U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) asked the IOC on
Tuesday to "provide Congress with monthly status reports" on
the "pace of reform," according to Ken Foskett of the
ATLANTA CONSTITUTION. McCain also made "similar requests"
to USOC President Bill Hybl and to U.S. IOC VP Anita
DeFrantz (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 4/21).
SOME SPONSORS HOLD TIGHT: John Hancock Mutual Life
Insurance President David D'Alessandro has criticized the
IOC for not reducing its sponsorship prices for a four-year
worldwide package. D'Alessandro said that IOC Marketing Dir
Michael Payne informed sponsors that the average price for a
four-year package for 2001-2004 would increase from $40M to
$55M. But despite D'Alessandro's statements that his
company would not renew its pact under those terms, "several
other of the IOC's top 11 sponsors said they remained
committed to the Olympics." UPS spokesperson Susan
Rosenberg said that UPS "likely would begin negotiations
this year as planned for renewal of its worldwide
sponsorship contract." Time Warner/SI is one company signed
through the 2000 Sydney Games and spokesperson Art Berke
said company execs were "heartened" by the IOC's early
reform. Kodak spokesperson Paul Allen said the company was
committed to its sponsorship through 2000, but "anything
beyond that is subject to negotiation" (WASH. POST, 4/21).
PRESSURE: An ATLANTA CONSTITUTION editorial states that
potential Olympic sponsors "are still watching the IOC
carefully. They are fully aware that the road back to
respectability is an Olympic marathon, not a sprint. ...
More important, sponsors are nervous because the IOC's
refusal to change leaves intact the very structure that
created the current scandal" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 4/21).
