Q&A: Francis Tellier, HBS - November 2006  

At SportelMonaco in October, S&T caught up with Francis Tellier, chief executive of HBS, host broadcaster of the FIFA World Cup and Doha Asian Games 2006.

How did it all go at the FIFA World Cup 2006?

“I would say that it went really well. We reached full-speed from day two for television and from day three to four for new media. Next time we will completely integrate all the systems. We realised a bit too late that there were potential synergies that could be developed. Regarding HDTV, it was a case of ‘seeing is believing’. It was definitely a success in terms of production; we had no complaints, although there was little bit of controversy in Germany in terms of the production style. Some said at the beginning that we were too conservative and broad in the framing for the whole product. There wasn’t much going wrong elsewhere so the media were just picking up on that to discuss.”

How do you manage to stay focused during the period of a World Cup?

“It is fairly long, but it isn’t as intensive as an Olympic Games for example which is very 24/7. With a World Cup you can still rest in the mornings!”

What were you pleased with most in terms of the World Cup this time?

“Most of the broadcasters reacted positively to our innovations such as the MediaServer. One or two couldn’t see the benefits of it initially but most were really pleased. We also provided a Clip Compilation Channel which was very useful to some of them as well. The concept of the latter was based on the fact we were producing so many replays and slo-mos but only using a few of them. So the channel had the best clips available and broadcasters could access them. It was really appreciated. Generally speaking, our broadcasters also really liked the IBC, based in Munich. It was built of wooden panels so it looked like a World Cup Ikea! It was very relaxing for everyone and people enjoyed being there. We had a beer garden serving food and the atmosphere was very peaceful. There was always a lot to do, but 99% of the time it was relaxed.”

Was that a main difference compared with Korea/Japan?

“I would say so, yes. We had just one difficult time in Germany where we had loss of power in an OB van a few minutes before the kick-off of one match and we lost a few seconds of coverage. That happened about 10 days into the competition – so at least the wasn’t on the first day! It wasn’t a major problem though and perhaps it was good for us to have a wake up call in the middle.”

What stage are you at with planning for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa?

“I am just back from South Africa. We are very much starting from two topics that need progressing. The first one is telecommunications. Our project manager went there in early September with a FIFA delegation. We have decided to manage IT and telecoms jointly with FIFA. The other topic is the selection of the IBC. We visited three cities – Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg.”

What are you looking for in an IBC?

“There are three 'must-haves': Space for multilateral & unilateral facilities, the availability of the space over a six-month period at least and inter-connectivity. It is absolutely essential  hat the IBC site be well inter-connected (via a fully reliable/fully redundant telecoms network) with the venues and with the outside world (across the globe). I don’t have a favourite – it is important not to be prejudiced.”

What will the biggest challenge for you be in South Africa?

“Germany of course was relatively easy for us as it was in the middle of Europe and plenty of facilities were available. But South Africa will be a bit like stepping back to the Korea/Japan situation where it’s more like an island and facilities aren’t readily available. What we can find locally we will of course use. But if we need, say eight HD vans, it’s not worth the local companies investing in them if they won’t use them after the World Cup.”

What’s the timetable there?

“We have already started explaining what we will need and how it will be integrated. We will open a permanent office there next year. The next big event will be the preliminary draw of the matches – which should take place November/December next year. We will deliver that and then hold a workshop for the broadcasters. Together with FIFA as well we will confirm a budget for moving forward.”

What stage are you with the Doha Asian games?

“It is progressing every day. Doha is more advanced than Athens was in terms of venues at this stage. The big challenge is now the logistics and shipping in everything we need. We recycled the control room from Munich and shipped it out to Doha. We have more venues but less broadcasters so had to reconfigure it. Unfortunately one big box smashed so some equipment has to be replaced, but that’s life. There’s so much stuff being imported for the games in general that there has been a bit of a bottleneck, but it will all be okay. They are also completing some of the accommodation towers – they are working night and day and we are confident that everything will be ready.”

What are the differences for you in servicing a multi-disciplined event compared with a single-sport one?

“A benefit for us is that we are a joint venture for Doha with TWI. We are very complementary as we have the experience of major events and they have the experience of working across more sports. There are 39 sports in an Asian Games – that’s more than in an Olympics – and TWI haven’t produced all of them already although they have produced many of them. We have been working within a ‘Dream Team’ concept, with the best directors from markets with experience of the particular sports. I invented the ‘Dream Team’ term in 2000 and now everyone is using it so I might start demanding royalties!”

What will be different about this Asian Games?

“Unfortunately the Asian Games has had a bit of a legacy about not being well-delivered, but now there is definitely a willingness to do it properly. We have had to manage expectations and be flexible – as some of the NOCs have been a little relaxed in the past with their planning – but it is shaping up to be an excellent event. The Asia Broadcasting Union faced some challenges with budgets for their broadcasters, but that has been resolved and we are looking forward to 1 December immensely.”

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