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Eurovision gears up to provide complete Olympic coverage for Europe
Geneva, 4 February 2002 – The Eurovision network is gearing up to supply an ambitious programme of full coverage from the Salt Lake City Olympics to broadcasters in every European country.
The operational arm for television of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), Eurovision has established an 80-strong operations group at the International Broadcasting Centre in Salt Lake City to handle and compile up to 35 hours of Olympic coverage every day and deliver it to Europe over 38 digital channels using eight different satellites. This team also supports the +2000 staff and crew of the various EBU Members present at the event, helping them provide more than 8500 accumulated hours of coverage to some 700 million viewers.
“Our work from Salt Lake City will be a complex operation,” says Stefan Kürten, Director of Operations at the EBU. “But our careful planning, cutting-edge technology and back-up facilities will guarantee European public service television viewers the usual high-standard Olympic images from the EBU.”
A partner of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since the Rome Olympic Games of 1960, the EBU has played a leading role in promoting the Olympic movement by ensuring universal access to European viewers over free-to-air television. In 1996, the EBU won the exclusive European broadcasting rights for the Olympic games until 2008, inclusive. Although the IOC had received higher financial offers, the EBU was selected because of its experience and expertise, and in the interest of the Olympic movement and all viewers in and around Europe.
Eurovision Network Services is the world’s leading provider of international television transmission services. The Geneva-based EBU unites and serves 70 national broadcasters from 51 countries in and around Europe, making it the world's largest professional association of national broadcasters. Activities include operation of the global Eurovision and Euroradio networks; the exchange of news, sport and cultural programming; coordination of co-productions; technical research; training; legal advice; and the defence of public service values.
See attached annex for more operational details pertaining to the coverage of the Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games.
For further information:
Rida Attarashany,
EBU media officer.
Tel.: +41 22 - 717 2034, fax: +41 22 - 717 2200, press@ebu.ch
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