GMA Network invests P154 million for Newsroom Automation System (NAS)

Photo caption (from left): Vizrt CTO Petter Ole Jakobsen; Vizrt APAC President Michael Namatinia; GMA Network Chairman and CEO Felipe L. Gozon; GMA Network President and COO Gilberto R. Duavit, Jr.; and GMA Network Executive Vice President and CFO Felipe S. Yalong.

Leading broadcast company GMA Network, Inc. takes a significant step in the continuous strengthening and improvement of the Network’s News Department with a P154 million investment on a Newsroom Automation System (NAS).

A signing of agreement between GMA Network and Vizrt was held last March 14 at the GMA Network Center in Quezon City. Representing the Network were GMA Chairman and CEO Felipe L. Gozon; GMA President and COO Gilberto R. Duavit, Jr.; and GMA Executive Vice President and CFO Felipe S. Yalong; while signing for Vizrt were its APAC President Michael Namatinia and CTO Petter Ole Jakobsen.

Also present from the Network were GMA’s Senior Vice President for News and Public Affairs Marissa Flores; Senior Vice President for Engineering Elvis Ancheta; First Vice President for News Grace dela Peña-Reyes; First Vice President for Content and On-Air Management Jose Severino Fuentes; and Vice President for Supply and Asset Management Vicky Arradaza.

The NAS will enable GMA News to have an integrated workflow by allowing its news teams to produce reports faster and with more details and background information matched with precise video materials and sound bites. In addition, GMA News will also have a tighter gatekeeping process for fact checking and will be able to distribute news more efficiently.

“Itong Newsroom Automation System is a very exciting project of GMA because it will allow us, in the News Department, to deliver faster and even better [news]. So it’s a major improvement for us. All in the service of our viewers—Serbisyong Totoo,” shares Reyes.

“With this technology, GMA will be able to produce faster and better content for news as well as entertainment. Mas lalo pang magiging makabuluhan ang aming mga eere pagdating sa news coverage,” adds Ancheta.

Swedish company Vizrt, on the other hand, underscored its well-established partnership with GMA Network.

“When you look at the clients in the Philippines, GMA is a very strong brand name. I think it represents everything that Vizrt represents. We had a long and successful partnership with GMA. GMA was the first channel in the Philippines to go with Vizrt so it’s natural to continue our relationship with GMA,” says Namatinia.