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The most ambitious single media project in history

GRANT ROBERTSON

From Saturday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 11:59 AM EST 27/07/08

NBC's Olympic telecast will be anything but business as usual: It's a $1-billion cross-platform laboratory designed to capture the exact destination of viewers and prove to advertisers that network television still has the power to reclaim lost viewers ...Read the full article

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  1. bill johnson from Quebec, Canada writes: The one area where Canadian tv blows away American coverage is the Olympics. Watching NBC, one would think the USA was the only team competing. They show 85% fluff, 15% sports.
  2. Brian Dell from Stockholm, Sweden writes: I believe NBC's clout means that they have a lot of influence over scheduling, which should be a good thing for Canadians since they live in the same time zones as the USA.
  3. Randy D from Canada writes: Chock full of left-wing loons, the Olympics are a venue the network can pretend they are real news people.
  4. joseph Cheng from Toronto, Canada writes: I always enjoy Bob Costas's commentaries on NBC telecasts of MLB games. Bob has a great memory and his stand on disparaging remarks uttered by Barry Bonds towards him was nothing short of being gentlemanly. In order to avoid switching channels between NBC & CBC and getting blisters on my finger tips, your truly and a couple of relatives have made arrangements to place a couple of flat-panel 42 inch side by side. We'll take our vacation at that time and watch until we drop.
  5. Rollo T from 8>(, Belgium writes: joseph Cheng from Toronto, Canada writes: I always enjoy Bob Costas's commentaries on NBC telecasts of MLB games.
    -------------------------------------------------

    Except for when Bob refers to players by their first names only, a little too chummy for my liking. Even if I could watch NBC's Olympix, I'd opt for not. Television is for kids bored with their playstations and Wiis.
  6. Donald Wilson from Nova Scotia, Canada writes: I recently saw the results of a poll that indicated 88% of those polled were not planning to watch live reports . Advertisers should love that stat . It seems that because the games are in China , people are just turned off by that government and the terribal way they treat ordinary Chinese . Tibet supression was the final straw for many of us . If the world doesn't watch in big numbers , that will send a clear message to the suppressers .
  7. Oh... Awwwcheee..... from Canada writes: Who cares. Does anyone really take the olympics seriously. About as interesting as watching golf or paint drying. And who cares how much NBCor CBC have invested. Those billions could be better spent elsewhere. As for Bob Costas, nearly all sportscasters are pompous windbags who love the sound of their own voice.
  8. M D from Canada writes: Television....do people still watch that crap? ZZZzzzzz...
  9. all good from Quibekistan, Canada writes: tv is dead, seniors and babys still waching.videogames, internet,
  10. Charles Murray from Toronto, Canada writes: The big networks don't get it. People are unwilling to sit through long periods of commercials to watch activities only seen every four years. In the U.S. where patriotism is almost a religion, NBC makes that the main focus rather than an appreciation of the sport, athletes and Olympic ideals.
    Here in Canada, the task is even harder, especially given our quiet nature and lukewarm public and government support of Canadian athletes.
  11. Gerry Vee from Canada writes: As a poster mentioned above, I'm not interested in watching live TV only to be bombarded with what the american athletes are up to in the medal count. Add to that about 25 minutes of commercials for every hour of broadcast, and it's a complete no brainer decision for me. I'll check out the highlight reels on the internet sans commercials, thank you very much.
  12. BUB ImumI from Canada writes: ,,//
    I likely will not watch any of the olympics. It is all about drugs, eugenics, the master race and China is a bore.

    .
  13. Richard Hawrelak from Sarnia, Canada writes: I'll watch both NBC and CBC ... on tape and CD. That way, I can enjoy my out door activity and during bathroom and meal breaks, flick through on fast forward through the fluff. With the time difference, I'll not miss one wink of sleep. Besides, there are only a few events worth watching ... like the 100 meters ... it's over in 9.3 seconds, thank gosh.
  14. Nassar Ben Houdja from Canada writes: More commercials, will shut tv off except for simpson reruns which are more believable than a bunch of joc's scampering around on legal or undetectable drugs.
  15. doctor business from vancouver, Canada writes: The Olympics is a TV event. And like TV, the set is a prop that gets torn down after the fact. Same thing with the host city!

    Cancel the Olympics now!
  16. Jack Robinson from London, Canada writes: Having once considered both the Summer and Winter Olympics a sweat junkie's wet dream but has since dissed the Nike-hyped, dope-pumped Circus Minimus for real world arenas of combat... I not only hope that the macro-marketing mugwhumps at NBC crap their laptops over this cynically-targeted 'demographic' hijack'... but that the Acme Anvil finally drops on their tiny knobs that it's the lamentable lack of on-air quality, intelligence and innovation that's all but killed the Cathode Cathedral.
  17. Michael Tripper from Vancouver, Canada writes: if a stage-managed pr exercise for dictators is the most ambitious media event then the media can go to hell as our society certainly has become hellish when dreck like this passes for ambition.

    And in the report on business no less - not even sports or arts - just bottomline, make chinese repression look good...our business press is indeed in a sad state - no more than a cheerleader, no useful business/investing information just rah rah rah.

    So much for the search for truth, speaking truth to power or informing the public.

    this headline and line if thinking is a total disgrace and has zero place in journalism.

    I want business news here, not cheerleading.
  18. Seán Lawrence from Kelowna, writes: This was a very frustrating article to read. While I suppose that I'm interested in whether, in general, TV and the internet will find some way to get along, it doesn't say anything about what those of us living in Canada will be able to watch.

    Are we still going to need cable to watch NBC's coverage, or will we be able to watch it streaming over the internet? Will CBC coverage be sufficient for sports with marginal viewerships? Will there be some way to watch through the BBC?
  19. Jimmy K from Toronto, Canada writes: First of all, TV sucks. My TV watching has declined by 95% in the past 5 years, because there is nothing on it. Ever. I don't know when I last turned it on. I should give Rogers a call, they're taking my money for nothing. If it wasn't for NBA, NHL, and NFL on tv, that thing would be 100% useless.
    Secondly, NBC Olympic coverage sucks even worse, I hate NBC. The point of Olympics is to watch many of the best athletes from around the world compete, not jump from American athlete to American athlete for hours. Sometimes you would think these are the American national games if you watch it on NBC. But anyway, whatever, it's America's network, if that's what they like, that's what they like, I guess.
    Finally, I think people would start watching tv again if the stuff on it wasn't so crap. I remember 3-4 years ago all the studio execs in hollywood were crying about how the internet and piracy is making their box office revenues decline and they are going to go bankrupt. Boo hoo. People would reply and say no, what's making your box office revenues decline is your movies are complete crap, but they didn't buy that argument, and stuck with blaming the internet. A few years later, they are having a record breaking year, because their movies were actually respectable this year. Stop making garbage, and they will come, should be their new maxim. The same can happen for tv, but not if the only thing on it is 100 different versions of CSI (next up, CSI: Fargo Vice Edition! Woo!), 30 different variants of stupid gameshows, and reality tv that either involves singing, dancing, or confining a bunch of jackasssses in a space surrounded by cameras for months on end just to see what happens. For this type of programming, I think I can speak for the entire 18-34 demographic who has stopped watching tv when I say: BOOOOOOOOOO.
  20. Justin Payne from Richmond BC, Canada writes: Two things during the Olympics broadcast to remember;

    1 Mute button
    2 Off button
  21. Joe Gopher from Canada writes: When I first saw the headline I thought it was going to be about how the media was trying to get Obama elected by never asking him a serious question.
  22. Ricky for a Centrist Canada from Canada writes:
    Randy D - you're an idiot.
  23. Robin Hannah from Canada writes: 'NBC's Olympic telecast will be a $1-billion cross-platform laboratory designed to capture the exact destination of viewers and prove to advertisers that network television still has the power to reclaim lost viewers'. That sounds good. Maybe along the way NBC will remember the athletes, too. You never know.
  24. joseph Cheng from Toronto, Canada writes: To all ladies and gents who are turned off by the Beijing Olympics and would avoid watching them on TV (assuming none of you will spend the money to go to Beijing):
    Fine guys! But don't forget a good part of your tax money you remit every year to Ottawa goes directly to fund the CBC which is spending tons of taxpayers' cash to bring personnel and equipment to Beijing in order to telecast the games back home. By watching the Olympics and deriving pleasure from watching, I'll be getting as much benefit as possible back from the tax I pay every year. You guys who aren't going to watch indirectly and directly subsidize and pay for the pleasure of guys like myself who will be glued to the TV and enjoy every minute of the Beijing Olympics on CBC. Perhaps you will keep busy tapping your keyboard writing letters to your MP or PM Harper to complain about the Olympics or vent off your steam blasting the CBC. Meanwhile, eat your hearts out, guys! And I thank you all very much for contributing your fair share of your hard-earned money for my pleasure and my enjoyment!!! Merci beaucoup!!!
  25. Ricky for a Centrist Canada from Canada writes:
    Gopher Hole - you're an even bigger idiot than Randy D
  26. Randy D from Canada writes: Ricky for a Commie Canada--you wouldn't recognize an idiot if it fell on you. Mental midgets like you aren't capable of such thought.
  27. Bobby Culture from Canada writes: joseph Cheng from Toronto, Canada writes: ... To all ladies and gents ... CBC which is spending tons of taxpayers' cash to bring personnel and equipment to Beijing in order to telecast the games back home. By watching the Olympics and deriving pleasure from watching ...
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Good post, Joseph .... LOL.

    Not to mention $$$ spent on Peking Ducks they would consume while being there ... yum, yum, yum ...
  28. Emma Hawthorne from Canada writes: The flag-waving engaged in by networks and the athletes they interview is tiresome. I wish the athletes could cease being 'ambassadors' for their countires and instead could feel free to speak their mind as the top-flight sports experts they are. Their actual stories and perceptions would be far more interesting that the usual partiotic pap they feel compelled to offer.
  29. doug burt from writes: these comments on this blog have 2 be the most ingnorant and uninformed comments ever...i can see why you posters don't like the Olympics , you all just sit in front of your computers being cynics and thinking people actually care and want to hear your opinions...maybe go outside and get a life...
  30. Lorne Carmichael from Kingston, Canada writes: When the Olympics were in Atlanta many of the local bars were showing the CBC feed because it actually showed the events as they occurred. The US channels would wait until the event was over and they knew who won, what the 'story' was, and how to package it.

    Supposedly someone asked an American TV producer about this, and he said: 'It's not going to change. Our advertisers want their products associated with heartwarming stories of American success. That's what we give them.'
  31. Bobby the K from Yahk, BC, Canada writes: First of all it has yet to be explained why an ugly and repressive regime like China got the games in the first place. I believe the games lost their cachet a long time ago when they started letting professionals compete - 'dream teams'? - over-paid, over-exposed, over-rated spoiled whiners. And it's apparent that many of the decisions now being made about the olympics are based on revenues, advertising and not offending those who should bloody well be offended early and often. I believe many of us sense that the entire process has become corrupt and elitist. I sincerely hope the ratings are down (way down) for these games. Maybe then somebody will ask why and things can get re-tooled and the real spirit of the games will return. As it is now, the games have become far too commercial. Once you have that much money involved, corruption can't be far behind. Just as the athletes should be non-professionals, they should scale back the advertising so that costs are covered and it's not a huge revenue grab for those at the top who have played the politics well.
  32. Bobby the K from Yahk, BC, Canada writes: First of all it has yet to be explained why an ugly and repressive regime like China got the games in the first place. I believe the games lost their cachet a long time ago when they started letting professionals compete - 'dream teams'? - over-paid, over-exposed, over-rated spoiled whiners. And it's apparent that many of the decisions now being made about the olympics are based on revenues, advertising and not offending those who should bloody well be offended early and often. I believe many of us sense that the entire process has become corrupt and elitist. I sincerely hope the ratings are down (way down) for these games. Maybe then somebody will ask why and things can get re-tooled and the real spirit of the games will return. As it is now, the games have become far too commercial. Once you have that much money involved, corruption can't be far behind. Just as the athletes should be non-professionals, they should scale back the advertising so that costs are covered and it's not a huge revenue grab for those at the top who have played the politics well.
  33. Bobby the K from Yahk, BC, Canada writes: ^^ I don't get the double post either.
  34. samuel t cogley attorney at law from toronto, Canada writes: doug burt, doesnt it just get to you that most of us have the vote too?

    i too will not watch one single minute of olympic coverage. china isnt wothr my time
  35. Prairie Boy from Canada writes: I as many others have become disillusioned by Olympic coverage. The sports I like to watch I rarely see. Ok they had beach volleyball, I don't know if it was a demo or not but it wasn't the decathelon.

    The television networks are going much the same as the newspapers. Some relied on their rep as being unassailable but as the NYT have just ceased to be relevant.

    The bad part is a push will start so you have to pay for the websites you visit. The idea is being floated now and you know how some ideas that benefit some turn out.
  36. Captain Jack from A special island, Canada writes: I wonder what a 'single media project' means in this context?

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