The Winter Olympics "proved a ratings winner" for BBC2 over the weekend, with a peak audience of 3 million viewers "watching Jenny Jones win Britain's first-ever medal on snow," according to John Plunkett of the London GUARDIAN. BBC2, which is the home of the BBC's coverage of the Sochi Games, "drew a 14.3% share of the audience across the whole of Sunday, more than twice its typical audience, and a 9.7% share on Saturday." With its daytime schedule dominated by coverage of the Games, BBC2 "beat ITV's all-day share on both Saturday (when the commercial channel had 8.2%) and Sunday, when it had an 11.4% share of the audience." Jones's slopestyle Bronze Medal win "attracted a five-minute peak of 3 million viewers, although BBC2's coverage peaked later on Sunday with 4 million viewers at 7pm" (GUARDIAN, 2/10). RADIO TIMES' Ben Dowell wrote the BBC2 coverage of the opening ceremony "pulled in an audience of 2.5 million, a 16% share watching as athletes from 87 nations paraded in front of 40,000 people in the Fisht Stadium" before Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the Games open (RADIO TIMES, 2/10). The London GUARDIAN wrote we are only three days into Sochi, "but the BBC's Winter Olympics commentary team is already in medal-winning form." Viewers "have taken to Twitter to praise Ed Leigh and Tim Warwood's coverage of events such as the slopestyle." One tweeted, "@SnowEdLeigh @Tim_Warwood provide the best commentary I have ever heard! Rad man totally rad!!!" Another said, "I would watch paint dry if @SnowEdLeigh and @Tim_Warwood were commentating on it. #bestcommentaryever" (GUARDIAN, 2/10).
COMMENTARY COMPLAINTS: In London, Antonia Molloy wrote the BBC has apologized "after more than 300 people complained to the broadcaster over the quality of its commentary during the coverage of the snowboarding slopestyle final at the Sochi Winter Olympics." Jones became Britain’s first ever Olympic Medalist on snow when she won Bronze on Sunday, "but some viewers said the triumph was marred by the BBC commentators." Leigh and Warwood "were joined in the commentary box by Jones’ friend and fellow British snowboarder Aimee Fuller, who had been knocked out in the earlier stages of the event." Viewers complained that "the trio cheered when one of Jones’ competitors fell, and that the commentary was of a low standard" (INDEPENDENT, 2/10).
ON-AIR MISUNDERSTANDING: The PA reported British snowboarder Billy Morgan and the BBC "were involved in a misunderstanding on Saturday following the 24-year-old's comments over his performance in the Winter Olympics snowboard slopestyle final." Morgan "had his interview cut short after appearing to swear." BBC presenter Hazel Irvine "immediately issued an on-air apology although it appears the Southampton man may have been misheard." Morgan had said, "I just thought 'huck it.'" "Huck it" is a slang term used by snowboarders to describe "going for it" (PA, 2/8).
SPIRIT OF TOLERANCE: In London, Simon Barnes opined it is clear that "the Russian authorities have little option." First they must arrest IOC President Thomas Bach and sports broadcaster Clare Balding "for blatant offences under their gay propaganda legislation." The pair "have been advocating tolerance, of all things." Bach, to his immense credit, "stood up on the right side at the Opening Ceremony in Sochi." Bach said, "Yes, yes, it is possible, even as competitors, to live together under one roof in harmony, with tolerance and without any form of discrimination for whatever reason." NBC "astonishingly, cut Bach’s words from its broadcast of the ceremony." It is "as fine an example of corporate weaselling as we have seen in years." The BBC "did not make this error." Instead, "it fronted its Olympic coverage with Balding." She is, of course, "the only out gay television sports presenter in the world (as far as I know, anyway)." She "closed the BBC’s broadcast of the Opening Ceremony by saying with quiet, understated simplicity that Bach had spoken well and she hoped that the spirit of tolerance would dominate the coming fortnight of slithering and sliding." Coming from her, "this was a special moment." It "was special because Balding has become an important part of national life." The transition from excellence to greatness in a broadcaster "comes from trust, and trustworthiness is something that can’t be faked by the most brilliant actor who ever stood before a camera" (LONDON TIMES, 2/10).
BROADCASTER OR CHEERLEADER? In London, Martin Samuel wrote Jones was in Silver Medal position in the women’s slopestyle, "heading for Great Britain’s first Olympic medal on snow." It "was a momentous occasion." One "of the two squealing ninnies representing the BBC then attempted to put it into perspective." He said that "whether Jones was the first depended on how you viewed the bronze medal won by skier Alain Baxter in 2002." Fuller said, "I still think he’s a Bronze Medalist." Presumably, "she thinks Ben Johnson won the 100m in Seoul, too." Baxter "failed a drugs test." The British Olympic Association "supported Baxter through many appeals but the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne backed the IOC decision to give his medal to Benjamin Raich of Austria." They decided, "rightly, that Baxter was responsible for what he put up his nose." And then, 12 years later, "a BBC commentary team decided he wasn’t." According to Fuller he is "still a bronze medallist." The BBC "has a decision to make." Is it "the nation’s broadcaster, or the nation’s cheerleader?" Some of the commentary "is quite ridiculous, all screams and sobs, like a gathering of Beliebers" (DAILY MAIL, 2/10).
