Olympics coverage
Posted by: Kevin-W on 09 August 2012
Just wondering what everyone thinks of the Olympics coverage. I think the BBC is doing a fantastic job - showing every single event! Amazing! And Auntie also seems to have really embraced digital, with all those streams, allowing punters to watch what they want, when they want. And no poxy adverts!
Some of the commentary has been a bit off, and occasionally those track/pool/pitchside ask really daft, annoying questions, but the anchors - Inverdale and the magnificent Balding especially - have been excellent and I really like the use of previous Olympic heroes (Michael Johnson, Matthew Pinsent, Denise Lewis, Colin Jackson, Jonathan Edwards, Brendan Foster etc) rather than vacuous celebs or knackered pundits. The entire team also has just about the right mix of enthusiasm and excitement with expertise and analysis.
The use of Sir Steve Redgrave - a father figure not only to the rowers, but it seems, every British athlete - is also a masterstroke. He seems to be held in great respect and affection by everyone.
It really is proving itself to be the Nation's broadcaster. Worth the licence fee on its own. Thank goodness the Murdochs', Cameron and Hunt's plans to dismantle this great British institution have (for the time being at least) been thwarted.
Finally, I'd like to ask forum members in North America: is NBC's coverage really as crass and inept as people say it is?
> Worth the licence fee on its own.
Over the years I have lots of licence money to the BBC and it has often squandered it on pointless chat shows (I hate those, as I've zero interest in movie people and what they do in the spare time), political debates, shows where the audience votes by phone, dramas (especially those historic costume thingies), soap operas, documentaries, panel game shows, BBC World, the endless News programmes (irrespective of whether there is any news) and ...
but I can honestly say if had paid double the amount then it would have been worth it for the coverage of London 2012 ... this is the BBC finest hour and the best thing I have ever seen on TV. Perhaps they should just do continuous reruns and forget the other tripe the usually put on.
Makes me want to write in to Points of View and express sentiments similar to those echoed below.
Sorry I had a look at the Orbit, but wasn't able to go up in it because the available times clashed with our Olympic Stadium entry times or at least would have meant cutting it fine. Mrs Fawkes did take some photos of the events .... not sure if they'll be worth posting though.
It's been fantastic although I'm not sure what's being seen elsewhere. When we lived in California in the 80s it was well nigh impossible to see anything not involving US competitors and friends in the US tell me it's still the same.
It's been a real coup for them to get people like Michael Johnson and John McEnroe as members of the team. It's been brilliant but sadly only two more days to go.
Just wondering what everyone thinks of the Olympics coverage.
Finally, I'd like to ask forum members in North America: is NBC's coverage really as crass and inept as people say it is?
Yes. In fact it is worse. Only events with US participation shown. Where possible, only US competitors shown or named. Endless "Bart's People" human interest stories on US competitors and their families, friends, acquaintances, etc (yawn). 40% of the time is loud advertising. Everything is shown over and over. Interminable sessions where talking heads tell us what to think. Very little actual sport.
It is as bad as you could possibly imagine.
Canadian coverage is slightly better.
The BBC coverage sounds wonderful.
Just wondering what everyone thinks of the Olympics coverage.
Finally, I'd like to ask forum members in North America: is NBC's coverage really as crass and inept as people say it is?
Yes. In fact it is worse. Only events with US participation shown. Where possible, only US competitors shown or named. Endless "Bart's People" human interest stories on US competitors and their families, friends, acquaintances, etc (yawn). 40% of the time is loud advertising. Everything is shown over and over. Interminable sessions where talking heads tell us what to think. Very little actual sport.
It is as bad as you could possibly imagine.
Canadian coverage is slightly better.
The BBC coverage sounds wonderful.
A different perspective. The U.S ratings on NBC are way over expectation. Rather than losing money or breaking even on the coverage they will make money. What they have done is provide coverage on several outlets, their sports network, MSNBC, and over the web. Their nighttime NBC coverage is not directed at the knowledgeable sports enthusiasts but to those viewers that just watch the Olympics rather than sports in general and are watching largely during prime time. That's why all the soft stories and background. Its working, the coverage is extremely popular although I do share many of Winky's thoughts. And yes, as you would expect, there is an emphasis on US participants but there are also big raves for all that the British are doing in the medal count and even bigger raves for the the overall conduct of this Olympics. The visuals and the enthusiasm of the crowds is making this an exceptional Olympics. Great job by our friends across the pond.
By the way, we're also noticing how well our women athletes are doing. Right now I think they're running 2 to 1 over their male counterparts in the medal count. Pretty amazing.
Just wondering what everyone thinks of the Olympics coverage.
Finally, I'd like to ask forum members in North America: is NBC's coverage really as crass and inept as people say it is?
Yes. In fact it is worse. Only events with US participation shown. Where possible, only US competitors shown or named. Endless "Bart's People" human interest stories on US competitors and their families, friends, acquaintances, etc (yawn). 40% of the time is loud advertising. Everything is shown over and over. Interminable sessions where talking heads tell us what to think. Very little actual sport.
It is as bad as you could possibly imagine.
Canadian coverage is slightly better.
The BBC coverage sounds wonderful.
A different perspective. The U.S ratings on NBC are way over expectation. Rather than losing money or breaking even on the coverage they will make money. What they have done is provide coverage on several outlets, their sports network, MSNBC, and over the web. Their nighttime NBC coverage is not directed at the knowledgeable sports enthusiasts but to those viewers that just watch the Olympics rather than sports in general and are watching largely during prime time. That's why all the soft stories and background. Its working, the coverage is extremely popular although I do share many of Winky's thoughts. And yes, as you would expect, there is an emphasis on US participants but there are also big raves for all that the British are doing in the medal count and even bigger raves for the the overall conduct of this Olympics. The visuals and the enthusiasm of the crowds is making this an exceptional Olympics. Great job by our friends across the pond.
Fair call. Better balanced than my unsurprising rant.
Whilst i am not a huge sports fan, i have been quite impressed with the coverage here in the uk. I think maybe there has been a little too much for my liking especislly on BBC1 which now resembles a sports channel. Nice to get back to normal next week, ho I forgot the paralympics!
the tv is on in our second dem room,just heard " womens double hander about to start" rushed in all exited and its bloody sailing! what a let down...
We won two Silver's in the sailing and it was really exciting - can be difficult to follow on TV.
We on course for more Silver medals in boxing too
8/10 for me. Cannot fault the depth of coverage and the main anchors have been good. The anodyne Lineker is a bit wet for me, John Inverdale and Clare Balding excellent as ever. Great supporting cast of ex athletes who are articulate and informed. Ian Thorpe was brilliant, Chris Boardman always good value too (as he was for Le Tour).
It has been a bit hysterical at times, and stuffing a microphone in the face of somebody for an instant reaction is often rubbish but par for the course I guess.
Radio5live has mostly done a pretty good job too when I've caught it, as ever trying to balance coverage with the regular news stories.
Bruce
Kevin
Yes it is bad, Bob Costas is a good reporter for sports but he's following NBC programing which only shows American teams/figures. It's a real pisser. They tend to spend prime evening hours following every women's sport and then 10-midnight get to mens track, but they don't include field sports like javelin, discus, and I saw a 2 minute segment of shot put. Our guy in red and the other in light blue, very quick bits back and forth and said who won, I can't believe that there weren't a dozen other competitors. It also seems to be focused on the quicker competitions so they can cover all the trials and focus on finals, then give another 5 minutes replaying and interviewing the winners, IF they were Americans. Never a German, Chinese, Brit or African.
I tried BBC but both on TV and my iPad I'm blocked. I didn't get to see wrestling, weightlifting, handball. One friend I have Sunday breakfast with said it had been determined that women don't like to see sweaty bulky men, they do want to feel empowered seeing women compete. Plus straight men want to see women bouncing around, he's quite sarcastic.
When ABC and Jim McKay had it, it was mainly men's sports and the last 3 decades they added many more sports, plus women demanded their teams be covered also. NBC has 3 channels but I could not find the other sports coverage worthwhile. When a sport is a long one like soccer they would not cut away to show something else, and get back, as in the old days. At close to midnight they do a very quick montage of other winners. I've just had to go to bed about 10 or so, if they said they'd be covering a men's sport, cut to the 6 same commercials, back to what they were on and I'd realize they'd leave what I wanted to see to the last 20 minutes of coverage.
When I saw the decathelon last night at 10:30 they focused on the 2 American men alternating jumps, throws, and runs in very quick order, then back to women's diving. They celebrated the chinese woman but didn't interview her.
It's really disgusting.
However, I really enjoyed the opening and will enjoy the closing ceremonies, I bet it's going to be fantastic.
I finally found the schedule on their website, "other sports" were from 2am-8am