One of the major problems with NBC's coverage of the Sochi Winter Games is the time difference from the East Coast. Sochi is nine hours ahead of US East Coast time (translation for me in Texas is 10 hours), so as a night owl, any live action for the Games when I choose to watch it will start around 2 AM Houston time.
And with the next Winter Games scheduled for Pyeongchang, South Korea, that problem will be around in 2018 as well.
But what NBC needs to do is figure out when to do the edits of their broadcasts.
NBC got justifiably excoriated for its Olympic coverage from London that was far too heavy on tape delay and included a badly timed edit of the 2012 Opening Ceremonies in which a tribute to the victims of he London attacks was edited out of the US broadcast.
Well, for those of us watch the Olympic opening ceremonies, NBC's bad timing with edits struck again. They decided to edit IOC President Thomas Bach's speech, and cut out an important chunk of it that the rest of the world saw that made a strong statement (from the IOC perspective) against any form of discrimination and a plea for tolerance.
Yeah, a strong statement that's a year too late.
Here's the transcript of President Bach's speech. The part that NBC cut out is in bold print.
Good evening, dear Athletes. Mr. President of the Russian Federation, Mr. Secretary General of the United Nations, Good evening Olympic friends and fans around the world! Welcome to the 22nd Olympic Winter Games! Tonight, we are writing a new page in Olympic history. What has been achieved in seven years is a remarkable achievement. I would like it thank, in again, the president of the Russian Federation and his Government. The Sochi Organizing Committee. The Russian Olympic committee. And the IOC members in Russia. Thank you to all the workers for your great contribution under sometimes difficult circumstances. Thank you to all the people of Sochi and the Krasnodar region. Thank you for your patience, thank you for your understanding during these years of transformation.
Now you are living in an Olympic Region. I am sure you will enjoy the benefits for many, many years to come. Thousands of volunteers have welcomed us with the well-known warm Russian hospitality. Many thanks to all the wonderful volunteers. Bolshoi spasiba, valantyoram! Thank you very much to everyone. Russia and the Russians have set the stage for you, the best winter athletes on our planet. From this moment on you are not only the best athletes, you are Olympic Athletes. You will inspire us with your outstanding sports performances. You have come here for sports. You have come here with your Olympic dream. The International Olympic Committee wants your Olympic Dream to come true. This is why we are investing almost all of our revenues in the development of sports. The universal Olympic rules apply to each and every athlete- no matter where you come from or what your background is. You are living together in the Olympic Village. You will celebrate victory with dignity and accept defeat with dignity. You are bringing the Olympic Values to life. In this way, the Olympic Games, wherever they take place, set an example for a peaceful society. Olympic Sport unites people. This is the Olympic Message the athletes spread to the host country and to the whole world. Yes, it is possible to strive even for the greatest victory with respect for the dignity of your competitors. Yes, Yes, it is possible - even as competitors - to live together under one roof in harmony, with tolerance and without any form of discrimination for whatever reason. Yes, it is possible - even as competitors - to listen, to understand and to give an example for a peaceful society.
Olympic Games are always about building bridges to bring people together. Olympic Games are never about erecting walls to keep people apart. Olympic Games are a sports festival embracing human diversity in great unity. Therefore, I say to the political leaders of the world - thank you for supporting your athletes. They are the best ambassadors of your country. Please respect their Olympic Message of goodwill, of tolerance, of excellence and of peace. Have the courage to address your disagreements in a peaceful, direct political dialogue and not on the backs of the athletes. (APPLAUSE) To all sports officials and sports fans I say - join and support our fight for fair play, the athletes deserve it. To you - my fellow Olympic Athletes - I say, respect the rules, play fair, be clean, respect your fellow athletes in and out of competition. We all wish you joy in your Olympic effort and a wonderful Olympic experience. (APPLAUSE) To all of you - Athletes, Officials, Fans and Spectators around our globe - I say, enjoy the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games! And now I have the honor of inviting the president of the Russian Federation, Mister Vladimir Putin, to declare open the 22nd Olympic Winter Games.
Okay NBC, you are already getting off to a bad start with the Sochi tape delay. let's see what else transpires between now and February 23.
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