ONOC on island to assess broadcast capabilities

Oceania National Olympic Committees chief information technology officer Sitiveni Tawakevou poses inside the Northern Marianas Pacific Mini Games organizing committee office at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. (MARK RABAGO)

Oceania National Olympic Committees chief information technology officer Sitiveni Tawakevou is on island to look at the CNMI’s broadcast and media capabilities as it prepares to host its first-ever Pacific Mini Games next year.

Tawakevou, who hails from Fiji, said his responsibility is to make sure the CNMI has the right infrastructure so the results of the Northern Marianas Pacific Mini Games 2022 would be disseminated to the rest of the world.

“The Mini Games need to be known in the Oceania region as well as publicized internationally. That’s where I come in in terms of my area [of expertise] in technology. I look after the information technology needs for the 17 national Olympic committees in our region as well as the commercial arrangement for broadcast,” he said during an interview yesterday at the Northern Marianas Sports Association conference room inside the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

Tawakevou said his mission is to provide the best media exposure for the 2022 Mini Games.

“Working with ONOC, the organizing committee, and NMSA, we want to ensure the publicity of the Mini Games, coverage of all of the sports [offered in the Mini Games], and more so involving digital media.”

The best infrastructure to disseminate the results of the Mini Games would involve supporting traditional broadcast, supporting radio, supporting news delivery, and supporting the digital delivery of the Mini Games.

“So while we set up the broadcast infrastructure it covers a wide area and indirectly it assists in the setting up of how news and how results would be distributed. That’s the flow [of information] from the results center right down to the news outlets,” added Tawakevou.

This involves the correct delivery of the medal tally along with associated content like athletes’ bios, recent Pacific Games stints, and sometimes even the countries’ flagbearers, etc.

The ONOC official said he also wants to sustain the dissemination of information like the sharing of results beyond the Mini Games so that the connection between local sports federations and the broadcast, traditional news media, and digital media would become a legacy.

“We’re setting the foundation right now and it involves meeting with sports managers, venue managers, technology people, back office support that we need to set up in terms of the Games’ operations…We’re also very close in announcing our coordinating partner in the broadcast and delivery of technology,” he added.

NMSA executive director Carlene Sablan thanked Tawakevou for coming to the CNMI and help set up the Pacific Mini Games Organizing Committee’s broadcast and traditional media capabilities in delivering the news and results of the Mini Games to the world.

“Mr. Sitiveni Tawakevou was here to audit the CNMI’s infrastructure and resources for broadcasting. His trip was important to be able to broadcast the Pacific Mini Games next year both digitally and traditionally (cable television). The opportunity to livestream on the Olympic Channel is important in order to maximize exposure for our islands, our athletes and our sponsors to the world. We are grateful for Mr. Tawakevou’s vast technical knowledge and experience in sports and broadcasting and the Oceania National Olympic Committees’ continued support toward the delivery of the Mini Games,” she said.