#nbcfail

triggerfinger — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 10:41:05 -0800

NBC is being heavily criticized for its handling so far of the 2012 Summer Olympics. From delaying the broadcast of the opening ceremonies by four hours (and then having to endure terrible commentary) while the rest of world watched live, to cutting out a tribute to terror victims everywhere to not showing Michael Phelps' first medal attempt live (and then spoiling it on a news broadcast before the race actually aired). This is in addition to online viewers not being able to access live video online unless they have a cable subscription as well as problems with the actual stream. NBCs response to some of the crticism: Opening ceremony: "are complex entertainment spectacles that do not translate well online because they require context" Cutting the tribute to victims of terrorism: it wasn't tailored to the US audience NBC exec Jim Bell has taken to Twitter to respond to the critics. Despite the controversy, the opening ceremony had record viewers. But while not showing Olympics events live is normal for NBC (this is the first Olympics that all sporting events are shown live on US TV), people are asking how long they can continue to delay these events in the age of social networking.

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#nbcfail