NBC Olympics Coverage Details? Announcers, HD coverage, etc?

[Frau Muller]

I recently visited the NBC website in hope of finding out details about the Turin 2006 competition. There is absolutely no information on NBC yet. Does any know, or can give me a link to a site, with the following information:

* Who will be the anchors & the figure-skating analysts for the 2006 NBC telecasts? [Is Scott Hamilton well enough to return as the main skating analyst, for example? Will it be Sandra Bezik and Vern Lundquist in the booth, once again? If so, Russian skaters better run & take cover!]

* Will the NBC Family of cable channels offer more in-depth coverage of skating, a-la the 2004 Athens broadcasts? It would be great if we could see more than 7-8 performances in each event!!! Better yet, how about letting us see an entire field of skaters, a-la Eurosport?

* Also, as in Athens, will NBC be offering high-definition coverage of certain marquee events? In the case of Athens, lucky viewers with HD could see the ENTIRE gymnastics event (mens & ladies artistic, as well as rhythmic). Maybe we skating fans may be offered the chance to see the ENTIRE skating competition, in some form, at a premium cost?

I would be willing to pay up to $500 (maybe more) for the privilege & joy of seeing the ENTIRE skating competition (pairs, men, dance & ladies) as it happens, live, commercial free, from the comfort of my living room. How about you?

[Tonichelle]

AFAIK - Scott Hamilton has not said if he will return or not. The last article I read on the subject had him hoping to be well enough, but that was back in March or April and he didn't sound like his sight at that time was well enough to do the job as well as he wanted.

I hope and pray that he will be able to anchor for NBC, whether or not he's a good commentator has been debated, but if he commentates it'd be a sign he's on the mend...

[SkateFan4Life]

Well, I think I pay enough for my cable television service, and with 80-plus channels, I would think (and pray) that there would be extensive coverage for the Winter Olympics.

One issue is the time difference between the US (speaking of the East Coast, where I reside) and Italy. I think there's a six-hour time difference, so if the figure skating competitions were to be aired live, they would probably be broadcast in the afternoon over here. I certainly hope the powers at NBC don't expect the skaters to compete at the wee hours of the morning so that we can watch the competition on live television! After all, that's what VCRs are for. I expect to purchase a supply of videocassettes and tape as much of the competition as I can, whether or not I'm at home when the competition takes place.

As for the commentators, I hope NBC does NOT hire Sandra Bezic! IMHO, she's a royal know-it-all, overly opinionated, and she comes across as a snob of the first order. She went ballistic at Salt Lake over the pairs competition because
Sele and Pelltier happen to be Canadians, as she is. What kind of biased reporting is that? Of course (!!!) the judging controversy was terrible, and this issue had to be brought out in the light, but IMHO, Bezic is extremely prejudiced.
I also think that Scott Hamilton fueled the fire for the controversy, as he took the side of his fellow North Americans. I realize that we're all human beings and have a certain degree of "favoritism", but this has to be kept in control when you're a broadcast journalist.

[Dee4707]

I hope and pray that he will be able to anchor for NBC, whether or not he's a good commentator has been debated, but if he commentates it'd be a sign he's on the mend...

I would have to disagree with you. I hope that Scott doesn't anchor, not because of illness but let someone else do it who doesn't screech and hollar. :frown2: I was so disappointed with his commentary.

Dee

[Katy Taylor fan!1]

NBC didn't put together major Olympic section up on MSNBC Sports until June of 2004 for the Athen Games. The site NBC Olympics .COM didn't come up until July 14, 2004 and which is a month before The Athen's games. So you probly won't see anything from NBC nor MSNBC on The 2006 Torino Italy, Winter Olympic Games until probly December. That usually what happens. So NBC Olympic website won't be up until middle of January so that's when you will find out. Also you have remember NBC Sports has to BroadCast Not only the Winter Olympics Games, but they also do the Daytona 500 include Speed Weeks at Daytona. So who knows what NBC going to be doing that month for the Broad Cast times will be.

[Frau Muller]

Thanks for the info. KatyFan1 - Your info was especially helpful. Now I won't worry about the special NBC site not being up. Once it goes up, we will know if skating will be offered on more than one network of the NBC family.

Remember the TBS afternoon broadcasts of the Albertville, Lillehammer & Nagano Olympics (when CBS did the major broadcasts)? Those TBS afternoon cablecasts were GREAT because that's where we'd get to see a lot of the early skaters (like the Aussie Carrs, Bourne & Kraatz's set patterns, Mila Kajas of Finland...remember her?). For Salt Lake City/NBC, I don't recall any such 'outlet' on cable to allow us to see the earlier/younger/less known skaters.

In retrospect, the NBC Salt Lake coverage was the absolute worst I've seen, for skating...and I've been watching & taping since 1980!!!! Ah......I remember the 1984 ABC Sarajevo coverage, when we got to see about 20 different teams skate their Original Set Patterns to Paso Doble. Those were the days! (sigh)

Frau Muller

[thisthingcalledlove]

Thanks for the info. KatyFan1 - Your info was especially helpful. Now I won't worry about the special NBC site not being up. Once it goes up, we will know if skating will be offered on more than one network of the NBC family.

Remember the TBS afternoon broadcasts of the Albertville, Lillehammer & Nagano Olympics (when CBS did the major broadcasts)? Those TBS afternoon cablecasts were GREAT because that's where we'd get to see a lot of the early skaters (like the Aussie Carrs, Bourne & Kraatz's set patterns, Mila Kajas of Finland...remember her?). For Salt Lake City/NBC, I don't recall any such 'outlet' on cable to allow us to see the earlier/younger/less known skaters.

In retrospect, the NBC Salt Lake coverage was the absolute worst I've seen, for skating...and I've been watching & taping since 1980!!!! Ah......I remember the 1984 ABC Sarajevo coverage, when we got to see about 20 different teams skate their Original Set Patterns to Paso Doble. Those were the days! (sigh)

Frau Muller

I've heard that ABC had the best coverage of all the Olympics =(

[Frau Muller]

That's right! ABC really had the best, even though it was 'Uncle Dick' with all of his eccentricities. At least he was not too biased...except for when he criticized Soviet skaters for wearing 'dirty boots.' LOL!!! Anyone remember? That was a Dick Button Classic. he was talking during Kira Ivanova's SP: "She's slow, too careful and, to top it off, like all Soviets, her boots are dirty."

[euterpe]

NBC also has other cable outlets such as MSNBC where they can provide additional coverage. But usually what they show there are the lesser-known and less-popular sports.

Because the Ladies and Mens SPs are by random draw, NBC will likely tape the performances and show the top skaters in prime time. But how they will do the FSs is problematic, considering the 6-hour time difference.

[Mathman]

Thanks for the info, Katy Taylor fan! -- and thanks for joining us. Welcome!

Mathman

[soogar]

That's right! ABC really had the best, even though it was 'Uncle Dick' with all of his eccentricities. At least he was not too biased...except for when he criticized Soviet skaters for wearing 'dirty boots.' LOL!!! Anyone remember? That was a Dick Button Classic. he was talking during Kira Ivanova's SP: "She's slow, too careful and, to top it off, like all Soviets, her boots are dirty."

HAHAHAHAH What's with Americans and clean boots? I read Nancy Kerrigan's Artistry on Ice and she had almost a whole chapter devoted to keeping your skates clean. She said that judges always came up to her and complimented her on her clean skates (her secret was clear nail polish over the black soles of her skates [remember when black soles were in style, unlike today's natural finish]). The Russians do have the dirtiest skates , and Surya's skates were especially scuffed.

[thisthingcalledlove]

HAHAHAHAH What's with Americans and clean boots? I read Nancy Kerrigan's Artistry on Ice and she had almost a whole chapter devoted to keeping your skates clean. She said that judges always came up to her and complimented her on her clean skates (her secret was clear nail polish over the black soles of her skates [remember when black soles were in style, unlike today's natural finish]). The Russians do have the dirtiest skates , and Surya's skates were especially scuffed.

I remember Surya having two different kinds of boots when she skated.

[Frau Muller]

I remember how, in the mid-1980s, a lot of Russian skaters (especially ice dancing women) started covering up their boots with stretchy white fabric. I couldn't help but think that Uncle Dick's comment must have made its way to Moscow & St. Petersburg. It was just too much of a coincidence in time! In 1985, the Russians appear at Worlds with sparkling white covers on their boots!

To shift gears a bit...

re. the 2006 Olympics, I found out that the Ice Dancing Original Dance Tempo will be a Latin-Salsa medley. (Wasn't it that at the last Olympics too?) The one set pattern will be chosen from among these three: Ravensburger Waltz, Yankee Polka & Tango Romantica. I'm really hoping that Yankee Polka is selected...it's super quick and difficult; should favor those who are extra neat & quick in their steps, such as Delobel/Schoenfelder.

[Antilles]

Frau, the OD at the last Olympics was a Spanish Medley-Tangos, Flamecos, Paso Dobles and Spanish Waltzes. The Latin OD this time around has different rhythms, i.e. Mambo, Salsa. These rythyms should have less over-the-top drama, and we won't be inundated with Carmens.

[Joesitz]

I wouldn't mind ABC doing it. They have the staff for figure skating and their cameramen are as good as any if not better. And I don't hate Dick and Peggy. When they talk nonsense I can just turn them off in my mind. I don't like Peter who during the Worlds could only say Stephane can do interesting spins. (Peter kind of choked on the quads.)

Since there is no elimination round, and the skaters are not seeded, I can't imagine how they will show30 SPs LIVE. I'm not complaining but that's what they will have to do unless we are going to get it a week later by tape.

The LP could cut the LIVE time down because the skaters will then have made placements in the SP so that that they could show the last 12 to skate LIVE. I won't like - I want it all - but I understand it.

I wouldn't worry about a LIVE showing. If you are not busy you can just watch it at home in the afternoon or morning. If you're working just put the tape on and don't listen to the radio.

Oh, for pay-per-view for figure skating!

Joe