Winter Olympics TV Coverage Far From Golden
Its that time of the year again. The 2005 National Football League season has come to an end with the Pittsburgh Steelers capturing the Super Bowl title, the Major League Baseball Spring Training season is just readying to begin, the National Basketball Association is in a holding pattern for most fans until its playoffs, the NASCAR season is just getting started with the Daytona 500 just raced and the National Hockey League is on hiatus due to the 2006 Winter Olympics. And with the NCAAs March Madness still weeks away, what is a sports fan to do?
We force ourselves to tune in to the NBC television broadcast network in order to try to catch some of the real competition on tap in the XX Olympic Winter Games. Sports fans are not averse to watching Winter Olympics coverage, but trying to figure out NBCs television schedule has become a sport of Olympic proportions unto itself.
The supposed television Winter Olympics schedule is available in local newspapers, in various sports magazines and all over the internet. But the schedule times are useless in pinpointing when any particular sport is broadcasted. And depending on what time zone one lives in, it is virtually impossible not to hear the results on television, radio, or view online prior to seeing the broadcast as NBC has its coverage tape delayed in five different U.S. time zones.
The excuse to not broadcast real time coverage during these Olympic Games is viable this year in that Italy is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time. But on weekends it is feasible for live coverage at least on the east coast. It is worth noting that almost 40 years ago, U.S. television viewers were able to enjoy primarily live coverage of the 1968 Winter Olympics from Grenoble, France and later with the 1972 Olympic Summer Games from Munich, Germany, via television satellite. But what was the excuse in not broadcasting the 1996 Summer Olympics live when they were in Atlanta, GA and then when the 2002 Winter Olympics were in Salt Lake City, UT? Both were instead tape delayed, again in five different time zones.
The reason for NBCs incoherent TV scheduling is because of its monopolized ability to edit and package the coverage any which way it wishes in order to appease sponsors while placing advertising spots wherever and whenever it chooses. Unfortunately, for the viewer, it denies the spontaneity of competition as well as deprives viewers from selectively choosing which sports they wish to watch.
NBC has bragged about providing 416 hours of broadcast coverage on NBC including its three cable television stations. But since these Winter Olympics first started airing its events on February 11, 2006 to date, viewers have been treated to little more than glorified highlights between 8:00 PM 11:30 PM in whichever time zone one happens to be. During that time period, bits and pieces of coverage from any one of 15 sport disciplines are shown, with scant coverage of any athletes other than American Olympians or only winners of an event should they not be American.
We lose the continuity of viewing any one event such as alpine skiing, speed skating, ski jumping, or even bobsledding for that matter. Essentially, races necessitate competitors being seen in sequence or at least the contenders, rather than a cut and paste version of them. And while figure skating viewing requires less of a need for the immediacy of viewing other competitors in the event, one would be hard pressed as to when to plan on tuning in. Although more time is devoted to the figure skating events than most others, its coverage is peppered with teasers and unexpected commercial breaks in the action, making it sometimes painful to get through, even for its avid fans.
Since television coverage of the Olympics is all about ratings, as is all television fare, NBC for years now has shot itself in the proverbial foot when whining that not enough of the American public is tuning in to Olympics coverage, no longer just applicable to the Winter Olympics, either. While the Summer Olympics attracts more viewers, its coverage too is close to beyond the pale.
What NBC has tried to do over the years is to please all demographics as well as its sponsors while losing sight of the intrinsic value of the actual event. But as viewership continues to erode for Olympics coverage, the NBC network is largely responsible. In its zeal to compel the American viewer to tune in, it has overproduced its coverage, thus turning off the very audience it is trying to attract and retain.
The Olympics tells its own story and most sports fans do not have the patience to sit through over three hours of teaser-filled coverage. Now we all know the reason it is done this way. The hope is that viewers will sit through enough coverage in order to be exposed to advertisers as well as to garner more consistent ratings. But in fact, NBC is accomplishing the opposite result, forcing many to either record the coverage and thus eliminate the ads, or tuning out completely.
So what you say? Who cares? Well, chances are if you are reading this, you are a sports fan. Although we all have our favorite sport, we crave watching competition, with few exceptions. For example, the idea of watching curling is comparable to watching paint dry and how it is considered an athletic event is beyond this writers comprehension.
But for now, we are stuck with what we have. When the numbers are crunched this time round for NBC, perhaps they will get the message that the sports fan drives the numbers and more and more of us are getting fed up. Maybe they need to go back to the drawing board and revisit the Jim McKay playbook on covering worldwide sporting events. It worked for ABC broadcasting way back when, when the athletes were the story, not the network; sadly a crucial element which NBC seems to have forgotten.
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Five Mother's Day Gift Ideas
Books
1. If mom is a collector, whatever her passion - depression glass, blue and white pottery, silver, paperweights, or furniture of any period - there is a book to arm her on her next antiquing adventure. Look for pocket guides to slip in handbags during shopping excursions or more complete reference books for curling up by the fire. Prices start at $9.95.
2. Write On
Give mom a chance to sign her name with flair with a gift of an exquisite writing set. Direct from Italy is the Francesco Rubinato collection of old world writing instruments. This distinctive collection of fine writing instruments and accessories includes quill-tipped pens, glass pens, wax seals and exquisite desk sets; all attractively boxed for gift giving. Sure to make mom smile every time she writes a note.
3. Homemade Gifts
Antique stores are treasure troves of small dishes, teacups and plates in glass, ceramic or silver. All at affordable prices. Fill one up with her favourite candies, chocolates or flowers, wrap it in tissue paper, tie it with a bow. Mom is certain to appreciate this one-of-a-kind present. Prices starting at $4.
4. Wrap It Up
Vintage napkins, tea towels, crocheted doilies can take the place of wrapping paper for small gifts. Secured with a pretty ribbon, it's sure to delight mom. Prices starting at $3.
5. Hook It
Mom will love a handbag caddy designed to keep her handbags off the floor. It's a new and improved version of a style from days gone by. And it keeps pickpockets at bay, so mom can enjoy a stress-free meal. Price is $34.50.
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A Quick Look at Jewelry Hallmarks
British Hallmarks are the best in the world.
Who says so, the rest of the World. Although to be fair, other countries have great hallmarks too, it is just that they are NOT so often seen.
A book on World Hallmarks for Gold or Silver items is a must for any serious collector or dealer, but they can be a little intimidating and time consuming. Is that mark a Cockerel or a Tree? Could it be made in Switzerland or Germany?
Thankfully for the rest of us, a small pocket book on UK Hallmarks is more than up to the task, coupled with that very useful plastic 10X eyeglass I keep on hinting for you to buy.
It will show you that the item has been tested and stamped, to prove it is - what it says it is (9ct or 18ct etc).
British Jewelry with a full UKHM (United Kingdom Hall Mark) is generally clearly stamped and readable after you clean it (check the website below for another complimentary article on 'How to Clean your Jewelry at Home').
Once you are aware of the marks, you will always feel just that little bit better when you buy that 'Could it be an Antique?' item at the local market, or from the guy in the Pub that everyone talks about but nobody knows.
Buyer Beware....
*Six marks on British Jewelry.*
Yes... Six?
# 1: The Maker's Mark (Usually some initials). Not all that important for everyday items, unless you want to collect Jewelry from one maker. Silver collectors may want to buy items from say, Bateman (I should be so lucky).
# 2: The second stamp is the Assay Office mark or 'Mark of Origin'. It tells you where the item came from. The most common is the LONDON Hallmark. A Leopard's Head. Sometimes this has a crown on the Leopard's Head (until circa 1821). Modern items do NOT have a crown on the Leopard Stamp.
The other most common Assay Office marks are from Birmingham (an Anchor). Once there were many Assay offices around Great Britain and Ireland, the Chester mark for instance. Now there are just three offices left in England, Sheffield being the last using a 'Rose' on gold Jewelry (DO NOT CONFUSE THIS WITH 'ROSE GOLD' JEWELRY) as that is a color, not a mark.
In Scotland there is Edinburgh, while in Ireland there is Dublin. Pity the poor Welsh are left out again!
# 3: The next is the Assay Quality mark and is shown as the 'Lion Passant' (which means 'looking ahead') and is a guarantee of quality. This was later changed to a 'CROWN' mark with a stamp showing the quality of Gold.... 9ct or 18ct etc.
# 4: Finally, and possibly the most important mark, was the Date letter mark. It changed each year so we can tell when the item was made.
Occasionally there is an extra mark.
# 5: An example was the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977.
Suffice to say if you see a Brooch with four or five marks and one of them is an Anchor with an 18 next to it and a letter 'C' next to that.... It's a safe bet it was made in Birmingham in 1927, or was that 1952, or 1902, or, or, or.....
Buyer Beware the man in the Pub.
As with most Jewelry items though, our advise has always been to buy the best QUALITY you can afford from a reputable dealer who will guarantee it.
Other than that, your plastic 10X eyeglass sure helps a lot....
P.S.
If you administer a website or publish an ezine, please feel free to use this article as long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content and include our resource box as listed below. Although it's NOT compulsory I would personally appreciate it if you could send me an email at: gemmo1@online-jewelry-appraisals.com to let me know if and where you used it. If you need other great content - complimentary of course - then drop me a line at the email address given - 'cause I've got Quality Content and Gallons of the stuff....
(c)David Foard - All Rights reserved
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