TAHITI – The Oceania Football Confoederation (OFC) Television Seminar concluded at the Radisson Hotel with Solomon Islands and Vanuatu member associations and television stations
named in a pilot project designed to train and upskill local people to film domestic football in what is a first for OFC.
OFC President/FIFA Vice-President Reynald Temarii was joined by the President of French-Polynesia Oscar Temaru in opening the OFC Television Seminar with invitees from Canal France
International (CFI)Development arm Guy Muller, Hedi Heml and Thomas Roux, Maori Television’s Larry George Parr, Fiji TV, EMTV’s Glenn Armstrong, KYVCK from American Samoa through Faamitai Puletasi,
TNTV Yves Haupert and Olivier Huc, Cook Islands TV’s Jeane Matenga, Tonga Broadcasting Sioeli Maka Tohi .
Also in attendance were Samoa Broadcasting Faiesea Matafeo, TV Blong Vanuatu Patrick Manarewo and Solomon Islands One News Limited, On Site Broadcasting’s Murray Roberts, FIFA TV
representative Paul Calder, FIFA Development Officer Glenn Turner and Jean-Michel Benezet and OFC member associations out in force with the OFC General Secretariat represented by OFC General
Secretary Tai Nicholas and OFC Media and Communications Gordon Glen Watson.
CFI representative Guy Muller heaped praise on OFC President Reynald Temarii (pictured below)for his insight and vision in bringing together television and football people together
in one place to discuss the issues facing both parties. Temarii was equally grateful for CFI’s role in facilitating the seminar, in particular, the role played by Guy Muller and Hedi Heml, both of
whom Temarii met in Paris earlier this year with a view to creating a fulcrum for discussion on television in the region.
FIFA/OFC Ambassador Christian Karembeu was in attendance and said the seminar was crucial to show people in the region that there was a staircase that could be climbed from the
village, to the football pitch, to the world leaving a lasting legacy that would create heroes for youngsters to aspire too.
Discussions amongst were described as fruitful by OFC President Reynald Temarii with several resolutions determined including a proposed training scheme for One News Limited likely
to be implemented in Honiara rather than in French-Polynesia as initially suggested with OFC to provide technical equipment. OFC would provide Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF) with a
Media Officer who would work out of One News Limited’s offices.
OFC facilitated meetings between SIFF and One News and despite disagreements on the details of some issues, the debate was considered positive by both Martin Alufurai and One News
Dorothy Wickham.
“We don’t agree on everything but this is a start,” Wickham said,”Federations need to understand the television industry a bit better and it is good a dialogue has now started but we
need something concrete to happen otherwise everybody talks and nothing will happen.”
Vanuatu Football Federation (VFF) President Lambert Maltock and Television Blong Vanuatu Patrick Manarewo collaborating on a plan that would see an increase in domestic product on
local television with a further possibility for the production of a one hour magazine-style football show.
“Compatability between countries is important,” Manarewo said,”our technical equipment is not the same as that which is in other countries so any co-operation or swapping of content
or technical equipment needs to bear this in mind.”
Lambert Maltock was happy with the proposed outcomes but said any dispute over commercial rights needed to be examined closely with VFF “to do what is best for us in this
regard.”
SIFF President Martin Alufurai said the subject of rights was important for Solomon Islands because football was the number one sport and generated genuine commercial interest. How
revenue from football broadcasts was divided up was a delicate and complex subject Alufurai said and OFC’s member associations would benefit greatly from a seminar devoted to that subject
alone.
In other developments TNTV CEO Yves Haupert said a relationship could be established between TNTV and Cook Islands Television to provide training to shoot a magazine-style football
orientated show similar to TNTV’s hugely successful Fenua-Foot show.
“We are very close to the Cook Islands and it makes sense for TNTV to provide support for our near neighbours. We would like to discuss this possibility in closer detail with our
colleagues from Rarotonga,” Haupert said.
Cook Islands Television’s Jeane Matenga said shooting football matches in Rarotonga took place as a matter of fact but said any prospect of training and technical assistance would be
welcomed.
“Our relationship with Cook Islands Football Association (CIFA) is good. We work with Lee Harmon very well. But there are issues we need to address and working closely with TNTV
would be good,” Matenga said.
The following conclusions and summaries were arrived at during the OFC Television Seminar at the Radisson Hotel, Tahiti, 30th November, 2007.
OFC Vision’s development plan will include a close relationship with CFI using the African example to promote and implement a system of Exchange of Television images and programming
in Oceania and, eventually, to design an Oceania television network.
OFC Media and Communications Department will provide, through its Oceania Television training project, provision of technical equipment, training with follow-up programmes, provision
of television rights (FIFA/OFC), implement a weekly television magazine-style football show in Solomon Islands and Vanuatu as part of the proposed pilot project.
The possibility of OFC providing “fly-away” crews to assist in broadcasting OFC O-League matches and other OFC competitions around the region has also been proposed with additional
OFC competitions provided in “bundles” with the chance of FIFA content being added on with discussions still ongoing.
Federation Tahitienne de Football (FTF) then celebrated the inauguration of its latest FIFA Goal Project with floodlights at FTF’s Technical Development centre being brought to life
with a host of diginitaries present including FIFA Technical Development Officer Jean Michel Benezet.
FIFA Development Officer for Oceania Glenn Turner said the floodlights were a fitting tribute to the hard work that had gone into creating Tahiti’s technical centre and was pleased
with the outcome.