107th IOC Session - LA84 Foundation

Broadcasting
The main entrance of
the IBC
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NAOC and ORTO’98 made the utmost efforts
to provide the Rights Holders who purchased
exclusive broadcasting rights with a top
quality radio and television signal that would
convey the mood and excitement of the Games.
The service garnered high praise and there were
no major problems or complaints. The results of
an IOC survey indicated that the Nagano Games
were watched in more countries and regions
than any other previous Olympic Winter
Games. In major markets such as Europe and
North America, the large time differences and
scheduling changes due to inclement weather
had little effect on viewing rates, and an estimated
cumulative total of 10.7 billion viewers
around the world tuned in over the sixteen-day
period. This figure was in line with the recordbreaking
number of television viewers estimated
to have watched the 1994 Lillehammer Games.
Overall, the number of hours of coverage broadcast
was 55% greater than for the Lillehammer
Games, with interest in Japan especially high at
approximately 1.8 billion viewers, roughly 2.5
times the number of viewers for Lillehammer.
Organization
• ORTO’98
The Olympic Radio and Television
Organization (ORTO’98), host broadcaster
for the Games, was created by agreement between
NHK (the Japanese national broadcasting
corporation), the National Association of
Broadcasters (NAB), and NAOC in
November 1993, and was established as a
separate organization within NAOC. Because
of the immense scale of resources required for
producing the international signal, a committee
with representatives from the organizations
was set up to coordinate budgeting and
staffing needs. Actual work began in Tokyo
the following April, with production and engineering
staff assigned from NHK and NAB
member stations. ORTO’98 staff moved to
Nagano in September 1997 upon the completion
of the International Broadcasting Centre
(IBC).
• NAOC Broadcast Planning Department
Created in April 1995 to coordinate information
and activities between ORTO’98, the
Rights Holders, and NAOC, the responsibilities
of the Broadcast Planning Department included
overseeing IBC construction and
equipment installation, and the preparation
and operations of broadcast facilities at all
Games venues. In addition, Broadcast
Planning handled arrangements for the accommodations
and transportation needs of
Rights Holders, ORTO’98 core staff, and production
teams.