April 1997 – N°24 – News – ENGLISH

Broadcasters’ meeting

245 members of the Consortium Co-ordination Committee (C.C.C.), took part in the first world broadcasters’ meeting organised by TVRS 98, the host broadcaster, on 15 and 16 April in Paris. The meeting provided an opportunity, 420 days from the opening match, to review all aspects of T.V. coverage for the 1998 World Cup.
TVRS 98

TVRS 98 distributed a price list including a rundown of the services which will be available to broadcasters, and the CFO reported on preparations as well as handing out its own service list. The next broadcasters’ meeting is scheduled to take place just after the draw for the finals in December.

Stade de France accessible to the physically disadvantaged

On 5 March 1997, the Stade de France consortium presented to Patrick Segal, the Interministerial Delegate to the physically disadvantaged, the general design of the Stade de France including the provisions to be made for the disabled. The Stade de France is the first stadium which is truly accessible to the physically disadvantaged, providing more than 1,000 permanent places for them.

Around a hundred parking places are to be reserved and five lifts will also be available giving access to the esplanade. An entrance with a fold-away barrier rather than a turnstile will also be put in place at each of the 18 control points. And inside the stadium all passageways will be accessible to those in wheelchairs, including press and official areas.

As the changing rooms are at the same level as the playing field, the Stade de France will also be able to welcome disabled sportsmen and women. “The remarkable thing about this stadium,” commented Patrick Segal, “is that the physically disadvantaged have been allotted the best places, which makes a nice change.”

Coming to a screen near you

Slowly but surely the media is giving more and more coverage to the World Cup, notably on the regular French channels. At TFI International, under the aegis of the Sportsdesk, ten programmes of 26 minutes are to be broadcast on FRANCE 98. In each of these programmes – which have already been sold to over 60 T.V. stations around the world – one host city and one commercial affiliate is profiled, and one or several CFO directors are interviewed. France Télévision (public channel), which combines France 2 and France 3

is producing, via its subsidiary Infovidéo 3, twenty programmes twenty six minutes long, also designed for the international market, which will take a novel look at France and its regions around the theme of the 1998 World Cup.

Inspection tour

From 7 to 11 April, a FIFA technical delegation visited each of the ten 1998 World Cup venues in turn. Senes Erzik, who led the delegation, declared that he was satisfied with the measure of improvements: “The renovation work is proceeding on schedule, there is absolutely nothing to worry about”. Keith Cooper, the FIFA Head of Press, who was part of the delegation, confirmed the delegation’s satisfaction at the level of enthusiasm prevailing around the country.

“What impressed me the most”, he said, “was the ongoing co-operation between the Organising Committee, the venue directors, the local councils and the clubs.” This inspection tour was followed by FIFA General Secretary Joseph Blatter’s visit to Marseille, Montpellier and Toulouse between 16 and 18 April.

1768 ball boys / girls

The French Football Federation (FFF) made public on 7 April its “T’es jeune, t’es foot” initiative aimed at young people. For the first time, 2,400 11- and 12-year olds will be the stars, in 60 games programmed as curtain-raisers in the next World Cup.

A further 1768 youngsters between the ages of 11 and 16 will be selected as ball boys/girls. In this way, the FFF will be mobilising its 2 million members and registered players for the World Cup while giving priority to the young.