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International Sports Broadcasting Company
One of the biggest tennants at the Media Center, or Salt Palace, will be the International Sports Broadcasting Company.
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(Oct. 20, 2001)------The I.S.B. supplies many of the television images that the world will see.
Mark Parkman/VP Operations, ISB: "WHEN PEOPLE ASK ME HOW YOU'RE DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER BROADCASTER, IT'S ACTUALLY QUITE SIMPLE BUT IT'S SOMETIMES HARD TO EXPLAIN."
So THATS what we're going to try and do, explain what the ISB is and does.
NBC will broadcast The Games here, but how do... say, all the Biathlon fans in Finland see the 2002 Olympic Winter Games?
Well, that's where the International Sports Broadcasting Company steps in.
MARK: "IT'S A VERY LARGE TASK THAT WE HAVE BEFORE US. IT'S THE SECOND LARGEST TELEVISION OPERATION IN THE WORLD."
If you use a little bit of logic here, you'll be able to figure out what the first largest operation is.
MARK: "THE FIRST IS THE SUMMER OLYMPICS. BECAUSE THE SUMMER OLYS ARE SO MUCH BIGGER."
That being said, covering the Winter Games isn't to be taken lightly.
MARK: "AND THE ENORMITY OF WHAT WE DO IS SOMEWHAT LOST UPON JUST HE GAMES ITSELF. WE HAVE TO HIRE 1,500 PEOPLE WHO WILL COME AND WORK HERE FOR THREE WEEKS. WE HAVE TO FLY THEM HERE, WE HAVE TO FEED THEM HERE, WE HAVE TO HOUSE THEM HERE."
You get the idea.
So, what about Salt Lake City could be a headache?
MARK: "WELL FORTUNATELY WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE GAMES ON PAPER THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF CHALLENGES. THESE GAMES ARE COMPACT AS OPPOSED TO OTHER GAMES."
It's Mother Nature you've got to be on the look out for.
MARK: "THE CHALLENGE WILL BE THE WEATHER AND HOW IT IMPACTS THE VENUES."
Despite any challenge thrown at Mark and the ISB, they know all-to-well that LOTS of fans are counting on them--An estimated 3.5 BILLION people.
During the past 18 months, crews have been scouring the corners of Utah, filming animals, landscape and other odds and ends to show the rest of the world who won't be here, what makes Utah, well, Utah.
MARK: "WE WORK HARD, WE WORK LONG HOURS AND IT'S A LOT OF HARD WORK AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S SPORTS. IT'S A GAME AND WE JUST HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TELEVISE IT. IT MAKES IT PRETTY SPECIAL."
