As NBC "plans to air a record 444 1/2 hours of [Sydney
Olympics] coverage -- all on tape," the net's $705M TV
rights investment "may not pay off in cities ... close to
the U.S.-Canada border" such as Seattle, Buffalo and
Detroit, where "viewers will have the option of watching"
the Games live on CBC, according to Rick Westhead of
BLOOMBERG NEWS, who notes that "other areas that carry the
CBC signal include most of" MI, VT, ME and "much of" AK.
NBC "refused to estimate how many viewers it could lose."
NBC Sports VP/Communications Kevin Sullivan: "There's
nothing that can be done. The laws allow for any signal
that can be picked up by an antenna to be broadcast by the
local cable operator." In Detroit, the No. 9 TV market in
the U.S. and the "largest" area to be affected, NBC affil
WDIV is "running a 60-day countdown" to the Games featuring
local athletes and "even sent its own reporter" to Sydney to
cover "Australian culture." WDIV VP/Sales Henry Maldonado:
"NBC's presentation will be manipulative, pre-meditated and
orchestrated, but that's what prime-time TV's all about."
Westhead adds "some Detroit-based viewers said they'll
watch" CBC's coverage "to avoid that," and he cites Detroit
resident Cylenthia Miller as saying, "The Canadian broadcast
is more objective, and I like that." Buffalo resident Ed
Turner said that he will also watch the Canadian signal: "In
this age, why would you want to watch something that's 12
hours old if you can watch it live?" (BLOOMBERG, 8/11).
