Miles's blog

I now spend most of my time avoiding the internet, the news media, even the radio in an effort to avoid discovering the results of the Olympics before the tape-delayed broadcast every night.  During previous Olympics this was just a minor annoyance.  All I had to do was basically keep the radio and television off.  I think in 2008 many of the events were shown live because the time difference between Beijing and America allowed for that.  But this time, most events seem to take place in the afternoon or evening our time.  Media, both social and professional, is all over the results within seconds of the event’s completion.

That means that unless I work scrupulously to avoid the results, they will attack me.  I can’t watch any channel on television, except for NBC who televises the Games.  At least I thought I could watch NBC.  But on Saturday the local St. Augustine station revealed the results of a swimming race which was going to be broadcast later that night.  They used the same emergency tone they use for weather alerts, so by the time we realized that they had just spoiled their own broadcast, it was too late.  The station received hundreds of e-mails and Facebook messages complaining, and have assured us this won’t happen again.

But even the NBC Nightly News can’t avoid spoilers.  Usually they just put the results on the screen and don’t talk about it, but last night Brian Williams could not resist, and I had to cover my eyes and mute the television.  Geez, it should not be this hard.

They should just televise everything live.  Whatever time things come on, we should just see it.  If the news division thinks these results are important enough to discuss during their newscast, they should be important enough to show live.  After all, they didn’t tape delay the invasion of Iraq.  If the Olympics are news, they should be covered like news.  Perhaps this would cut into ratings and profits; so be it.  The idea that results can be withheld to keep ratings high is become a myth anyway.  Pretty soon, most people who plan to watch at night will already know what they will see.  Once that happens ratings might drop for the night broadcasts, but they will increase for the daytime telecasts. 

Television has called the tune too long for sports as it is.  The NBC nightly broadcast goes until midnight here in the Eastern time zone.  How many children can watch until the end?  World Series games start after 8 p.m. in the east.  Should a third of America risk sleep deprivation just to try to watch sports?  This kind of scheduling makes it impossible to both enjoy sports and to live a normal life.  I am not working so I can sleep late and nap, but for anyone with a job, I can’t imagine that watching the Olympics until midnight every night is at all comfortable.  If so many people are going to miss the end of the broadcast anyway, put the events on live.  People can watch them at 3 p.m. easier than 11:30.

I realize the chance that this will change is minimal.  My father used to relate to me the golden rule: “The one with the gold makes the rules.”  As time goes on this has become strikingly true.  American television generates more money than any other revenue source.  They will call the tunes, and sports executives will dance.  Pass the coffee.