RIO DE JANEIRO: Rio mayor Eduardo Paes is investing city funds in building a television studio on Copacabana beach for rental use to foreign and domestic channels during the World Cup.

Though the local authorities squabbled with events such as Soccerex and Laureus over conferences and awards events Paes has authorised expenditure on the temporary structure.

He is reportedly confident that the prime position on possibly the world’s most famous beach will recoup all the estimated $3.8m costs with a handsome profit.

Rio Events, the company which oversees and organises the city’s major festivals, will oversee the project. A construction tender has already been won by MVD Losberg Structures.

TV Globo holds the Brazilian rights to broadcast the finals but has not yet confirmed it outside broadcast studio location in Rio.

Holidays decree

A spokesman for the mayor’s office said: “The presence of these studios on Copacabana will help ensure the city is used as the main backdrop for the World Cup which is of incomparable promotional value.

“The mayor believes it will help secure Rio’s role as the heart of the World Cup.”

The decision by Paes to go ahead with the TV studio is intriguing when, according to local media reports, terms have yet to be agreed with FIFA for the staging of a Fan Fest on Copacabana. Other cities are also haggling over staging fan fests.

Paes has also confirmed that the three weekdays on which Maracana stages World Cup matches will be considered public holidays to help with traffic management. Rio’s other seven games are at weekends. The matches affected will be Spain v Chile (June 18), Ecuador v France (June 25) and a quarter-final on July 4.

According to the mayor, the holiday decree is intended to “reduce the flow of vehicles, minimise possible inconvenience to residents and assist fans’ travel to the stadium.”

Street traders, bars, shops, tourist and media companies may continue work.

 

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