Gravity Media expands into APAC with appointment of Masa Kato in key business development role

Gravity Media expands into APAC with appointment of Masa Kato in key business development role posted: 19/04/2018

Eamonn Dowdall with Masa Kato: 37-year broadcast industry veteran was most recently general manager at Hitachi Kokusai Electronic in Tokyo

Gravity Media Group, the global provider of complex live broadcast facilities and production services, has appointed Masahiko (Masa) Kata as its director of business development for the APAC region. He will be based in Tokyo, Japan. This is a new role that has been created to help bring Gravity Media's extensive range of services and innovative approach to live and as live production to the Asia-Pacific market. Masa joins from Hitachi Kokusai Electronic, where he has worked since 1981 and was most recently corporate officer and general manager of its Video and Communications Systems Business Unit, where responsibilities included overseeing its global sales strategy.

This appointment is another milestone for Gravity Media as it diversifies its businesses into new areas and territories, while expanding the range of services it can offer to customers. Following substantial investment from TowerBrook Capital Partners in September 2016, the owner of Gearhouse Broadcast and Hyperactive Broadcast has made several key strategic moves including the acquisitions of Input Media in the UK and Genesis Broadcast Services in Germany.

In a sales career that has spanned 37 years, including 19 years spent overseas, veteran Masa has built up extensive knowledge of the worldwide broadcast and live production market. Previous leadership roles he has held include chairman of Hitachi Kokusai Electronic America, deputy general manager of Hitachi Kokusai Electronic EMEA & Americas, managing director of Hitachi Kokusai Electronic Europe and manager of Hitachi Kokusai Electronic's international operations division which covered the Asian market including China.

Discussing the appointment, Eamonn Dowdall, chief revenue officer at Gravity Media Group said: We're seeing real momentum build within our operations in EMEA, Australia and North America and are now getting increased demand from across Asia for our services, so it's important we can address this locally. In Masa, we have found the ideal candidate for this job, someone who is hugely respected, has a wealth of relevant experience, and has worked alongside us previously as part of our successful sales partnership with Hitachi Kokusai Electronic. We look forward to him helping us to better serve this important region.

Masa commented: I'm delighted to be joining such a forward-thinking and innovative organisation in Gravity Media. I've seen first-hand how it embraces new technologies to better serve its customers, and this sort of commitment and technical insight is greatly appreciated by broadcasters, content creators and rights owners within Asia-Pacific.

One of Masa's first engagements in his new role at Gravity Media will be attending BroadcastAsia 2018 in Singapore in late June.

About Gravity Media Group

Gravity Media is a leading global provider of complex live broadcast facilities and production services operating across three core brands - Gearhouse Broadcast, Hyperactive Broadcast and Input Media. It has offices in the United Kingdom, Australia, USA, France and Qatar.

Gearhouse Broadcast is a market leader in broadcast services and specialises in broadcast equipment rental, project solutions and systems integration. It offers huge experience and a proven track record in delivering major sporting and entertainment events.

Hyperactive Broadcast is a leading provider of dry hire cutting rooms, visual effects tools and production space for feature films and TV dramas. With a background in integrated Avid and EVS workflows, its engineers are trusted by the best names in the industry.

Input Media is one of Europe's premier sports production companies, with blue-chip clients around the world. It employs a talented team of producers, directors and editors dedicated to producing creative and engaging programming and digital content for a wide variety of clients.

LINK:	https://www.live-production.tv/news/products/gravity-media-expands-apa...
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