New Delhi, Oct. 29 : Public broadcaster Doordarshan has awarded the prestigious contract to cover the Commonwealth Games 2010 to the British company SIS Live.

Europe''s largest outside broadcast (OB) and uplink supplier, SIS Live (Satellite Information Service) will provide the production and coverage facilities and services to cover the Commonwealth Games in High Definition TV (HD TV) to ensure better image resolution for the first time in India and for Commonwealth Games.

According to the Director General, Doordarshan, Aruna Sharma, Prasar Bharati, has tied up with SIS Live, after an exhaustive tender process.

Providing the details of the contract, Sharma said SIS Live would provide all production facilities and personnel to cover 17 different sports across 12 venues in Delhi, as well as the Games'' opening and closing ceremonies.

In addition, SIS Live provided coverage of the Queen''s Baton Relay, which started from Buckingham Palace, London, today, before making a 340-day, 190,000-kilometre journey across all the Commonwealth countries, ending in New Delhi at the start of the Games.

As well as providing the technical infrastructure to cover the Games, SIS Live is providing over 1,000 highly-skilled technical and production staff at the 12 venues. As well as providing the technical infrastructure to cover the Games, SIS LIVE is providing over 12000 highly-skilled technical and production staff at the 12 venues assisted by 300 DD staff. Training for the DD staff will be started soon in New Delhi by foreign technicians.

SIS Live will also provide foreign commentators for the Commonwealth Games, though DD will arrange Hindi and other regional languages commentators for the domestic viewers as well, Sharma added.

Being the host broadcaster, Doordarshan presented its production and coverage preparedness plan for the Commonwealth Games at the just concluded World Broadcasting Meet held in New Delhi from October 3 to 14, 2009 for the Rights Holding Broadcasters
(RHBs) from various Commonwealth nations.

Prasar Bharti has made elaborate and comprehensive publicity plans on TV and Radio to generate awareness for the Games. Pre-Game programming components highlighting a range of activities have also been put on Doordarshan from next month as disclosed by Sharma.

Prasar Bharti also held a World Broadcaster Meet on Commonwealth Games in the capital between October 26 and 28.

SIS Live, which incorporates the former BBC Outside Broadcast division, has over 70 years experience of covering major sporting events, and currently provides the facilities and personnel to cover everything from Formula One to Wimbledon to the London Marathon. (ANI)