Laos to share TV broadcast with neighbouring countries
Lao TV crews will work alongside professionals from Thailand and Vietnam to broadcast the SEA Games around the region.
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A TV cameraman get a his first broadcasting experience at the 4 Nations Football Tournament in Vientiane . |
Lao National Television, which falls under the auspices of the SEA Games Media and Communication Committee, is working with Thai and Vietnam media agencies to broadcast the opening and closing ceremonies as well as some of the sporting events.
Lao National Television Director General Dr Bounchom Vongphet said this would be the first time that a multi-national TV crew had worked at the SEA Games. Outside broadcasting vans will be brought to Laos in December to ensure good quality broadcasting.
“We will have 13 vans from Vietnam , three from Thailand and one from Singapore . They will be used in conjunction with two of our own vans. They will be used to broadcast the opening and closing ceremonies and 19 or more sports,” he said.
Some sports have two or three divisions; for example, aquatics comprises fin swimming, diving and swimming, while volleyball consists of indoor and beach volleyball events.
“Each country coming to help will bring a team to help with the broadcasting, in cooperation with our staff. So this will be a valuable experience for our TV staff as they work alongside experienced technicians from these three countries,” Dr Bounchom said.
The director accepted that his staff still lacked experience in broadcasting an event like this but he believed the recent 4 Nations Football Tournament had given them much needed experience.
The committee organised a meeting on the broadcasts from October 17-18 with countries from the region including Brunei , Indonesia , Singapore , Thailand and Vietnam . The objective was to plan the broadcast of competition events from the National Broadcasting Centre and evaluate broadcasting via satellite.
SEA Games Secretariat Committee Vice Chairman Dr Souvannarath Saignavong said TV broadcasting rights didn't enable the committee to fully perform its role at the SEA Games in terms of funding. This led the Lao National Olympic Committee to propose to the SEA Games Federation that it sell the TV broadcasting rights.
“At a meeting of the Sports and Rules Committee in September 2008, we agreed that Laos would sell the rights. I confirmed that the SEA Games Federation approved the proposal at its Council Meeting in November of the same year,” he said.
Dr Souvannarath said they did not expect to benefit from selling the TV rights. They were aware that the income from the sale of the rights was only a small fraction compared to the total budget allocated by the government for the games.
“Part of what we earn from the sale will go to various National Olympic Committees to enable them to promote the Olympic movement in each country where the athletes deserve to benefit,” he said.
By Souknilundon Southivongnorath
October19, 2009
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