Olympics on CBS
Encyclopedia
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
. The last airing of the telecast was for the 1998 Winter Games
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
in Nagano.
1960s coverage
The first telecast of the Olympics on American TV was from the 1960 Winter Olympics1960 Winter Olympics
The 1960 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VIII Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event held between February 18 and 28, 1960 in Squaw Valley, California, United States. In 1955 at the 50th IOC meeting, the organizing committee made the surprise choice to award Squaw Valley as...
in Squaw Valley, California. It was shown on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, which paid just $50,000 for the privilege.
Walter Cronkite
Walter Cronkite
Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. was an American broadcast journalist, best known as anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years . During the heyday of CBS News in the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trusted man in America" after being so named in an opinion poll...
was host, anchoring on-site from Squaw Valley. With Squaw Valley connected to the network lines, some events were broadcast live while the remainder of the network's coverage was of events shown on the same day they took place.
During the games, officials asked Tony Verna
Tony Verna
Tony Verna, born Anthony F. Verna in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on November 26, 1933, is a long time veteran producer of television sports and entertainment blockbusters.-Broadcast hallmarks:...
, one of the members of the production staff, if it could use its videotape
Videotape
A videotape is a recording of images and sounds on to magnetic tape as opposed to film stock or random access digital media. Videotapes are also used for storing scientific or medical data, such as the data produced by an electrocardiogram...
equipment to determine whether or not a slalom skier missed a gate. Verna then returned to CBS headquarters in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and developed the first instant replay
Instant replay
Instant replay is the replaying of video footage of an event or incident very soon after it has occurred. In television broadcasting of sports events, instant replay is often used during live broadcast, to show a passage of play which was important or remarkable, or which was unclear on first...
system, which debuted at the Army–Navy football game in 1963
1963 college football season
During the 20th Century, the NCAA had no playoff for the college football teams that would later be described as "Division I-A". The NCAA Football Guide, however, did note an "unofficial national champion" based on the top ranked teams in the "wire service" polls...
.
Squaw Valley was the last time CBS would carry a Winter Olympics until 1992.
Later that year, CBS showed the 1960 Summer Olympics
1960 Summer Olympics
The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held from August 25 to September 11, 1960 in Rome, Italy...
from Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. The network showed about 20 hours of coverage of track and field, swimming, and other sports. Because communications satellite
Communications satellite
A communications satellite is an artificial satellite stationed in space for the purpose of telecommunications...
s, which would have provided direct transmissions between the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, were not yet available, production staff members flew footage from Rome to CBS headquarters in New York (or a mobile unit parked at Idelwild Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North...
in New York, to save time that transporting videotapes into the city would take) for later telecast. Despite this, at least some of the events, especially those held in the morning and early-afternoon (local time in Rome), actually aired in the United States the same day they took place. Jim McKay
Jim McKay
James Kenneth McManus , better known by his professional name of Jim McKay, was an American television sports journalist....
, then a relatively unknown radio and TV personality, was the host, anchoring not from Rome, but from the CBS studios in New York City.
The 1960 Rome Games would remain the only time CBS television has ever broadcast the Summer Games.
1990s coverage
Although CBS bid on the rights to several Olympics in the 1970s and 1980s, the network lost the bidding to rivals, usually ABCOlympics on ABC
The Olympics on ABC was the branding for Olympic Games coverage which aired in the United States on the broadcast network ABC. ABC first televised the Winter Olympic Games in 1964. ABC first televised the Summer Olympic Games in 1968...
. When the 1990s rolled around, CBS won the rights to three consecutive Winter Games: (1992
1992 Winter Olympics
The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 8 to 23 February 1992 in Albertville, France. They were the last Winter Olympics to be held the same year as the Summer Olympics, and the first where the Winter Paralympics...
, 1994
1994 Winter Olympics
The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...
, and 1998
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
).
The 1992 Games in Albertville, France had some live coverage on weekend mornings and afternoons, but most of the CBS broadcast (and all of the prime time coverage) was on tape, owing to the time difference between the United States and Europe. A similar television format was used two years later in 1994 when the Winter Games adopted a new schedule, midway between the four-year Summer Games cycle, instead of in the same year as the Summer Olympics.
The 1994 Games in Lillehammer, Norway saw the nights with the highest ratings in the history of American Olympic telecasts, as a result of the scandal in which associates of Tonya Harding
Tonya Harding
Tonya Maxine Harding is an American figure skating champion. In 1991 she won the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and placed second in the World Championships. She was the second woman, and the first American woman, to complete a triple axel jump in competition...
attacked Nancy Kerrigan
Nancy Kerrigan
Nancy Ann Kerrigan is a two-time American Olympic figure skating medalist and 1993 U.S. champion.-Early life and skating career:...
and the media frenzy that followed. The short program in women's figure skating
Figure skating at the 1994 Winter Olympics
Referee:* Britta LindgrenAssistant Referee:* Gerhardt BubníkJudges: Wendy Utley Jan Olesinski Jarmila Portová Alfred Korytek Yang Jiasheng Margaret Ann Wier Noriko Shirota Audrey Williams Jan Hoffmann Monique Petis -Pairs:...
, which aired on February 23 is, , the sixth-highest rated prime time TV program in American history. It had a rating of 48.5 and a share of 64 (meaning 48.5 percent of all television sets in the country and 64 percent of all television sets turned-on were tuned into CBS). The long program two days later had a rating of 44.1 and another 64 share; it ranks 32nd. Both the short and long programs were shown on tape during prime time about six or so hours after the events had taken place.
Also contributing to the huge ratings in 1994 were a surprise gold medal by American skier Tommy Moe
Tommy Moe
Tommy Moe is a former alpine ski racer. He is now retired from international competition and lives in Wilson, Wyoming...
, as well as Dan Jansen
Dan Jansen
Daniel Erwin Jansen is a former speed skater, best known for winning a gold medal in his final Olympic race after suffering through years of heartbreak. He graduated from West Allis Central High School....
's speed skating
Speed skating at the 1994 Winter Olympics
The 1994 Winter Olympic Games Speed Skating results.-500 m:Monday February 14, 1994 — 40 competitors from 16 countries-1,000 m:Friday February 18, 1994 — 43 competitors from 17 countries-1,500 m:...
gold medal win, and, on the final morning (Eastern time) of the Games, a dramatic championship game in men's hockey
Ice hockey at the 1994 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 1994 Winter Olympics was held at the Fjellhallen in Gjøvik and the Håkons Hall in Lillehammer, Norway. The competition, held from February 12 to February 27, was won by Sweden and Canada as runner-up.-Final rankings:Source:* Gold -...
between Sweden and Canada (the last such tournament in the "pre-dream-team" era for men's hockey), won by Sweden in a shootout. It should also be noted when the construction of the Lysgårdsbakken jumping hills started in 1992, the hills had to be moved some meters north so CBS could get the best pictures available from their pre-chosen location.
The 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan did feature some live prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
coverage in the Eastern United States (the Opening Ceremonies and some alpine skiing
Alpine skiing at the 1998 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 1998 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events held near Nagano, Japan. The speed events were held at Hakuba and the technical events at Shiga Kogen. There were a number of postponements due to weather; the races were run from February 10-21, 1998.-Downhill:The event was held...
events), since these events were being held in the morning local time in Japan, which was prime time in the United States. Much of the men's and women's hockey
Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics was played at The Big Hat and Aqua Wing Arena in Nagano, Japan.-Men's tournament:The 1998 Olympic men's ice hockey tournament was the first in which professional players from the National Hockey League were allowed to participate, allowing national teams to...
action was held in the early afternoon (late at night on the East Coast of the United States, allowing again for live television broadcast at 12:30 AM EST), but figure skating
Figure skating at the 1998 Winter Olympics
-Medal table:-Medalists:-Men:The favourites and top two after the short program were Ilia Kulik and Elvis Stojko, who would skate first and last, respectively. Medal contenders Alexei Yagudin, Todd Eldredge and Philippe Candeloro went in between...
was shown about 20 hours after the competitions took place so they could air in prime time.
Each telecast had a different prime time host(s): Paula Zahn and Tim McCarver
Tim McCarver
James Timothy "Tim" McCarver is an American former Major League Baseball catcher, and a current sportscaster in residence for Fox Sports.-Playing career:...
in 1992, Greg Gumbel
Greg Gumbel
Greg Gumbel is an American television sportscaster. He is best known for his various assignments on the CBS network...
in 1994, and Jim Nantz
Jim Nantz
James William Nantz, III is an American sportscaster, known primarily for his work with CBS Sports television.-Early life:...
in 1998. CBS' theme music for their Olympic coverage was composed by Tamara Kline.
In 2011, CBS Sports president Sean McManus said the option to bid for the 2014 Winter Olympics
2014 Winter Olympics
The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially the XXII Olympic Winter Games, or the 22nd Winter Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event scheduled to be celebrated from 7 to 23 February 2014, in Sochi, Russia with some events held in the resort town of Krasnaya Polyana. Both the Olympic and...
or 2016 Olympics
2016 Summer Olympics
The 2016 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXXI Olympiad, are a major international multi-sport event to be celebrated in the tradition of the Olympic Games, as governed by the International Olympic Committee...
"is not a priority of ours right now."
Hours of coverage
| Year | Host | Hours of Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 Winter 1960 Winter Olympics The 1960 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VIII Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event held between February 18 and 28, 1960 in Squaw Valley, California, United States. In 1955 at the 50th IOC meeting, the organizing committee made the surprise choice to award Squaw Valley as... |
Squaw Valley, California Squaw Valley, California Squaw Valley, California may refer to:*Squaw Valley, Fresno County, California, census-designated place located in Fresno County, California*Squaw Valley, Placer County, California, community in Placer County, California and host of the 1960 Winter Olympics... |
15 |
| 1960 Summer 1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held from August 25 to September 11, 1960 in Rome, Italy... |
Rome, Italy | 20 |
| 1992 Winter 1992 Winter Olympics The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 8 to 23 February 1992 in Albertville, France. They were the last Winter Olympics to be held the same year as the Summer Olympics, and the first where the Winter Paralympics... |
Albertville, France | 116 |
| 1994 Winter 1994 Winter Olympics The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat... |
Lillehammer, Norway | 119.5 |
| 1998 Winter 1998 Winter Olympics The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice... |
Nagano, Japan | 123.8 |
See also
- Olympics on ABCOlympics on ABCThe Olympics on ABC was the branding for Olympic Games coverage which aired in the United States on the broadcast network ABC. ABC first televised the Winter Olympic Games in 1964. ABC first televised the Summer Olympic Games in 1968...
- Olympics on NBCOlympics on NBCNBC Sports' coverage of the Olympic Games consists of broadcasts on the various networks of NBC Universal in the United States, including the NBC broadcast network, Spanish language network Telemundo, and many of the company's cable networks....
- Olympics on TNTOlympics on TNTThe Olympics on TNT was the branding for Winter Olympic Games coverage produced by CBS for their cable partner, Turner Network Television. The last airing of the telecast was for the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano.-History:...
- Olympics on televisionOlympics on televisionThe Olympics are one of the largest media events in the world.The International Olympic Committee regulates the rights for broadcast, offering television rights to networks in various countries for coverage. The bids for telecast form a large portion of the IOC's income, particularly the bids from...