Jim O'Brien

Broadcast and FAST automation have expanded tremendously in recent years. I'm honored to provide consulting expertise to media companies in utilizing the best mix of service providers and vendors.  I know automation well, having worked 45 years in this area, maturing many hundreds of broadcast facilities across 43 countries. I'm one of the industry experts that's taken automation global, and every location is different. I've learned from every one.  Let me assist you in maturing your company.   

I'll develop a plan for your consideration, taking into account the level of maturity of each part of your operation, and, considering your mix of vendors and in-house resources.  There are many ways I can help.

 Over the years, I've successfully pioneered many automation sub-systems & services in wide-use around the world, including major projects for CNN, CBS, NBC, ABC, News Corp/Fox/Star, Time Warner, Comcast, The Weather Channel, Turner, NFL, Reuters, Netflix, Hot, Sun TV, PCCW, Cisneros etc. On the end-user side of the desk, I've managed broadcast master control, media operations and news-and-sports productions for the first 25% of my career.

I served as President of Aveco over the past 11 years, starting from zero and building 299 tv channels in the US and contributing to several major projects in Asia. Previously, for 6.5 years I was President of B4M-now-Ross, taking them from no projects in the Americas or Asia, to 178 TV networks including game-changing systems for CNN, The Weather Channel, CBS Sports Network, NFL, Sun TV, Star News, PCCW etc.

Prior to this, I was global head of streaming and media/entertainment for Cable & Wireless/Digital Island (now Level 3-Frontier), successfully serving many of the world's leading media companies including a large-scale project that was the streaming core of Netflix.

I have 45 years as one of the industry's leaders in master control and news production automation, working with Aveco, B4M-Ross, Alamar, Utah Scientific, Channelmatic, Time Warner, Jones Intercable-Comcast. I was product manager on video servers & editing at Leitch/ASC (now Imagine.)

In consultancy, I've worked on major projects with AF Associates/Ascent/Diversified, Globecast, Cisco, NBC, Sun, and I've managed annual capex budgets up to $27M and OPEC to $18M, run small companies and mid-size divisions. I'm know the constant balancing of people and budgets targeting profitable growth in aggressive timeframes, responding to market opportunities, and, I know how to set the metrics to measure success.  

I've consistently, diligently, pioneered TV technology, both on the vendor and end-user sides of the desk, specializing in automation. I have associates linked to the Broadcast FAST consultancy that are world-experts in related areas of traffic, MAM, Ad Servers and online monetization.  

Let's talk.  818 292 1489 jim@broadcastFAST.com