I've loved the Paralympics this year. They've really come into their own. Almost every gold was won with a world record. The sport was just as exciting and competitive as Olympic sport. The standard since the last games has shot up. Case in point, a swimmer who competed and medalled in the Atlanta Olympics was surprised by the standard at the Paralymics. She didn't win a medal because she hadn't anticipated the standard being so high.
In terms of the BBCs coverage, it was excellent, if a bit amateurish at times. The live coverage on BBCi was appreciated, and I think the BBC realised interest was higher than normal when they pushed aside the schedule on BBC Two in the first week and put the games on instead. An hour in the evening was no where near enough though. Team GB were winning so many medals that there was far to much to squeeze into a single hour.
I hope the BBC expand their coverage even further for the London games. I strongly disagree with the suggestion that you have to be a politically correct idiot to think the Paralympics deserves equal coverage with the Olympics. Paralympians are just as human as Olympians. They excel at their sport in the same way. They fight to the last in the same way. The sport is just as captivating and just as watchable.
I'm so looking forward to seeing Paralympic sport in person in 2012. Bring it on!
Can you believe that the Paralympics weren't shown on US broadcast TV? They were streamed on the web, and are due to be shown on a minor digital channel (owned by NBC) at a later date...
Can you believe that the Paralympics weren't shown on US broadcast TV? They were streamed on the web, and are due to be shown on a minor digital channel (owned by NBC) at a later date...
Well they need some time to figure out how to fudge the medal table so they come out on top!
Nope, but it doesn't warrant being patronised either. The same goes for womens football.
Yes, the Paralympics is growing and growing and deservedly getting much more than a 30-minute highlights programme now, but it is still a long way off being an equal to the Olympic games - both in terms of it's actual status and also in how the public view it.
It makes absolutely no sense for the BBC to give it the same coverage as the Olympic Games just because certain "politically correct idiots" feel it should while the demand, and hence the resources, just isn't there.
The coverage though is moving in the right direction and I am sure come London there will be daily live coverage on BBC1/BBC2 (let's be honest though, I wouldn't be so certain of that if it wasn't in London), and I'm sure they'll be coverage throughout the day too - and probably more than one interactive stream.
However, I'm certain their will be greater coverage of the Olympics too - because after all that is the main event, regardless of how you view the quality of paralympic sport.
Nope, but it doesn't warrant being patronised either. The same goes for womens football.
Yes, the Paralympics is growing and growing and deservedly getting much more than a 30-minute highlights programme now, but it is still a long way off being an equal to the Olympic games - both in terms of it's actual status and also in how the public view it.
It makes absolutely no sense for the BBC to give it the same coverage as the Olympic Games just because certain "politically correct idiots" feel it should while the demand, and hence the resources, just isn't there.
The coverage though is moving in the right direction and I am sure come London there will be daily live coverage on BBC1/BBC2 (let's be honest though, I wouldn't be so certain of that if it wasn't in London), and I'm sure they'll be coverage throughout the day too - and probably more than one interactive stream.
However, I'm certain their will be greater coverage of the Olympics too - because after all that is the main event, regardless of how you view the quality of paralympic sport.
But surely it's a case of fix one and the other will follow. You can't expect the Paralympics to have the same following as the Olympics if it isn't treated to the same airtime and the same coverage. The demand can't be there if the stuff is still inaccessible to some in the first place.
It's the same with athletes' notoriety. The public can't follow athletes who can't be seen.
But surely it's a case of fix one and the other will follow. You can't expect the Paralympics to have the same following as the Olympics if it isn't treated to the same airtime and the same coverage. The demand can't be there if the stuff is still inaccessible to some in the first place.
It's the same with athletes' notoriety. The public can't follow athletes who can't be seen.
It's catch 22 of course - but that's why the BBC have got it right this year IMO. They haven't pushed it into the viewers faces, but have made a sizeable chunk of coverage available to those who'll look for it - and I'm sure it's success will lead to more coverage in the future.
Now I wonder is, how the broadcast coverage went outside UK like Australia, Germany, Norway and so on.
Oh. Honestly, I want to be one of "politicaly correctness idiots".
I think most of the "main" countries have been doing a daily hour long highlights show, with some countries showing more coverage in off-peak slots. The US is the odd one out and CBC may only have been doing stuff at weekends?
AIUI in some countries the Olympics and Paralympics rights are held by separate broadcasters? (Australia - where I believe Channel Seven shows the Olympics, but ABC shows the Paralympics?)
That's right. ABC's coverage has been on a par really with the BBC's, with nightly highlights on ABC itself and live coverage on it's digital service ABC2.