Dick Hobbs
Freelance journalist Dick Hobbs has been involved in the broadcast and electronic media industry for more than three decades. As well as working in marketing and PR, Dick has edited leading publications including the IBC Daily and IBC TV News. He writes and produces events for magazines, communications agencies, broadcasters, vendors and trade bodies.
Daily NewsRemembering David MacGregor
David MacGregor, one of the industry’s best-known characters, died on 29 August after a short illness. One of his proudest boasts was that he had attended every single IBC.
NewsObituary: Michael Cox (1932–2022)
One of the great joys of IBC and the industry it represents is the wonderful characters that have inhabited it. Mike Cox, who died on 1 April, was most definitely one of those characters.
Industry TrendsIBC Executive Forums talk transformation and cyber security
IBC2019 kicked off with the IBC Executive Forums, bringing together top executives from across the industry to debate core issues behind closed doors. Dick Hobbs looks at some of the topics on the agenda.
Industry TrendsBy the industry, for the industry
IBC is run by the industry, for the industry – meet the partner bodies who help make IBC a reality.
Industry TrendsHow vendors are adopting AI
From asset management to content analysis, artificial intelligence is being built into a host of media tools.
Industry TrendsManaging and manipulating 4K and 8K content
The shift to 4K and 8K production has required improvements downstream, with those involved in managing and manipulating images in need of greater processing power and increased storage.
Industry TrendsWhat next for IP?
With the ratification of the SMPTE ST2110 family of standards in 2018, it might be thought that the topic of IP connectivity would be filed under “sorted” but the recent NAB convention showed that this was far from the case.
Industry TrendsManaging content for OTT
With increased competition the distinct advantages enjoyed by OTT providers in the battle for audience attention are wearing a bit thin. Now they must innovate to thrive.
Industry TrendsBoosting audience connection with remote production
Increasing audience demands for more content and more engagement are driving a new wave of remote production, but the big players stress that, as ever, connectivity is a key factor.
Industry TrendsThe tools for creating immersive content
Capturing and crafting immersive content requires specialist tools. Dick Hobbs looks at some of the latest technology for creating VR, AR and 360-degree video.
Industry TrendseSports producers demand flexible tools as interest surges
The phenomenon of eSports is a transformational concept, a genuine disrupter. While acknowledging the use of the obvious cliché, it is a game changer.
Industry TrendsFrom encryption to consumption: the tools for protecting content
IP connectivity and the cloud means that both the intellectual property and the infrastructure of broadcast and media companies is now at risk of cyber attack.
Industry TrendsCyber security: The view from NAB
NAB 2018: IP connectivity and the cloud means that both the intellectual property and the infrastructure of broadcast and media companies is now at risk of cyber attack, with the subject up for discussion in Las Vegas.
Industry TrendsVendors double down on AI in Las Vegas
NAB 2018: If there was a single phrase that swept the show floor in Las Vegas, it surely has to be artificial intelligence.
Industry TrendsWhat will be big at NAB 2018?
From AI to M&A, Dick Hobbs picks his way through the marketing buzz to predict what visitors might be talking about at NAB 2018.
Industry TrendsGrass Valley and SAM: The challenges and benefits of consolidation
Belden’s decision to buy SAM and combine it with Grass Valley continues a long history of acquisitions for both companies, but what are the challenges in merging the firms and what does the deal mean for the wider industry?
Industry TrendsPlotting a course through 2018: The vendors' view
What will be the hot topics in 2018? What will lead the debate on IBC365? And what are we likely to be talking about when we all meet in September in Amsterdam? Manufacturers and vendors offer their views.
Industry TrendsUsing spare frequency to deliver rural broadband
In the third and final part of a series of articles on the innovative ways in which broadband access is being rolled out around the world we examine how unused broadcast frequency could be repurposed to provide internet access.
Industry TrendsTranscoding in the cloud
In the era of multiplatform delivery the ability to create many formats at speed is vital, but where does the cloud fit in a broadcaster’s transcoding strategy?
Industry TrendsIs greater vendor consolidation inevitable?
At IBC2017, industry leaders spoke of the likelihood of consolidation among vendors, but what is driving M&A activity and what will it mean for the industry?
