DD hires UK's SIS Live to produce CW Games in HD format

Doordarshan, which has the domestic broadcast rights for the Commonwealth Games 2010, has hired SIS Live of UK for production of the event in high definition (HD) TV format, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Monday.

"The transmission (of Commonwealth Games) in India will be both in HD and standard definition (SD) format," Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said while replying to supplementaries during Question Hour.

Arrangements have been made for setting up of International Broadcast Centre (IBC) at Pragati Maidan for broadcast and relay of the games. "All activities in respect of IBC have been entrusted to a consortium comprising Global Television Services Pvt Ltd and Shaf Broadcast Pvt Ltd," she said.

Doordarshan, she said, did not have the technical knowhow and human resources to produce the event in HD format so production and coverage has been outsourced to SIS Live.

SIS Live (Satellite Information Service) is Europe's largest outside broadcast (OB) and uplink supplier.

"There has not been any recruitment for the purpose. However, Doordarshan has trained 300 personnel for the Games and a large number of personnels are being deployed for doing the Rights Holding Broadcaster (RHB) duties for exclusive coverage of games within India," she said.

To a question, she said at the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention it has been decided that all stadiums will cover all spots that were oozing unnecessary or direct sunlight that impact HD format production.

"It has been decided that the Organising Committee will cover all those areas where unnecessary or direct sunlight was coming," she said.

Doordarshan has engaged 691 personnel, including retired people, in different categories on yearly contract against the existing 5,097 vacancies to manage the work smoothly, she said.

"Group of Minister (GOM) has now taken a decision for Prasar Bharati to set up recruitment boards. Accordingly, steps are being taken and recruitment rules are getting finalised to fill up the vacancies," the minister added.