International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach has appointed Dick Pound as the new chairman of the board of Olympic Broadcasting Services, which serves as host broadcaster for all editions of the Olympics.
Canadian Pound replaces Hein Verbruggen, former Dutch IOC member and ex-president of the International Cycling Union (UCI). The two men had clashed repeatedly over cycling’s doping problems, with Pound having served as president of the World Anti-Doping Agency from 1999 to 2008.
Pound, an IOC member since 1978, has a strong background in television having led the IOC’s media rights negotiations from 1983 to 2001. He exited the IOC’s corridors of power after losing out to Jacques Rogge in the 2001 presidential campaign.
Longtime Olympic television executive Manolo Romero of Spain will serve as vice-chairman of OBS.
Other OBS board members include IOC members Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. of Spain and Gerardo Werthein of Argentina. IOC administrators Christophe De Kepper, Gilbert Felli, Timo Lumme and Lana Haddad are also on the board.