Euro Cup live shows on local TV

Euro Cup live shows on local TV

JAKARTA (JP): Exclusive comments from English soccer's living
legends will add extra spice to the excitement of watching the
Euro Cup '96 matches live here.

Linda Wahyudi, sports coordinator of privately-owned TV
channel RCTI, said yesterday that the station will feature Gary
Lineker, Bobby Charlton and Bryan Robson, plus noted soccer
commentator Martin Taylor in rare discussions which will prelude
each of the 17 Euro Cup matches it will air next month.

Former England captain Lineker, Middlesbrough's manager
Robson, former Republic of Ireland team manager Charlton and
Taylor will be interviewed by RCTI during the live shows.

The Jakarta-based TV channel has the rights to broadcast all
the European soccer championship matches from June 9 to June 30,
but it has decided to share the package with its sister channel
SCTV. The Surabaya-based station will air 14 matches.

"Inviting international soccer experts as commentators will be
a first in local TV history," Linda claimed.

The Euro Cup'96 is one of a trilogy of live broadcasts worth
Rp 15 billion (US$6.5 million) arranged by RCTI from May to July.

The series of programs, using 64 audio-visual channels, will
kick off with the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup badminton championships
coverage in Hong Kong next week.

The Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia will cap the
broadcasting extravaganza in July. RCTI is planning to screen
200-hours of live programs during the July 17-Aug. 4 Games, with
an average of eight hours of coverage a day.

The live Olympic show will start from 00.00 a.m. to 05.30 a.m.
and resume from 08.00 a.m. to 10.30 a.m.

RCTI, in cooperation with cigarette company PT HM Sampoerna,
will broadcast the semifinals and finals of the Thomas and Uber
Cups from May 23 to May 26.

The badminton coverage will cost both RCTI and the cigarette
company Rp 8.6 billion. (yan)