SIS Live, the company providing all of the host broadcast television production and coverage facilities and services for the Commonwealth Games in India, has had over 1600 staff in the country to make sure all is ready when the games commence on Sunday.
Alan Bright, the project director for SIS Live in Delhi, said: “The problems of late completion of the venues have certainly caused us issues: instead of several months to complete the installation of cameras and wiring, in some instances we have only had two weeks.
“Like the Games organisers and other agencies, we have been working incredibly hard to make sure everything is ready. In many cases, we have been working in very challenging conditions. All venues were completed very late and the monsoon rains caused roads and broadcast compounds to flood.
“Despite the difficulties of working in extreme heat and in torrential rain, and in some cases in darkness with torches strapped to our hard hats, we have made good progress and anticipate that barring any unforeseen issues arising, we will have all the venues broadcast-ready for the Games.”
SIS Live won the multi-million pound contract from India’s public broadcaster, Doordarshan, part of Prasar Bharati, the Broadcasting Corporation of India. SIS Live will provide HD television coverage of the Games too, the first time the event will be entirely broadcast in HD. All television companies will take live feeds provided by SIS Live during the Games.
Working with ZOOM Communications, South-East Asia’s largest broadcast services company, SIS Live will provide coverage of 17 sports events and outside races across 12 competition venues, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies. This involves over 37 production areas including studios and OB kits of various sizes over 350 HD camera channels as well as other specialist production and camera equipment.
David Meynell, managing director of SIS Live, said: “India had high aspirations when they won the right to host the Games and many of the venues are spectacular. There have been some issues and I think we have all been surprised at some of the obstacles that we have had to overcome. We have had to condense four months’ work into less than four weeks. Our teams have been working tirelessly to ensure we are ready to provide world class television production and broadcast services for the Commonwealth Games.”
