Joburg to host WC media centre
25 July 2007
Johannesburg has beaten off competition from Cape Town and Durban to be chosen as the host for the 2010 Fifa World Cup International Broadcast Centre (IBC), with local organisers now only waiting for Fifa to ratify the decision.
The South African Cabinet made the decision after a meeting this Tuesday, ending a selection process that started in November 2006.
This follows two presentations made by the cities in May and further evaluation in June, after which the Local Organising Committee's (LOC) board designated Johannesburg as the preferred bidder and Cape Town as the reserve bidder.
"Fifa now has to ratify this decision," LOC chief executive Danny Jordaan said, after writing to the Fifa to inform them of the country’s decision.
The IBC will be the nerve centre for the World Cup, with media streaming being organised, packaged and sent out from the facility to over 30-billion cumulative viewers worldwide over the duration of the tournament.
The centre will enhance South Africa's migration into the new model of high definition television and new broadcasting technology.
Jordaan commended the cities' bids to host the IBC, stating the quality of the cities' submissions and presentations assured local organisers that South Africa will host a world-class World Cup in 2010.
He added that Cape Town still had an important part to play in hosting the World Cup: "We still have to award the venue for the World Cup final draw, the Fifa Congress and many other events."
"So it's not the end of the world for Cape Town."
Source: BuaNews
