FIFA confirms AIT for U-17 World Cup
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Olukayode Thomas
The controversy over who gets the TV production right for the FIFA U-17 World Cup - Nigeria 2009 - was laid to rest yesterday as the championship owner, FIFA, named Africa Independent Television (AIT) as the production company.
In an e-mail to NEXT Sports, FIFA said we “finalised the organisational structure for the TV production of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Nigeria 2009 and confirmed DAAR Communications’ appointment as local TV producer for the tournament.”
“In addition to supporting the International Broadcast Coordination Centre, DAAR will work alongside FIFA and HBS (FIFA’s production consultants for the event) to ensure that FIFA’s TV production standards are met. FIFA is happy that local resources are involved in the TV production and congratulates DAAR on its investment in TV infrastructure, which will benefit Nigerian sports in the future. To involve local resources in the production was one of FIFA’s main objectives when it concluded the partnership with the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) in 2008,” the world body said.
A field of controversy
Before yesterday’s statement, the issue of who has the production rights generated a lot of controversy between AIT and NTA.
The controversy was caused by FIFA, which named AIT as the Production Company, but later reversed itself.
The moment the reversal was announced by FIFA, the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) quickly awarded a controversial ₦8.2 billion contract for the upgrade of its equipment. Public outrage greeted the award of the contract, with many Nigerians alleging fraud.
When FIFA realised that NTA equipment’s upgrade from Standard Definition to High Definition will not be ready for the World Cup, which begins next month, it quickly reversed itself again and named AIT the production company last month.
This new development drew the ire of Dora Akuyili, the minister of information and communication, who awarded the contract. Akuyili said the FIFA vice president, Jack Warner, who made the AIT announcement, was engaging in propaganda.
But, speaking on the choice of AIT yesterday, the station’s Channels Director, Aisha Falode, said “we had always said that we are the host broadcasters because when FIFA came on their numerous visits, assessing the facilities for TV in Nigeria, it was only AIT that met their requirement of HD (High Definition broadcasting). AIT does not only have HD broadcasting equipment, it has it in abundance. We have 10, 12 satellites up link, we have satellites down link and we have satellite production truck. All our cameras are only HD.”
Magnanimous in victory
In spite of the protracted feud, Falode said AIT will work with everybody. “I have just said we are ready to work with everybody, NTA inclusive; we will be willing to collaborate with those who are willing to collaborate with us. We will partner and extend a hand of friendship and collaboration to all television stations in Nigeria, including NTA. It is left to them to either decline or accept the collaboration offer we have extended to them. What happened in the past is a bye gone,” she said.
The controversy over who gets the TV production right for the FIFA U-17 World Cup - Nigeria 2009 - was laid to rest yesterday as the championship owner, FIFA, named Africa Independent Television (AIT) as the production company.
In an e-mail to NEXT Sports, FIFA said we “finalised the organisational structure for the TV production of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Nigeria 2009 and confirmed DAAR Communications’ appointment as local TV producer for the tournament.”
“In addition to supporting the International Broadcast Coordination Centre, DAAR will work alongside FIFA and HBS (FIFA’s production consultants for the event) to ensure that FIFA’s TV production standards are met. FIFA is happy that local resources are involved in the TV production and congratulates DAAR on its investment in TV infrastructure, which will benefit Nigerian sports in the future. To involve local resources in the production was one of FIFA’s main objectives when it concluded the partnership with the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) in 2008,” the world body said.
A field of controversy
Before yesterday’s statement, the issue of who has the production rights generated a lot of controversy between AIT and NTA.
The controversy was caused by FIFA, which named AIT as the Production Company, but later reversed itself.
The moment the reversal was announced by FIFA, the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) quickly awarded a controversial ₦8.2 billion contract for the upgrade of its equipment. Public outrage greeted the award of the contract, with many Nigerians alleging fraud.
When FIFA realised that NTA equipment’s upgrade from Standard Definition to High Definition will not be ready for the World Cup, which begins next month, it quickly reversed itself again and named AIT the production company last month.
This new development drew the ire of Dora Akuyili, the minister of information and communication, who awarded the contract. Akuyili said the FIFA vice president, Jack Warner, who made the AIT announcement, was engaging in propaganda.
But, speaking on the choice of AIT yesterday, the station’s Channels Director, Aisha Falode, said “we had always said that we are the host broadcasters because when FIFA came on their numerous visits, assessing the facilities for TV in Nigeria, it was only AIT that met their requirement of HD (High Definition broadcasting). AIT does not only have HD broadcasting equipment, it has it in abundance. We have 10, 12 satellites up link, we have satellites down link and we have satellite production truck. All our cameras are only HD.”
Magnanimous in victory
In spite of the protracted feud, Falode said AIT will work with everybody. “I have just said we are ready to work with everybody, NTA inclusive; we will be willing to collaborate with those who are willing to collaborate with us. We will partner and extend a hand of friendship and collaboration to all television stations in Nigeria, including NTA. It is left to them to either decline or accept the collaboration offer we have extended to them. What happened in the past is a bye gone,” she said.
posted @ 11:12 AM,
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