF, will become the unit’s Commercial Director.

Within EMG Connectivity approx. 80 professionals are constantly working on more than 1500 events per year, with double this number on race/event days.

EMG Connectivity will be the best equipped RF company in the world providing the most extensive range of wireless broadcast solutions in the best possible quality. Among these are:

The inhouse development company Livetools is continuously developing new devices exclusively for EMG Connectivity. Apart from Livetools, EMG also deploy the world leading RF manufacturers in the industry.

EMG FRANCE is the world leader in HF transmission technologies applied to sporting events. For more than 40 years, EMG has been broadcasting the Tour de France, the most complex event in the world, both in terms of its duration and the technical nature of the HF it requires. Julien GOUPIL, Media Director of Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), looks back at the historic partnership between the two organisations. ASO, a subsidiary of Philippe Amaury éditions, is a company that organises and develops sporting events, with 250 days of competition a year and 80 events on five continents to its credit.

https://fr.emglive.com/actualites/historic-partnership-between-the-tour-de-france-org/

EMG is one of the major players in the French audiovisual industry. In its April 2022 issue, Mediakwest magazine devotes its front page to EMG France. Development strategy, technological innovations, HF expertise (…)

For the full article, click here 

 

Back in Spring, the Paris-Roubaix cycling race was a great success on France Télévisions this weekend. It was also an opportunity for EMG FRANCE to inaugurate its new fleet of motorbikes and a brand new design for the HFR 42 OB van, and to show off a team that is as motivated and passionate as ever.

EMG REBRANDING PROCESS IN EUROPE NOW COMPLETE

Paris, 23 March 2022

Europe’s leading broadcast service provider EMG Group today announced that CTV and Telegenic will now operate under the EMG brand.

CTV and Telegenic, market leaders in the OB space, have made an amazing contribution to the market. However, their consolidation delivers numerous synergies that will enhance the market value of EMG and deliver a stronger and more dynamic single entity. EMG has seen record growth and CTV and Telegenic rebranding prepares the ground for an even stronger period of development for the business.

Removing the barriers between these divisions delivers a stronger, more experienced, and re-focused EMG – which has a clearer and more powerful market offering, is able to better engage with new customers and markets, re-energise relationships with the existing customer base and develop more innovative technical solutions for the market. This transformation places EMG on a path to more effectively capitalise on its cutting-edge Remote Operations Centres (ROCs), in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, BT Tower in London, and BT Sport, also in London, to contribute to the development of remote production in the market and move further towards an IP-led future.

Telegenic’s U.S. branch in Atlanta is now also operating under the EMG flag. With these companies now under the EMG brand, all major companies in the group are now re-branded. The company is now active with the EMG brand in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the UK and the U.S.

As part of the transformation of EMG, the international sales branch will be further strengthened. Eamonn Curtin has been appointed International Sales Director in the EMG Group. Angela Gibbons succeeds Eamonn within EMG UK as Sales Director of EMG UK. Both will continue to be based at EMG’s UK HQ in High Wycombe.

CTV and Telegenic employees in the UK and U.S. will now work for EMG and continue to be based in High Wycombe and Atlanta, Georgia, respectively. For the time being some CTV golf trucks will retain their traditional and distinctive green livery, predominantly used when broadcasting live from major golf  events.

CTV was acquired by EMG in the mid-2000s and delivered its first OB truck all the way back in 1983. Almost 40 years later, CTV’s fleet had grown tenfold, covering major events all over the world, and delivering major technical and creative solutions to productions across all genres. A significant portion of CTV’s crew of over 100 professionals had been with the business for well over a decade.

EMG acquired Telegenic in 2019, as part of a strategy to grow its business in the UK and Europe, alongside expanding its production capacity and services – to better cover major live events around the world. Telegenic operates a fleet of 15 OB and production trucks and employs around 100 people across production, admin, and management. Telegenic was founded in 1981 and is synonymous with several technology milestones, as well as being well known for its motivated and talented team.

EMG’s specialist camera company, Aerial Camera Systems (ACS), and RF equipment hire specialists, Broadcast RF, will maintain their current corporate identity.

Shaun Gregory, CEO, EMG, said: “I’m really excited about formally welcoming CTV and Telegenic into the EMG family. They are both hugely respected businesses that have delivered some of the most compelling content to audiences around the world. EMG UK will be able to access a whole new range of products and services, further develop their ‘remote strategy’ and benefit greatly from the financial stability that being part of a group offers.

Peter Bates, CEO, EMG UK, said: “It takes a special kind of togetherness to bring these major events to the watching world. Our teams of experts work behind the scenes to capture events live and broadcast them to an expectant audience. These are people whose passion for what they do is matched only by the passion their work invokes. As we start this new journey, they know that when we join together, we create something more powerful than all of us.”

At a time when sport is more than ever a major source of escapism, the EMG FRANCE teams have just completed the 80th edition of the Paris-Nice race. A big thank you to France Télévisions for its confidence in EMG France’s HF solutions, and congratulations to Primoz Roglic on this well-deserved victory.

Another edition of the l’Etoile de Besseges came to an end this weekend for EMG FRANCE technicians: the Etoile de Bessèges represented no less than 15 hours of live coverage on the L’EQUIPE channel, with 154 riders and 11 teams… Thanks to Stop and Go as producer and Olivier Denis as director for their confidence in the HF tools developed by EMG.

RESHUFFLE ENHANCES BOTH GOVERNANCE AND ENGINEERING FUNCTIONS AT EMG UK

 

Paris, 3rd February 2022
Europe’s leading broadcast service provider EMG today announced the promotion of Hamish Greig to Deputy CEO of EMG UK, Sean Mulhern to CTO of EMG UK and Paul Francis to Director of Engineering of EMG UK.

Hamish has been the CEO of EMG Group’s CTV business since 2018, leading the company and being responsible for running CTV and contract renewals with their major clients. Hamish joined CTV in 1986 and was promoted to Director of Engineering in 1996. He was responsible for strategic engineering and budgeting. He also worked closely with client and sales teams to deliver on CTV’s objectives. Hamish’s career began with BBC Scotland in 1973, before spells in Gibraltar with GBC and South Africa for SABC.

Sean was previously the Director of Engineering at EMG Group company Telegenic. He joined the Telegenic division in 1997, developing his passion for technical innovation by designing OB trucks – which secured long term contracts with many major broadcasters. In a 32-year career in broadcasting, Sean has worked on major global sporting events, leading the way in HD, 3D and 4K live broadcast technologies. Sean has been crucial to the innovation, development, and implementation of remote productions for major UK broadcasters.

Paul brings over thirty years of industry experience to his new role as Director of Engineering of EMG UK. He was previously the Chief Technical Officer at EMG Group company CTV, overseeing technical excellence and innovation. He started his career in broadcasting with Carlton Television as a technical assistant in the Central Apparatus Room (CAR). With his involvement in multiple edit suites, studios and a single OB truck, experience soon saw him promoted to Head Post Production Technician. Soon after the split of studio and OB operations, Paul decided he wanted to continue in OBs and became involved in the early European Tour events in the mid 1990’s. He subsequently embarked on planning all of CTV OB’s new and refurbished trucks, while also acting as editor, submix operator and workflow designer finding solutions on the European Tour Golf’s worldwide events.”

Peter Bates, CEO of EMG UK, said: “Hamish, Sean and Paul have made a huge contribution to the business over the past three decades, and I’m delighted to welcome them into these new roles at EMG UK. Their knowledge of our business and extensive broadcast industry experience will be crucial to helping EMG UK grow and develop, but also in ensuring we retain excellent technical expertise and champion innovation. We wish them every success in their new positions.”

Hamish Greig, Deputy CEO of EMG UK, said: “I’m excited to work with Peter and the EMG family, to make EMG UK the go to company through these exciting times and deliver our clients’ vision with our talented team.”

Sean Mulhern, CTO of EMG UK, said: “With EMG UK, technical innovation never stops. I’m delighted to be able to continue to exercise my passion for developing live broadcast technologies in this new role.”

Paul Francis, Director of Engineering of EMG UK, said: “I am continually proud to be working in the OB space and I’m always excited to be a part of delivering major sporting and entertainment events. I’m delighted to continue my OB journey in my new role as the Director of Engineering of EMG UK”.

GALLAIS TO OVERSEE EMG FRANCE’S RESTRUCTURE

 

France, Paris, 12th January 2022
Europe’s leading broadcast service provider, EMG Group, today announced the promotion of Bruno Gallais to Managing Director of EMG France.

Gallais joins the EMG Group Leaders Team and reports directly to EMG Group CEO, Shaun Gregory. Following the recent sale of EMG France’s outside broadcast operation, Gallais has been briefed to reorganise EMG France’s operations around its RF business. He will focus on building the core competencies of EMG France’s RF subsidiaries, diversifying the RF offering, identifying new commercial opportunities in the market, and restructuring EMG France’s leadership team with the necessary recruits.

Gallais will also work closely with Dirk Theunis, MD at EMG Belgium, who is leading the overarching initiative to integrate all RF activities of EMG subsidiaries, develop a new RF proposition and coordinate commercial activity. Gallais will continue to manage EMG France’s R&D subsidiary, Livetools, and is responsible for the commercial side of all Olympic events through Olympic Broadcast Services (OBS).

After graduating from the University of Brest, Gallais started his professional career as a sound engineer. He then moved on to be a production director at SFP, before becoming Sales Director in 2001. In 2012 he became Commercial Director of Euromedia in charge of RF operations and international operations. Bruno oversaw some of the biggest sporting events in the world, such as the Olympic Games and the Tour de France.

Building on these successes he was appointed director of the RF department. Since then, Gallais has been working in collaboration with BRF and Eurolinx to build EMG Group offers for the ISE, notably for EURO 2021, the Tokyo Olympic Games and, moving forward, the Beijing Olympic Games and the Qatar FIFA World Cup.

Shaun Gregory, CEO of EMG Group, said: “We are delighted Bruno has stepped up to lead EMG France. He has forged an exceptional career in broadcast, based on his robust technical knowledge and extensive experience of onsite operations. He has used this experience as a base to build excellent commercial and management skills, which have led him to this new stage in his career. We wish him enormous success.”

Bruno Gallais, MD of EMG France said: “I am excited to take over as MD of EMG France and energised by the opportunity to reorganise our business around RF. This is an area of broadcast that I am very familiar with, both on the technical and commercial side. I will leverage my experience to ensure that the reorganisation is a success, but also to identify new opportunities for the business to help us develop and grow.”

NEIL JONES TO TRANSFORM EMG’S COMMERCIAL OPERATION, WHILE MALCOLM SWATTON WILL OVERSEE HR.

 

Paris, 16 December 2021
Europe’s leading broadcast service provider EMG Group today announced the appointment of Neil Jones as EMG’s Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) and Malcolm Swatton as Chief People Officer (CPO).

An experienced commercial business leader, Neil joins EMG after six years as an investor and Advisory Board member at Redbud Media and Catalytic Studios. He will support EMG in scaling the business and accelerating revenue growth. Prior to this, Jones was the Interim SVP at Discovery, the Global Managing Director of Key Accounts at Informa and the Chief Commercial Officer at Johnstone Press, among other roles. He started his career in Saatchi and Saatchi in Media Planning & Buying.

Veteran HR professional Malcolm moves to EMG after working as an HR Consultant. Malcom will guide EMG in the development of unified HR processes, rolling out specifications, KPIs and employee rewards schemes across the group. He has over twenty years’ experience, comprising Chief People Officer at Aspria, Global Head of Human Resources at Universal Music Group and Group Human Resources Director at ITV Digital.

Shaun Gregory, CEO of EMG, said: “We are excited to welcome Neil and Malcom to the EMG team. Neil is an expert on driving transformation, accelerating business growth, and building sustainable profit. His ability and extensive industry experience will prove invaluable to EMG. Malcolm has extensive experience of leading business evolution and change management in several differing sectors including media, television, broadcasting and digital, among others. His industry knowledge makes him a valuable addition to the senior team at EMG.”

Neil Jones, CCO of EMG, said: “I’m delighted to be joining EMG team to help redefine commercial business model, strengthen its ambitious growth plans and boost the opportunity to unlock new revenue streams.”

Malcom Swatton, CPO of EMG, added: “It’s an honour to join such a leading company in the broadcast space like EMG. This a huge opportunity to support progressive change at a market leading organisation and I’m invigorated to be a part of this transformation”.

In preparation for the 2022 World Cup, the FIFA Arab Cup has just come to a close, and EMG employees had the privilege of managing the international signal for several stadiums, as well as the HF coverage.

Congratulations to the teams for once again successfully meeting this new challenge alongside our long-standing partner HBS. With no fewer than 10 subsidiaries around the world, our approach based on a strategy of international presence is more than ever a major asset guaranteeing the best service under optimum conditions.