South Africa: SABC pulls out all stops for WC broadcast

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:42

Anyone attending the launch of the SABC Broadcast Centre (specially constructed for the 2010 FIFA World Cup) in Johannesburg's Sandton Convention Centre on 10 June, who didn't feel the public broadcaster's excitement, must not have had a pulse.

However crisis-ridden and financially strapped the SABC has been in recent months , all was obliterated in the excitement of revealing the new R3m studio set-up to the media and invited guests, and the anticipation of broadcasting the first FIFA World Cup to be held in Africa. 

As part of the launch, a one-hour live, special broadcast from the studio served as a practice run for the first day of the SABC's World Cup broadcast, commencing on 11 June. During the special broadcast SABC GCEO Solly Mokoetle noted that from this Broadcast Centre the SABC would provide 287 hours of television programming and also 1,900 hours of radio programming. There are two radio studios included in the Centre, and 15 SABC radio stations will utilise these on a rotational basis.

In line with the SABC's World Cup campaign 'Feel it. It is here.' Mokoetle said: "I hope everyone here is feeling it – the moment we've been waiting for is finally here. This Centre is going to be the home of the SABC for the next 31 days and the nerve centre of our World Cup broadcast. Tomorrow morning we will kick off our World Cup programming with Good Morning Mzanzi.

"The production capacity here is state of the art. We made sure that we pulled out all the stops to provide South Africans with a world class broadcast. All our World Cup television output will be in high definition (HD), although viewers at home will see it in standard definition (SD). We have an 18-camera HD outside broadcast (OB) van situated just outside. 

"This 1,800 metres square set allows us to showcase our best on-air talent – a mix of international and local former soccer stars and coaches. We want to ensure that South Africans will experience football in a manner in which they've never done before. In a first for South Africa, the games will be simulcast. The TV signal will be synchronised with radio so viewers can watch the matches in their language of choice.

"We are very proud of this Broadcast Centre and we hope you will take your front place seat in your living rooms or at the public viewing areas."

Head of the SABC 2010 Project Peter Kwele said this set was the culmination of work that started in 2006. "We will produce nine hours of live TV on a daily basis from 11 June, so that equates 99 hours of production during the group stages of the tournament (ie. 10 days). In addition to the studio cameras we have a beauty shot camera situated on top of the Intercontinental Hotel. 

"Every day we will have 140 studio guests to ensure that our World Cup programmes are interactive. We're aiming for a 'sportainment' production."

South Africa's President Jacob Zuma visited the Broadcast Centre on 9 June.

For more on the SABC Broadcast Centre see the July issue of Screen Africa.

Source:

SABC pulls out all stops for WC broadcast http://bit.ly/cbr1ef

(Yimber Gaviria, Colombia)