World Cup organizers want to display stylized images of Qatar.
But SVT and TV4 think differently.
We will not display images that are sent to us, says Eric Westberg, Sports Director of TV4.
When the World Cup soccer tournament was in Qatar Underway, the matches will not only be broadcast to TV viewers around the world. The organizers also want to present a positive image of the host country.
FIFA will send so-called “beauty shots” from the tournament to broadcasters. According to NRK journalist Halvor Ekeland, these are, for example, pictures of Doha, beaches and camels.
When the Swedish Sports Journalists Association conducted a debate on Qatar WC, Ekeland told NRK that it would not feature any “beauty shots”.
– We at NRK don’t intend to show any of that. We won’t be showing any of those photos, Ekeland says.
“The media is responsible”
According to the journalist, who was arrested in Qatar last fall, there are certain requirements that broadcasting companies must follow. Among other things, the media is obligated to display images of WC sponsors, such as Qatar Airways.
We must show what we must show, but nothing else. All rights holders can do this. We will fill our radio stations with the press we want, says Ekeland. He continues:
– Instead of showing an interview with a former football player talking about how beautiful Qatar is, we could, for example, have an AI person in our studio. We have opportunities to do a lot, and the media is responsible there.
Ekeland adds:
– NRK should show football and then we should show which country football is played in. We must not display the images that FIFA and Qatar want to display.
SVT and TV4 management
How will broadcasting companies in Sweden act in this regard? sa Edlund Jönsson, Head of Sports at SVT, explains what causes SVT.
– There are no requirements from the Fifa regulator regarding trailers or the use of environmental images, and SVT will make trailers where we put football into focus, Edlund Jönsson says and continues:
– In short, you can say that the requirements are that we show matches, which of course we want. That’s why we bought the right.
TV4 will not use images produced by the WC Organizers.
– As a rights holder, you always receive photos from the host country. There are, of course, plenty of “tourist films” that show happy people, children, and environments. Therefore, it is very important to be there and report the situation there, says Eric Westberg, Head of Sports at TV4 and adds:
– We will not show the photos that have been sent to us, we use our own photos and make our own trailer.
FIFA President’s response
Hans Holtmann, FIFA’s director of media, explains what the organizer’s demands look like.
– This is not my area, it is handled exclusively by my TV colleagues. As far as I know, there are no special requirements for environmental images that absolutely must be displayed, he says.
