Olympic watch: Live from New York, it's ... Beijing? <!--startclickprintexclude--> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" height="25" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="datestamp">Updated <script type="text/javascript">document.write(niceDate('8/5/2008 7:32 PM'));</script>1h 37m ago | Comment | Recommend </td> <td align="right"><!-- EdSysObj ID="SSI-B" FRAGMENTID="13417811" rberthol -->E-mail | Save | Print | <script type="text/javascript"> <!-- var tempshowReprintSSI = ""; if(window.showReprintSSI) { tempshowReprintSSI = showReprintSSI; } if ((navigator.os.indexOf("Mac")==1) && (navigator.type==2)) { // macIE if((document.forms.hiddenValForm.hiddenMacPrintValue.value == "0") || (document.forms.hiddenValForm.hiddenMacPrintValue.value=="2")) { if(document.forms.hiddenValForm.hiddenMacPrintValue.value == "2"){ document.forms.hiddenValForm.hiddenMacPrintValue.value = "0"; } else{ document.forms.hiddenValForm.hiddenMacPrintValue.value = "1"; } if(tempshowReprintSSI == 'showReprintSSI'){ writeReprintLink(); } writeSubscribeToLink(); } else { document.forms.hiddenValForm.hiddenMacPrintValue.value = "2"; } } else {// non macIE - write top and bottom if(tempshowReprintSSI == 'showReprintSSI'){ writeReprintLink(); } writeSubscribeToLink(); } function writeReprintLink(){ document.write('Reprints & Permissions | '); } function writeSubscribeToLink(){ var url = document.location.toString(); var urlArray = url.split("/") var nurl = ""; for (i = 3; i < urlArray.length - 1; i++) { if(i<urlArray.length-2){ nurl += urlArray + "|"; } else { nurl += urlArray; } } document.write('
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Olympic viewers are about to get the silent commentary as they watch live events. Go figure: Many viewers will even be physically closer to Beijing than TV announcers calling games in the Games.
The novelty behind those novelties: They'll originate from NBC's Manhattan headquarters — specifically, from the revamped set of Saturday Night Life.
Don't laugh. The idea is that NBC's wildly expanded online Olympic coverage — 2,200 live hours and 3,000 on-demand taped highlights and events from Beijing, after its past live online Olympic action consisted of a single 2006 ice hockey game — necessitates the New York operation in the home of a late-night show that isn't produced during the summer.
The key to NBC's TV coverage — totally about 700 hours and airing on various cable channels — remains largely unchanged. NBC primetime broadcasts — which draw the huge audiences and ad bucks — reign supreme. Some Beijing morning events — including at 32 swimming finals — will air live for the 82% of U.S. viewers who live in Eastern and Central time zones. But the traditional top U.S. TV draws — including marquee track events, diving and gymnastics — will be held for primetime no matter when they occur. As a result, such top sports will not air live online at all.
NBC's online tonnage will come mainly from the Olympic world TV feed, which captures every moment of competition and is available to every TV network that bought Olympic TV rights. But that feed, the basis of most Olympic TV around the world, doesn't come with commentary.
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Olympic viewers are about to get the silent commentary as they watch live events. Go figure: Many viewers will even be physically closer to Beijing than TV announcers calling games in the Games.
The novelty behind those novelties: They'll originate from NBC's Manhattan headquarters — specifically, from the revamped set of Saturday Night Life.
Don't laugh. The idea is that NBC's wildly expanded online Olympic coverage — 2,200 live hours and 3,000 on-demand taped highlights and events from Beijing, after its past live online Olympic action consisted of a single 2006 ice hockey game — necessitates the New York operation in the home of a late-night show that isn't produced during the summer.
The key to NBC's TV coverage — totally about 700 hours and airing on various cable channels — remains largely unchanged. NBC primetime broadcasts — which draw the huge audiences and ad bucks — reign supreme. Some Beijing morning events — including at 32 swimming finals — will air live for the 82% of U.S. viewers who live in Eastern and Central time zones. But the traditional top U.S. TV draws — including marquee track events, diving and gymnastics — will be held for primetime no matter when they occur. As a result, such top sports will not air live online at all.
NBC's online tonnage will come mainly from the Olympic world TV feed, which captures every moment of competition and is available to every TV network that bought Olympic TV rights. But that feed, the basis of most Olympic TV around the world, doesn't come with commentary.
