The Associated Press (AP) may be forced to suspend text and photo coverage of England’s cricket tour of India because of new restrictions introduced by the Board of Control For Cricket In India (BCCI).

The BCCI said it would prevent photo-only agencies from covering games and limit the number of its own photographs available to media. International photo-only agencies, as well as some similar Indian companies, have been refused accreditation for the England tour.

Other international news organisations are considering suspending coverage.

The first of four Test matches is scheduled to start in Ahmedabad on Thursday, when the new BCCI conditions are being introduced.

Lou Ferrara, AP’s Managing Editor for Sports, said”: “We are surprised at these terms for photo agencies and remain hopeful that they will be lifted. AP wants to provide cricket coverage to the world and it is only in the best interest of the organisers to allow that to happen for all news outlets, especially in this rapidly changing media landscape.”

AP is working with the News Media Coalition to try to find a solution.{jcomments on}

Der Präsident des Deutschen Olympischen Sportbundes (DOSB), cough Dr. Thomas Bach, hat die Entscheidung der ARD, die Wettkämpfe der Olympischen Spiele in London zusätzlich über bis zu sechs parallele Livestreams im Internet zu zeigen, gelobt. “Das ist nur zu begrüßen, weil die Olympischen Spiele nur über eine Vielzahl von Kanälen abgewickelt werden können”, sagte Bach in einem ARD-Interview.

Die ARD geht gemeinsam mit dem ZDF in London neue Wege und lässt die sportinteressierten Zuschauer umfassend an den Olympischen Spielen teilhaben, indem sie vielen Sportarten eine zusätzliche Bühne bietet. Die Livestreams ergänzen das Fernsehprogramm und präsentieren Olympia im Internet, auf mobilen Endgeräten wie Smartphones und Tablet-PCs, sowie im HbbTV. Die Livestreams werden auf sportschau.de/olympia bereitgestellt.

“Das Internet bietet großartige Möglichkeiten, um zielgerichtet dem Fan einer bestimmten Sportart, aber auch um möglichst vielen Zuschauern die Olympische Begeisterung und die Olympischen Wettbewerbe zu vermitteln”, sagte Dr. Bach, der auch Vize-Präsident des Internationalen Olympischen Komitees ist.

Die ARD plant, täglich bis zu 60 Stunden Live-Sport aus London zu streamen. “So garantieren wir größtmögliche sportliche Vielfalt”, sagt Thomas Luerweg, Online-Sportchef des NDR.

Mit insgesamt rund 900 Stunden zusätzlicher Live-Berichterstattung decken ARD und ZDF von Badminton bis Wasserspringen alle Sportarten umfangreich ab. Dabei werden rund zwei Drittel der Sportereignisse von den ARD- und ZDF-Fachreportern kommentiert. Ob Bogenschießen oder BMX – vor allem Rand- und Trendsportarten profitieren von der neuen Strategie der ARD.

Über einen elektronischen Programmführer (EPG) sieht der User auf einen Blick, welche Disziplin oder welche Entscheidung live übertragen wird. Die Online-Zuschauer haben darüber hinaus die Möglichkeit, ihre favorisierten Sportarten auszuwählen und zu sehen, welche Übertragungen geplant sind. “So können die Zuschauer und User ihr Olympia-Programm individuell zusammenstellen und möglichst viele Medaillenentscheidungen live erleben”, sagt Luerweg.

Um nichts zu verpassen, bieten ARD und ZDF Highlight-Videos und ein so genanntes Time-Shifting-Verfahren an. Mit einer Pausenfunktion können die Live-Übertragungen angehalten und zu einem späteren Zeitpunkt angeschaut werden.

Für die kleinen und großen Olympischen Momente sorgen allein die Athleten. Auf sportschau.de/olympia sind die deutschen Sportfans dabei – jederzeit und überall.

Sony is extending its sponsorship of ESPN 3D for another year.

Sony was named the first official sponsor of the network when it was announced in January 2010. The network launched June 11 2010 and became to a 24/7 network on February 14 2011.

Ed Erhardt, president of ESPN Customer Marketing and Sales, said: “We’re doubling the number of college football games on the network this fall, which was made possible by our strategic relationship with Sony.”

ESPN 3D produced more than 115 live sporting events and was launched with the commencement of the 2010 FIFA World Cup soccer championship games.

3DTV is still to become an established part of people’s homes. First-year set sales was just 1.1 million in the United States, whilst this year’s number is expected to hit 1.9 million. That’s still a fraction of ESPN 3D’s footprint, which covers 65 million households.

Recent research from the United Kingdom on 3D reveals conflicts. 3DTV penetration is expected to grow, but 3DTV usage for viewing stereoscopic content is not.

Mohamed Bin Hammam is meeting with English FA chairman David Bernstein today, April 28, and has claimed that the British media has a responsibility to support efforts to build bridges between FIFA and British member associations.

Sepp Blatter’s FIFA Presidential Candidacy opponent said that while it was the body’s responsibility to take “the initial step to clear the air between itself and the British people” the move needed to be reciprocated not only by the four home nations “but also by the clubs, league, fans and media in Britain”.

With England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup falling at the first hurdle, relations between the FA and FIFA are at an all-time low and Bin Hammam added: “Building the bridges between Britain and FIFA is not only the task of FIFA or the British associations.

“A gesture of goodwill between Britain and FIFA must be supported and embraced by all those who have issues and differences in opinions with the others.”

The FA are thought to be seriously considering backing the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president’s candidacy after England’s bid leaders and British media criticised FIFA and the 2018 bidding process following the country’s shock first-round elimination in the December 2 vote. 

FIFA were severely antagonised by the British media in the build-up to the vote when a Sunday Times investigation in October led to the banning of two FIFA Ex-Co members, one of whom was caught on film requesting bribes. 

This was followed shortly after by a BBC Panorama investigation, broadcast days before the vote, which named another three Ex-Co members as taking bribes from the collapsed sports marketing company, ISL. 

Bin Hammam was among those critical of the methods used by the Sunday Times reporters in the run-up to the vote and said that now the British media are among those who have a responsibility to get the FA’s relations with FIFA back on track.

The Qatari national added: “FIFA has to come forward and take the initial step to clear the air between itself and the British people. But I believe this has to be reciprocal, not just by the British associations but also by the clubs, league, fans and media in Britain.”

Steve Lawrence, the architect who wrote the original masterplan for the London Olympics and Paralympics, has written to the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, stating that he should not approve West Ham’s bid for sole use of the Stratford venue after the 2012 Games.

The architect has constantly stood by his view that West Ham should ground-share with Tottenham Hotspur at a revamped Olympic stadium – with the revenue being used to build an adjacent athletics venue to preserve the legacy.

Lawrence was commissioned by Stratford Development Partnership over 10 years ago, to carry out an alternative feasibility study for the Olympics. He proposed that any venue in Stratford should, after the Games, be shared by Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United as anchor tenants with the idea being rejected by local land-owners, who were fearful of rowdy fans.

Johnson, along with two UK government officials, are believed to be ready to ratify the decision to award West Ham the rights to the Olympic Stadium after the Premier League strugglers secured preferred bidder status from the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) last week.

However, Lawrence says that the solution is doomed and has urged Boris Johnson not to let it happen for fear of wasting public money, and instead to support the ground-share scheme he initially proposed.

Lawrence wrote to the Mayor, as well as the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, stating: “It is appalling that the original proposal for a shared use of the Olympic Stadium by Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham with the revenue stream being used
to fund a Centre for UK Athletics has not been considered appropriately.

“I wrote to your predecessor, Ken Livingstone, several times from 2000 on about this, your office has therefore been aware of the proposal for ten years.

“I cannot understand why this proposal has not been considered, it is far and away the most cost effective and in not considering it properly, your office is complicit in wasting vast sums of taxpayers and ratepayers money.

“I hope you will now set aside the OPLC recommendation which is highly flawed and instigate a more accountable analysis of proposals including the possibility of a shared use of the stadium.”

---

Related Discussion: West Ham Olympic Stadium Financing by Stephen Pearson

Mestalla stadium, home to La Liga club Valencia, has been revealed as the host of this season’s Copa del Rey final between Real Madrid and Barcelona in April.

The announcement was made by the Spanish Football Federation who also decided the kick off will be at 9.30pm local time.

The stadium was chosen to hold the final three years ago, the last time it was contested between Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Real thrashed city rivals Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals, while Barca overcame Real Sociedad.

Barca have won the cup a record 26 times, while Real have lifted the trophy 18 times.

The London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) has agreed to award iCITY sole preferred bidder status to become the long-term tenant of the Press and Broadcast Centres.

iCITY will now have an opportunity over several months to submit credible business plans to show it can deliver the Legacy Corporation’s aspirations for the Press and Broadcast Centre site.

iCITY aims to create a leading centre for technology, doctor design and research with the potential to generate more than 4,000 jobs. The digital hub would harness innovation and creativity in east London. The iCITY vision also has a community focus including a conference centre and a pedestrian square for broadcasting major sporting events, along with cafes, restaurants and bars.

The Legacy Corporation has set iCITY tough but achievable requirements that must be met before any agreement for lease is formally signed.

Gavin Poole, Chief Executive Officer of iCITY, said: “We are delighted that iCITY has been selected as Sole Preferred Bidder for the legacy use of the Press and Broadcast Centres on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. This is a unique opportunity to cement Britain’s position as a global leader in innovation and the creative industries.

“iCITY will provide a sustainable legacy for the local community through the creation of thousands of jobs, apprenticeships and training opportunities. The incredible track record of start-ups and entrepreneurs in east London is growing at an impressive rate, and this is a chance to provide additional connectivity, capacity, investment and highly advanced infrastructure. I am hugely excited that work can now begin on turning that vision into a reality.”

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “London couldn’t be in a better position to stage the best Games ever with everything ready to go and our legacy plans in great shape. With the future for six out of the eight Olympic Park facilities are already secured, it is now particularly encouraging to see on top of that a substantial bid for the Press and Broadcast Centres that we hope will act as a spring board for major job creation and new opportunities for local people.”

The Press and Broadcast Centres will house 20,000 journalists during the Games. Afterwards, the Broadcast Centre will offer 95,000 sq ft of office space over five floors and 575,000 sq ft of commercial space over two floors. The five storey Press Centre will provide around 317,000 sq ft of prime office space with the potential for retail uses on the ground floor.