Foxtel and Nine fall out over Olympic ‘calamity’ coverage
Relations between Nine and Foxtel – who have joint TV rights to the Winter Olympics coverage – hit rock bottom this afternoon after Foxtel accused the free-to-air network of showing a Woolworths ad instead of the live “history-making award ceremony” of Australia’s first gold medal winner.
Snowboarder Torah Bright won the medal. Within minutes, Foxtel issued a press release headed “Channel Nine’s Winter Olympic Games Calamity Continues”. It claimed:
“As Foxtel broadcast her history-making award ceremony over all four of their new Winter Olympic Channels, Channel Nine instead chose to air an advertisement for Woolworths – The Fresh Food People.
“Channel Nine eventually aired the ceremony – some five minutes later – with Ken Sutcliffe telling viewers it was live.”
However, Nine issued its own release saying the claims were both “erroneous and inflammatory”. It also claimed that Foxtel CEO Kim Williams had apologised to Nine CEO David Gyngell regarding the contents of the release, which Williams, said Nine, had also described as “disgusting”.
Mumbrella asked Foxtel to confirm Williams’ coments, but it declined to do so. A spokesman said: “I don’t have anything else to say.”
The Nine release also pointed out that the main medal ceremony for Bright takes place tomorrow, and all that viewers missed live were her being presented with flowers.
Nine added that Foxtel’s claim that Sutcliffe misled viewers by presenting the ceremony as “live” minutes later was “totally false, as the record shows”.
The incident follows widespread criticisim over Nine commentators’ Eddie McGuire and Mick Molloy’s comments during the men’s ice skating which several viewers complained were homophobic. Foxtel also recapped that criticism in the press release.
Prior to the Olympics, Nine and Foxtel had emphasised their close working relationship, which also saw the broadcasters successfully make a joint bid for the 2012 London Olympics. However, the atmosphere between free-to-air channels and subscription television has worsened dramatically in recent days. It follows the Government’s much-discussed decision to give the free-to-air TV networks what amounts to a $250m discount on their broadcasting licences.
Gyngell said that free to air television was ad-funded, and that ad breaks were nothing to apologise for. He said:
“Our telecast of the Games has been first class, and the coverage of Torah Bright’s fantastic win was entirely appropriate in every respect. Nor do I make any apology for Nine running a Woolworths commercial after her event was completed, and post all the relevant interviews and replays of the event. That is a commercial reality. And Woolworths are a great sponsor of the Games.”
Meanwhile the network will be interviewing Bright on A Current Affair shortly.
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
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With the intellectual levels of the people watching Channel 9, I don’t think anyone would have noticed it.
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The commercials aren’t the problem with the Olympics Broadcast, it’s the idiotic (and sexist) commentary and skits that channel 9 insist on adding at the expense of actual sporting events in the evening. All I wanted to do was watch the snowboard x but they instead had a stupid skit with Mick Malloy and a fake Dale Begg Smith drinking alcohol vomiting into a garbage bin. WTF?! They also run series of youtube clips of people falling over while skiing, or else they’re making fat jokes in the studio.
Give the games broadcast to SBS, who would actually screen the winter olympics in a respectful and ‘unadorned’ fashion, with proper commentary. Channel 9 have wasted their opportunity
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Channel 9’s coverage has been disgraceful. Kind of like Channel 7 and the tennis earlier in the year. Luckily I have Foxtel, so I don’t have to watch Channel 9’s pathetic /ignorant/abusive and idiotic coverage.
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On the plus side for Foxtel, Channel 9s coverage has been so appalling that I would consider signing up to Foxtel for the 2012 games (which is un-ostrayan, cos we are a sporting nation and everyone should have free access to watching sport and being an armchair critic). Hopefully Foxtel actually show the sport, rather than filling 45 minutes of every hour with inane banter by two people who have nothing to do with sport, know nothing about sport and don’t give a crap about showing or discussing the sport.
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And here I was thinking Foxtel would have rubbish coverage because of it’s unusual choice in presenters.
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What I don’t understand is why Channel 9 isn’t using the HD channel they have sitting there! Why aren’t we getting a constant stream of Olympic coverage?
I’d take ad breaks and missing Torah’s moment if I could do without Eddie McGuire, and actually see all of the events and competitors – note to 9, the people who use the products you earn so much money advertising WORK.
If Free-to-Air truly wants to compete with Cable TV and survive they will use all the freebies being thrown their way (+ the copious amounts of ad revenue they’ve enjoyed for years) and deliver a viable alternative to viewers. Why can’t they air massively popular special interest coverage like the Olympics and other events on the HD channels? Then maybe we might finally get a decent price offering from TV – in Europe / America people pay a fraction of an Aussie broadband plan for broadband, cable TV & phone. I know our infrastructure is crud but we’re being taken for a ride, compatriots..
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Eddie Everywhere hasn’t helped by throwing to breaks by saying “you’re watching Nine’s live and exclusive coverage of the Winter Olympics”, when their coverage is neither live nor exclusive.
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Everything Channel Nine touches turns to Kaka, which is precisely why I would rather pay to watch sport than go through the frustration of watching amateurish, delayed, Ad-ridden footage spewed out by free-to-air.
I paid Foxtel $50 to get access to their coverage and it’s been money well spent. I have seen all our Aussies compete “LIVE” and if I’m watching one channel and an Aussie is about to compete on another channel, you get an “Aussie Alert” flash up on the screen and the channel to go to.
My Olympic experience has been fantastic thanks to Foxtel. As for Channel Nine… 2/10
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What is it with Eddie McGuire?
Not long ago he redefined the meaning of ‘I really want to bone Jessica Rowe’ to cover his sexual harassment. Now apparently, ‘bone’ means ‘fire’, and she was fired!
Doesn’t anyone remember this?
Why do 9 keep having him back? It’s like a dinosaur factory over there.
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Will someone at Foxtel shutup that negative woman commentator on the ice skating who says almost 90% negative comments, let the viewers who are paying for the privelidge to watch this beautiful event make up their own mind whilst enjoying the music also
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Over the past week of trying to watch the Olympics ‘coverage’ on Channel 9, it has slowly dawned on me that free-to-air channels obviously no longer bid for the rights for world-class sporting events out of any form of interest in showing the events, but instead they bid to ensure that no one else can show them.
I can’t express how terrible I’ve found the coverage of this Olympics and I can only assume that Channel 9 is doing such a horrible effort intentionally; as surely they can’t be self-indulgent enough to consider their efforts to be anything else.
My partner is a Canadian sports fan and I have been embarrassed each and every day of the Olympics so far. I could put up with Eddie, I can live with sports not being live and I may eventually even get used to the fact that we seem to need to have swimmers present us with WINTER sports they clearly know nothing about, if only Channel 9 would actually show us SPORT instead of daytime soapies, ‘Wife Swap’, ad breaks or annoying and meaningless ‘comedy’ skits / interviews.
I honestly didn’t think it was possible for coverage to get any worse than Channel 7’s efforts of two years ago, but clearly I was wrong. Channel 9 has done more for the sale of Foxtel’s subscriptions in the lead-up to the 2012 games than Foxtel could ever have done themselves.
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Re Channel 9 coverage statement “Our telecast of the Games has been first class….’ I beg to differ!! I thought the olympics – a once in 4 year event was meant to be for everyone! Not just those who can afford the pay TV, or the streaming. The level of cover is shameful. The timing might be blamed on time differences, but for the life of me I can’t caculate the timing, how at 12 md, we get cut off for routine viewing (barely tolerable at tany time, lots of repeats of repeats or obnoxious reality shows). While Mick Malloy is indescriminate in his wierd humour, Eddie should leave his Magpies agitative comments that embarras us all at home, having shots at the hosts, and trying to turn Dale’s wonderful silver medal performance into an incident. Where are the other events. We only get a very small proportion of the events, and plenty of interviews. I hope all the hosts are having a good time. I am not. The Olympic Committee should hang their head in shame also, for selling media leases that do not serve the interest of the olympic ethos (champions can come from anywhere – olympics are for everyone), or the general populations. Shameful!
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What I find truely amazing about Nine’s pathetic coverage of the Olympics is that if you miss the first delayed broadcast of an event, you can always catch it on the 2nd & 3rd rerun. Nine breaks to an Ad, which is great relief from the drivel of Eddie McGuire and that homeless idot Molloy, to return for more drivel only to break again to another Ad!! Is there nothing worth watching during this drivel chit chat! Come on Channel Nine, this isn’t Saturday night at the movies where you can show anything..it’s the Olympics. Even if there are no aussies competing in an event, why can’t we watch it; and please, get rid of McGuire and Molloy.
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What a tragedy. If only SBS or the ABC could have broadcasted this event then maybe something PROFESSIONAL could be seen. We really do not want to hear Anchor presenters (Eddie) making jokes with ex-athletes and comedians. I just want to WATCH the events instead of watching slow -mo intro’s, followed by advertisements followed by Mick Molloy (attempting to be funny) followed by Eddie, followed by 10 minutes of ACTUAL OLYMPIC footage then a cut back to ads (again). One word sums it up….. UNPROFESSIONAL
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Eddie’s inevitable morphing into a cheesy, fake, talentless Daryl Somers clone is almost complete. Is it a Melbourne thing….?
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Ch 9 coverage is a disgrace. Thank god for Foxtel.
The most popular and exciting sport at the Olympics is Ice Hockey. Foxtel has shown every game, I dont think Ch 9 has showed any.
Ch 9….as for live and exclusive..I dont think so. Terrible coverage, teriible commentators.
Foxtel…I was going to say the best $50 I’ve spent…but I actually paid nothing. Foxtel gave me it for free because I’m a long term valued customer.
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I have so much to say… and yet everyone seems to have said it already.
Eddie is a total waste of television time. He is rude and butts in on all the athletes he interviews can someone please ban him from television. NO comment on Molly, none needed! they are both digging their own graves.
not using their HD channel to stream sport all day was another joke. I didnt get the Foxtel package, but i wish i did.
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I think you will find that Ch 9 are only allowed to show a restricted number of Olympic events due to the arrangement Foxtel has with the IOC and the AOC.
Foxtel have been smart, they more then likely knew that Ch 9 would stuff up their coverage and assist them in growing the STV market share.
The Australian sporting community deserves better Ch 9 !!!
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What I find truly amazing is that anyone actually gives a shit about the Olympics.
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Well Anon, obviously you do as you have just read this blog and posted a comment !.
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My wife and I decided not to bother with forking out the extra $50 for the Winter Olympic coverage this time around. We figured that we would probably get adaquate coverage from Ch 9 – otherwise known as the boofhead bogan channel.
I was soo freaking wrong on so many counts!
Ch 9’s coverage of the Winter Olympics has been craptacular, and that was at it’s best moments (best measured with a very quick reaction on a stop watch). At its worst it has been absolutely unwatchable tripe. Nothing is ever shown live, and all we got to see of the bobsled last night was the 2 Australian teams having a bad day at the office (for Aus 2 a really bad day and probably a headache) and the Poms (I think) keeling over on it’s side half way down the hill.
Of course, there is the ice hockey (blink and you will miss it) and the ski jump (again 5 min package followed by eddie rabbiting on about something that has nothing to do with what has been on there).
What peeved me off even more was that on Friday night, I was at my mother’s place (who has the foxtel coverage) and got to actually see something novel – more than 5 mins coverage of the luge and the skeleton!
In the end, I decided that enough was enough, so now i skip ch 9 altogether and just get the results from the vancouver website. In 2012, I think I’ll either just pay the $$$ for the foxtel subscription, or listen to the ABC (as they will at least cover the London Olympics – and put together a more professional package).
Oh – and one final thing – if this is what the FTA’s are going to put to air as a ‘professional’ package for future sporting events, then let’s lobby the Govt to scrap the anti-siphoning laws and make it a free for all. Least we’ll see something for longer than 2 mins….
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I’m with Glen that woman commentator on the ice skating is so annoying she is ruining the coverage. We would just mute her but then we’d miss the music, sort it out Foxtel.
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Interestingly the steaming pile of poo is winning this poll:
Which would you rather have in your home: Eddie McGuire or a steaming pile of poo?
http://twtpoll.com/spoakv
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The best thing about working normal hours is that you get to escape the afternoon game shows, especially … ‘Who want to be not as rich as Eddy’.
To have to listen to Eddy over the telecast is the price we unfortunately have to pay for the coverage. Has anyone told Ch. 9 that the world does not like Eddy and more importantly do advertisers stop to consider that their messages would be better received without the bitter after taste on the Ch. 9 team’s commentary?
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When will Channel Nine’s “talent pool” get with the times? Eddie’s brand of humour may sit well with the NRL / AFL audience but the rest of us would like some intelligent and credible comentary for a world-class sporting event.
Maybe they should bring in Daryl Sommers, Phil Gould and James Lund for an Aussie Bogan extravagaza! Sponsorsed by 4 n 20 and VB.
My 2 cents…..
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Common Trevor, you missed the ultimnate boofheads in Vauntin and Sterling, its difficult to imagine anyone bringing it to a lower level, but they could…
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I don’t follow any other sporting event really, other than the Olympics. I look forward to it every two years and get excited.
I made the decision not to pay $50 to Foxtel for the coverage, consciously deciding to support free-to-air and I’m actually regretting it. Really regretting it.
I watch only during the morning now, forgoing the evening simply because the rehashing they do. They act like it’s live, but it’s events I saw that very morning! Are we a pack of idiots that they think they can dress it up this way? It’s pathetic and patronising, and I do not like being patronised by people I honestly believe I am smarter and more sensible than.
It’s taken a lot of joy out of the games. The morning coverage isn’t so bad, they at least show you what’s on and it’s actually live (I usually check things out on the website at the same time if it’s an edge-of-the-seat event). And the individual commentators on the actual events themselves are pretty okay. (Most of these are the commentators who are on that event regardless of the channel, they’re actual professionals and know the event back to front… most of the time) But it’s very limiting and a poor comparison to Seven’s coverage in previous games.
I think for 2012 I might consider going with Foxtel, especially if Nine wins the contract.
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I started watching the winter olympics on Channel 9 for a couple of nights in a row and 10 minutes later I have had to switch it off.
A pity, the games are great to watch, but more time is spend on rude & irrelevant commentary by incompetent commentators than the actual Olympics.
I won’t bother to watch the rest of the games.
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I am absolutely gutted with the appalling coverage of the Olympics on Channel Nine. The extremely poor choice of format and equally vile choice of presenters is just embarrassing to say the least. The worst coverage I’ve ever had the misfortune to witness. Inane is a word that immediately comes to mind, excruciating is another. Also please stop politicising and just commentate the events on their merrits and not interpretations. There is too little coverage, too much ridiculous banter and the attempt at comedy is woeful and misguided. There cannot be a better incentive to switch to Foxtel. An impressively poor effort and one that will reverberate around the network boardroom and corridors for quite a while to come.
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is there anyway to ensure something like this doesnt happen again. We are so far behind from other countries. These olympics have been wasted for me due to channel 9 terrible coverage. Other countries like South Korea have 4 free to air channels for the olympics and they even stop showing all the regular shows even when they are so popular. But yesterday they only scheduled live olympics till 12 even though the ladies figure skating started at 1130 and instead showed the ellen degenerous show. I had to sit there watching ellen and The View for 2 hours while the olympics was running in vancouver. Also they should be showing full replays late night instead of the latenight shopping shows. I really dont understand what channel 9 are doing. And correct me if im wrong but ive read somewhere that channel 9 will be televising the next summer olympics. I really hope its not true.
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My husband and I can’t believe the negativity coming from that woman commenting the figure skating last night (24 Feb). She is just horrible. Those girls were just fabulous to watch and she didn’t have a positive thing to say about any of them. Get someone else to commentate!!
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I subscribed to Foxtel so I didn’t have to listen to Eddie everywhere: imagine my disgust when I turned on the TV at 5 am to watch the women’s aerial qualifiers & heard who was commentating with the very tolerant Alisa Camplin: if only he’d learnt to pronounce her name properly, he might have been able to graduate to the Europeans & the Chinese…..then there are the inane comments about the sport…and the excitement to rival memorable swimming moments by a true devotee of that sport…….hide him in the crowd next time, ( if he has to have an expenses paid trip) to avoid further embarrassment.
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I’ve really enjoyed the foxtel coverage – I could even forget that it was Eddie at the aerials.
I haven’t watched too much of the figure skating ‘cos I don’t like it. But I like the fact that the expert commentator there can pick up on faults that normal people can only see in super-slo-mo. I don’t think she’s particularly negative – its just that the margins for error are so small.
I think Carla Carla Zijlstra at the speed skating was excellent. No bullsh*t athlete centred insight…. Phil Liggett at the alpine events with Stephen Lee – inspired combination. And whoever it is that Foxtel buy in with the cross country & bi-athlon coverage is excellent.
Bring on London 2012.
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Channel 9 Olympic coverage truely is terrible. WHY did they choose the format you did? Olympic Gold? More like Channel 9 indulgence. The live coverage is also awful, why did these people do this? Next time, just opt out.
Today, they broke off from the ‘delayed’ coverage of the gold medal ice hockey match to show – the celebrations ‘Live’ from Canada. Do you think that told me who won before I saw the whole game?… Damn straight it did – this was the worst piece of sports coverage I have EVER seen – you have RUINED the biggest match of the next 4 years for me. Thanks for nothing Channel 9, you SUCK.”
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Conspiracy Theory ….
Maybe the channel 9 coverage was planned to be as bad as it was to drive more people to Foxtel, afterall there is sharholding there ?
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I have to agree with Glen wholeheartedly. I absolutely love to watch the figure-skating but have found it almost unbearable, having to listen to that bitter and twisted old witch!!! If she wants to be a judge maybe she should work on her qualifications then go and sit silently behind a desk. No public should ever have to listen to the evil comments she has no right to make. Could some-one at Foxtel please explain to her, the subjective nature of skating or any other art. Whether or not she likes a routine or not is completely beside the point.
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