NBC not broadcasting Olympic figure skating live

[Johar]

This decision really angers me. People can't stay up late into the night to watch it, as we have jobs to go to. Idiots!

Why are they treating our sport like crap?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,181313,00.html

 

[Norlite]

This decision really angers me. People can't stay up late into the night to watch it, as we have jobs to go to. Idiots!

Why are they treating our sport like crap?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,181313,00.html

I don't think they are treating it ike crap It seems they have scheduled it for the highest prime time period in the day. Most people are at work during the day anyway, ( unless they are hard core fans like me who has scheduled those days of interest, like Men's LP off) This gives the most people a chance to watch. I'll either be watching live online, or on CTV who will probably carry it live.

 

[Johar]

I don't think it's asking much for it to be televised live, like in the good ole days. JMO.

 

[Spirit]

Why is this surprising? Since at least 1994, the marquee events of the all Olympics in other countries have been shown on tape-delay in prime time, because that's the way the general public wants it. The broadcasters took the live route in Seoul in 1988 and discovered it wasn't such a hot decision.

From the beginning, I never expected anything but tape delay.

 

[swannanoa54]

I always stayed up late to watch the live events. I never thought about them being tape delayed. I always thought they were shown live. I must have been watching the wrong Olympics. The only ones I thought were tape delayed were cross country skiing and stuff like that (which I like to watch and get irritated when they don't show it. ) Haven't the Olys always been shown live?

ETA: I thought those that were shown in primetime were just re-broadcasts from the "live" showings during the day.

 

[harrah]

Skating on Tape Delay

This could have worked way back when the internet wasn't so widespread, but to go for tape delay nowadays is an extremely bad idea. At the very least, they could've aired the competitions live AND re-air them in primetime...

All I have to say is THANK GOD FOR THE CBC!!! Who will not only be broadcasting live, but will also re-air a resume of the day's events on primetime.

 

[Frau Muller]

Why is this surprising? Since at least 1994, the marquee events of the all Olympics in other countries have been shown on tape-delay in prime time, because that's the way the general public wants it. .

Not quite right. It's because the networks can command higher advertisement fees for shows shown on prime time.

STOP THE PHONINESS NOW, EVERYONE!

 

[Lucy25]

I have always watched the Olympics live on Canadian CBC. I haven't seen a CBC schedule yet, but I am hoping they continue this trend.

 

[Longhornliz]

This is so not a big deal. I for one am glad that they will broadcast in prime time... it brings more attention to the sport. it will not be hard to avoid finding out who wins. Just dont be so glued to the computer, purposefully avoid news broadcasts that night, come home from work, cook yourself a nice dinner, sit down with the family and enjoy.

I managed to not find out who won in albertville lilehammer and nagano. The major networks even tell you to turn the channel if you dont want to know what happend. Cable news wont offer the same curtesy so dont turn on the tube if you are afraid of finding out.

 

[Piel]

I have been watching since Calgary and FS has always been shown by tape delay in primetime. During Nagano I was spoiled by an idiot clerk at Jo Ann Fabrics who was jumping around screaming beause "That cute little American girl beat the Chinese girl".

 

[Jasper]

They should show it live and on tape delay.

 

[mememe]

I have been watching since Calgary and FS has always been shown by tape delay in primetime. During Nagano I was spoiled by an idiot clerk at Jo Ann Fabrics who was jumping around screaming beause "That cute little American girl beat the Chinese girl".

I thought the 88 Calgary skating was more or less live (might have been a bit tape-delayed on the West Coast and/or Mountain time zones, but otherwise, I'm pretty sure it was live). Ditto for Salt Lake -- there may have been a slight delay, but I think for the most part it was live (I was there and it seemed that the skating events started early enough to make that Eastern Time prime time most if not all of the time). Figure skating in the Olympics in between (Albertville, Lillehammar, Nagano) were all shown tape-delayed, since the time difference was such that the PTB couldn't manage to get the Olympic Committee to schedule figure skating into U.S. major media markets prime time windows. Of course, I may be remembering wrong!

 

[CDMM1991]

As others have said, I will watch the CBC coverage live, and then watch the US coverage later on, because the two countries will probably show different skaters.

 

[tripleflutz]

I'm glad!!

I really have never cared fo "LIVE" Olympic FS coverage, because they keep jumping back and forth between FS and ski jumping or luge or whatever. The delays between skaters, the warmups for the different groups, intermission to run the Zamboni etc. All these delays cause the FS coverage to be fragmented. This way maybe it will be more continuous and enjoyable.

 

[Piel]

I thought the 88 Calgary skating was more or less live (might have been a bit tape-delayed on the West Coast and/or Mountain time zones, but otherwise, I'm pretty sure it was live). Ditto for Salt Lake -- there may have been a slight delay, but I think for the most part it was live (I was there and it seemed that the skating events started early enough to make that Eastern Time prime time most if not all of the time). Figure skating in the Olympics in between (Albertville, Lillehammar, Nagano) were all shown tape-delayed, since the time difference was such that the PTB couldn't manage to get the Olympic Committee to schedule figure skating into U.S. major media markets prime time windows. Of course, I may be remembering wrong!

You are right.:yes: Calgary and SLC events were scheduled to be shown live to the Eastern time zone. Logistically it was easy to do. Others have been tape delayed to show in prime time for the East.

 

[shdotz]

Olympic Skating late at night - NBX

I don't think they are treating it ike crap It seems they have scheduled it for the highest prime time period in the day. Most people are at work during the day anyway, ( unless they are hard core fans like me who has scheduled those days of interest, like Men's LP off) This gives the most people a chance to watch. I'll either be watching live online, or on CTV who will probably carry it live.

____________________________________________

It also brings in much more money from the sponsors; that's what it's all about for the NBC bunch - $$$$$$$$$!!!

The rich get richer; we just have to tape it or DVD it and be grateful that we can view it.. Of course I've always said that if the skaters strike, don't show up, etc., it will never happen again. But the skaters want to skate fresh, so it's taped to gain the most money for the network and for the officials and for the arena and everyone else who is involved.

I think ESPN and ESPN2 put on the best skating shows because they don't run so many commercials and we see more in less time. One year it was one skater per 5 minutes of commercials. I timed it. Outrageous.

But that's the way it is and has been for eons and eons and eons.

I don't think NBC cares what we think about it. Once they've got their money, they just play tapes on the air. How easy can that be?

shdotz

 

[Mathman]

It also brings in much more money from the sponsors; that's what it's all about for the NBC bunch - $$$$$$$$$!!!

I don't see why this commonplace fact should spark such outrage. Of course the television networks are in it for the money. Are they Santa Claus? A Super Bowl commercial costs $2,000,000 for 30 seconds. What else do we imagine that high profile televised sports/entertainment events are about besides money?

MM

 

[SkateFan4Life]

Why is this surprising? Since at least 1994, the marquee events of the all Olympics in other countries have been shown on tape-delay in prime time, because that's the way the general public wants it. The broadcasters took the live route in Seoul in 1988 and discovered it wasn't such a hot decision.

From the beginning, I never expected anything but tape delay.

Well, there is a six-hour time delay between Italy and the East Coast of the US, so I think it makes sense for NBC to not telecast the figure skating events during the day. After all, most of are out of the house during the day with jobs, school, and other pursuits. We aren't a nation of television fanatics who have nothing to do but sit in front of the boob tube.

On the other hand, I do remember the LIVE telecasts from the 1980, 1988, and 2002 Winter Olympics. It was thrilling to watch the opening ceremonies from Lake Placid on live television (yes, I took the day off from work so I could watch this live), and it was thrilling to watch the "Battle of the Brians" from Calgary and the "Battle of the Carmens", also from Calgary, on live television. We had the joy of watching Katia and Sergei win their first Olympic pairs gold medal on live television.

And, of course, we all had the opportunity to see Sarah Hughes win the gold medal, televised live. Wow! Not to mention the fact the we also saw the saga of the pairs competition.

There's nothing like seeing a competition live to raise the drama-meter to the roof. Yet, we can still keep tabs on the competition via the Internet, so we will have "live" coverage of the figure skating competition, in that sense.

What will be annoying, in my opinion, will be the expected attempts by the commentators to play up the competition to us as if we don't know the final results. We also are not a nation of hermits, and most of us have access to the Internet and/or other means of communication, so we'll already know the results of the competition prior to the broadcasts.

 

[shdotz]

Commercials and Money

I don't see why this commonplace fact should spark such outrage. Of course the television networks are in it for the money. Are they Santa Claus? A Super Bowl commercial costs $2,000,000 for 30 seconds. What else do we imagine that high profile televised sports/entertainment events are about besides money?

MM

________________________________

My sentiments, exactly.

And to look further into this element of money, that makes the skaters pawns.

Too drastic a term? Not at all. Everyone involved is being used in one way or another. This is true of all sports; all entertainment; really, most of life everywhere unless one is wise and not willing to be used.

shdotz

 

[shdotz]

Soooooooooooooooooooo true!!

Well, there is a six-hour time delay between Italy and the East Coast of the US, so I think it makes sense for NBC to not telecast the figure skating events during the day. After all, most of are out of the house during the day with jobs, school, and other pursuits. We aren't a nation of television fanatics who have nothing to do but sit in front of the boob tube.

On the other hand, I do remember the LIVE telecasts from the 1980, 1988, and 2002 Winter Olympics. It was thrilling to watch the opening ceremonies from Lake Placid on live television (yes, I took the day off from work so I could watch this live), and it was thrilling to watch the "Battle of the Brians" from Calgary and the "Battle of the Carmens", also from Calgary, on live television. We had the joy of watching Katia and Sergei win their first Olympic pairs gold medal on live television.

And, of course, we all had the opportunity to see Sarah Hughes win the gold medal, televised live. Wow! Not to mention the fact the we also saw the saga of the pairs competition.

There's nothing like seeing a competition live to raise the drama-meter to the roof. Yet, we can still keep tabs on the competition via the Internet, so we will have "live" coverage of the figure skating competition, in that sense.

What will be annoying, in my opinion, will be the expected attempts by the commentators to play up the competition to us as if we don't know the final results. We also are not a nation of hermits, and most of us have access to the Internet and/or other means of communication, so we'll already know the results of the competition prior to the broadcasts.

__________________________________

Now, perhaps football could be a tape play-back; how often do you think that would happen?

Never.

shdotz