AP Plans Multiplatform Olympics' Coverage

Will use a variety of digital tools and technologies to expand its reporting

By George Winslow -- Broadcasting & Cable, 7/12/2012 1:43:40 PM

The Associated Press has announced plans for expanded coverage of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London that include particular attention on HD video and digital tools for delivery of content to multiple platforms.

AP will staff the games with 91 text reporters and editors, 85 photographers and photo editors, 18 video journalists and three radio reporters. It will also deploy 21 technology staffers, who will be responsible for the delivery of AP's content to its customers and will use "many staffers at AP's London hub and New York headquarters" to handle significant amounts of material for digital and other platforms, the news organization reported.

The 2012 Summer Olympics will also mark the first Games since AP completed a $30 million transition to HD and some major upgrades to its facilities that were designed to more efficiently produce content for multiple platforms.

Those upgrades will allow AP to deliver HD video for the first time from the games.

"As the media landscape has rapidly changed over the years, we have innovated to ensure that we bring customers and consumers what they want during the Olympics," said Lou Ferrara, the AP managing editor with oversight of sports in a statement. "Our staff is excited to cover these historic Games -- they will be some of the most watched and consumed ever. We are ready to provide what the world wants."

Event coverage will include "Eyes on London" from AP's Live Desk and other short-form content to provide color, updates and observations from London. "Eyes on London" will be distributed on all major AP services, both news and sports, several times an hour.

The news organization will also offer feeds from remote-controlled robotic cameras at the swimming, weightlifting and diving venues and a selection of hand-placed remote cameras at a several other venues, including gymnastics, track and field.

For faster delivery of photos, AP photographers will use the latest Canon 1DX cameras and take advantage of new workflows and technology.

Customers will also have access to a white-label, customizable Summer Games microsite, which has already been deployed at a number of AP member broadcasters and newspapers. AP expects that microsite to go live on over 300 sites by the start of the games.

AP is also enhancing its news app, AP mobile, tweeting from several Twitter accounts, including its recently launched @AP_Sports, offering a new daily text feature, "5 Olympic Things to Know," and for the first time will make available HTML interactives that are viewable on multiple devices.