CBS Sports Olympic Exec Producer Rick Gentile said that
while CBS has "done some really good shows," he acknowledges
the fact that, for the audience, coverage of the Winter
Games has not been "all that compelling," according to
Milton Kent of the Baltimore SUN. Gentile: "There hasn't
been a lot happening. Hopefully, that will change."
Gentile also responded to criticism of the network's
coverage of the Opening Ceremonies, including its commercial
breaks during the performance of "Ode to Joy." Gentile: "We
can't show them everything. We have a three-hour (prime-
time) broadcast, and we have commercials to get in. It's
the unfortunate or fortunate nature of the beast. The good
news is it's on free television. The bad news is
commercials have to run, and you've got to trust morons like
me to decide when top put the commercials in" (SUN, 2/11).
NO STAR POWER: The media continues to criticize CBS's
coverage, but recognizes the lack of compelling story lines.
In N.Y., Bill Carter writes that some of the factors leaving
viewers "cold" include less advance promotion for these
Games, a "lack of experience in some of CBS's production and
announcing crews, including host Jim Nantz, and the Asian
location, with its time-zone difficulties and scant tourist
appeal." One CBS exec: "If you didn't have to be here,
nobody would be here" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/11). While "it's not
entirely CBS's fault that the network has been better at
sharing a snooze with the world in these first few days,"
the Games "are conspicuously short on star power among
reporters and athletes" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/11). In San Diego,
Robert Laurence: "CBS has picked a corps of announcers
calculated either to put viewers to sleep or annoy them
until they go away" (UNION-TRIBUNE, 2/10).
PUMP UP THE DRAMA, DANCE: In Philadelphia, Lynn Zinser
writes that while CBS hasn't shown any signs of "rampant
Americanism," it "just stumbles when it tries to orchestrate
drama instead of just letting it bounce off the satellite
and into your living room" (PHILADELPHIA NEWS, 2/11). In
Detroit, Steve Crowe writes the Games "can't get much more
white or much less compelling" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 2/11).
In Milwaukee, Bob Wolfley likens the coverage to a Russian
novel, in that "we've been introduced to dozens of
characters we have trouble keeping straight, while little
has happened to advance the story" (JOURNAL SENTINEL, 2/11).
SIGNS OF LIFE? USA TODAY's Rudy Martzke writes that
Tuesday was CBS's "most attractive program to date," with
Jim Nantz "upbeat" (USA TODAY, 2/11). In Philadelphia, Lynn
Zinser calls Nantz's performance Tuesday his "best," as he
kept the broadcast moving (DAILY NEWS, 2/11). The WALL
STREET JOURNAL calls Dan Jansen a "pleasant surprise" on the
speedskating coverage (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 2/11). In
Baltimore, Milton Kent calls CBS's coverage of Japanese
speed skater Hiroyasu Shimizu's gold medal win the best of
the Games. CBS, along with Gary Thorne and Jansen, "let all
the moments speak for themselves with great pictures and
only the necessary words" (Baltimore SUN, 2/11).
