CBS's decision to hold coverage of Picabo Street's gold
medal win in the Super-G -- which occurred around 11:30pm ET
on Tuesday -- until Wednesday's primetime coverage is
examined in the media this morning. In N.Y., Richard
Sandomir writes that CBS stayed with the "highly rated pairs
figure skating" and "not a word" was spoken about Street by
host Jim Nantz when CBS ended its broadcast at 11:50pm ET.
The Super-G finished at 11:55. CBS Dir of Communications
LeslieAnne Wade: "She's a big star and we want to show her
entire event to the entire country at the same time." She
admitted that since Street's win was 24-hours old by the
time CBS showed it Wednesday the event "may be diminished,"
but she added, "you have to protect what you have." Wade
said that CBS had already extended its coverage from 11:30
to 11:50 to cover the breaking Ross Rebagliati story, and
"we were given an absolute out -- 11:50 -- and that was it"
(N.Y. TIMES, 2/12). The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's Stephen
Battaglio notes that CBS also held its coverage because it
would have then lost its exclusivity once the race aired
(HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 2/12). USA TODAY's Rudy Martzke notes
the idea was to "hold the tape and build Wednesday night's
show around it" (USA TODAY, 2/12). In Baltimore, Milton
Kent writes from a "cold business eye" CBS's logic is
"sound," but writes that CBS should have shown Street's race
earlier in its telecast on Wednesday (Baltimore SUN, 2/12).
MORE ON THE EYE: CBS' Wade on the Games: "It's become
fashionable to complain, but it's still great television"
(BOSTON GLOBE, 2/12)....In Orlando, Hal Boedeker calls CBS'
coverage "alternately inept and arrogant" and writes that
CBS has "stomped [the Games] into mostly boring mush"
(ORLANDO SENTINEL, 2/12)....In Houston, David Barron writes
while CBS' ratings may be "slipping," morale "is high." Jim
Nantz: "These are difficult shows, and we are proud of them"
(HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 2/12)....CBS "demoted" snowboarding
analyst Jim Rippey, who will now be used as an on-air
reporter (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 2/12)....The WALL STREET
JOURNAL credits CBS for going live to Armen Keteyian during
the Ross Rebagliati story, calling it the network's "best
call of the Games. NBC [which has the next five Games], are
you paying attention?" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 2/12).
