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News |  29 Jul 2009 11:12 |  By BhushanNagpal

Govt firms up AIR's Commonwealth Games coverage plan

NEW DELHI: While Doordarshan and All India Radio have the exclusive broadcast rights for Indian territory, an International Broadcast Centre will be set up in Pragati Maidan for the Commonwealth Games next year.

An Expression of Interest has already been issued for shortlisting parties for this purpose, Parliament was told on Monday.

There  will be a broadcast feed of seven hours thirty minutes daily on All India Radio besides the live commentary of the Opening and Closing ceremonies.

Besides, there will be a programme highlighting the day's events every night.

Regional capsules would be broadcast by non-Hindi capital stations. In addition, hourly updates would be given on FM Rainbow Channels. Capsules in English, Hindi and Urdu will also be broadcast in External Services Division, it is learnt.

All India Radio has also planned to provide adequate coverage to Queen's Baton Relay as a pre-game programme, apart from curtain-raiser and warm-up programmes.

AIR will depute adequate programme and technical officials, commentators for the live coverage of the games. They will be imparted training and attend workshops to prepare them for this purpose.

DD and AIR will customize the basic feed from the Indian perspective, including the performance of Indian athletes.

DD Sports, the sports channel of Doordarshan, will become Commonwealth Games channel during the games in September next year and will telecast all events live or deferred live round the clock.

The Opening and Closing Ceremonies will be telecast live on DD National, DD Sports, and the international DD India channel. DD News will air these ceremonies live on its news bulletins.

In addition, DD National will telecast hour-long daily highlights during the Games.

Prasar Bharati has already issued the Request for Proposal to the five broadcasters including India's Big Productions of the Reliance Group and Nimbus Communications which had been shortlisted for production and coverage facilities for the Commonwealth Games next year on behalf of host broadcaster Prasar Bharati.

Information and Broadcasting Ministry sources said the five had been shortlisted in consultation with the Law Ministry and the Attorney General.

Big Productions has made the EOI in consortium with the Beijing branch of Interpublic Marketing Services (Shanghai) Ltd. and Tokyo Broadcasting System Inc. as the lead partners. Nimbus Communications has come in a consortium with Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as lead partner.

The others shortlisted include Nimbus Sports International Pte. Ltd of Singapore in consortium with International Sports Broadcasting of the United States as the lead partner. Satellite Information Services Live of the United Kingdom has formed a consortium with SIS Broadcast and Satellite Information Services Ltd. as lead partner, while the fifth shortlisted is International Games Broadcast Services of Switzerland.

The others besides Zee whose EOI has been rejected are Alfacam of Belgium, Swiss Timing of Switzerland, the Sunset Vine (UK)-Sports Five (France) consortium, and the World Sports Group which is a consortium with Broadcast Solutions of Singapore with the Australian V&A Projects as consultant.

 

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