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Meet some Eurovision team members
In this month's edition of the Beijing Briefing, we meet two key members of the
Eurovision team for the upcoming Beijing Olympics. Throughout the summer we'll
be profiling the keypeople making it all happen. |
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Meet Fernando Pardo
Fernando Pardo, Head EBU Sports Operations Group, started his career in 1967 in TVE in Spain, working as a senior VTR editor from 1969 until 1985. During this period, he also worked with the EBU, starting as a VTR deputy in the Montreal Games in 1976. Since then, Fernando has worked with either the EBU or with TVE in all the Olympic Games.
In 1997, Fernando joined the EBU as a full time logistics manager and deputy head of Operations. After the then head of Operations left the EBU, Fernando took over the position and was put in charge of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Since then, he has been involved in all the Olympic Games as well other big sporting events, including IAAF Championships, FINA Championships, UCI competition, and others. He is currently in the last stage of preparations for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. |
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We caught up with Fernando in between visits to Beijing: What is the biggest challenge facing you and your team in terms of the upcoming Olympics?
Actually, an operation as
huge as the Olympic Games is in itself a big challenge. If you add
to the normal procedures the distance, the language barriers, etc,
you begin to see the magnitude of the challenge. From the very
beginning the EBU has received all kind of assistance from BOCOG,
the local organizing committee, as well as from BOB, the host
broadcaster organization. This has made our life if not easier, then
at least more bearable!
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What are you personally most excited about in terms of these Olympic Games?
I am personally excited about what this event will represent for the EBU: the deployment of 4,700 people who will demonstrate and share our professional expertise. This will most likely be an unforgettable souvenir, not only for us, but for our Chinese counterparts. I also think that EBU engagement in operations in Asia after this operation - also taking into account the efficient work of our staffs in Singapore and Beijing - will result in excellent opportunities for the organization in the years to come. I will not professionally see these future opportunities, as I'll be retiring after the Beijing Games, but I am sure that this inheritance will be very valuable for those keeping the EBU's flag flying.
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Meet Oscar Diego Teran
Oscar Teran is Eurovision's Engineering Manager for the Beijing Olympics. Oscar will be in charge of all of the technical details of the operation under the supervision of the Head of Engineering and Booking. Oscar has considerable experience, including two years in Geneva as Resource Engineer and two years in Madrid as Engineering Manager of the EBU OPS Group. |
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We caught up with Oscar on his way to Beijing: What are you most excited about regarding Eurovision and the upcoming Beijing Olympics?
I'm excited about
the requirements! This kind of project doesn't accept any
delay in the milestones defined to achieving success.
Therefore, precision in designing processes is critically
important, as is the reliability of the technical facilities
and the correct selection of the staff. Beijing 2008 is the
first Olympics where we'll be handling three different TV
formats (SD 16:9, SD 4:3 and HD) and we'll also be taking
care of an outstanding number of exclusive TX channels for our
members. This has become the biggest operation ever managed by
our team. That's a huge challenge and it's very
exciting.
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What will you be focusing on in the next couple of weeks?
Based in the time line of the project, our next step is critical for the technical operation. This month, we start the cabling of the International Broadcasting Center (IBC) in Beijing. We have estimated 270 km of many different kind of cables. The set-up of the EBU OPS master control room will follow. In the end, it is all about the steps leading up to Eurovision's guarantee of outstanding service during the Games.
It is clear that broadcasting is based on the efficiency of a team and not on
individual talents. |
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Eurovision, L'Ancienne-Route 17a, CH-1218 Grand-Saconnex, Geneva, Switzerland.
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please send a message to marketing@eurovision.net |
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