NBC Sports Chair Dick Ebersol "is sorely in need" of
some "perspective," according to Rob Brodie of the OTTAWA
SUN. Brodie: "Just the mention of the CBC and its
commitment to live Sydney Games programming at all times is
enough to bring out the nasty side in Ebersol." While
Ebersol has called the CBC's decision to carry the Games
live a "colossal joke," CBC Sports Exec Dir Nancy Lee
responded, "That shows disrespect to the viewer. If people
want to get up that early, we should have it on the air for
them. The viewer is the winner -- they get to choose when
they want to watch." Brodie: "Those 200,000-300,000 late
night-early morning audience numbers that Ebersol eagerly
scoffs at ... in this country, that's a veritable bonanza at
that time of the day." TSN "normally" attracts 15,000
viewers between 3:00-6:00am, but during the Games, those
numbers have past 100,000 "on more than one occasion."
Brodie: "What TV executive wouldn't take that boost?" Lee:
"The size of our ratings in proportion to the size of our
market is really substantial." Brodie: "The CBC is allowing
viewers to decide when they want to watch the Olympics. NBC
has taken that choice away with its stance. Ask any viewer
which approach they favour" (OTTAWA SUN, 9/27).
