Open Letter to the Execs at NBC

[monkeybard]

(And before you ask, yes, I did just email this to them.  You can send them your feedback, too:  nbcolympicsfeedback@nbcuni.com)

Dear NBC Executives~

I'm not sure where to start in explaining to you the many, many ways in which your coverage of the Olympics in Vancouver, BC suck.  But I will try.

Tape delay on the West Coast? Really? In the three hours you wait to air your "live" coverage, I could drive to Vancouver without even exceeding the speed limit.  The West Coast is not the red-headed step-child of America, no matter how much you East Coast execs seem to think we are.  We deserve respect.  We deserve to see West Coast Olympics in real time.  You could, at the very least, be running everything at the same time, nation-wide.  Your lousy coverage would be more tolearable if we were at least getting it something close to live.
As always, you are failing to adequately cover anything but Americans and medal-contenders.  We're getting a few more figureskaters than that, but not much.  Of course, your emphasis should be on the American athletes, but the rest of the world matters, too.

That's just the beginning of the problems I have with your craptastic "coverage" of the Vancouver Olympics.  To put it in very simple terms:  Canadian Olympic coverage is like dining on a locally grown, organic, well-balanced, delicious, and nutritious feast.  By comaprison, NBC's coverage is a cheap frozen dinner loaded with sodium, artificial colors and preservatives, and the always dubious "spices".

You are holding the Olympics, the American viewing public, and particularly the West Coast viewers hostage.  The only reason you're getting any viewers is because you've cut off our access to coverage by our Canadian neighbors--because you know they do a far, far better job than you do.  If you COVERED the Olympics instead of PACKAGING them, you wouldn't have to worry about competition.

Get a clue.

Comments

[brightbeak.livejournal.com]

can you access the online stuff from http://www.ctvolympics.ca/

[vflick.livejournal.com]

You can get a Canadian satellite, and just enjoy all our TV... *grin* I knew people in Arizona who did that.

I enjoy watching a few minutes of the US coverage, esp. the morning show, just to see the few tiny segments about what the "locals" are saying and doing. It's always quite enjoyable. I just wish I could see how it was being covered in Australia, England, Japan, and other places! It is really neat seeing what the American media finds interesting about Vancouver though. I am especially amused by the Downtown East Side coverage... everyone seems to mention that "you can walk through without being in danger as long as you use common sense... it's a slum, but it is Canada after all!" hehe.

Have they really cut off your normal Canuckian coverage? That really sucks - and is really silly. After all, Visa and Coke are all the commercials you ever see on our TV too! Sponsor-city!

[ktbob.livejournal.com]

WORD.

I am so beyond pissed at the craptastic coverage NBC is deigning to offer us. It's not like we can't get the results via Twitter in real time. Oh, wait, I ruined the first speed skating finals for DH because of that. I thought we'd missed the race because we were out of town, so when the results flew by on Twitter I told him.

Four hours later we were home watching the coverage and I realized that I had time-traveled into the future and brought back knowledge that CHANGED THE WORLD. Or at least our enjoyment of the Olympics.

And NBC is blocking the Canadian coverage? Is that what's going on? I keep flipping to channel 29, hoping we'll get some live coverage, but NOOO.

And why the hell aren't NBC sister stations showing concurrent events, too, so we don't miss the opportunity to watch something a little less ratings-driven?

Gah. Worst. Coverage. Ever.

[write-light.livejournal.com]

It's 11:50 PM and I have work tomorrow and they're showing Pairs Skating Finals AT FUCKING MIDNIGHT. I'm in the SAME TIME ZONE!! All of which to say I heartily support your rant, in particular the intriguing typo, "comaprison", which is what this is starting to feel like.