NBC President Bob Wright told Bill Carter of the N.Y.
TIMES that the IOC handled the Salt Lake City bid scandal
"as best they could." Wright: "[The IOC] made a
conscientious effort to clean things up and get the bad guys
out." Wright's network has committed $3B to carrying the
next five Olympics, and he said that the performance of the
Sydney Games is "crucial" to the network: "Our performance
in Sydney is very crucial. If some tragedy were to strike
and we put up terrible numbers, it would certainly impact us
negatively. But having said that, the reality is that Salt
Lake City, as a domestic Olympics, stands on its own, has a
cachet all its own. The impact of whatever happens in
Sydney will be felt on Athens in 2004. But I'm confident
we're going to do very well." Wright, on the Olympic deal:
"It's important that we are able to say that we are the
Olympic network, and we can keep on displaying those rings
as part of our identity. Those rings have great
recognition. That was a really important factor in helping
us decide to take on this economic obligation. There is a
debate about how valuable events like this are as
promotional vehicles for future programming. ... The ability
to have the most-watched programming to display your new
shows is clearly a benefit" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/10).
WILL VIEWERS TURN OFF? In a USA TODAY Cover Story, Rick
Hampson writes on NBC's Olympic coverage under the header,
"NBC Uses Delay Tactics." Hampson, on NBC's plan for a
taped-delayed Games: "[It's] possible that television's
ability to spin rich docudramas around tape-delayed Olympic
events finally has been pushed too far and that the whole
thing will simply seem stale by the time it's finally
televised." Jupiter Communications media analyst Patrick
Keene said, "NBC has a problem. If I know how an event's
going to turn out -- unless I'm an incredibly rabid fan --
I'm that much more apt to go out that night or watch
something else." But Paul Kagan Associates analyst John
Mansell said, "Tape delay hasn't made much difference in
ratings in the past. The real questions is, what sort of
story develops? Is someone going to be knocking the skates
out from under someone else?" (USA TODAY, 9/11). KRON-NBC
sports anchor Gary Radnich said that the idea of not
reporting the outcome of Olympic events on his nightly
sportscast before they air on NBC "never crossed his mind."
But Radnich says that he will "warn viewers before
announcing" the results. Radnich, on covering the outcome
of the events: "You have to do that. For one thing, with
the Internet, everybody knows the results now or can know
the results. ... For another thing, you lose credibility as
a journalist if you don't." KNBR-AM Manager & Program Dir
Bob Agnew: "I guess our attitude is: If people don't want to
hear the results, change the station." NBC Sports Chair
Dick Ebersol: "People will wake up in the morning and
they'll see the results. They'll be on 'The Today Show,'
they'll be on CNN, they'll be on the Web. ... If people are
really curious, they'll have the results" (SAN JOSE MERCURY
NEWS, 9/10). CNNSI.com Managing Editor Steve Robinson: "Do
we think people are going to shut their eyes and ears during
the day? My guess is no. People will want to know who
wins, and how. We're going to be very aggressive in giving
that to them." MSNBC.com "will take advantage of its
alliance with NBC to post interviews and develop some
interactive features with a newsy angle." MSNBC.com Deputy
Sports Editor Denise Hazlick: "We're not doing much more
than that, because our agreement with NBC precludes us from
doing so" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 9/10). ESPN.com's Tim
Keown notes another element of the tape-delay broadcasts:
"How many marriages will break up when dopey husbands
everywhere sit down in front of the TV and say, 'Oh hell,
hon -- the Russian won this stupid floor exercise 12 hours
ago. Can't we watch the ballgame?'" (ESPN.com, 9/9).
WHAT A GIRL WANTS, WHAT A GIRL NEEDS: In Chicago, Carol
Slezak, on NBC's strategy to draw more female viewers: "NBC
thinks women want gooey interviews packaged with pop-music
soundtracks. NBC thinks women want tragedy, tears and
tribulations, Olympic competition optional. ... It's not
true that we like knowing the outcome of an event before we
tune in. We like surprises. ... NBC forgot that in sports,
results matter most. They've forgotten that no feature
story, no matter how well done, can make hearts race the way
competition does" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 9/10).
PEACOCK NEWS & NOTES: In Houston, David Barron writes
that NBC will offer "travelogues," or "mini-movies" about
Australia during its coverage. Ebersol: "We will show off
Sydney. ... We think there is great curiosity about this
country." After a "sneak peek" of two "mini-movies" NBC
will show which feature "an Australian bent," Barron writes,
"One is excellent. One is extraordinary. Both are
appointment TV" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 9/11)....In N.Y.,
Richard Sandomir writes that NBC "is obsessed with making
Sydney an essential character in its coverage of these
Olympics in a way that Barcelona, Spain, and Atlanta never
were in 1992 and 1996" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/11). NBC's "Today"
began broadcasting from Sydney this morning, with Katie
Couric calling Sydney the "perfect place to settle in for a
few weeks." Couric: "Of course, we've come here for another
very important reason: Have you heard? The Olympic Games
begin here Friday night" ("Today," NBC, 9/11).
