Winter Olympics TV Coverage Far From Golden

It's that time of the year again. The 2005 Nationalof any athletes other than American Olympians or
Football League season has come to an end withonly winners of an event should they not be
the Pittsburgh Steelers capturing the Super BowlAmerican.
title, the Major League Baseball Spring TrainingWe lose the continuity of viewing any one event
season is just readying to begin, the Nationalsuch as alpine skiing, speed skating, ski jumping, or
Basketball Association is in a holding pattern foreven bobsledding for that matter. Essentially,
most fans until its playoffs, the NASCAR seasonraces necessitate competitors being seen in
is just getting started with the Daytona 500 justsequence or at least the contenders, rather than
raced and the National Hockey League is on hiatusa cut and paste version of them. And while figure
due to the 2006 Winter Olympics. And with theskating viewing requires less of a need for the
NCAA's March Madness still weeks away, what isimmediacy of viewing other competitors in the
a sports fan to do?event, one would be hard pressed as to when to
We force ourselves to tune in to the NBCplan on tuning in. Although more time is devoted
television broadcast network in order to try toto the figure skating events than most others, its
catch some of the real competition on tap in thecoverage is peppered with teasers and
XX Olympic Winter Games. Sports fans are notunexpected commercial breaks in the action,
averse to watching Winter Olympics coverage,making it sometimes painful to get through, even
but trying to figure out NBC's television schedulefor its avid fans.
has become a sport of Olympic proportions untoSince television coverage of the Olympics is all
itself.about ratings, as is all television fare, NBC for
The supposed television Winter Olympics scheduleyears now has shot itself in the proverbial foot
is available in local newspapers, in various sportswhen whining that not enough of the American
magazines and all over the internet. But thepublic is tuning in to Olympics coverage, no longer
schedule times are useless in pinpointing when anyjust applicable to the Winter Olympics, either.
particular sport is broadcasted. And depending onWhile the Summer Olympics attracts more
what time zone one lives in, it is virtuallyviewers, its coverage too is close to beyond the
impossible not to hear the results on television,pale.
radio, or view online prior to seeing the broadcastWhat NBC has tried to do over the years is to
as NBC has its coverage tape delayed in fiveplease all demographics as well as its sponsors
different U.S. time zones.while losing sight of the intrinsic value of the actual
The excuse to not broadcast real time coverageevent. But as viewership continues to erode for
during these Olympic Games is viable this year inOlympics coverage, the NBC network is largely
that Italy is six hours ahead of U.S. Easternresponsible. In its zeal to compel the American
Standard Time. But on weekends it is feasible forviewer to tune in, it has overproduced its
live coverage at least on the east coast. It iscoverage, thus turning off the very audience it is
worth noting that almost 40 years ago, U.S.trying to attract and retain.
television viewers were able to enjoy primarily liveThe Olympics tells its own story and most sports
coverage of the 1968 Winter Olympics fromfans do not have the patience to sit through over
Grenoble, France and later with the 1972 Olympicthree hours of teaser-filled coverage. Now we all
Summer Games from Munich, Germany, viaknow the reason it is done this way. The hope is
television satellite. But what was the excuse in notthat viewers will sit through enough coverage in
broadcasting the 1996 Summer Olympics liveorder to be exposed to advertisers as well as to
when they were in Atlanta, GA and then whengarner more consistent ratings. But in fact, NBC is
the 2002 Winter Olympics were in Salt Lake City,accomplishing the opposite result, forcing many to
UT? Both were instead tape delayed, again in fiveeither record the coverage and thus eliminate the
different time zones.ads, or tuning out completely.
The reason for NBC's incoherent TV scheduling isSo what you say? Who cares? Well, chances are
because of its monopolized ability to edit andif you are reading this, you are a sports fan.
package the coverage any which way it wishes inAlthough we all have our favorite sport, we crave
order to appease sponsors while placingwatching competition, with few exceptions. For
advertising spots wherever and whenever itexample, the idea of watching curling is
chooses. Unfortunately, for the viewer, it deniescomparable to watching paint dry and how it is
the spontaneity of competition as well as deprivesconsidered an athletic event is beyond this writer's
viewers from selectively choosing which sportscomprehension.
they wish to watch.But for now, we are stuck with what we have.
NBC has bragged about providing 416 hours ofWhen the numbers are crunched this time 'round
broadcast coverage on NBC including its threefor NBC, perhaps they will get the message that
cable television stations. But since these Winterthe sports fan drives the numbers and more and
Olympics first started airing its events onmore of us are getting fed up. Maybe they need
February 11, 2006 to date, viewers have beento go back to the drawing board and revisit the
treated to little more than glorified highlightsJim McKay playbook on covering worldwide
between 8:00 PM - 11:30 PM in whichever timesporting events. It worked for ABC broadcasting
zone one happens to be. During that time period,way back when, when the athletes were the
bits and pieces of coverage from any one of 15story, not the network; sadly a crucial element
sport disciplines are shown, with scant coveragewhich NBC seems to have forgotten.