Australia's New South Wales State Government may
"exclude foreign" non-Olympic TV rights holders from having
access to the Olympic stadium area at Homebush Bay,
according to Matthew Moore of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD.
Some local TV networks will "be allowed limited access,"
while "big foreign networks such as CNN will be banned."
Olympic Coordination Authority Dir David Richmond
acknowledged that the provision would be controversial, but
said that his concern "was purely local." Richmond: "I am
not particularly interested in the person in Milwaukee and
what their travel time to the Games is, but I'm very
concerned about the person in Sutherland and Hornsby getting
a clear message (about travel arrangements). We are not
going to allow people to just go in and do filming and
recording unless they have a permit, and the permit will be
based on them demonstrating to us that their doing that will
help us in our operational communications" (SYDNEY MORNING
HERALD, 2/28). The measure would not impact NBC's TV deal,
but could prevent networks such as ESPN, Fox and CNN/SI from
taping interviews with athletes (USA TODAY, 2/29).
IS AUSTRALIA READY? With less than 200 days remaining
until the Sydney Games, the N.Y. TIMES' Christopher Clarey
wrote that "with the exception" of two venues, "the rest of
the sites are completed. And what is finished is generally
impressive if nowhere near as architecturally daring as the
Opera House with which Sydney is associated." But noting
the organizational problems of the Games, Clarey added that
"there is already reconstruction work to be done" to win
public trust. SOCOG CEO Michael Knight: "The really sad
thing is that, for a lot of the public, the joy has gone out
of the Games" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/28). In Salt Lake City, Mike
Gorrell profiled Sydney's preparation under the header,
"Sydney Organizers Confident That Games Will Erase Memories
Of The Ugly Prelude" (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 2/28). In L.A.,
Bill Dwyre wrote, "As for the good show, here's a
prediction: This one will be among the best. Sydney is a
city created for an event such as the Olympics." The city
has "built some of the most impressive competition venues in
the history of the Games" (L.A. TIMES, 2/28).
