2010 broadcasting transfer skills looms in SA

FIFA spokesperson Delia Fischer said that in line with the Win in Africa with Africa initiative, FIFA formed a strategic alliance with the African Union of Broadcasting (AUB) to place the TV rights in 41 sub-Saharan territories for the interest of millions of African viewers.

Portion of revenues

Under the alliance, a portion of the revenues earned are devoted to legacy projects in Africa. Foremost of these is the FIFA-AUB Broadcast Academy.

“The Broadcast Academy is a FIFA-AUB initiative to build capacity and transfer knowledge to the African broadcast community. Week-long seminars will be held across sub-Saharan Africa instructing television professionals on best practice in the fields of live football match direction, electronic news gathering techniques, live football match commentary and commercialisation of football programming,” Fischer explained.

The first FIFA-AUB Broadcast Academy week was held in Accra, Ghana, 14 - 17 April 2009, and attracted 100 attendees.

Another week-long important global broadcasting gathering currently taking place at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg is due to end tomorrow, Friday 24 April 2009. More than 350 participants from the 2010 FIFA World Cup broadcast right holders all over the world are meeting to get a first hand-update on the preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.

Get to grips

Delegates have been able to get to grips with issues regarding planning for coverage and logistics. Meetings with FIFA TV, FIFA's appointed host broadcaster HBS, TV graphics supplier Delta Tre and Telkom SA were also scheduled. FIFA was due to give information together with the host broadcaster on production plans (multilateral - the world feed production), about services available to the broadcasters - including studios - and details on services at the International Broadcast Centre in Johannesburg (the hub for all TV and radio production).

While Telkom SA planned to update participants on telecommunication, the Local Organising Committee gave information on key areas where they are responsible, such as transport, security, labour laws, and various regulations.

Furthermore, Fischer said that the goal of the FIFA-AUB Broadcast Academy is to use the proceeds of the TV rights revenues to build the value of the football television product in all participating countries to ensure higher standards of coverage for football fans and greater revenue opportunities for broadcasters, resulting in sustainable TV Sports rights markets and high-quality programming.

Sharing

This innovative approach, she said, involves sharing revenue streams and revenues between FIFA, the AUB and the broadcasters, distributing the risk across the stakeholder group and relieving the broadcaster of the burden of paying prohibitive rights fees.

FIFA said in the first few weeks of the sales process under the alliance, the response has been positive with the TV rights have been placed in Ghana, Cote D'Ivoire, Tanzania, and Mauritius already, and further announcements to come before the FIFA Confederations Cup. The goal is to have rights placed in all 41 territories before the end of 2009.