Video Addict Vol.5 will be covering the Osaka-based broadcasting company Mainichi Broadcasting System, Inc. (hereafter MBS). MBS has been working on digital transformation at an early stage, such as holding the “Hack On Air MBS Hackathon” (https://www.mbs.jp/hackathon/) from 2 014 to 2017, and has been working on digital transformation at the TV station from an early stage. In 2015, they started providing the free video streaming service ‘MBS On Demand’, and in 2016, they started providing the flat-rate unlimited viewing service ‘MBS Video Ism’. What is the secret behind the fact that this Kansai TV station is always at the forefront of new initiatives…? We spoke to Mr. Murata of the IT Business Department, Content Business Bureau, MBS.
Hiroshi Murata
Mainichi Broadcasting System, Inc.
Content Business Bureau, IT Business Department
After working in development and design at an IT company, he joined Mainichi Broadcasting System, Inc. in January 2017. Since joining the company, he has been working in his current department as a video distribution technology specialist. He is currently involved in development, operation, and maintenance for live streaming, news distribution, and paid subscription video distribution services.
## He was good at numerical calculations and analysis
**Mr. Murata**, I understand that you graduated from graduate school and worked for an IT vendor before joining MBS. First of all, could you tell us a bit about your background and what kind of work you do at MBS?
**Mr. Murata**, It’s a rather involved and long story, but I majored in forest ecology at graduate school and was researching the synchronized flowering of bamboo. I spent several months doing field research in the mountains of India, and after returning to Japan I also analyzed satellite images, and I was working hard to clarify the synchronized flowering of bamboo, which is said to occur once every 48 years. I went on to do a doctorate, but I failed, and I ended up getting a job at an IT company called City Com, which is headquartered in Osaka, where a friend of mine was working.
**BC Tsuchiya** Did you learn about IT-related knowledge when you were a student?
**MBS Murata** No, I didn’t receive any specific training, and I had almost no programming experience, but I had done things like write macros, and I was good at numerical calculations and analysis, so I thought I could do it somehow.
## I never imagined that I would join a TV station
I first got a job when I was 28, and in three years I learned Java, C#, C++, SQL, etc. I was assigned to a project to develop a core system for an enterprise, and I was able to experience a wide range of work, including not only design and coding, but also upstream processes and progress management. I felt that the work was worthwhile, but one day I learned that MBS was recruiting mid-career IT staff. I had started to develop an interest in BtoC services, and I had always liked content such as movies, anime and radio, so I decided to have an interview, and in 2017 I joined MBS as a mid-career hire.
Currently, I am mainly engaged in live streaming operations. At our company, we stream many sports events, such as the Spring Koshien High School Baseball Tournament and the National High School Rugby Tournament, and since last year, as the chief of live streaming, I have been in charge of building the hardware and software for streaming, building the operational system, and liaising with various internal and external parties. I am also involved in a wide range of other IT-related matters within the company, such as news distribution, website direction, and data broadcasting. My current mission is to build a system from a technical perspective and put it into operation, to figure out how to monetize the content MBS owns using IT.
**BC Tsuchiya** What was your impression of TV stations before you were hired by MBS?
**MBS Murata** I never imagined that I would join a TV station. I had the impression that the company’s structure was old-fashioned. However, I had heard from MBS beforehand that they were about to take on a new challenge in video distribution. I felt that the work involved in the website and the analysis of viewing data would be an opportunity to make the most of the logical thinking and problem-solving skills I had developed through my research.
**BC Tsuchiya** How has it been since you actually joined the company?
**MBS Murata** As a mid-career hire with IT experience, I am being asked how I can use IT to solve the problems that the TV station is lacking. Even someone like me, who can’t say that they have a lot of experience, has a lot of discretion and is very valued, so it’s a very rewarding job.
The other day, there was a request within the company to make a live radio broadcast available online, and I was specifically asked to do it. It’s fun to have my skills recognized within the company, to be asked to do things, and to see them come to fruition!
## I want to make curiosity the principle of my actions, not duty
**BC Tsuchiya** I’ve always felt that Murata-san is a very pure person (lol). I have the impression that not just Murata-san, but everyone at MBS enjoys their work.
**MBS Murata** I think it’s because I’ve only been working for a short time for my age, and I haven’t been worn down by society yet (lol). But I also don’t want to be worn down. I think that in any company, there are different opinions and arguments depending on the department or position, but I try to avoid being influenced by them as much as possible. Because of my research when I was at university, I always want to make curiosity the principle of my actions, rather than duty.
Also, as a team, we have good communication and it’s easy to say what you want to say. The fact that there is a clear division of roles and the decision-making approval process is short may be the reason I can stay pure (lol).
**BC Tsuchiya** I felt that MBS made decisions quickly and was quick to adopt advanced technologies, but it seems that the ease of working here has an impact on that.
**MBS Murata** We see the business of distributing content on the web, including missed broadcasts, as an area that will continue to grow in the future. All the members of the team have a common spirit of “we’re going to make this business big!
That’s all for Part 1. We’ve heard about Mr. Murata’s career and how he works at MBS. In Part 2 (https://www.brightcove.com/ja/resources/blog/video-addict-vol5-mbs-2), we’ll hear more about the company’s approach to live streaming.
