Broadcasting Union
FISA has just recently renewed its four-year contract with the European Broadcasting
Union (EBU). Through this contract, FISA has sold the European television rights for the
World Rowing Championships and the Rowing World Cups to the EBU who will manage
and distribute rowing images throughout their member network in Europe. This is one
of the most important contracts for an international sports federation such as FISA
and will secure the television coverage of rowing throughout Europe until 2008.
FISA has just recently renewed
its four-year contract with the
European Broadcasting Union
(EBU). Through this contract, FISA
has sold the European television
rights for the World Rowing
Championships and the Rowing
World Cups to the EBU who will
manage and distribute rowing
images throughout their member
network in Europe. This is one of
the most important contracts for
an international sports federation
such as FISA and will secure the
television coverage of rowing
throughout Europe until 2008.
Geneva-based EBU unites and
serves 74 national broadcasters
from 54 countries in and around
Europe. On behalf of its members
in the European broadcasting
area, the EBU also negotiates
broadcasting rights for major
sports events, as well as providing
a range of other commercial,
technical, legal, and strategic
services as well as it’s operational
division: Eurovision.
FISA has held excellent
relationships with the EBU since
way back in the early eighties
and regularly consults with them
when planning and scheduling
rowing events so as to ensure best
possible timing to optimise the
rowing coverage.
In 2005, the EBU alone ensured
over 40 hours of TV coverage
across Europe for the World
Rowing Championships and
over 50 hours of coverage in
ten European countries for the
Rowing World Cup series.
Under its contract with FISA, the
EBU is responsible to ensure the
standards of production for all
televised World Rowing events. In
Europe, the national broadcaster
of the country hosting a World
Rowing event produces the
images of World Rowing events,
and distributes them by satellite
to EBU member broadcasters
who have expressed an interest in
transmitting the event.
While some broadcasters will
show the entire finals day of
racing live, many will only show
the races which feature their own
rowers. According to the race
schedule, they will arrange at
what time they will be taking the
images and showing them live.
For non-European broadcasters,
the TV rights are managed A range of different cameras are used
independently, and relaying of around the course for the best possible
images. / Une gamme de différentes
the images can happen either by caméras est utilisée de part et d’autre du
receiving a live signal via satellite site pour obtenir les meilleures images.
for live broadcasting or the
broadcaster can receive tapes of the
races which are recorded and sent
out immediately after the end of the
racing day and can then be shown as
delayed broadcast of the event.
The EBU, who own the rights to
the rowing images in Europe, sell
these rights on to their member
broadcasters across Europe.
When a broadcaster buys these
rights, the images are relayed to
him through satellite direct from
the rowing venue.
© Detlev Seyb
M.G.■
But how does it all work?
When World Rowing events are
held in a European country, the
national broadcaster is approached
by the EBU to not only show the
event on its channel, but also to
produce the images of the event
which will then be distributed
world-wide.
The producing broadcaster, also
known as the host broadcaster
is responsible for producing
images which will be sent up to
the Eurovision satellite for other
broadcasters to take down and
show on their channels.
© Detlev Seyb
Cameramen often find themselves in
precarious positions in order to get the best
possible shots. / Pour réaliser les meilleurs
cadrages les caméramans n’hésitent pas à
se placer dans des situations précaires.
© Detlev Seyb
To ensure that TV images are
consistent wherever they are
filmed, FISA uses the expertise of
a TV consultant who will usually
make contact with the host
broadcaster well in advance of the
event and discuss and advise on
the production plan.
The outside broadcaster van is where the TV producer mixes the broadcast. The feed is
then sent out via satellite to the broadcasters around the world. / Le mixage est réalisé par le
producteur dans le camion TV. La transmission est ensuite envoyée via satellite aux diffuseurs
du monde entier.
