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MARCH 01, 2004 DMN Interview: Media 100 in Crisis
DMN: Optibase has traditionally been a company that does MPEG and streaming and encoding, things like that. That sounds similar to what Media 100 has been doing lately, but it doesn’t sound like a perfect fit. What do you think about that, and has Optibase brought up that maybe your two companies aren’t in exactly the same kind of business? Molinari: It’s a complimentary thing. Encoding, which relates to the packaging of content for delivery, perfectly compliments what we do, which is the creation of that content. From a technical point of view, they’re reminiscent of Data Translation in that they have a very strong signal processing background. Their products are physically printed circuit boards – hardware – combined with tightly integrated software. So from a technology and culture point of view, they’re an entity that’s familiar to us, complimentary to us. However, don’t be looking for the operations of Optibase to be merged with the operations of Media 100. Media 100 is here at 450 Donald Lynch Boulevard in Marlboro, Massachusetts, and we expect to run our operations as we’ve done before. We’ll be responsible for 844/X and Media 100 HD, and we’ll be reporting in to Optibase as a business unit. So we have a lot of autonomy, and we have the responsibility of growing our business. DMN: So if you were to give us a percentage chance of this deal going through, John, what would it be? Is there a 90% chance of it going through? 50-50? What do you think? Molinari: I can’t answer a question like that, Charlie, because I don’t know the answer. All I can say is, two public companies like Media 100 and Optibase would only enter into a term sheet with the highest level of seriousness, and with a great deal of effort and due diligence already completed. DMN: Now what happens to the people who have stock in Media 100? Molinari: The new owner of the company will be Optibase. [an error occurred while processing this directive] DMN: So they keep their stock? Are they going to lose money in this deal, the stockholders of Media 100? Molinari: I don’t know, Charlie. Different stockholders buy the stock at different prices at different times. DMN: In closing, can you talk to the people who already own 844/X? Their biggest question is, “Is my editing system going to be orphaned?” How can you make those people feel better about this? Molinari: Oh, this is huge for those people, Charlie. Media 100 is open for business, and with the completion of this deal, the only difference will be that we’ll be open for business with $55+ million in cash on our balance sheet. I’d say that’s good for the people who own 844/X. I’d tell them to buy a second or third system.  Digital Media Net Executive Producer Charlie White has been writing about new media and digital video since it was the laughingstock of the television industry. A technology journalist and columnist since 1994, White is also an Emmy-winning television producer, video editor, broadcast industry consultant and shot-calling television director who has worked in broadcasting since 1974. Talk back -- Send Chazz a note at cwhite@digitalmedianet.com.Read Charlie White's editorials by clicking here. Prev 1 2 3 Related sites: • Broadcast Newsroom • Creative Mac • Digital Post Production • Digital Producer • Digital Video Editing • DTV Professional • HDTV Buyer • IBC News Related forums: [an error occurred while processing this directive] 
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