BBC, WSG in race for Games telecast

Leading foreign production companies BBC Outdoor Broadcasting, Tokyo Broadcasting, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), the World Sports Group (WSG) and Swiss company Alfa Cam are in the race to bag public service broadcaster Prasar Bharati’s contract to cover the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in the High Definition Television (HDTV) format.

Tokyo Broadcasting has tied up with Reliance Big Productions, a subsidiary of Reliance Entertainment, and Mumbai-based Nimbus Communications with Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, sources said.

These tie-ups by Indian bidders are required to meet the eligibility criterion specified in the Expression of Interest (EoI) document that government-owned TV broadcaster Doordarshan floated in December last year. Doordarshan comes under the Prasar Bharati umbrella.

“Bidders must have experience in the production and coverage of international sporting events like the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and Olympics in the past 18 years,” a senior Doordarshan official explained. “Bidders must also have experience in covering sports events of international standards in HDTV,” he added.

The Commonwealth Games 2010 are scheduled to be held from October 3 to October 14, 2010, and the rules specify that host broadcaster Doordarshan has to produce an international feed in HDTV format.

Prasar Bharati officials said about 10 such companies have applied for the technical bids, which are currently under scrutiny at Doordarshan’s headquarters here. The shortlist will be announced towards the end of the month.

The short-listed companies will be called to submit the financial bids sometime between April and June, said highly placed sources in Doordarshan.

“At least two applications from as many foreign companies have not qualified in the technical bids,” said a senior Doordarshan official requesting anonymity.

HDTV is a digital broadcasting system with higher resolution picture and enhanced sound quality than the standard definition telecast. Technical experts said HDTV production and transmission costs are 25 to 30 per cent higher than standard telecasts. A handful of channels currently film in the HD format but the broadcast and reception of such channels are still in the standard definition format.

Meanwhile, some Doordarshan officials have protested against outsourcing the HDTV broadcast to foreign companies saying they will be denied an opportunity to show their skills.

Asked about this, a senior Prasar Bharati official said, "The time is too short for us to try and put in place infrastructure for an HDTV broadcast. The HDTV broadcast of the Sydney Commonwealth Games was outsourced and it is a common practice for the host broadcasters to outsource such specialised job to those with experience.”