Wednesday night's prime-time earned a 22.4 national rating
and a 41 share, a 19% increase from the first Wednesday in
Barcelona and NBC Research estimates that 94 million watched all
or parts of the telecast. The cumulative Atlanta rating is a
22.8/42, 25% better than Barcelona through the same day (NBC
Sports).
LIVE OR MEMOREX DEBATE CONTINUES: In Houston, Mike McDaniel
asks, "How forthcoming should NBC be in letting its viewers know
the truth, even if viewers don't want it?" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE,
7/26). In Orlando, Greg Dawson reports on "discontent over the
now-you-see-them-mostly-you-don't nature of NBC's coverage"
(ORLANDO SENTINEL, 7/26). In Minneapolis, Doug Grow writes, "If
there's a gold medal for running a con, NBC's got it won. Hands
down" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 7/26). In Chicago, Michael
Hirsley notes, "There are signs those turning on NBC are getting
turned off by events telecast so long after results are known"
(CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 7/26). NEWSDAY's Steve Zipay notes the NBC
philosophy, outlined in a network memo: "Story ... Reality ...
Possibility ... Idealism ... Patriotism." Zipay, on "Reality":
"What a bunch of jive" (NEWSDAY, 7/26). In DC, Leonard Shapiro
notes the same memo and accuses NBC of not following "its own
lofty philosophical standards." NBC Sports' Ed Markey cited
10,000 viewer surveys: "They say it doesn't make any difference
if they know it's taped or not. The viewer doesn't want it, or
need it, so why do it?" (WASHINGTON POST, 7/26). In
Philadelphia, Mike Bruton writes, "As long as the numbers are
right, it doesn't matter that some of us, many of us, don't get
to see what we want to see" (PHILA. INQUIRER, 7/26). In New
York, Phil Mushnick writes on the survey claims, "NBC is
presenting the Olympics only as NBC wants us to see them" (N.Y.
POST, 7/26). In L.A., Howard Rosenberg writes the issue is no
reason to "get that revved up" (L.A. TIMES, 7/26). And in San
Diego, Fritz Quindt calls it "a non-factor because prime time
shows have been so attractively packaged" (S.D. UNION-TRIBUNE,
7/26).
ANNOUNCER REVIEWS: In Tampa, Carter Gaddis is highly
critical of Jim Gray for his "cold dismissal" of gold medalist
Brooke Bennett, focusing instead on Janet Evans (TAMPA TRIBUNE,
7/26). In Baltimore, Milton Kent calls Summer Sanders'
"shameless rooting" for Evans "inexplicable and unforgivable"
(Baltimore SUN, 7/26). The ST. PETE TIMES' Ernest Hooper asks of
Sanders' use of "we" (as in "Janet is not where we need her to
be"): "Who is we? NBC? Cadillac? Speedo?" (ST. PETE TIMES,
7/26). NBC's "Today" hosted Bennett and Evans separately, with
Bennett's sit-down with Katie Couric aired first (NBC, 7/26).
