MOKA, Mauritius — During Mauritius’ summer of 2023, a WinMedia company team installed its WinMedia broadcast software and WinCam visual radio system at the country’s national broadcaster, Mauritius Broadcasting Corp. The broadcaster was familiar with WinMedia software and chose the company’s proposal after an international call for tenders. The installation mainly focused on MBC’s headquarters in Moka and the broadcaster’s station in Rodrigues, the smallest island in the Mascareignes archipelago, a few hundred kilometers east of Mauritius.
MBC Radio has been operating from its current premises in Moka since 2011. It currently has a staff of around 150, including about 30 radio technicians.
The Moka site radio broadcast infrastructure features four open-space plan studios and three studios composed of control rooms and guests sets. In Rodrigues, MBC operates two studios for its FM service — the on-air studio and a backup studio, also used for recordings.
WinMedia teamed with broadcast integrator Eurocom to respond to MBC’s call for tenders and MBC’s technical and financial managers selected its software solution. Over the past 10 years, WinMedia has built a strong relationship with MBC so it fully understands the broadcaster’s needs, allowing it to present the company’s latest innovations and stay in tune with MBC’s expectations.
Regular visits from WinMedia’s CEO, Stéphane Tésorière, helped. “This enabled us to be up to speed when the call for tenders came in,” said WinMedia’s Benjamin Gianelli, who managed the project. “MBC knew the potential of our products and how to use them, which incentivized them to modernize.”
The project involved both renewing the broadcast fleet and equipping the studios. WinMedia therefore proposed a joint WinMedia-WinCam solution. “When we learned that we had been selected with Eurocom, we then worked hand in hand. Eurocom managed its part, which was audio-over-IP, consoles, microphones, refurbishment and work in the studios; we carried out the IT and the network part,” explained Gianelli. “We are used to working with Eurocom, especially since WinMedia software and solutions are designed to work with DHD consoles.”
On-site intervention
“Our team was first on the spot in Moka and immediately installed a completely new network to current standards, with shielded Cat-6 cabling and optical fiber for connecting the main studios,” explained Christophe Le Kouidec, WinMedia’s technical director.
“Once the network was set up, we organized a server room in which we installed our main and backup servers, which host the entire radio database and all the media files; that is, everything played on air. The whole system is networked to all the studios. We simultaneously equipped the studios with 4K cameras — four per studio — with our WinCam automatic video production management software for visual radio. Through the connection to WinMedia, this enables automatic production based on the speakers on-set, as well as real-time publication on social networks, the preparation and recording of video podcasts.”
The team then installed the necessary broadcast software throughout the network at both sites. Each site has a main server and a backup server with data transfer between the two sites.
A dedicated link between Moka and Rodrigues enables MBC teams to exchange data, such as advertising campaign files, new music, news and files for newspapers, directly into the WinMedia system. “This is precisely where we have brought modernity to MBC,” said Christophe Rossi, technician and trainer at WinMedia.
“Before, the teams used to transfer files using airlifted hard disks. We’ve also added modernity with the video setup. The studio cameras connect to the WinMedia software and the consoles for audio detection. Thus, the system can detect the people speaking and connect them on the air without any technician! The MBC teams would already like to add more cameras to their studios.”
“There were around 10 of us on site for WinMedia’s part,” said Adrien Mejane, technician and WinCam specialist trainer. “We had two full-time trainers from La Réunion and Mayotte and a third one from mainland France, then three installers, and finally all the people who helped set up the network. We were never all there at the same time. We took turns depending on the two sites to be equipped and the different stages of the installation: work, commissioning, support and training. We also relied on local partners for the labor on the network side.”
It was a very big work site, with 60 user workstations and a hundred screens — that’s several tons of material!
Benjamin Gianelli, Win-Group project manager
An impressive worksite
Prior to the onsite installation, there were nearly three months of upstream preparation to drive the network part. “For the delivery of the material,” said Gianelli, “we agreed with Eurocom, who managed the transportation — collecting our material prepared in our warehouses and loading it with Eurocom’s own equipment in a large common container, which was then shipped to Mauritius.”
Installation began on July 4 and was completed in early September. “It was a very big work site, with 60 user workstations and a hundred screens — that’s several tons of material! We had to optimize the schedule and the availability of human resources to be on time, especially during a busy period like this summer,” added Gianelli.
“It kept the team busy for two months. In the four years I have been with WinMedia, we have completed, at most, one project per year of such a scale!”
The MBC teams are recognizing the possibilities offered by WinMedia’s solution and are considering expanding the system with additional cameras.
This is straightforward and cheaper because the solution is modular and ready to accommodate new cameras. “They have access to our support and can contact us at any time,” said Gianelli of the company’s remote after-sales service.
Emmanuelle Pautler has worked in the radio industry for over 30 years. She has held posts as both a producer and presenter for French stations, such as Radio Notre Dame and Radio France’s France Culture. In addition to being involved with academic research and EU consulting in Brussels, she specializes in print journalism.
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