NBC's Coverage Options

[charliecstl]

I hate to do the proverbial network bashing, but last night's block of initial event coverage was just unfortunate. NBC has made an art of the tape delay sports coverage -- unfortunately, this art would not get hung in any gallery.

NBC has a long history of butchering tape delay events, and this Olympics will be no different. It was painful to watch the pairs short program. Next thing you know, they will throw commercials into the middle of the free programs. After all, 4.5 minutes of showing actual coverage seemed to be a stretch last night.

I don't mind them bopping around the different venues as if the coverage were live. But show me more actual coverage. Don't break to commercial after the performance, come back for the score, and then break away for commercial again.

I do like Bob Costas at least. And they have added some solid talent. Nice to see Mary Carillo on hand, Dick Button was calling the pairs (though Peggy Fleming is a much more comfortable foil for him than the awful Sandra Besick).

I just wanted a place to vent a little. I was not thrilled last night, but really wanted to see Hedrick's win and the pairs competition. Not surprisingly those events were late in the evening.

[kick]

NBC in general, in my opinion, has some of the WORST sports television coverage of any events that are of international interest.

I remember in the 1996 Olympics when there was a delayed coverage of the Women's gymnastics event. I thought it was horrendous.

I don't even bother to watch NBC anymore- I watch the CBC coverage. They present a more balanced international flavor to the events and the athletes. NBC is so pro-American that I get the feeling that no-one else matters.

I think that NBC needs a lot of work if they want to continue to be the network to carry the coverage... new ideas and people...

[fenwayguy]

(Parenthetical remark: Commentator Jim Lampley is looking My-T-Fine. {cough}daddy lust{cough} Ok, he has a cheesy smile, but I'm just sayin'. Bet he looks great naked. Ahem, well -- now back to our regular programming...)

[kick]

WOW! Really a case of to each his own... Jim Lampley gives me the creeps worse than Katie Couric. Listening to him interview or give commentary [to me] is akin to fingernails on a chalkboard...... ditto to Al Trautwig

[Joe in Philly]

kick:
NBC is so pro-American that I get the feeling that no-one else matters.

I think that NBC needs a lot of work if they want to continue to be the network to carry the coverage... new ideas and people...

Considering that NBC is an American network, my guess is if they provided truly balanced coverage they'd be accused of being anti-American.

And NBC already has the rights for the next few Olympics locked up, I believe. They stepped up in the only department that matters: money. They don't decide who gets the Olympics based on who would do the best work. They decide it based on who's willing to pay the most for the rights.

[fenwayguy]

I'm talking about with the sound off. wink

[kick]

Yeah, unfortunately money does win out in these cases.

And I was saying that even looking at Jim Lampley is not much- he just has the all-around ick factor to me- but I understand how some could find him attractive.

[MIB]

fenwayguy:
(Parenthetical remark: Commentator Jim Lampley is looking  My-T-Fine. {cough}daddy lust{cough} Ok, he has a cheesy smile, but I'm just sayin'. Bet he looks great naked. Ahem, well -- now back to our regular programming...)

Jim USED to look good, but God, has he aged--and not very well. The guy's got more wrinkles than a piece of rolled up tin foil.

[kick]

I remember when Jim Lampley used to work for HBO for the Wimbledon coverage. I haven't liked him since then either...

[fenwayguy]

Ok, well, he has really good hair.

[Anthony D. Langford]

charliecstl:
I hate to do the proverbial network bashing, but last night's block of initial event coverage was just unfortunate.  NBC has made an art of the tape delay sports coverage -- unfortunately, this art would not get hung in any gallery.

NBC has a long history of butchering tape delay events, and this Olympics will be no different.  It was painful to watch the pairs short program.  Next thing you know, they will throw commercials into the middle of the free programs.  After all, 4.5 minutes of showing actual coverage seemed to be a stretch last night.

I don't mind them bopping around the different venues as if the coverage were live.  But show me more actual coverage.  Don't break to commercial after the performance, come back for the score, and then break away for commercial again.

I do like Bob Costas at least.  And they have added some solid talent.  Nice to see Mary Carillo on hand, Dick Button was calling the pairs (though Peggy Fleming is a much more comfortable foil for him than the awful Sandra Besick).

I just wanted a place to vent a little.  I was not thrilled last night, but really wanted to see Hedrick's win and the pairs competition.  Not surprisingly those events were late in the evening.

The coverage isn't that great, that's true. There are a lot of commercials. And if NBC wants to keep the results secret, they wouldn't give them out on their own network news hours before the event airs. But what really drives me crazy is how say Finland can win the event, but they'll rush to talk to the American who placed 12th. I mean, I'd like to see the USA win, but if they don't, I want to hear from the winner, no matter what country they come from. Their success is just as valid as anyone elses.

Anthony

[Enigma]

Which is why I love the CBC's coverage of the Olympics. While they definately show a lot of Canadians (I mean you have to considering it's a Canadian Network funded by our tax dollars), they focus on ALL nations and ALL events. It's so well balanced...best coverage out there by far!

[Terry in Oaktown]

People, it could be worse! They could be showing snow beach volleyball with Misty May running around in a thong thrusting her ass at the camera when she "digs" for the ball.

[coyoteugly]

Umm, isn't NBC an American broadcast network? I have no problem with them showing the American that finishes 12th. In fact, every American athlete, regardless of where they finish, deserves coverage.

As far as too many commercials are concerned. There are no more commercials in a given hour of Olympic coverage than there are during a given hour of Prime Time programming.

Some people will never be happy.

[MIB]

With no medals for Kwan, who's out altogether, or for Bode Miller or Anton Ono, NBC is not too happy, I think. This morning on the radio it was reported that NBC has asked Kwan to join them in the booth for figure skating coverage. She explained that they had been hounding her for over a month to do this, but she has repeatedly said no.

[W.]

I don't get the bitching about covering U.S. athletes. As CU said, they're an American network, so it makes sense to give a little more coverage to the U.S.

And for the last 2 days, I've been watching a different Olympics than some of you, I guess. I haven't seen this blatant bias towards covering American athletes. I think this is an obvious point, but I'll make it anyway: it's tough to interview non-English speaking athletes. The Europeans are very strong in many of the winter sports, so it's safe to assume that some of the winners don't speak English, or not very well with a thick accent. Not much point in interviewing someone you can't understand.

[Munson Man]

I don't think anyone minds seeing the American athletes. The problem is some of the competitions focus on the US athletes almost to the exclusion of other countries, and certainly out of proportion to their importance to the event itself. Also, I'd love to see the reactions of non-US athletes at their medal ceremonies, but it seems like unless the "Star Spangled Banner" is playing, or a US athlete who was expected to get gold suddenly has to settle for silver or bronze, we don't get to see that. As for the athletes not being able to speak English, the fact is many of them have foreign language skills that put the typical American to shame. Many of these athletes come from Western European or Scandinavian countries, where bilingualism or trilingualism is a required element in their educational systems, and they speak more than passable English. If they don't NBC could easily use a translator.

[ February 13, 2006, 08:53 AM: Message edited by: Munson Man ]

[W.]

I'm learning so much today. We want: less commercials, more coverage of medal ceremonies, and more interviews.

Personally, I want more coverage of the events. That's what it's all about. I don't want to watch an interview requiring an interpreter, so I can hear the typical "I just had to step it up today" comments in a different language. Nor do I want to watch an interview where the athlete should be ecstatic and celebrating, but instead NBC is shoving a camera in their face and asking, "how do you feel?". Give me 10 more minutes of actual sports and skip the medal ceremonies and interviews.

[coyoteugly]

Munson Man:
As for the athletes not being able to speak English, the fact is many of them have foreign language skills that put the typical American to shame.  Many of these athletes come from Western European or Scandinavian countries, where bilingualism or trilingualism is a required element in their educational systems, and they speak more than passable English.  If they don't NBC could easily use a translator.

NBC tried to interview the French gentleman that won the downhill. It was a painful waste of time, as he hadn't nearly a clue what the interviewer, Lewis Johnson, was asking him.

[Adam]

One thing I like about the coverage is the graphic that announces (as an example) "Women's 3000 speedskating coming up in 14 minutes" so a viewer knows when a preferred event will be televised. I wish NBC would provide a schedule of events at the start of their daily coverage.

The focus on US athletes doesn't bother me that much, or perhaps I've gotten used to it over the years, especially since the announcers focus on the non-US athletes who are favored to medal, as in the men's single luge, where NBC did a feature on Italian Armin Zoeggeler. What I'm dreading are the "up close and personal" human interest stories that invariably accompany the figure skating. I don't want to know how some skater's aunt Maude is in Torino despite undergoing chemotherapy just two months back or what stuffed animals the ice pixies brought from home!

~Adam

[hockeyTom]

Watching the Fin/Swiss womesn hockey game right now. Very entertaining to say the least. Finns have a 1-0 lead, but Swiss have had several good chances. All it would take for them is one little goal, and lookout!!!

I think the Fins will be a tired bunch just in time for the US Womens matchup tomorrow.
The officiating again has been wildly uneven in my opinion. Especially yesterday during the US/German hockey game when they seemed delighted to call way to many 5 on 3's for Germany. Way too lopsided. :mad:

[Joe in Philly]

Like it really mattered. The US women outshot the Germans something like 60 to 10.

[hockeyTom]

No Joe, true,it didn't, but there is some talk widely circulated that the officiating has been wildly uneven so far. I would concur.

[RBear78240]

Regarding the biased covereage by NBC of US athletes, as many posters have commented, it is a US network and they do have to maintain ratings to help pay for the expensive broadcast rights they pay to the IOC.

What will help is for other international networks to sign up for broadcast rights to the games. This is a goal of the IOC and will help diversify the coverage of the Olympics.

As far as knowing what's coming up in the broadcasts you can always go to the NBC website and get the TV listing for the day or any day of the Olympics.

Personally I think NBC is doing a great job supplementing the pool coverage provided by TOBO with some of the techniques mentioned above. Yes, I get a little tired of the countless "personal" stories but it does provide a little insight to how some of these athletes got to Torino to start with. Who would have ever known that a kid from Texas could win a gold medal in speed skating if they didn't know he started as an inline skater and crossed over.

[Joe in Philly]

The NBC website listings are terrible. You can request the listings by day, but only showing one network at a time. Or you can look at the listings for all of the networks, but the screen only shows two hours at a time, so you have to keep clicking to find everything, since NBC has mostly prime-time, while their other networks have daytime coverage.

In my newspaper each day is the full day's schedule, on all the networks. That's what should be available online as well.

[MIB]

I agree, Joe. I'm getting pissed trying to find an event's time, and when I do, trying to find on which channel it's being broadcast is a pain in the ass. Thank God I can tell my TIVO to look for "curling" or anything else I want. Up popped a bunch of showings this way.

[Anthony D. Langford]

coyoteugly:
Umm, isn't NBC an American broadcast network?  I have no problem with them showing the American that finishes 12th. In fact, every American athlete, regardless of where they finish, deserves coverage.

I couldn't disagree more and I'd like to know the reason why you feel this. I'd rather hear from the guy or girl who stepped up to the plate and won has to say, though I realize the language barrier does make it impossible at times. And, it's an American broadcast network and the coverage will naturally be slanted. But I think it's a bit much and in your face and it gets worse with every Olympics. For example, I was surprised when on tonight's figure skating, the focus stayed where it should be, with the winners, none of whom were Americans. I think the Chinese pairs team, one of whom had a bad fall, actually came back to win the silver were the story of the night, even more than the Russians who won the gold. That was amazing and that sort of triumph should be celebrated, no matter what country you hail from. It's unfortunate that many Americans can't appreciate excellence shown by other countries.

Anthony

[Jim at Outsports]

I think the Chinese pairs team, one of whom had a bad fall, actually came back to win the silver were the story of the night, even more than the Russians who won the gold. That was amazing and that sort of triumph should be celebrated, no matter what country you hail from. It's unfortunate that many Americans can't appreciate excellence shown by other countries.
 

I feel odd defending NBC, but we saw a long feature on the Russian pair and the Chinese coach and they totally focused on the Chinese team whose female member crashed. And they closed by showing the entire Russian national anthem for the pairs winners. The coverage was not pro-American for this event.

[Joe in Philly]

MIB:
I agree, Joe. I'm getting pissed trying to find an event's time, and when I do, trying to find on which channel it's being broadcast is a pain in the ass.

This is exactly what I want. Hey NBC, you can learn a thing or two from Yahoo!

Edit to add: news on the ratings:

Sunday, ABC's entire regular primetime schedule attracted more 18-to-49-year olds than the Olympics, the network reported. It's the first time Sunday-night Winter Olympic competition has lost in the demographic ratings most desired by advertisers since at least 1988.

Quoting Nielsen Media Research, ABC said Desperate Housewives (9 p.m.) and Grey's Anatomy (10 p.m.) attracted more total viewers than the Olympics, with Anatomy, which is becoming an even bigger hit than Housewives, topping the Olympics by more than four million viewers.  

[ February 14, 2006, 03:03 AM: Message edited by: Joe in Philly ]

[Anthony D. Langford]

Jim at Outsports:
 

I think the Chinese pairs team, one of whom had a bad fall, actually came back to win the silver were the story of the night, even more than the Russians who won the gold. That was amazing and that sort of triumph should be celebrated, no matter what country you hail from. It's unfortunate that many Americans can't appreciate excellence shown by other countries.
 

I feel odd defending NBC, but we saw a long feature on the Russian pair and the Chinese coach and they totally focused on the Chinese team whose female member crashed. And they closed by showing the entire Russian national anthem for the pairs winners. The coverage was not pro-American for this event.

Which is as it should be. My point was that to my surprise, they remembered where the story really was, which many times they don't in order to spotlight the US athletes at all and any cost. There's no need to defend NBC, I wasn't criticizing them in their coverage of this particular event.

Anthony