EBU Beijing Patrick Jaquin, Head of Communications Service, EBU

Transcription

1 EBU Beijing Patrick Jaquin, Head of Communications Service, EBU 2005/20 DIFFUSION online 1

2 Patrick Jaquin Head of Communications Service, EBU Open 30 hours a day? Klaus Schneider 2 DIFFUSION online 2005/20

3 Thanks to different time zones the EBU Beijing Office may give the impression of being open for longer than 24 hours a day. Klaus Schneider, its head, has already divided his day into two parts: Chinese time and Geneva time. The day starts with China, followed by Asia and an early rising Europe while maintaining an ever-watchful eye over Asia. We then turn to Europe again at the end of the day as midnight in Beijing is 18:00 in Geneva...not surprising therefore that s keep on arriving in mailboxes and that the phones do not stop ringing long after office hours in China. The transmission centre at CCTV 2005/20 DIFFUSION online The office is located on the 10th floor of a building that was previously reserved for foreigners. The smell of the newly laid, EBU blue carpet still lingers in the premises that were only opened about 10 months ago when Klaus Schneider moved there from Singapore. The lease had been negotiated in record time: discussions started in November 2003 and were 3

4 concluded by April The office is supported by the Chinese State Administration for Radio, Film and Television (SARFT). EBU Beijing focuses on two main areas: Sport and broadcasting services (excluding production) for both Members and clients. Sport Sport is the main business sector. Though the Olympics are still a long way off, there are more and more sports events in China, which in turn means an increase in multi- and unilateral transmissions. Over the past few months the office has transmitted sports such as the Johnnie Walker Golf Tournament, World Figure and Speed Skating Championships, etc. The summer will include Formula 1 and more of the world s favourite sport football, football, and even more football. Among the football fixtures CCTV has recently broadcast are friendlies between China and Austria (ORF images, via Eutelsat and then Asiasat), China and Spain, and China and Ireland. As for the Olympics, this is just the beginning. Fernando Pardo, head of the Operations Group, has already visited to resolve logistical problems for the Games with the Beijing Organizing Committee. View from the office s balcony: ideal place for live broadcasts 4 DIFFUSION online 2005/20

5 Facilities EBU Beijing offers all TV stations that come to China SNGs, bilingual Chinese English reporting crews, and access to editing and transmission facilities. Transmissions are routed by the fibre optic networks of CCTV, Shanghai TV or China Netcom as the signal goes to Europe via Asiasat and the Eurovision network. One example of this was the French prime minister s visit to China. France 2, responsible for the news pool, was supplied with a feedpoint and the option of live transmissions from its hotel so that crews could avoid the Klaus Schneider, Jean Réveillon and Fernando Pardo visit to an Olympic site in March /20 DIFFUSION online 5

6 traffic congestion in Beijing. The transmissions were routed by fibre optic cable to CCTV and then on to Paris. A similar system was also in place in Shanghai. In 2004 there were 120 hours of transmissions; however, by the first quarter of 2005 this figure has already been outdone. Without a doubt having a office in Beijing has increased the range of EBU s business to the great satisfaction of its Members, stressed Klaus Schneider. But, today it is still necessary to walk up four flights of stairs to hand cassettes to CCTV for playout. A project is under way to install cables that would link the EBU office with CCTV. HDTV EBU Beijing is working with Chinese authorities to improve the country s optic fibre infrastructure. A fibre optic HDTV link was recently tested between Beijing and Tokyo with very satisfactory results. The speed of technical development is phenomenal, pulling political liberalization along: recently, TV Globo was for the first time allowed a direct live transmission from an SNG to an international satellite, bypassing official censorship, which normally is still strict procedure for news transmissions in China. Let s face it, since the EBU office has opened our relationship with the Chinese authorities and CCTV has changed, emphasized Klaus Schneider, adding, We are now recognized and we can do business. 6 DIFFUSION online 2005/20