In search of common ground in creating better content

Moriharu Ide, division managing director, professional solutions company (PSAP), a division of Sony Electronics Asia Pacific, speaks with APB on the company’s strategies in supporting broadcasters’ challenges in today’s media landscape

Having spent more than two decades with Sony, Moriharu Ide has helmed different titles, and has been positioned in many places across Asia — from its headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, to Taiwan and Hong Kong, as well as in Chengdu and Beijing in China — looking over the company’s professional solutions business. In 2018, Ide relocated to Singapore to assume his new role as division managing director, professional solutions company (PSAP), a division of Sony Electronics Asia Pacific.

Speaking with APB, he said: “My new role now includes managing developed nations such as Australia and New Zealand, as well as developing countries like Myanmar and Bangladesh. Despite the diversity of technological requirements by each country, broadcasters do share a lot of commonalities — for instance, broadcasting is every broadcaster’s primary responsibility, and there are common requirements to fulfilling this responsibility.”

“It is key for us, as a leading manufacturer of broadcast equipment, to identify these commonalities. By identifying the common issues faced by our customers, we are then able to support them by developing and providing solutions to address their problems.”

Another commonality Ide pointed out is the rising competition broadcasters are facing against new players from the over-the-top (OTT) and IPTV space. Efficiency and the differentiation of content, he said, will be the key elements for broadcasters to grow in this new business environment.

He commented: “OTT, in its very beginning, is being recognised as a competitor by TV stations, but in reality, it is not. Because of the participation of OTT players, the content creation market is getting very much active. That’s why OTT is a driver to accelerate the content creation market.”

“For broadcasters, content is their asset, and as far as they can keep producing and creating quality content, they can retain their role in the industry. And at Sony, we can contribute to broadcasters in the industry by providing them with better products, solutions and systems, thus empowering them to create better content.”