BBC Coverage of the Olympics

[Racefan_uk]

I know there is another olympics thread running, but bear with me on this one mods.

Has anyone noticed the inane drivel and shoddy production of the BBC olympic coverage so far?

I've only flicked it on about four times so far, just to see what was on at the time. But every time I have it looks like an episode of a badly produced soap opera! They cut to the British guy boxing yesterday and they were filming it from a camera on the floor outside the ring and the only way the cameraman could get a picture of the fight was to zoom out to see the giant screen in the background, that the other camera man who was ringside was getting pictures for...

When Gaby Logan was doing the links last night they cut back to her twice to see her talking to someone else behind the scenes before what appeared to be a helium balloon dropped in front of the camera obscuring it. Then they had more bks about the american swimmer and decided to play music over the top of what can only be described as a st link too loudly so you couldn't even hear what they were saying anyway. Oh, and apparently this guy will be swimming the distance between Liverpool and Manchester over the course of the games. Is the UK olympic viewing public really this dumb they want to know crap like this?

And the other thing that I found really weird was them trying to interview the female cyclist who won gold yesterday. There was a snatched interview from her just after she'd won, where some PR type bloke in the background dragged her away before she was able to speak properly. Then, when they finally did manage to sit her down to talk to her (allegedly in the 'media suite') it looked like a table in the local Little Chef!

Are the facilities that bad over there? Or is there some other reason that they're broadcasting crap coverage? Not a great way to spend the license fee so far.

[ALawson]

I remember the cringe worthy questions they asked her at Sports Personality of the Year last year, “Do you fall off your bike much?", and she was the Women’s World Champion at the time! FFS, do some basic research.

[Jasandjules]

There are only 400 of them over there to cover it, probably over worked.....

[siscar]

I have to say that the internet coverage is very good, much better than watching on the TV

[Roop]

Yeah, it's a somewhat shonky affair so far I must agree. The BBC have covered live events for years and for the most part done it well - I wonder if there are technical reasons for the sync issues as a result of broadcasting live from China with associate restrictions or such...???

Still, it's nice to have it in high def...

[johnnywb]

I would agree it's been shoddy so far, but i didn't really expect much better to be honest. Chris Moyles made a good (!) point on the radio this morning, do the commentators actually have an belief in Team GB? They constantly seem amazed that we've made it into the final / won a medal / placed well etc.

ANd why the hell do they have a cut out of an American swimmer in the studio to hang medals on? Undoubtedly he's very talented, but i'm getting very, very bored of them constantly talking about him like he's some God or something. How about they cut all the cr@p about him and give some coverage to British competitors in sports where we're getting naff all coverage other than a 30 second throw away line at the moment.

[RLK500]

Exactly, that boiled my p*ss last night. We get a load of inane drivel about some american who's going to win a hatfull of medals and a nanosecond about the GB boxing lads. I want to turn on and watch our people giving it their all, win, lose or draw. If I want US centric TV I will watch Fox or CBS.

[CLK-GTR]

johnnywb said:

I would agree it's been shoddy so far, but i didn't really expect much better to be honest. Chris Moyles made a good (!) point on the radio this morning, do the commentators actually have an belief in Team GB? They constantly seem amazed that we've made it into the final / won a medal / placed well etc.

ANd why the hell do they have a cut out of an American swimmer in the studio to hang medals on? Undoubtedly he's very talented, but i'm getting very, very bored of them constantly talking about him like he's some God or something. How about they cut all the cr@p about him and give some coverage to British competitors in sports where we're getting naff all coverage other than a 30 second throw away line at the moment.

I have noticed the commentators lavishing praise on the brits for coming 7th or 8th. I know taking part is what counts, but at the Olympics? Really? It's not a school sports day we should be asking why we're not finishing higher not saying well done at least you were there. We're not getting coverage because mostly we havent got a hope in most of the events so far.

On the other hand im far more interested in whether possibly the best swimmer in history can make history and get 8 golds than whether or not we get lucky and pip a gold in an obscure, uncompetitive event like road race cycling. People like Phelps dont come around too often, just in the same way the Michael Schumachers and Lance Armstrongs dont either.

Edited by CLK-GTR on Monday 11th August 10:04

[Puff Puff]

The commentary on the women's cycle race in which Nicole Cooke won a gold medal was terrible. The commentators (were they Australian?) were unable to identify individual riders or even countries and made excuses throughout the race.

One of them continually bleated on about the painted lines being slippery when wet and didn't know the placings of the three women in Team GB as the race concluded. It was all very amateurish but does seem to have been an exception.

I'm enjoying watching sports that rarely get TV coverage, for example archery and canoeing where the commentators are excellent.

As for getting excited about Britons finishing in the lower half of the top ten, just to achieve the Olympic qualifying standard is damned good going so to finish in the top ten is quite an achievement.

[Simpo Two]

Puff Puff said:

The commentary on the women's cycle race in which Nicole Cooke won a gold medal was terrible.

So was the camera position - from head on at ground level, you had no idea who was leading or by how much.

However it may be that China has bagged all the best spots or sold them to the highest bidder. I know a cameraman who worked on the F1 circuit and he said restrictions were so bad that he was only allowed to point his camera in one direction and not another.

[esselte]

CLK-GTR said:

I have noticed the commentators lavishing praise on the brits for coming 7th or 8th.

If,in the process of finishing 7th or 8th,they have broken the British record what more can you expect of them?Shouldn't that achievment be recognised...?

Edited by esselte on Monday 11th August 10:39

[DWP]

The coverage of events is provided by BOB the Beijing Olympic Broadcasting company. The studio coverage is by the BBC and has left a lot to be desired.

[Neil_H]

The problem is it's on for so long that they have to do something to fill the emty space that other channels would just stick adverts on for. They do this with inane banter, relentless 'build-ups' and pointless interviews.

The BBC has always been like this.

[ascayman]

johnnywb said:

but i'm getting very, very bored of them constantly talking about him like he's some God or something. .

well in swimming terms he is....

[Saddle bum]

CLK-GTR said:

............ than whether or not we get lucky and pip a gold in an obscure, uncompetitive event like road race cycling.

Keep trolling, trolling, trolling .................

If you were on a bike, Nichole Cooke would make you grovel like a baby.

[CLK-GTR]

esselte said:

CLK-GTR said:

I have noticed the commentators lavishing praise on the brits for coming 7th or 8th.

If,in the process of finishing 7th or 8th,they have broken the British record what more can you expect of them?Shouldn't that achievment be recognised...?

Edited by esselte on Monday 11th August 10:39

I think that says more about the standard of the British record tbh if we're that far off the pace. We look at ourselves as a sporting nation considering we invented most of them, yet we're lavishing praise on ourselves just for turning up??

[V8S]

I like to see unbiased reporting on the BBC. I don't want it to be too Brit-centric. You're right, whoever it was, that said the presenters seem surprised if we even make it into the next heat. Obviously I want to hear what's happening with our chaps, but a good case in point was just now they talked to the Iraqi rowing team - rather inane questions but damn good to see.

When the athletics start, we'll have Michael Johnson (who I revere) in the studio with, no doubt, Colin Jackson having to put up with Sue Barker, who will be frothing over talking to Michael and discussing, mostly, the American athletes.

[anonymous-user]

i doubt the bbc will have much control over the cameras to be honest so the feed they get will be for same all the countries. do you really think every country in the developing world has cameras at each event and can dictate what they want to show?

i think the BBC commentary is ok, i am pleased that they have some many ex-olympiads in the studio to explain what is going on, Sharron Davies, Steve Redgrave etc... put it this way, when you watch an F1 race or the premiership, how often does the commentator actually explain, in lay mans terms, whats going on? hardly ever is the answer, its all drivel and for F1, pseudo technical bullst made up by James Allen. I have never watched a football match and the commentator discussed the offside rule, the markings on the pitch etc, its just taken as a given but for a none football supporter its probahbly a mystery......so i was watching the hockey and the commentators explained the rules throughout the games, the penalties and why people were doing certain things, same with the archery and even what the judges look for in the gymanstics which made the whole thing far more involving!

as for the comments about support, i think any brit who gets to the final nevermind wins a medal has done extrememly well, look at the british mens 4x100m freetyle swimming team. they got to the final and in the process beat the existing national record by 5 seconds, if thats not an achievement what is? sure a medal would have been nice but in reality, many other countries are far better equipped and funded to provide winners so as i said to reach a final against the best in the world is pretty good i reckon!

is it possible for anyone here to stop moaning for a day, not link a story in the daily mail labelled a p*** boiler" and just take what they have for granted? or is everyone here a saint works 24/7 for the minimum wage and does a perfect job everyday?

[CLK-GTR]

Saddle bum said:

CLK-GTR said:

............ than whether or not we get lucky and pip a gold in an obscure, uncompetitive event like road race cycling.

Keep trolling, trolling, trolling .................

If you were on a bike, Nichole Cooke would make you grovel like a baby.

Its Olympic cycling. Most of the good cyclists dont even compete or just cruise around, saving themselves for the events on the cycling tour over the course of the year. No need to get your knickers in a twist

[okgo]

They really really really need to take their toungues of of that swimmers ass.

I turned if off it was pissing me off so much, "he isn't even kicking his legs, he may aswell not race, we know the outcome" And then he got hammered by some swiss guy, not that it matters at this stage.

But it really bores me, and its what annoys me about Hamilton, Murray , ect