Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) has announced its founder and former CEO Manolo Romero passed away at the end of December.
Romero started his career with Spanish broadcaster TVE in 1965. His first Olympics were Mexico City 1968, but it was Los Angeles 1984 where he had the full oversight of the host broadcast operation, a role he would take on again for Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996 and then for all Games from Sydney 2000 until London 2012.
According to OBS, Romero was renowned for his high standards and constant drive to achieve more with each Games. It was due to his vision toward the future that so many broadcasters from around the world were able to see what technology could do and experience the next generation of the industry’s tools, sometimes many years before they may have been able to do so in their own countries, said the organisation.
Yiannis Exarchos, CEO of OBS said: “His mentorship and leadership were instrumental in my life and his wisdom and work ethic transcended our work together. The legacy of his guidance still resonates with me every single day of my professional life. Words can’t begin to express how much I will miss him. There was no greater champion of the Olympic movement, nor anyone whose impact was greater on the world being able to come together and unite through the power of sport.”
