U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) is "considering holding
a second hearing" before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee
that would "allow Olympic sponsors" to testify about the
IOC, according to Athelia Knight of the WASHINGTON POST.
The committee will examine the IOC's tax-exempt status on
April 14, and McCain spokesperson Pia Pialorsi said McCain
is "being urged by sponsors to hold a second hearing so they
can make it clear in a public forum their views that the
Olympic movement needs to be cleaned up." Yesterday, McCain
met with IOC VP Anita DeFrantz to discuss "the progress
being made" on IOC reform (WASHINGTON POST, 3/24).
UNHAPPY CAMPERS: The SYDNEY MORNING HERALD's Michael
Evans reports that sponsors of the 2000 Games "are talking
about a massive slump in confidence" in the SOCOG. Internal
SOCOG market research shows that sponsors paying up to A$60M
"say they no longer feel part of the organising team and are
being treated more like benefactors than business partners."
Among the concerns are that SOCOG is not providing a
"program profiling their products" or giving them a basis
for a return on their investments, and that SOCOG "does not
always meet agreed deadlines." The survey, conducted by
Woolcott Research, "received 35 responses from sponsors,"
and shows that in the period from May '98 until last month
"they became increasingly unhappy with the performance of
SOCOG's sponsorship" management team (MORNING HERALD, 3/24).
OLYMPIC NOTES: In Toronto, former Raptors President
John Bitove said that he needs "more details and reform"
from the IOC before becoming involved in Toronto's bid for
the 2008 Summer Games (TORONTO SUN, 3/24)....Some members of
OATH, the new athlete group funded by Magna Int'l which aims
to make the IOC more accountable, said they were "threatened
and personal items were stolen from their hotel" in Lausanne
last week. Computer disks "containing the plans and
groundwork for OATH ... along with a videotape of their
first OATH meeting went missing" (TORONTO STAR, 3/24).
