Some U.S. broadcasters are "dismayed" over an NBC guideline
that prohibits "non-rightsholders" from airing news conferences
until 30 minutes after they end, according to the WASHINGTON
POST. Bob Eaton, Managing Editor for ESPN, called the move
"unprecedented and unwarranted; a news conference is a news
conference." Many of the IOC-set provisions "have been in effect
for many years, but several broadcasters" said this was the first
time they have ever been prohibited from airing live news
conferences or been forced to wait. NBC Sports spokesperson Ed
Markey said their policy "reflects the IOC policy" and that he
did not expect NBC to grant any waivers. Shelby Whitfield, head
of ABC Sports Radio, calls the policy "obscene," adding, "They
won't even let non-rightsholders rent office space in the main
Press Center." But the IOC's Richard Pound said the policy is
not new. Pound: "It's been around for a while." An official at
CNN said he also thought the 30-minute embargo "had been in
effect before," but added, "If you've got a really legitimate
news story," like a terrorist attack "all bets are off. That's
news" (WASHINGTON POST, 6/29).
