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Sport and Technology - news and features on the use of technology in sport
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Feature: Start spreading the news - November 2003  

The latest developments in broadcast and communications technology have the potential to revolutionise the way sports news stories are covered on television. Satellite links can be made available almost anywhere in the world and costs have fallen dramatically, while transmitting hardware, cameras and editing equipment have all become more portable and affordable, making it easier and cheaper than ever before to broadcast news live from wherever it happens.

But before this revolution can take place, according to news management consultancy On Line Broadcasting, the people who control access to sports stories - teams, managers, PR and sponsorship agencies - need to look hard at what broadcasters really want and how best to meet their needs.

Eddie Jordan being interviewed at the Jordan factory
For 10 years, On Line Broadcasting has handled news stories for clients both in and outside the world of sport, ranging from the Jordan team in Formula One to PricewaterhouseCoopers and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The company provides editorial, production and media relations services, placing the focus on delivering interviews with interesting and relevant spokespeople, sometimes from conventional studios but in the majority of cases as outside broadcasts with live location backdrops. Managing director Simon Wynn explains: "We saw that changes in technology were making it easier and cheaper to deliver live outside broadcasts for both radio and television, so we began to suggest to our clients that instead of offering their interviews from a fairly bland studio environment we could take them out to a location that would add something to the story." In sport, early adopters of On Line Broadcasting's ideas such as Jordan and HSBC's Schools Tennis found that they benefited in terms of both the number and the quality of interviews secured. "An interview with Eddie Jordan from an exotic location such as the marina in Barcelona with Jordan speedboats racing in the background, or [British tennis player] Tim Henman talking about school tennis with children actually playing behind him is much more attractive to broadcasters than a straight studio link, so almost immediately we tended to get more interview bookings and longer slots," says Wynn.
Tim Henman doing an interview at the HSBC schools tennis final
On Line Broadcasting argues that sports broadcasters have a strong and consistent appetite for good, well-presented news stories that can in many cases be met by carefully planned live interview opportunities and well-produced broadcast quality video footage. Its business is based on the use of constantly improving technology such as satellite, cable and broadband links, lightweight digital cameras and portable editing facilities, that provide powerful and cost-effective tools when used well. However, no amount of technical wizardry can override the fundamental need for a genuine story, careful planning and good timing, without which a potential PR triumph can turn into disaster. Wynn attributes his company's success to its attention to these details: "Fundamentally, if the story and spokesperson aren't good, or the timing is wrong, the broadcasters simply won't be interested, however slick the means of delivery. Clearly, we take a great deal of care to make sure that this doesn't happen."

Getting it right

From the broadcaster's perspective, Martin Lloyd, until recently deputy editor of SNTV (Sports News Television), agrees that the huge number of sports news programmes and bulletins around the world offer teams, players and their sponsors tremendous potential for gaining coverage. "Aside from the obvious set-piece events and competitions, sports editors are constantly looking for good, relevant and easy-to-use material that will enhance their output, and if it comes without cost it's especially welcome in these times of tight budgets and staff cuts," he explains. But Lloyd also confirms how easy it is to get things wrong, suggesting that more than 80% of video news releases (VNRs) sent to sports desks are virtually useless to broadcasters. He says: "It's incredibly frustrating to see people spending serious money on producing material so badly that it has to be binned. It's even worse when the content is interesting but the tape arrives too late to be of any use, it's money down the drain when, ironically, it probably wouldn't cost them any more to get it right."

Satellite trucks
Satellite trucks
According to Lloyd there are a number of basic rules that anyone trying to get their story on air should bear in mind: "Put yourself in the news editor's shoes and ask the question 'Why would I run this?'. Ideally make your story so appealing that the broadcasters can't do without it or, failing that, at least make sure that there isn't any obvious reason for them not to run it." He reminds people that they are looking for editorial coverage rather than advertising airtime and that what pleases their marketing director (for example, obtrusive branding and/or product placement) is unlikely to encourage a news editor to use the footage. Similarly he warns against special effects and elaborately edited shots that might work for a promotional video or TV feature but which have no place in a news environment.
Aside from news content, the most important factor in getting a story on air is timing, and in this area technology is making it easier to send news as it happens. Lloyd explains: "Getting your story into the hands of the main broadcast news agencies at the right time will maximise the chances of it reaching and being used by broadcasters around the world; satellite links allow instant distribution of live or pre-recorded video, while e-mail and internet communication can be used to send shot lists, scripts and other background information in a matter of seconds."

Looking ahead

Looking to the future, Lloyd and On Line Broadcasting's Wynn believes that technology promises to open up fresh possibilities for sports news. He points to the development of digital compression techniques that allows video files to be sent from camera or computer via broadband internet connections or satellite phones (already used successfully by news correspondents in the Gulf War) as the next big advance in making distribution easier and cheaper. In a final analysis, whilst both men agree that technology is likely to provide new and improved means of delivering broadcast material, they remain convinced that the quality of the stories is the single most important factor in winning coverage. This places the onus squarely on the sports themselves to recognise and exploit the assets at their disposal.

For further details about On Line Broadcasting please visit www.onlib.com or call Simon Wynn on +44 (0) 20 8342 7390. Alternatively e-mail your details to sport@onlib.com if you would like to be added to the company's database to be kept informed about technological developments in this area.

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Page from ArkSports' Sport and Technology (www.sportandtechnology.com) on 2008-11-23 : Feature: Start spreading the news - November 2003 : http://www.sportandtechnology.com/features/0099.html