Ministry of Sport and City of Rio inaugurate Rio Media Center

Brazilian Minister of Sport Leonardo Picciani and Mayor of Rio de Janeiro Eduardo Paes welcomed members of the national and foreign press to the opening ceremony of the Rio Media Center (RMC) on Wednesday (27 July). The centre was built to provide physical infrastructure to journalists working on the non-sports side of Games coverage, and will operate 24 hours a day during the 45 days of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

"You have the opportunity to tell the story of the 2016 edition of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which are being held in South America for the first time. These are stories of transformation that can help everyone feel like a part of this extraordinary moment of great pride for Brazil," said Picciani to the professionals in attendance.

Picture: Roberto Castro/ brasil2016.gov.br

The minister also highlighted that the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brazil will be marked by the ability of Rio, Brazil and South America to host a major event. "You are all welcome. We are certainly going to be very successful with Rio 2016," Picciani said as he praised the City Administration for the infrastructure of the Rio Media Center, built in partnership with the federal government to serve the national and international press.

Mayor Eduardo Paes explained that the RMC will be the reference point for Brazilian and foreign media professionals who want to have an up-close perspective of the Rio 2016 Games organization story. "From the point of view of the city and the country, there's a story that comes before, about the organization of Rio 2016 and the Games themselves. Those who follow the changes in the city can already tell the event is a huge success for the city. Rio has now received a number of long-awaited urban improvements. It is not a perfect city, but it is a much better city," he said.

Minister Leonardo Picciani. Picture: Roberto Castro/ brasil2016.gov.br

The mayor highlighted the investments made in areas of the city with the highest rates of violence and lowest Human Development Index (HDI), such as Deodoro, a district located in the border of Baixada Fluminense region that concentrates a large young population and has already benefited by urban transformations and leisure alternatives. "We have a country with inequalities and challenges but that has markedly improved in recent years, lifted a lot of people out of poverty and consolidated its institutions. We have problems, but it is a country that we, Brazilians, are very proud to present the world," said Paes.

Rio's State Government Chief of Staff Leonardo Espíndola, who also attended the opening event of the RMC, said that the Games accelerated investments in public transport projects - including boats, trains and metro lines - that have benefited the residents of Rio and its surroundings.

"We have four new ferries in operation, and six others that will start operating soon. Today, 96% of the train fleet is brand new, with air conditioning. The subway, which is currently the largest urban infrastructure project in Latin America, is being delivered on the July 30th. It will benefit over 300,000 people per day. Rio de Janeiro residents who take the train to watch the Games at Deodoro and Engenhão will enjoy high-quality transport. It is a complete change in mobility infrastructure compared to 2009," Espíndola said.

Investment in Sports

Minister Leonardo Picciani also highlighted the Federal Government's investment in national sport, reflected in the size of the Brazilian delegation.

"We tend to focus on the number of medals, but there's another important number, which is the size of the delegation. We can already see the progress we had in sports. In London, Brazilian delegation had 270 athletes. Now, in our country, we have 462. This is the result of permanent investments aiming to develop a sports culture in Brazil," he said.

The Minister also announced that the legacy plan that will be presented in early August will integrate all regions of Brazil.

"We will unify sports venues in all regions of the country around our National Sports Training Network, which will operate under a single framework to optimize the use of facilities by the population in all states," he said.

About the Rio Media Center

The Rio Media Center was built to serve domestic and foreign journalists during their coverage of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which take place from 5 August to 18 September. The 2,700-m² (29,000-sqft) building was built especially for the Games at a strategic location - the Cidade Nova neighbourhood, close to the Rio 2016 Organising Committee and metro stations that connect with the LRV system. The centre offers 130 workstations, free internet, telephones, printers, meeting rooms, auditoriums, two TV and six radio studios, broadcasting services and areas for shooting footage.

» www.riomediacenter.rio

Operating 24 hours a day, the RMC will feature a diversified programme for journalists, with press conferences, briefings and press tours. A support team will be available to the press on-site with information about Brazil, Rio and the five other football host cities (Brasilia, Belo Horizonte, Manaus, Salvador and São Paulo), as well as other topics of interest.

All journalists (accredited or not to cover the Games) are invited to use the facilities of Rio Media Center, which follows the same international standards adopted in open media centres from previous editions of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The model for these media centres was conceived during the Atlanta Games, as a result of the need to create a physical space for journalists without credentials for the competitions.

brasil2016.gov.br