MIDDLE EAST BROADCASTING NETWORKS
Marno therefore summarises MBN ’ s mission as being “ to provide accurate and objective coverage on , and to , the MENA region about Americans and American policy , with in-depth analysis focusing on topics not covered by other Arab media and providing an alternate viewpoint ”.
The aim was – and still is – to counter perceived anti-American bias peddled by leading Arab and international networks , while giving those living in the Middle East and North Africa a voice .
“ A lot of Arab folks that are in a competitive position to us are actually state entities . And , being in that media space , a lot of them are told what to say , as well as when and where ,” Marno says . “ On one digital platform , we actually have something called ‘ Raise Your Voice ’, which is an Iraq-specific programme and piece of content where people can post their own opinions ; Iraqis themselves say it ' s one of the only places that they can freely express their opinion .
“ So , in that respect , that ' s an example of what we do : we provide accurate and objective information – and , unfortunately , I say ‘ accurate and objective ’ because a lot of other media here isn ' t .
“ We have a firewall between us and our government , which is not necessarily the case with a lot of our competition . And we like having an alternative opinion , because much of the Middle East ’ s media is very selfserving , in that they give you the message that they want as opposed to having alternative viewpoints .”
In addition to the ‘ Raise Your Voice ’ programme , MBN invests time and money into cultivating programmes that provide an honest depiction of life in some of these far-flung countries , while offering inhabitants the opportunity to engage with uncensored media . EXECUTIVE BIO
MICHAEL ANGELO MARNO
TITLE : CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER
INDUSTRY : BROADCAST MEDIA PRODUCTION
LOCATION : VIRGINIA US
Michael Angelo Marno began his television and technical career as a bench technician repairing professional video tape machines and cameras . It was through that experience that he decided to make broadcasting his vocation marking the start of a very long career touching every facet of the industry .
Witnessing the evolution of technology from the inception of Sony ’ s professional Betacam “ SP ” format in 1986 through todays SMPTE 2110 standard , cloud and streaming technology as well as the evolution of the broadcast facility from a traditional linear signal chain into what now looks more like a data center .
Having launched several television channels and commercial streaming platforms , Today as CTO of Middle East Broadcast Networks Michael is at work morphing the network ’ s brands into a truly IP and cloud based international news network .