SVG Sit-Down: New FOR-A America President Satoshi Kanemura on Company's Role in Sports Production He looks to build strong relationships with U.S. broadcasters By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Wednesday, April 21, 2021 - 8:52 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
Earlier this month, FOR-A America appointed Satoshi Kanemura president of the company. In 35 years at Sony, Kanemura was a key part of the advance of technologies like 1080p, 4K/8K, and cloud-based production both within Sony and among its customer base. SVG's Ken Kerschbaumer caught up with Kanemura via Zoom to discuss his new role and FOR-A's position in the U.S. sports-production landscape.
FOR-A America's Satoshi Kanemura: Our current priority is providing [broadcasters] IP-based solutions for a step-by-step migration and even hybrid workflows.
What attracted you to the position?
Even during my Sony days, we cooperated a lot with FOR-A as the two companies complement each other well. FOR-A has unique technology and is very much a technology-oriented company. And FOR-A also has the same philosophy as Sony, which is to grow their business alongside their customers. By the way, FOR-A is a Japanese name for the company, but FOR-A is also a Chinese character that stands for grow a business together.
FOR-A is not simply a manufacturer that produces a product, gives it to the customer, and says, Please use it. At FOR-A, they listen to the customer directly and then try to understand their workflow. From there, they determine the customer's pain points so that the technology provides a true solution. Often, that pain point is cost reduction. As long as we can provide a solution that grows their business, they will come back to us. Also, by developing our relationships in this way, we receive candid opinions from our customers that enable us to produce a unique solution.
I had the pleasure of attending and speaking at Interbee, the Japanese version of the NAB Show, the past couple of years. The FOR-A stand was very big, and the company has a strong reputation in Japan. Can you explain how that came to be?
FOR-A has a very good connection to Japanese broadcasters, such as NHK. NHK is a long-time customer of FOR-A's and has been an invaluable partner, providing feedback as we develop new technology and new market initiatives. They describe to us, in detail, the main challenges that exist for live broadcasters and for sports producers in particular. In my new role at FOR-A, my challenge is to translate this progressive technology born in Japan to meet the current and future needs of our American clientele and also to build strong relationships with U.S. customers as we've done with NHK in Japan.
FOR-A is also very forward thinking, getting involved with things like 8K and UHD. What do you see as the opportunities those formats can create for FOR-A?
We haven't yet defined where 8K technology will fit and contribute to our customers. We have the technology ready to go, but, currently, a bigger priority for us are things like IP, cloud APIs, and IP-based remote production. The SMPTE ST-2110 is a good standard, but there are still many other areas to be defined. And broadcasters need to be prepared for not only video and audio but need a working knowledge of networking, how to avoid hacking, and how to do things like software upgrades and patches. Our current priority is providing IP-based solutions for a step-by-step migration and even hybrid workflows.
How does the move to IP give you a chance to re-energize FOR-A here in the U.S.?
Major broadcasters like CBS, NBC, ABC, or Fox are starting to adopt IP. We're well-known for our frame synchronizers and the type of technology that can be used to convert IP signals. So that is a good opportunity for us to get involved with major broadcasters and support their productions by solving the issues they face in terms of whole conversion and synchronization, as a first step.
What are some of the key technologies that you think people should know about?
We have an unbelievable camera that I saw in Japan, which is a 4K 1,000-fps ultra-slow-motion camera. I need to bring it to the U.S. and start doing evaluations with several customers to verify the application and any necessary fine-tuning. It has tremendous potential for creating a new look for creators. Another is the FA-9600 multipurpose signal processor that can do all the conversions, color corrections, and formats, so it combines everything into one unit.
And for college or high school sports, our switcher lineup is very cost-effective and easy to use: the operator can have the control panel at home and connect via IP to the processor located elsewhere. The switchers are also available with a web-browser panel that is easy to access and use. We also have an instant-replay system, which will be a good gateway for social-media streaming directly into Facebook or Twitter.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
18/05/2026
Despite a bumpy start to the year, the provider of event-production support and ...
18/05/2026
Daktronics has partnered with the University of North Carolina to manufacture and install 11 LED displays totaling more than 10,000 square feet and more than 14...
18/05/2026
CBS LA has announced a multi-year partnership with the Los Angeles Rams, covering exclusive local broadcasts of Rams preseason games, weekly year-round programm...
18/05/2026
Skyline Communications has announced an integration between its DataMiner xOps p...
18/05/2026
eCLUTCH, the hybrid esports platform powered by iKOMG, has announced an expansion of its distribution across Europe, MENA, Africa, and Asia, along with new cont...
18/05/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/05/2026
With 22 games this season, the production team looks forward to tweaking and enhancing the coverage
After 8,660 days off the air, the WNBA returned to NBC yest...
18/05/2026
(L-R) Midori Francis and Natalie Erika James attend the Saccharine premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 22, 2026, in ...
18/05/2026
Last night, the Spotify Podcast Awards in Mexico returned to the country's capital. Now in its second year, the evening honors creators whose voices are hel...
18/05/2026
ZEN-Core synth goes mobile
Roland's powerful ZEN-Core software synthesizer has just been introduced to the iPad, offering a convenient entry point into ...
18/05/2026
Versatile new limiter plug-in announced
Based in Sheffield, UK, fedDSP offer a range of plug-ins that span the music production, live sound and high-end med...
18/05/2026
A new use for convolution?
Viiri Audio's debut plug-in aims to do something a little different with convolution processing, allowing users to adjust all...
18/05/2026
Delta Goodrem shines for SBS as more than 3.27 million Australians tune in for E...
18/05/2026
The Australian Defence Force uses L3Harris T4 and T7 robots for explosive ordnan...
18/05/2026
Continued investment across Europe and Germany is expanding local teams and improving access to stock, regional expertise, and specialist broadcast support.
CV...
18/05/2026
18 May 2026
Dubai and New York, May 18, 2026 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON), a glob...
18/05/2026
Monday 18 May 2026
Sky News offers ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes for just...
18/05/2026
Comscore March 2026 Consumer AI Chatbot Usage Rankings Show Claude Gaining Share OpenAI's ChatGPT maintains lead while Anthropic's Claude continues to c...
17/05/2026
Delta Goodrem's Eurovision Eclipse marks end of a stellar run
17 May, 2026
Media releases
Bulgaria wins Eurovision 2026
Relive every spellbinding mome...
17/05/2026
Back to All News
Oasis Premieres on Netflix June 19
Entertainment
17 May 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
Summer, sunshine, the beach, parties. T...
16/05/2026
Helps to deliver a clean, balanced midrange
Developed alongside Newfangled Audio, the latest plug-in in Eventide's software collection has been designed...
16/05/2026
Brings onboard stem rendering to RANE System One
Engine DJ have just released Engine DJ 5.0, a free update for their Engine DJ OS embedded hardware and Engi...
16/05/2026
Boris FX Continuum Pairs AI Precision and Advanced Creative Controls
Jessie Electa Petrov May 16, 2026
0 Comments
The 2026.5 release adds automatic de...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/05/2026
Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Reign FC, in partnership with RAVE Foundation an...
15/05/2026
Dan Brumm has served as sound designer on Bluey, the Australian children's t...
15/05/2026
The Professional Audio Manufacturers Alliance (PAMA) and Shure Incorporated are accepting applications for the 6th annual Mark Brunner Professional Audio Schola...
15/05/2026
Netflix has announced an expanded NFL schedule for 2026 and beyond under a four-year partnership extension with the NFL through the 2029-30 season. Each season,...
15/05/2026
Ateme is supporting TVRI (Televisi Republik Indonesia) with a contribution and d...
15/05/2026
Concacaf has announced the launch of a new website and mobile app built on Deltatre's FORGE platform. Concacaf.com and the mobile app, available on iOS and ...
15/05/2026
Eutelsat has announced the launch of QBC Business Economic Channel by Qatar Media Corporation, broadcasting in 4K/UHD via Eutelsat's 7/8 West video neighbo...
15/05/2026
Major League Soccer has announced four original content series timed to the 2026...
15/05/2026
The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) has announced it will exhibit and present at InfoComm 2026, taking place June 13-19 at the Las Vegas Convention Cente...
15/05/2026
InfoComm 2026 will take place June 13-19 (exhibits June 17-19) at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The show will include sessions and exhibits covering broadcas...
15/05/2026
Tracy McGrady's Ones Basketball League (OBL) and FuboTV Inc. have announced ...
15/05/2026
Disguise has partnered with Creative Technology (CT) to deliver visual playback ...
15/05/2026
Sony Electronics has announced two new products for professional imaging: the Alpha 7R VI full-frame mirrorless camera and the FE 100-400mm F4.5 GM OSS super-te...
15/05/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
15/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
15/05/2026
For sports organizations, the most valuable assets are often the most sensitive:...
15/05/2026
The NFL's broadcast partners released their 2026 regular season schedules ye...
15/05/2026
Besides drawing on experience with boxing, the production integrates specialty c...
SVG Sit-Down: New FOR-A America President Satoshi Kanemura on Company's Role in Sports Production He looks to build strong relationships with U.S. broadcasters By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director 
