PyeongChang Celebrates 'On Time' Transfer of IBC

(ATR) Olympic Broadcasting Services has assumed control of the PyeongChang International Broadcast Center with eight months to go until the 2018 Winter Olympics.

OBS chief executive Yiannis Exarchos tells Around the Rings the time frame for delivery is "on time" even with a limited time frame.

"The summer IBC is much bigger than winter, so [it is] normally delivered earlier," Exarchos said. "In PyeongChang we worked a lot to optimize space."

Exarchos was also confident there would be no issues with OBS equipment in South Korea. After the Rio 2016 Olympics, a lawsuit by the Ministry of Public Works placed a hold on the equipment in Brazil. The equipment would not be released for several months, before a settlement was reached.

"The issue in Rio was related to the labour authority in Brazil not recognising the guarantee they issued that would ensure that during the Games, regular working rules did not apply to the members of the media," Exarchos said to ATR. "This issue was eventually resolved and not a single labour claim was made against OBS. We are confident that the Korean organisers will be fully compliant with the Olympic rules."

The IBC for PyeongChang 2018 is located in the mountain cluster near the Alpensia resort complex. The building serves as studio and technical space for the Olympic rights holders to broadcast worldwide. For the first time there will not be an auxiliary Winter Olympics IBC as the coastal cluster will also be served by the main facility.

Over 50 different news organizations will be served by the IBC with studio spaces on the roof of the 51,024 square meter building. Inside the IBC there will be 17 television studios and 5 radio studios. On the roof there will be 9 television studios and 10 additional standup positions.

For the first time the IBC will be a building with a singular floor. A three-story building is attached to the IBC, which will serve as OBS and PyeongChang 2018 office space. In that floor there will be 34,000 square meters of functional space, according to OBS.

PyeongChang 2018 President Hee Beom Lee said in a statement that delivering the IBC was "another meaningful milestone" on the road to the Games.

"The IBC will bring the Games to billions across the globe and POCOG will support OBS to deliver the best conditions for broadcasters around the world," Lee added.

OBS will work over the coming months to begin fitting out the building to serve the needs of the different rights holders. PyeongChang 2018 says that rights holders will begin arriving in October to finalize studio preparations. The IBC will open on Jan. 9, 2018, one month before the PyeongChang Olympics begin.

Written by Aaron Bauer

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