UEFA Euro 2012 covered by ARD radio with Lawo technology

German football supporters will be able to follow the action from the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament via live broadcasts from ARD radio utilising Lawo technology.

With Euro 2012 taking place in Poland and Ukraine, ARD’s master control room is located in the International Broadcast Center (IBC) in Warsaw, within a compound shared by ARD (German Broadcasting Union) and ZDF (Second German Television). A second production facility is situated some distance away from the main hub in a container compound located in Danzig, which is in the immediate vicinity of the German national team’s headquarters (DFBQ), whereby all exclusive coverage for ARD’s radio broadcasts is managed.

The WDR (West German Broadcasting) has taken on the responsibility for planning, preparing, and implementing the coverage of the Euro 2012 competition. Within the ARD, WDR serves as the host broadcaster when dealing with UEFA and ZDF. As ARD’s host broadcaster, WDR is not only responsible for organisational and editorial tasks, but also handles the technical management for TV and radio broadcasts. To this end, ARD’s existing inventory of Lawo equipment was expanded with the addition of two crystal consoles, one mc²56 console, and one Nova29. Each of these additions were rented from Lawo’s rental partner Audio Broadcast Services (ABS). The entire setup will be put to use again at the Olympic Games in London.

For the management of all control room tasks, ARD Radio utilises specifically developed software. Therefore, close cooperation with ABS during the entire process was crucual in assuring optimal system integration. “Due to the very positive experiences from this project, we are planning cooperation closely during future projects of this magnitude,” said Manfred Brass, technical director with ARD Radio at the IBC in Warsaw.

The technical preparations were directly connected to the planning for broadcasts from the Olympic Games in London. During a four-week test set-up at NDR (North German Broadcasting) in Hamburg, a comprehensive setup for all components was created, configured, and tested. Due to the small time window between packing up in Warsaw and Danzig, transporting the equipment, and setting up in London, both events have to be broadcast utilising almost identical setups. “In this situation, the strengths of the Lawo system really shine,” explained Brass.

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