MUMBAI: Host Broadcast Services (HBS), the host broadcast organisation owned by Infront Sports & media, has been appointed by the Sportsman Media Group and Red Bull Media House, the new promoter of the FIA World Rally Championship, to serve as their TV production partner for the coming 2013 WRC season.

The FIA World Rally Championship is the top-ranked rally series organised by the FIA. It currently consists of 13 events of up to 25 special stages, driven on gravel, tarmac, snow and ice. The WRC provides authentic and competitive motorsports action featuring powerful cars and fantastic drivers in a unique environment. 

As such, it is a perfect sport for HBS? signature mix of technological innovation and high quality production ? on-board cameras, aerial coverage and sophisticated microphones are already planned, with additional innovations in the pipeline.

HBS will produce the daily news and a 26-minute highlight show of each rally, as well as a 52-minute show featuring all the highlights of the WRC season. The company will work in close collaboration with its Finnish technical partner Filmworks to bring the intense emotions of this exhilarating sport to TV viewers worldwide. 

HBS? veteran producer Nick Atkins will lead a dedicated team tasked with the production and delivery of world-class coverage of the 13 races of the WRC calendar, beginning almost immediately with the legendary Rally Monte Carlo, which takes place on 15-20 January.

NEW DELHI: Sports members from Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union are to undergo training in Hanoi next March to perfect their techniques for coverage of sporting events.

The bi-annual Sports Group meeting being held as part of the 48th General Assembly of the ABU here was told that Host Broadcast Services (HBS), the production arm of FIFA, has developed a mobile football academy to address the need to build up football coverage, particularly in developing countries.

It comprises a team of experts who conduct training in various aspects of production such as directing, camera work, graphics, robotics and wire cams.

The training is in preparation for the 2012 European Football Championships in Poland and the Ukraine.

HBS Broadcast Academy head Lise Cosimi-Breant told the Sports Group about the use of the Live TV Simulator, a portable professional tool, which is used for on-site training. "It is being used to raise the standard of live TV direction," she said.

HBS conducted the first "Football College" in Mauritius in 2010 just before the World Cup in South Africa, and attained great success.

"How can you give value to your coverage, attract audiences and increase revenue?" Ms Cosimi-Breant asked the broadcasters. "It?s through operational training, raising your standards and challenging your vision of the coverage."

"HBS is an industry leader and ABU Sports Group members are benefitting from its considerable experience," said John Barton, ABU Director of Sport. "It is important for us to elevate our standards in order to meet viewers? expectations."