In
1996, the Centennial Olympic Games will be held in Atlanta, Georgia (USA). These
Games, celebrating the re-inception of the Olympic games in 1894, will be the
largest ever held, gathering 197 nations from the world's five continents. A
record attendance is expected, and at least 15,000 athletes and officials will
this year participate in a record 26 sports and 271 events.
The Atlanta Games will be broadcast live worldwide by a number of different
television unions and networks, and will reach an audience of several billion
viewers at any given time during the 16 days of competitions.
On the spot, around 16,000 media representatives are expected to be
accredited and will work day and night to relay the images and sounds of the
Games to viewers, listeners and readers all over the globe. The press contingent
will include 5,000 written press (about 3,800 journalists from 197 countries,
800 photographers and 400 technicians), 8,000 broadcast media (television and
radio commentators, producers and technicians) and 3,000 staff members from
Atlanta Olympic Broadcasting, the host broadcaster, who will be charged with the
task of producing the international sound and picture feeds of the Games.
State-of-the art telecommunications will be in operation on a 24-hour basis. The
host broadcaster alone will produce 3,000 hours of live radio and television
coverage. In addition, some 40 television mobile units, 400 cameras and 275
video tape machines will be used, and will make Atlanta, for about a month, the
worldwide hub of global communications.