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July 21, 2021 9:45 am  #1


What Would CBC & NBC Do If The Olympics Were Suddenly Cancelled?

It's not ever likely to happen, but with the head of the Tokyo Games admitting it's possible they could still cancel the Olympics if COVID gets out of hand, I couldn't help but wonder at the heart attacks that must have led to at the CBC and NBC. 

Both have spent millions of dollars preparing for the coverage and have given over two weeks of incredibly valuable TV time to cover everything - online, on screen and in the case of the CBC, on radio. 

What would they do if the plug was suddenly pulled? I'd be curious to know if either of them has put alternate programming plans in place if the worse were to happen. How many reruns of Law & Order: SVU or Heartland could you show for 14 days? 

I'm sure there have been a couple of sleepless nights for executives, considering the budget for this thing - not to mention all the advertising they'd lose and could never make back. 

 

July 21, 2021 11:08 am  #2


Re: What Would CBC & NBC Do If The Olympics Were Suddenly Cancelled?

Computer generated, simulated games.


I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.
 

July 21, 2021 11:08 am  #3


Re: What Would CBC & NBC Do If The Olympics Were Suddenly Cancelled?

Considering the million$ of dollar$ involved, one would assume that they have the appropriate insurance in place, like business interruption or disruption insurance, pandemic/disaster insurance...  ???

I mean this is taking place in Tokyo, so the region is not unfamiliar with seismic events (earthquake, tsunami)

 

July 21, 2021 11:13 am  #4


Re: What Would CBC & NBC Do If The Olympics Were Suddenly Cancelled?

Glen Warren wrote:

Considering the million$ of dollar$ involved, one would assume that they have the appropriate insurance in place, like business interruption or disruption insurance, pandemic/disaster insurance...  ???

I mean this is taking place in Tokyo, so the region is not unfamiliar with seismic events (earthquake, tsunami)

True. But what would they show for 14 days in its place? In an odd way, it would also affect the competition over at CBS, ABC and Fox, since they rarely program anything major against the Games, which generally overwhelmingly win the ratings. (Luckily, we're in rerun season on broadcast TV, so it would be easier to just keep those on.)

Outside of the tragedy at the Munich Games in 1972, I can't think of a time when the Olympics were ever slightly in doubt. 

     Thread Starter
 

July 21, 2021 2:40 pm  #5


Re: What Would CBC & NBC Do If The Olympics Were Suddenly Cancelled?

1916, 1940 and 1944 perhaps?

 

July 21, 2021 6:48 pm  #6


Re: What Would CBC & NBC Do If The Olympics Were Suddenly Cancelled?

Wouldn't they just go back to regular summer programming?  What else could they do?  I know CBC the odd late night and Saturday had been showing a few highlights from the last summer olympics.  I took this as being sort of a primer for the Tokyo games.  And of course both networks had been featuring some of the qualifying in various sports up until recently. 

The ratings for these games (if they happen) will be interesting.  The summer programming on all OTA networks has been particularly bad so far this year.  I don't know why the networks haven't been showing more movies.  And not cheap movies made for TV.  All of the rehash game shows in prime time like To Tell the Truth, Celebrity Dating Game, Holey Moley, The $100,000 Pyramid and others are not drawing viewers, so people may watch the olympics because there isn't much worthwhile on OTA TV in prime time anyway.  But if the games are shortened or suddenly called off, likely back to regular programming. 

 

July 21, 2021 11:25 pm  #7


Re: What Would CBC & NBC Do If The Olympics Were Suddenly Cancelled?

paterson1 wrote:

Wouldn't they just go back to regular summer programming?  What else could they do?  I know CBC the odd late night and Saturday had been showing a few highlights from the last summer olympics.  I took this as being sort of a primer for the Tokyo games.  And of course both networks had been featuring some of the qualifying in various sports up until recently. 

The ratings for these games (if they happen) will be interesting.  The summer programming on all OTA networks has been particularly bad so far this year.  I don't know why the networks haven't been showing more movies.  And not cheap movies made for TV.  All of the rehash game shows in prime time like To Tell the Truth, Celebrity Dating Game, Holey Moley, The $100,000 Pyramid and others are not drawing viewers, so people may watch the olympics because there isn't much worthwhile on OTA TV in prime time anyway.  But if the games are shortened or suddenly called off, likely back to regular programming. 

Exactly. You play the scheduled August reruns now and then you have two weeks to fill the post-Olympic schedule.