Spotlight: GlobeCast Seeks Starring Role At Cannes

GlobeCast, a Paris-based satellite distribution company, is angling to play a leading role at the 57th Cannes Film Festival in France.

The company’s tailored services for international broadcasters have been featured during the festival, which began May 12 and will run through May 23. The services range from transmission and production facilities to worldwide end-to-end satellite and fiber backhaul and distribution, company officials said.

The Cannes Film Festival, one of the most prestigious events for the international film community, attracts worldwide media interest. Last year, 264 TV stations and more than 1,500 media people from approximately 75 countries covered the event. Each year, more than 200,000 people attend 900 screenings at the Palais des Festivals and adjacent cinemas.

GlobeCast’s role is to tailor services to international broadcasters, enabling them to cover the festival successfully. The two main services are dedicated transmission trucks to serve individual broadcast companies and shared support services to assist TV news broadcasters, said Yann Beauropert, GlobeCast’s marketing manager for occasional use services in Europe. For example, a SNG truck will be available at the artists’ entrance to the Palais des Festivals as well as access to GlobeCast’s domestic fiber network. GlobeCast has developed partnerships with international broadcasters at the festival that include two of France’s public TV networks — France 2 and France 3; French pay-TV Canal+; TPS; Paris Premiere; CNTV (Spain); BK (Serbia); Telecine (Brazil); and Inside (USA).

GlobeCast generates nearly 400,000 euros at the event, but its profit margin varies year-to-year, depending on demand and competition, Beauropert said, adding, “We have to take a risk each year to make it profitable.” GlobeCast officials forecast customer usage and then decide the amount of resources to deploy at the event. When GlobeCast shares the use of a transmission truck between various broadcasters, it is easier for the company to reach the breakeven point.

–Paul Dykewicz

(Matthew Rosenstein, GlobeCast, 212/373-5146)