A Canadian’s View of NBC Olympic Coverage

Watching the Vancouver Olympics on TV in the U.S., where I’ve been throughout the Games, you get a different impression of Canada than when seeing them at home.

Like many Canadians in past Olympics, I’ve grumbled that whichever American TV network won the bidding for the Games, tended to show only what American Olympians were doing, ignoring the efforts of other nationalities.

Not so at these Winter Games. NBC, which won the TV rights for something like $850 million, was supposed to be taking a bath with a $250 million loss, both in ad revenues and viewers. Victims of the recession.

While audience appeal has apparently been far greater than expected, NBC’s coverage that includes sidebars about Canada, has been exceptional. Not only has the host country not been ignored, it has virtually been glorified by NBC commentators.

Sure, NBC concentrates on Americans in the esoteric, low-viewer sports like the biathalon and cross country skiing. That’s to be expected. But the network has given glimpses of Canada that are dazzling – even to (perhaps especially to )
Canadians, who mostly don’t know a hell of a lot about their own country, given that 90% of all Canadians live within 100 miles of the U.S. border.

For example, NBC provided a sidebar feature on the polar bears of Churchill, with wonderful shots of their strength and sometimes comical demeanor. Then they had professional tennis player Mary Carillo visit the RCMP training academy in Regina, and undergo basic training. On the parade square she was a klutz. It was amusing, informative, and made both her and the Mounties more human.

Former news anchor Tom Brokaw gave a thumbnail history of Canada-U.S. relations, which was a glowing tribute to Canada as a friend and rival; a sort of American version of the late Gordon Sinclair’s tribute to the U.S. at a time when
criticism of that country was high (in the 1960s) and he reminded people that whatever its failings, the U.S. was still the most generous and humane country on earth.

Then NBC’s current anchor, Brian Williams, had an engaging piece on meeting our Brian Williams, Canada’s most celebrated sports broadcaster. The two  played off against each other to the entertainment of viewers.

The personable Willie Geist of MSNBC’s Morning Joe played guide to Brian Williams, taking him to various Vancouver nightclubs and Olympic hijinks, thus giving a self-deprecatory tribute to the city and its people.

As far as Games coverage is concerned – now in its closing days – NBC has stressed our hockey and U.S. hockey, and offered fair comment on the U.S. team’s 5-3-upset victory over the Canadians, who played on cruise control rather than passion.

One of NBC’s most moving moments was recognizing figure skater Joannie Rochette’s  performance after her mother died from a heart attack two days earlier.

Each of Canada’s Gold Medal performances got NBC’s attention. And while we didn’t come close to pre-Olympic predictions of winning 27 medals, we’ve already scooped up more Gold medals than anyone expected.

Maybe instead of hockey as our national pride and glory, we should turn to curling, at which Canadian men and women excel?

We Canadians tend to be a bit blasé about our country, but these Vancouver Games have opened the eyes of Americans to a Canada they didn’t realize existed — all thanks to NBC’s innovative coverage.