Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Harris Corporation Names New President and CEO

Uncategorized | Posted by Joe Zaller
Oct 10 2011

Harris Corporation has appointed William Brown president and chief executive officer effective November 1, 2011. Brown succeeds current CEO Howard Lance, who announced in May 2011 his intention to retire when a successor was named. Lance will continue to serve as chairman, president and CEO through October 31, 2011, and will then serve as non-executive chairman of the Board until December 31, 2011.

Brown joins Harris from United Technologies Corporation where he held several senior leadership roles since he joined the company in 1997. During the past six months, as Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Development, he has been responsible for the company’s global strategic planning and M&A activity.

“I am excited to join Harris at such an important time in the company’s history,” said Brown. “During the past decade Harris has transitioned into a diversified provider of ultra-reliable communications and information technologies to government agencies and commercial markets worldwide. With its strong financial position, robust pipeline of potential opportunities and well-defined areas for new market entry, the company is ideally positioned for further growth. I look forward to working with the company’s talented management team to build on the success it has achieved.”

Brown received bachelor of science and master of science degrees in mechanical engineering from Villanova University and a master of business administration degree from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School.

 

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Pilat Media Sued by Fox Television Stations, Files Counter Claim for Breach of Contract

Uncategorized | Posted by Joe Zaller
Jul 13 2011

Pilat Media said that it was informed last month by Fox Television Stations Inc (“FTS”) that FTS wishes to discontinue use of Pilat Media’s IBMS system from 30 September 2011.

Pilat also said at that time that FTS had issued proceedings against Pilat Media claiming damages of an unspecified amount in connection with alleged breaches of contract by Pilat Media.

At the time, Pilat said that FTS’s notification came with no prior warning, and that its board of directors regards FTS’ claims as being wholly without merit.

Today, Pilat announced that in response to the legal actions taken last month by FTS, it has as brought a removal action and counterclaim for breach of contract against FTS in the U.S. Federal Court in New York seeking an injunction and damages to be determined by that Court.

Pilat Media said that for the year ended 31 December 2010 Fox TV Stations represented approximately 3%, or just over $1m, of Pilat Media’s total revenue of $35m (£21.9m).  Pilat also said that FTS-related balances for accrued income (revenues recognized but not yet paid) on Pilat Media’s balance sheet amount to approximately US$4.6 million.

Pilat, which has more than 60 customers worldwide, said it has never before experienced a purported termination of an IBMS implementation project.

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Related Content:

Press Release: Pilat Media Couter Claim against Fox Television Stations

Press Release: Pilat Media Informed by Fox Television Stations of Breach of Contract Suit

Pilat Media Posts Small Loss for First Quarter of 2011

Press Release: Pilat Media Announces Results for the 12 Months Ended December 31 2010

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RealD President Bows Out, Cashes In

Uncategorized | Posted by Joe Zaller
Jun 01 2011

RealD, a global licensor of 3D technologies announced that company co-founder Joshua Greer will no longer serve as President of the Company effective July 15, 2011.

According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Greer, who made tens of millions of dollars through RealD’s IPO and subsequent share sales, has entered into a consulting agreement with RealD that will pay him $275,000 to act as a strategic and technology advisor to the company.  He will also remain on the company’s board of directors.

 

Greer will also receive the following separation benefits:

 

  • cash severance of $450,000 (Greer’s annual base salary according to RealD’s S1 filing)

 

  • reimbursement from the Company for insurance coverage under COBRA for 18 months

 

  • a pro-rated cash Performance Bonus for fiscal year 2012 (to be paid no later than June 15, 2012), in an amount equal to 30% of 80% of Mr. Greer’s salary, computed assuming that Mr. Greer had remained as President of the Company through the end of fiscal year 2012; and

 

  • acceleration of a time-based vesting stock option for 105,000 shares granted to Mr. Greer on July 15, 2010

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Related Content:

Press Release: RealD Co-Founder Joshua Greer to Transition into Advisory Role and Remain on Board of Directors

RealD SEC filing detailing separation agreement between RealD and Joshua Greer

RealD Files Prospectus for $200m Secondary Stock Offering. All Proceeds Destined for Current Shareholders Rather than the Company Itself

Wall Street Journal Article: RealD Insiders Capitalize on IPO

RealD S1 (filing with SEC)

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Miranda announces Q2 results

broadcast technology market research, Broadcast technology vendor financials, Uncategorized | Posted by Joe Zaller
Aug 04 2009

Miranda posted their Q2 results today.  They had a 68% drop in quarterly profit and missed expectations of the analysts. 

Here’s the press release http://bit.ly/15IHg7.

Here’s an article from the Reuters news service about the results: http://bit.ly/Wb7RO.

To hear a replay of the earnings conference call dial +1-877-289-8525 and use access code 21310637#

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HDTV… just a “pause” on the path to transition to IT-based broadcasting?

Uncategorized | Posted by Joe Zaller
Jul 13 2009

I had an interesting conversation recently with a broadcast technology vendor about how the transition to HDTV has impacted the move to IT-based broadcasting.

Their proposition was this:

Before the move to HDTV really took off, the broadcast industry was moving towards IT / file-based workflows.  Then a variety of  external structural forces (e.g. government intervention, analog switch-off etc) caused it to change course and focus on the transition to HD.

This caused the industry’s focus shifted away from IT / software-based systems and back towards hardware, which was better able to handle the increased data rates of HDTV.   This was good news for traditional hardware vendors, many of whom saw big spikes in their businesses, and some of whom managed to go public on the back of this trend.

Fast forward to today.  The transition to HD is well underway, and completed in many areas.  Broadcasters who have made the move to HD are now are looking for ways to increase their efficiencies, and do more with less.   At the same time, IT-based systems have made tremendous strides, and have in many cases caught up with hardware systems. 

So, this vendor concluded, we’re at a major industry inflection point, and the next transition in the broadcast industry will be driven by software, not hardware.

If this vendor is right, (and they very well may be), it’s going to be an interesting time for the hardware-oriented vendors who don’t have fully-fledged IT-based solutions that deliver what today’s customers want — the ability to do more with less, the promise of greater efficiencies, and above all a way to increase revenues.  It’s doubtful that “traditional” vendors will go away, but it’s likely that we will see new leaders emerge, along with an increase in M&A activity.

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IABM Partnership Announcement

Uncategorized | Posted by Joe Zaller
Jun 19 2009

While I was finalizing the first version of the Big Broadcast Survey (BBS), I showed it to a number of people to get their feedback.  One of the first was Roger Crumpton, who heads up the IABM and was the driving force behind the excellent IABM Global Market Study, which is published in conjunction with Screen Digest.

I initially approached Roger to get his view on pricing the BBS.  However, when I took him through the study he got excited about its content and suggested that we work together.    Roger told me that the BBS fills a need in the market and provides IABM member companies with unique insight that was previously unavailable.

We decided to create a partnership  – after the IABM conducted due dilligence on the study, its methodology and its findings — whereby the IABM will help to promote the study in exchange for me offering their member companies a 15% discount.  We also agreed to “synchronize” the segmentation of my future reports with the segmentation in the IABM / Screen Digest report.

I am excited about this partnership as I think it can bring benefits to both Devoncroft and the IABM.

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Devoncroft — Life after Snell

Uncategorized | Posted by Joe Zaller
Jun 19 2009

Having worked for Snell & Wilcox (twice) and having lived in the UK (twice) for a total of thirteen years, I decided that a move back to the UK was not for me when we did the deal to merge the company with Pro-Bel.  

Luckily I had plenty of time to plan what to do next — particularly with the delay of our deal — and this gave me the opportunity to create Devoncroft Partners, a consultancy focused on market research and strategic marketing for digital media companies.

I actually officially left S&W at the end of 2008, but because the merger was delayed, they asked me to stay on as a consultant for six months or so.  During this time we completed the deal and I worked to re-brand the new company, get to the NAB trade show and manage the company’s marketing department.  

Although being a consultant took a bit of getting used to, I enjoy doing it as it frees me to work for multiple companies.  Indeed, I have also been working for AmberFin, a leading ingest, transcoding and media management company.

This work has been rewarding, but I was eager to branch out into new areas — the first of which is market research into the perceptions of broadcast technology vendors. 

I called this first project the “Big Broadcast Survey” (BBS for short) which is an apt description — almost 5000 people in 110 countries participated in this study, making it the largest of its kind ever undertaken in the broadcast industry.

The information in the BBS is really interesting and the industry reaction has been great.  I’ll be posting findings here from time-to-time, so please check back.

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Meeting the Queen

Uncategorized | Posted by Joe Zaller
Jun 19 2009
Here's me meeting the Queen in Buckingham Palace

 

When creating a blog, an obvious question is what to talk about in the first post.  In my case I was playing around with the settings and loaded up this picture of me and the Queen and decided to leave it there. 

This picture was taken during a reception at Buckingham Palace in July of 2007.  I was there with two colleagues from Snell & Wilcox (now called Snell)to accept a Queen’s Award for Innovation for the Kahuna production switcher.   

The picture quality is pretty poor because these are stills grabbed from a video camera.  Rather than have astill photographer in the room, they just video taped the event and grabbed stills from the video. You’d think they would have a better set up in a place that has these receptions all the time — or at least shoot the video in HD.

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