I think NBC delay all their coverage, with the major events shown in US primetime.
It may have been a great idea a few years ago, but in the age of the internet, I don't think it'll work now.
Well 56 million Americans watched the delayed broadcast of the Opening Ceremonies. I doubt that people are going to stay up all night to watch the games.
What do people think of London's chances of hosting the 2012 Games?
I for one think we have the best bid out of the remaining cities. Our main rival would be New York, but after looking at their proposals, I can't see it myself.
Can you imagine the Tennis held at Wimbledon and the Football held at the new 90,000 seat Wembley Stadium?? It would just be fantastic.
We've proved we can hold major sporting events - the Commonwealth Games, Euro 96, Wimbledon every year...
Take time to look at the other bidding cities' websites:
Sorry if this is already covered in a thread somewhere, but... Why is the BBC coverage in 4:3, when apparently everything is being captured in HD 16:9?
I think NBC delay all their coverage, with the major events shown in US primetime.
It may have been a great idea a few years ago, but in the age of the internet, I don't think it'll work now.
Well 56 million Americans watched the delayed broadcast of the Opening Ceremonies. I doubt that people are going to stay up all night to watch the games.
The evening action in the US live would be mid-morning/early afternoon - pretty much similar to Sydney on the BBC 4 yrs a go.
Huge figures for the opening ceremony - but for events it's different as many US viewers are complaining that they are seeing events seven-eight hours after reading about them on the net or seeing them reported on news channels.
Jay - re: London 2012.
I think London is in with a good shot. The BBC's Panorama didn't help - but on the other hand the IOC had a lot of respect for the programme and I doubt that it would even be remembered in July 2005.
Trying not to go too off topic, but London does have a fantastic record of hosting big annual events, the bid plan is focused more on the legacy rather than building stadia that wouldn't be used for years after, and if they can get across to Londons that the bulk of the multi-billion cost is on improving facilities which need improving in London - such as transport etc. - and get much more public support, I think there is no reason why they couldn't do it.
And just think, if things had gone as planned back in the 1990s and London put in a bid after Manchesters failed bid for the 2000 Games, these Olympics could have been in London right now.
Good forward planning when you think about how bad the weathers been the last few weeks.
A few more points:
Firstly, the BBC's Interactive Scheduler - I wish for BBC1/2 listings they would put the sport, rather than just Olympic Grandstand.
Secondly, the BBC don't seem to be overlapping coverage on BBC1 and 2 much this time around.
And thirdly - how annoying is Friday night's schedule - just to fit EastEnders in.
5-6pm BBC1 Olympic Report
6-7pm BBC2 Olympic Grandstand
7-8pm BBC1 Olympic Grandstand
8-8.30pm BBC2 Olympic Grandstand
8.30-10pm BBC1 Olympic Grandstand
10-10.30pm BBC2 Olympic Grandstand
10.35-12.00 BBC1 Olympics Today
Finally - this year for the first time a national broadcaster isn't the host broadcaster. Instead, ATHOC created their own broadcaster - the AOB. ( http://www.aob.gr/english/index.html )
Sorry if this is already covered in a thread somewhere, but... Why is the BBC coverage in 4:3, when apparently everything is being captured in HD 16:9?
Because it isn't. A few events are in HD (see website above for details) but I don't think they are in 16:9, although correct me if I'm wrong.
Back to the bids, and really I think New York and Madrid probably will lose out on the timing.
Barcelona hosted in 1992, while Atlanta and Los Angelas hosted in 1996 and 1984 respectively - so these would be the third American games in a generation.
Don't disregard Moscow completly - they hosted in 1980.
However, it really should be between London and Paris - both of which are in similar positions. Both have hosted twice before, but not within living memory (unless your old and got a good memory!), and both countries have bid for the games using other cities and failed, both are in Europe.
Hopefully London will - and should - be successful - as if either Paris or London get it, there next chance wouldn't be until 2020 due to their closeness. Saying that, I hope London don't give up - they must keep bidding until successful.
Because it isn't. A few events are in HD (see website above for details) but I don't think they are in 16:9, although correct me if I'm wrong.
Ah, I see! Still, if the HD events are 16:9, you'd think they'd shoot the SD events in the same ratio...?
Nope - no reason why that would follow at all.
The AOB (Athens Olympic Broadcasting) host broadcaster is running entirely in 4:3 standard definition - the complexities of running in 16:9 AND 4:3 is too horrendous to consider. (Unless you make and sell aspect ratio converters). All the feeds whizzing around the broadcast centre (even the BBC studio operation - including their plasma!) are 4:3.
There is an entirely separate (and much smaller - though still quite impressive) HD 16:9 operation going on covering some events - swimming, athletics etc. - as well as the opening ceremonies. This is main for NHK (in Japan) and NBC (in the US) where HD is on-the-air already.
However because the NBC HD service doesn't have the right adverts (and because HD ratings aren't being used for ad revenue yet?) NBC are delaying the HD coverage by 24 hours compared to their SD coverage (which is itself delayed by about 7 hours)... If it were shown live then every HD viewer would be a viewer less for the HD coverage - and given that NBC have pre-sold $1bn of advertising for these games, and will have to refund if they miss their targets, they don't want to lose a single viewer!
Slighty off topic but Can anyone remember how many times ITV and Channel4 covered the olympics and did Channel4 have the same presenters as ITV.
Well apparently up until 1980 the games were on all channels, so ITV had the rights to them aswell, like the same way they treat the European football tournaments and the World Cup's, ITV didn't cover them in 1984 because of a strike and then the last time they did so was in 1988 when it was on ITV, Channel 4 and S4C and from what I remember ITV Sport made it, but this was when ITV still controlled advertising on C4 and still made many of their programmes at that time.
But from 1988 the only ones that have been mentioned are Barry Norman and Alison Holloway, but I think Nick Owen also had something to do with it, I am also taking a wild guess at Dickie Davies and Elton Welsby.
