nbc olympic coverage

Chrono-challenged NBC great for Canada

The following should probably come with some kind of the warning: The words you are about to read are probably a bit late.

Then again, we are discussing the gorilla Olympic network, NBC, so you could say we're right on time.

Just as they have done for the better part of two decades, the network that spent $820 million US for rights fees is taking a prepackaged view of the Vancouver Olympics.

It's no biggie in most of the United States, especially with the network spilling more of its coverage to ancillary channels, which are not available in Canada, and showing a limited amount of live streaming.

But it's got to be hell for viewers on the U.S. west coast once again, waiting for hours to watch events which have already taken place. What worked 20 years ago is apparently still good now.

At least we've gone past the point where announcers no longer warn viewers not to plug their ears if they don't want to hear the results of an event before they are shown.

NBC's Olympics is supposed to be a time of network soothing, perhaps not for parent company shareholders, who were told months ago the Games wouldn't lose $200 million US, but $250 million.

The spin is that American audiences are supposed to forget the Jay Leno-Conan O'Brien faceplant during the next two weeks.

And if it works for NBC, why should we care? Think of NBC as the replay show; the world version of Hockey Night's After Hours.

If there's any reason to watch the American coverage -- and frankly CTV's early work has been so superior there doesn't seem as if there's a need -- it's only because of our curious nature as Canadians to check out how were are being portrayed.

So far, though, NBC has more than gone out of its way to get it right.

We're guessing the network might want to have back the suggestion at the opening ceremony that Olympic flag carrier Betty Fox was the mother of Michael J. Fox.

Otherwise, NBC has been hitting doubles and triples if not home runs the first few days. U.S. ratings are up 25 per cent over four years ago from the less time-friendly Winter Games in Turin.

The netwok's flagship Today show dragged Alexandre Bilodeau up to Grouse Mountain to be interviewed at 4 a.m. Monday even before they talked to American medallists. There wasn't a single moment of cringing, even during the yummy food segments.

Hours after some parts of the continent are discovering the best we have to offer, Americans are getting the right message.

"You all put up a fantastic show of the opening night. Keep it up," an emailer wrote from Orlando, Fla.

Maybe later can be better. Experiencing the Olympics only through TV and the Internet and see something amusing or outrageous? Drop Armchair Olympian a line at lullrich@theprovince.com during the Winter Games.