Olympic opening ceremony

I loved it, but wondered if anyone watched it on NBC. Rumour has it that they cut the 7/7 tribute out and replaced it with an interview with Michael Phelps.

 

Do you have a link to that tribute? I do remember a Michael Phelps interview but I didn't watch the whole event because I went out. So I would not be for sure on exactly what was in and what was out.

Do you think it some underhanded scheme to cut that out or just a timing issue and them choosing what Americans see??

 

Just found an article in the guardian, suggesting it was a deliberate cut. Equally the 7/7 tribute wasn't that long at all so makes no sense timing wise.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/jul/28/london-2012-nbc-opening-ceremony?newsfeed=true

The US broadcaster NBC is facing growing criticism after editing their delayed coverage of the London 2012 opening ceremony to replace the "memorial wall" tribute section with a Ryan Seacrest interview with Michael Phelps.


NBC, exclusive holders of the US rights to the Games, chose to broadcast the entire ceremony on a time-delay to maximise primetime advertising revenue, and were further criticised for refusing to provide a live online stream.
NBC's broadcast, which began as the live ceremony was finishing in London, left out sections including the reflective moment when the Scottish singer Emeli Sandé sang Abide with Me.


The section included images of loved ones lost by those in the stadium, and was also widely interpreted as a tribute to the 52 victims of the 7/7 terrorist attacks in London in 2005.


On the BBC's coverage, commentator Hazel Irvine said: "The excitement of that moment in Singapore seven years ago when London won the Games was tempered with great sorrow the very next day, with the events on 7 July."


However NBC instead cut away in order to show Seacrest, the host of American Idol, interview Phelps.
Criticism of NBC's handling of the broadcast rights comes after it revealed its advertising income from the event has passed $1bn (£630m). It earned $850m from the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
In reaction to complaints over the lack of a live stream from the ceremony, NBC said: "We are live streaming every sporting event, all 32 sports and all 302 medals … The opening and closing ceremonies, however, are entertainment spectacles.
"Our award-winning production team will present them on a medium that best demonstrates their grandeur and majesty, and at a time when friends and family are able to gather together to watch, which is in

 

I thought it was REALLY COOL that part of the ceremony (the boy meets girl teenage segment) featured a BM/WW couple and their extended families. Very exciting to see that.

 

I can't find a clip of the tribute yet. The whole ceremony is on bbc iplayer but I'll look again in a few hours for a clip.

 

NBC elected not to show a tribute to terrorist victims during the opening ceremony for the 2012 London Olympic Games. / Kirby Lee, US PRESSWIRE


By Michael Hiestand, USA TODAY





Which would more likely encourage U.S. viewers to stick around for your feel-good TV show: Chit-chat between mega-celebs Ryan Seacrest and Michael Phelps or a tribute to victims of an overseas terrorist attack that happened seven years ago.


NBC, not surprisingly, chose a Seacrest-Phelps during its coverage of the London Olympic Opening Ceremony in Friday primetime.
Get used to stuff like this. You might see something similar on NBC on any given night of the London Games.
Actually, "coverage" might not be the best term to describe NBC's primetime. NBC is trying to sell the Games that cost $1.18 billion in U.S. TV rights fees — and hundreds of millions more to promote and produce.
So when it came time in the opening for something that has been widely interpreted as a tribute to the 52 victims of terrorist attacks in London in 2005, it's not shocking NBC didn't see lingering on that as helping the overall marketing effort. When asked why NBC didn't show the memorial, NBC spokesman Greg Hughes Saturday said only that "our programming is tailored for the U.S. audience. It's a tribute to (opening ceremony producer) Danny Boyle that it required so little editing."
With hours to tinker with primetime because of the time difference between the U.S. and England, NBC will be able to massage its presentation each for maximum palatability — right down to when London's cauldron is extinguished and NBC, no doubt, will already be talking up its coverage of the 2014 Winter Games.




I'm not a lady who swears much , but believe me I'm riled up with the attitude here! The attack even happened one day after Britain heard that London had been given the opportunity to host the games.

 

Smgdmfh! Bloody Yanks(this is what Brits used to say when they were pissed at Americans) Why do they care? Afterall it happened across the pond who gives a shit? Thats what some insular, inward looking executive at NBC must have been thinking. I cant blame them though cus when you are living in the world's most powerful country in terms of economy, military, entertainment and the like, you tend to think others don't matter. I am just waiting for Jamaica to once again own America's ass in the sprints and sprint relay.

 

Lottie,I thought you be watching the BBC version of the opening ceremonies. I saw it last night and enjoyed it. The biracial family segment of songs from the 60s to today was the most diverse I had ever seen in my life. The one thing I hate the most is the commercial interruptions.

 

I learn something everyday. I did not know they honored the 7-7 victims and NBC replaced it with Secrest interview with Micheal Phelps. I would love to see that segment since it was almost 12 hours after London got the games was Britain's version of 9-11. Lottie, please let us accross the pond know of anything else NBC left out.

 

Darya Klishina is HOT!

 

A slight variation of the event...Khan didn't mention to anyone it was a tribute dance apparently.
IDK, it's all a tad confusing.

NBC cuts Akram Khan dance, incorrectly dubbed '7/7 tribute' by media

http://www.metro.us/newyork/interna...dance-incorrectly-dubbed-7-7-tribute-by-media



BTW, it is also the 40 year anniversary of the Israeli Olympic athletes that were executed by Palestinians at the Munich games.

I thought that was what the brouhaha was about, not the 7-7. Director Boyle decided not to honor the Israeli athletes. He should have, IMO.

No Olympic memorial for Munich massacre victims

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20120729131453

 

Cant say that I'm surprised at all to hear this, and unfortunately, the choice to edit the ceromony the way that NBC did will only increase the belief that Americans only care about Americans and what happens only in its own backyard

 

It really is sad if this is truly what many in the world think of Americans, especially since our country is billions of dollars in debt because we send relief and aid to so many countries, our military men and women are dying daily to protect other countries...millions of Americans are out of work, many living on the streets, (if you can call that living) and people think we only care about ourselves and what happens in our backyards? Maybe it's time we did....

 

Oh I did watch it on the BBC, live. I really wish I could have been there. I'll have a look for the segment again but last time I looked I could only find the full ceremony on BBC iplayer.

When broadcast live, the photos of all those to remembered were shown also.

The International Olympic Committee declined a request to hold a moment of silence during the ceremony to acknowledge the 11 Israeli athletes and coaches killed.

I believe it should have been done also.

 

Unfortunately, I do believe it will increase that belief. I don't think that the view is held by all.

This also highlights the integrity of the media, but that is a whole new discussion.

 

You do realize that NBC is a private company and not state owned??

They don't represent the country nor the views of the people. They represent them ....themselves.....NBC. They represent their bottom line. Next you are going to believe that McDonalds and Burger King speak for us too. That is just silliness. We had no vote. I know it's popular to vilify the Americans but we did not vote or have say in what was shown.

 

BBC blocks those in the US from viewing. So when we get to the discussion of Television stations and their choices based on money, wake me up. If I try to view the Olympic ceremony on Iplayer this is my message, as it is with all other videos there. I tried to watch a documentary that littlebird told me about and never could. Also other things that were recommended to view and we cannot. Very frustrating.


Currently BBC iPlayer TV programmes are available to play in the UK only, but all BBC iPlayer Radio programmes are available to you. Why?

If you are in the UK and see this message please read this advice.

Go to the BBC iPlayer Radio homepage

 

I said I would keep searching for you as I could only find it on BBC iplayer and i wasn't sure whether it was restricted or not but thought it might be.

I have found a webpage with the tribute now, I hope you can view this one.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=278_1343526996

 

You missed what I am saying. BBC cuts us off from iplayer because they want to charge $18 a month for a subscription. NBC cuts out parts of the Olympics to broadcast what they think will get them more revenue. They are both the same, two television networks in different countries......you didn't ask BBC to cut us off any more than the American people asked to not see the 7/7 tribute. Yet we are portrayed as not caring about something we had no say in.

 

I am guessing America is the only nation giving aid in the world huh and i am also sure American soldiers lay their lives down in foreign lands because they care deeply for the people of those nations right? Somebody tell me the iraq war was not because of oil. America does not engage in just any war, it must inure to their benefit else they wont commit themselves. America supplied arms to Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war and they also trained and supplied arms to the Taliban when Russia invaded Afghanistan and i am not sure in both cases they cared for the people of that country, it was a case of the enemy of my enemy is my friend until that friend becomes an enemy as well. So aid and military help or intervention does not equate caring. BBC always shows the 9/11 anniversay live every year as well as ITV and SKY but on occasions that i have been in America, 7/7 is not given that much attention. I have had conversations with people who are supposedly educated who dont know the name of the Prime Minister of Britain or cant identify him in pictures and this is the same of other world leaders including next door neighbour Canada. This is what i have picked up living in Europe and America. Americans pretty much just want to get on with their lives and are not too bothered what happens elsewhere and i said earlier in this thread its not really their fault America has everything and do not really need anything from anybody hence the tendency to be insular. It is what it is.