A SOCOG plan to limit media access to the main venues
at the 2000 Olympic Summer Games in Sydney this September
(see THE DAILY, 2/29) "has caused serious concern among a
number of major American broadcasting entities," including
ESPN, CNN/SI and Fox Sports Net, according to Leonard
Shapiro of the WASHINGTON POST, who writes that "several are
considering scaling back coverage unless they are assured
they will be able to get their cameras and reporters where
they want them." ESPN VP & Managing Editor Bob Eaton: "What
they're proposing is that we're not allowed in the venue or
the park surrounding it. It will make it that much more
difficult to do our jobs. The only explanation we've been
given is they don't want a lot of commotion in the park.
But it's hard to understand." USOC spokesperon Bob Condron:
"At the meeting in Switzerland, everyone was against this
policy, including the IOC people." USOC Dir of PR Mike
Moran: "We're working with the IOC on it, and I can tell you
that NBC has nothing to do with any of this." Eaton, on
ESPN's plans if the restrictions are imposed: "We'll have to
decide how much money is it worth spending to do something
like this. We've got to make the economics work. We have a
responsibility for 'SportsCenter' to cover an event as
completely as we can. But we'll make an economic decision,
especially if we have no access." FSN Exec Producer Scott
Ackerson: "It looks like they don't want us to cover their
event. Why would I spend that kind of money for something
where they don't want us?" (WASHINGTON POST, 3/15).
ECHOSTAR SAYS NBC PLAYING HARDBALL: DAILY VARIETY's
Christopher Stern writes that EchoStar "is crying foul" to
the FCC, claiming that a "broadcast group," which "sources
confirm is NBC, wants to link an agreement to retransmit the
Peacock web's local station signals" to a $500M Olympic
programming package. Stern: "Although EchoStar does not
name NBC, it complained in a letter to the FCC that a
'broadcast group' is demanding that the satcaster buy the
Olympic programming and also agree to hefty hikes in the
fees it pays for MSNBC and CNBC" (DAILY VARIETY, 3/15).