Fairlight to Exit Pro Audio Business

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA—Fairlight.AU, the Australian technology development company best known for its professional audio products for broadcast and media production, announced today that it is actively seeking a buyer for its Professional Audio technology.

 “Over its long history, Fairlight has continually developed highly innovative professional audio technologies that are used by a large number of major content producers around the world” says Philip Belcher, CEO. “With a range of innovative new AES67 compliant audio distribution products approaching release, it has been decided that the potential for Fairlight’s professional audio technologies is much larger than can be achieved under the current ownership.”

Fairlight says it is seeking to enter into discussions with organizations that “wish to leverage its professional audio technologies to augment their offerings and enhance their competitive positions in this rapidly evolving market. It is anticipated that with the level of interest for the technologies that offer the potential of a key strategic advantage as part of a larger portfolio, it should not be long before a transaction is complete.”

The company said it “will now focus its efforts on its patented picture key work surface technology which it licenses to manufacturers of highly user interactive tactile equipment.” Earlier this year Fairlight announced that Grass Valley had integrated Fairlight's Pyxis tactile technology with GV's Edius NLE system. 

The U.S.-based division of Fairlight (FairlightUS), has rebranded itself as "STC Gear" and distributes Fairlight products including its EVO.Live media production system. 

Tom Butts

Tom has covered the broadcast technology market for the past 25 years, including three years handling member communications for the National Association of Broadcasters followed by a year as editor of Video Technology News and DTV Business executive newsletters for Phillips Publishing. In 1999 he launched digitalbroadcasting.com for internet B2B portal Verticalnet. He is also a charter member of the CTA's Academy of Digital TV Pioneers. Since 2001, he has been editor-in-chief of TV Tech (www.tvtech.com), the leading source of news and information on broadcast and related media technology and is a frequent contributor and moderator to the brand’s Tech Leadership events.