CBS brings home disappointing coverage

REVIEW
	1998 Winter Olympics 1/2 Star CBS Feb. 6 - Feb. 22

In a climax of glitzy packaging for those with short attention spans, CBS offers "Rock 'n' Roll Highlites" - snippets of wow and a lot of not-so-wow moments from the Games. Is this what CBS truly believes the MTV generation wants?

In response to the worst viewership for a Winter Games this decade, CBS attributed America's disinterest to a lack of medals won by the United States, which finished sixth in the medal count with 13 total. At one point during the Olympics, in order to compensate for the low ratings, the network threatened it would need to run more commercials during its broadcasts. Sure, go ahead. Blame the athletes and punish the viewers - shoot yourself in the foot while it's in your mouth.

Proving that it believes image is more important than content, CBS peppered its coverage with graphically enhanced highlights and moving athlete profiles that would've been great - if only they were supplemented with actual events.

For starters, CBS' afternoon coverage was nonexistent. Instead of skiing, speed skating, luge - even ice dancing, viewers were left to watch CBS' regular daytime schedule of syndicated comedies and soap operas.

AP PHOTO The disappointment of Canadian hockey player Wayne Gretsky rivals the disappointment American viewers felt when they watched CBS' Nagano coverage.

Most of the events we did see were shown on tape-delay, as much as 12 to 24 hours after the fact - probably so CBS could insert even more blathering commentary. Do the CBS executives not realize that we now live in a world where CNN, ESPN, local news and even the Web provide instant updates on anything and everything? Did they actually believe people would patiently wait nearly a day for primetime studio host Jim Nantz and his cohorts to present the neatly packaged competitions, the outcomes of which we already knew?

Is it that unreasonable to expect a station to sacrifice its regularly scheduled programming for an event that happens just once every four years?

Evidently, Canada's CBC didn't think so. In fact, CBC's Olympic coverage was, in a word - phenomenal.

Granted, the Canadian superstation has a hang-up for curling, a warped cross between air hockey and pool - and apparently a Canadian obsession.

Overall, however, CBC blew CBS out of the water. With afternoon, prime time and late-night - sometimes all-night - coverage, CBC's nearly non-stop Nagano left CBS in the dust. But hey, at least Bold and the Beautiful didn't miss a beat.

Even though CBC's announcers were openly biased toward Canadian athletes, which is to be expected considering its audience is, well, Canadian, this was easily tempered by their fair, rational analysis of the events. Their CBS counterparts, on the other hand, found it necessary to sugarcoat critiques of even the worst of performances. In another breath of fresh air, the CBC announcers knew when to shut up and let the drama of the sport speak for itself.

The shining beacon of CBC's coverage was lead anchor Brian Williams (not the ubiquitous MSNBC frontman). The silver-haired gent, who seemed to be awake 24-seven, spread the word from Nagano with grace and style. Counter Williams with CBS' Nantz, and you saw the latter sitting awkwardly in an even more awkward set, doing nothing more than attempting to kill time between pre-recorded events.

While Nantz's primetime show provided meager coverage at best, "Olympic Late Night" with Michele Tafoya and Al Trautwig was a total embarrassment. The show hit an Olympic-low when it pre-empted coverage for an interview with the nasal Fran Drescher, who - ironically draped in Team Canada clothing - shamelessly plugged the upcoming season of "The Nanny".

One of the few things CBS didn't completely botch was its men's ice hockey coverage, as it broadcasted most games live. But even so, the network blew it when it signed off just before the medal ceremony, one of the most prestigious of the Games, and two hours before the closing ceremonies. Thankfully, CBC came to the rescue as it broadcasted the Nagano Games' crowning event live and in its entirety.

"Welcome Home," invites CBS. Sorry, folks - For this one, I'm moving north of the border. Canada gets the gold, and in this game there aren't any medals for the runners-up.

AP PHOTO Women's figure skating gold medalist Tara Lipinski jumps with hysteria after capturing the gold in her competition, which aired on CBS almost 12 hours later.

02-24-98