FINAL COUNTDOWN BEGINS IN BRAZIL

FINAL COUNTDOWN BEGINS IN BRAZIL - 05/12/2013 The 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil really does begin to fall into place this week with the Final Draw on Friday 6 December, determining the eight groups into which the 32 qualified nations will be divided, followed by the Second FIFA World Broadcaster Meeting on 8-9 December.

The Broadcast Compound for the Final Draw of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil is presently home to almost 70 vehicles

A long-awaited event for fans around the world, the Final Draw is equally anticipated by the broadcast community as each nation's programme, dates and venues become known and the group matches are identified. From here on in broadcasters know everything they need in order to plan for their coverage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil and HBS can cross the t's and dot the i's on their long-term planning for the event.

Such an important occasion, produced by Brazilian broadcaster TV Globo, requires a fitting scale and the Final Draw for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil certainly lives up to its billing. Hosted by FIFA at the Costa do Sauipe resort in Bahia, some 100 kilometres north of 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil host city Salvador, the drama will unfold in a specially constructed Draw Hall covering 9,000 square metres of the beach-side locale.

Inside the tent the impressive figures continue - 20 tonnes of video equipment, 36 tonnes of light equipment, 3,500 metres of power cable and four tonnes of iron used to construct the 580 square metre stage.

On that stage on Friday, guided by FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke, will be eight legends of the game to assist with the draw: Alcides Ghiggia (FIFA World Cup winner in 1950 with Uruguay), Geoff Hurst (winner in 1966 with England), Marcos Cafu (winner in 1994 and 2002 with Brazil), Fabio Cannavaro (winner in 2006 with Italy), Mario Kempes (winner in 1978 with Argentina), Fernando Hierro (quarter-finalist in 1994 and 2002 with Spain), Zinedine Zidane (winner in 1998 with France) and Lothar Matthaus (winner in 1990 with Germany).

A combined team of 282 from TV Globo and HBS are among the 2,700 plus people involved in the operation of the draw, with 1,354 people from 61 Media Rights Licensee organisations in attendance to broadcast the spectacle to a waiting world. A total of 201 territories around the world have the rights and to broadcast the Final Draw and at last count 155 of those territories will be broadcasting to free-to-air TV.

HBS' operation at the Final Draw for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil is run from the TV Compound tent on the left while the Final Draw itself will be held in the large tent on the right

Those MRLs have prime space in the 3,000 square metre broadcast compound, in which close to 70 vehicles have taken up residence as the week has progressed. Meanwhile, 59 TV and radio commentary positions have been booked, along with 60 Post Draw positions in the TV Mixed Zone.

Following the completion of the Final Draw, broadcasters will reconvene with FIFA, the LOC and HBS in Rio de Janeiro for the Second FIFA World Broadcaster Meeting to hear the final plans for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil and discuss their requirements in the aftermath of the allocation of nations.

LINK:	http://www.hbs.tv/news-archive/news/article/final-countdown-begins-in-...
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