OLYMPICS ‘88: A PREVIEW : NBC Hoping to Tell Story, Not Become It, With Its TV Coverage

One of the major stories of this year’s Winter Olympics at Calgary was the television coverage, or lack of it.

The number of commercials, the placement of them, delayed coverage in the West, and sloppy telecasts generated a lot of criticism.

NBC people gulped. This was ABC, which bills itself as the “network of the Olympics.” What was NBC, which hadn’t televised an Olympics since the Winter Games of 1972 and hadn’t broadcast a Summer Olympics since 1964, in store for at Seoul?

One NBC executive said ABC’s troubles in Calgary sent “a healthy dose of fear” throughout NBC’s sports division.

More recently, Michael Weisman, NBC Sports’ executive producer, before going to Seoul, said: “I could be a wise guy and say we won’t miss any hockey goals. But I won’t say that.

“Seriously, our aim is to be flexible, to adjust and follow the big stories. We will try to not overproduce and get in the way.

“We do not want NBC to be the story of these Games.”

NBC will present 179 1/2 hours of Olympic coverage, with 80 hours of live prime-time coverage (4:30 to 9 p.m., Pacific time) and 30 hours of live late-night coverage (9:30 to 11:30).

NBC’s coverage begins Thursday night at 9 with a two-hour preview. The opening ceremony Friday will be shown from 8 p.m. to midnight, a delay of three hours in the West. But other prime-time coverage will be live in both the East and West.

ABC’s prime-time coverage from Calgary was shown on a three-hour delay in the West.

NBC’s early morning coverage (6 to 9 weekdays) and afternoon coverage (2:30 to 3:30) will be delayed in both the East and West.

Seoul is 17 hours ahead of Los Angeles, but many events will be held in the morning and early afternoon to accommodate prime- time hours in the Eastern United States and early-evening hours in the West. Noon in Seoul is 7 p.m. in Los Angeles.

The U.S. network, in this case NBC, gets preferential treatment because of the rights fee it pays. NBC paid $300 million for the Seoul Games. The Soviet Union and 15 other Communist countries, collectively, paid only $3 million.

NBC, however, figures to make a profit. It will spend another $100 million on production, but will gross about $550 million from advertising.

NBC will have a crew of some 1,200 people in Seoul. Some of the key players:

THE EXECUTIVES

Michael Weisman, executive producer: He’s in charge of the overall look of NBC’s coverage. A one-time page in NBC’s guest relation department, Weisman, in 1983, when he was only 33, was appointed executive producer of sports. Whereas Roone Arledge, who served as the executive producer during ABC’s Olympics, is regarded as aloof, Weisman is just one of the guys. He is well liked among his co-workers and has a wry sense of humor.

“The Olympics is what made (ABC’s) Roone Arledge a legend, a household name,” Weisman said. “Now I get my shot. But Roone’s name helped. Roone. It has such a ring too it. Maybe I should change my name to Rocky. Rocky Weisman. How does that sound?”

Art Watson, NBC Sports president: He negotiated the TV contract, and is the ultimate authority for decisions made within the sports department. He has been president since 1979. Watson, a quiet man, prefers to stay out of the limelight. Says Weisman: “Arthur insists on two things, honesty and integrity.”

Michael Eskridge, executive vice president: Formerly the president of NBC Radio, Eskridge was hired in October, 1985, to provide administrative leadership and financial guidance for the Seoul Games. He has the reputation of a hard-liner. He wears a necklace with a tiny hatchet on it. He says his staff at NBC Radio gave it to him. Why the hatchet? “You figure it out,” he says. What would his current staff give him? “The same thing,” he says.

Weisman: “Working with Eskridge is like riding a roller coaster. He’s an up-and-down guy.” Eskridge will become president of NBC’s new consumer news and business cable channel, CNBC, which is scheduled to go on the air Feb. 1. Asked, hypothetically, if he would like to do his current job again if NBC were to get the rights to the 1992 Summer Games. “Not for $5 million,” he said.

Terry Ewert, coordinating producer: As with Eskridge, the Seoul Olympics has been Ewert’s full-time job for more than two years. It has been decided he, not Weisman, will call the shots during the prime-time coverage, which isn’t a bad idea. While Ewert has been immersed in the Olympics, Weisman has had other responsibilities. ABC got into trouble by bringing Arledge in cold to call the shots during the Calgary Games. NBC is not making the same mistake.

Peter Diamond, vice president, Olympic programs: Called a walking Olympic encyclopedia, he’ll work alongside Ewert and Weisman in the main NBC studio in Seoul. He was hired away from ABC after the 1984 Los Angeles Games, and insiders said he was missed in Calgary. It has been said that, “You can’t have an Olympics without Peter Diamond.” He’s also in charge of the research unit and the pre-taped Olympic profiles.

THE HOSTS

Bryant Gumbel, prime-time host: Anchor of NBC’s “Today” show, Gumbel was a sportscaster for Channel 4 in Los Angeles in the early 1970s and a sportscaster for NBC for five years before getting the “Today” job in 1980. He’s extremely sharp, and should handle this difficult job well. Could emerge as the broadcasting star of the Games.

Dick Enberg, venue host and gymnastics and basketball announcer: Another possible broadcasting star of the Games. He should get a lot of air time, reporting from various venues and also anchoring the gymnastics coverage and handling the play-by-play on the men’s basketball final.

Bob Costas, late-night host: In Los Angeles, late night will be prime time. Costas is a versatile performer who should handle this assignment well, considerably better than Frank Gifford and wife Kathie Lee did for ABC at Calgary. There will be live events during Costas’ time block, and also wrap up segments. The late-night shows may run beyond 11:30 a.m. at times if major events are still taking place.

Gayle Gardner, weekday morning co-host and weekend afternoon host: Yes, there still is a Gayle Gardner. She was on the air almost every night at ESPN, but has just about disappeared since going to work for NBC on Jan. 1, although she’s lately been seen doing updates during NBC’s National Football League coverage. In Seoul, she’ll team with Jane Pauley of the “Today” show and multi-talented ex-football player Jimmy Cefalo on the morning shows. Cefalo, a football commentator and a contributing sportscaster on the “Today show,” and Maria Shriver, co-anchor of the news show, “Sunday Morning,” will be the co-hosts of the Sunday morning coverage in Seoul.

Ahmad Rashad, weekday and weekend afternoon host: Those familiar with his work on NBC’s NFL pregame shows are aware that he’s a solid, all-around broadcaster.

THE ANNOUNCERS

Charlie Jones, track and field and diving: He’s a veteran, but he’s never quite reached star status. Now he’s got a chance to be one if he bares down and really works, really studies and concentrates. Jones will have to do better than he did at the 1983 and 1987 World Track and Field Championships. Some at NBC say Jones thinks he knows more about track and field than he does. There are more knowledgeable track announcers around, such as Vic Holchak of ABC Radio, who has done some meets for Prime Ticket. Holchak sent a tape to NBC but it was returned unopened.

Frank Shorter, track and field: About his role as a commentator, Shorter said: “You have to not only know the athlete’s name and numbers, but also be able to recognize them on sight by their walk or running style. When Eric Segal was announcing the men’s marathon for ABC during the 1972 Olympics (which Shorter won) he knew immediately that the first runner in the stadium was an imposter. He knew because he did not recognize the runner.” The rap on Shorter is that besides the distance races, his knowledge of track and field is lacking.

Dwight Stones, track and field: He’s not only a name athlete, but also an excellent announcer. He should be NBC’s star in this sport.

Greg Foster, track and field: A broken arm kept him from qualifying to compete in the high hurdles, so NBC hired him as a commentator. He’ll have a small role, though.

Dave Sims, track and field reporter: He’s a respected New York radio talk-show host.

Mary Lou Retton, women’s gymnastics commentator: After an unimpressive performance at the national championships in Houston in July, NBC executives realized, as is often the case with television, they made a mistake hiring a commentator solely on marque value. As a result, her role in Seoul will be a minor one. She’ll mostly appear in taped pieces. NBC should have gone after Cathy Rigby, who did such a nice job for ABC at the U.S. Olympic trials.

Bart Conner, men’s and women’s gymnastics: His role was increased once Retton’s shortcomings were recognized. Conner is sharp and a good communicator and should do well, and working with a pro such as Enberg will help. But NBC may have been wise to go after ABC’s Gordon Maddux, who gets a 10 as a gymnastics commentator. Maddux’s knowledge and enthusiasm set him apart. If Conner does close to the job Maddux has done ever since his famous Olga Korbut call in Munich in 1972, he’ll be doing OK.

Tom Hammond (play-by-play), Al McGuire (men’s analyst), and Nancy Lieberman-Cline (women’s analyst), basketball: Hammond does regional college basketball and horse racing for NBC, McGuire’s solid work is well known, and Lieberman was a star of the game at Old Dominion who now plays for the Harlem Globetrotters’ patsy, the Washington Generals. Lieberman-Cline, who married Generals’ teammate Tim Cline last May, has a pleasing personality and a pleasant southern accent, but her lack of broadcasting experience could show. Enberg will handle play-by-play on the men’s final.

Marv Albert and Ferdie Pacheco, boxing: This pair, well known to boxing fans, will have their work cut out for them, trying to keep up on hundreds of Olympic matches.

Russ Hellickson and Jeff Blatnick, wrestling: In 1984 in Los Angeles, Hellickson, a 220-pound silver medalist in freestyle wrestling at the 1976 Olympics, worked as a commentator for ABC. One of his assignments was to interview Blatnick after he won a gold medal as a heavyweight in Greco-Roman wrestling. Blatnick was the first American to win any kind of medal in Greco-Roman. This incredible feat brought tears of joy, and Blatnick tried to walk away from the interview with Hellickson. But Hellickson grabbed Blatnick and provided viewers with one of the most memorable and emotional moments of the ’84 Olympics. In 1982, Blatnick began a two-year battle against Hodgkin’s disease, and won. He won a second battle with cancer in 1985 and ‘86, and attempted a comeback in his sport. He gave it up last March after working out with U.S.’s top heavyweight, Duane Koslowski. “I knew I’d never beat Duane at the trials,” Blatnick said. “I would rather be going to Seoul as a competitor, but going as an announcer isn’t bad.” Blatnick, a motivational speaker in high demand, is pursing a career in broadcasting. He’s also a spokesman for a project by the U.S. Olympic Organizing Committee in which commemorative coins produced by the U.S. Mint are being sold to the public in order to raise funds to help train Olympic athletes. He should do well in Seoul if he gets much air time.

Bob Trumpy and Chris Marlowe, volleyball: Trumpy is OK on football, but volleyball? Trumpy figures to need help from Marlowe, former Palisades High sports star who was a captain of the U.S. Olympic team in 1984. Marlowe has done good work as volleyball commentator for Prime Ticket.

Don Criqui and John Naber, swimming: Criqui is a solid, all-around announcer. And look for Naber to emerge as a star if swimming becomes a major story in Seoul. The former USC star who won four gold medals at Montreal in 1976 and who won the Sullivan Award as the nation’s outstanding amateur athlete in 1977, is bright and an excellent speaker.