MonteCarloWith less than a week to go before the start of the IAAF World TV Seminar in Athens on 29 and 30 March, final preparations are underway for the two day gathering of TV Athletics’ experts in the city that will host the Olympic Games in five months time.
President Lamine Diack, who will open the Seminar, spoke of his great expectations for the event, which is to be attended by 150 TV producers and other experts from the world of sport.
“I believe that the world of athletics is at a vital stage in its development and we need to work hand in hand with broadcasters to create the best possible platform to promote the sport. This Seminar, which is the brainchild of the IAAF TV Commission, will hopefully conclude with a new blueprint for TV coverage of athletics.”
Since 1986, the IAAF TV Commission has aimed to broaden the knowledge of TV producers around the world about the proper way to cover the sport. The World TV Seminar in Athens is the fourth time that the top television specialists have assembled to upgrade their knowledge.
"The world of broadcasting has seen dramatic changes since the 1980s,” said the Chairman of the IAAF TV Commission Alex Gilady, who is not only a top TV executive but also a Member of the International Olympic Committee. “Multi-channels and microcasting (Internet) are now commonplace, if we consider what is available for the viewer today.
"Providing a perfect competition schedule is almost impossible,” said Gilady, “but for the first time the World TV Seminar has invited experts from around the world to present to the IAAF council members and top brass their views on how programming needs to be adjusted to suit the modern television age.
"Finally, I would like to highlight the fact that virtual reality is now standard in TV production. For this reason, some of the world’s experts in this field will present a list of 'do’s and don’ts' on how to apply this technology to athletics coverage."