It was started on International Women’s Day
Project Access, a cross-industry initiative to help women enter and progress in sports broadcasting – has been launched this week.
The organisation is starting off with the help of Host Broadcast Services (HBS), IMG, the English Football League (EFL) and Fédération Française de Tennis (FFT). In addition to this group, Premier League Productions has committed to join as a supporting partner.
It is hoped that progress can be made soon, with a participant in the Live Sports Direction course at the National Film and Television School (NFTS) – in partnership with HBS’ training unit The Broadcast Academy – to be selected to direct a live EFL match this season at IMG’s production HQ.
Meanwhile, FFT has co-operated to offer Aleksandra Fedina, a director, an all-inclusive shadowing opportunity at Roland-Garros this summer.
The initiative aims to promote women in sports broadcasting through greater access to training, opportunities to work on or shadow major sporting events, and focusing on the next generation as well as reinforcing career stories of women in broadcasting at media universities and broadcast conventions.
Dan Miodownik, CEO of HBS, said of the launch: “Project Access is about taking the next step. During the course of 2019 we have seen clear advancements taken by some of our Academy graduates and we want to increase these success stories by encouraging wider involvement across the broadcast industry.”
“It is great to have the support of the industry, and partners like FFT, IMG and EFL, from the start. The more organisations who are on board with this initiative, and helping us to create a platform for talented women in the industry, the faster we will reach the goal of a more equal workforce.”