|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Did Lance actually cross the finish line in Paris? not a troll.
I suppose that the protest period has elapsed, so it's not a huge
deal. Just curious. crit pro Tour De France Boosts OLN Despite Gaffe By DAVID BAUDER AP Television Writer July 27, 2004, 5:55 PM CDT NEW YORK -- After riding in Lance Armstrong's slipstream to record ratings, the Outdoor Life Network was left trying to explain how it could miss the six-time champion crossing the finish line at the Tour de France. The foul-up was a disappointing end to an event that essentially put OLN on the map for many television viewers, the network's CEO Gavin Harvey said Tuesday. "I think it was a missed opportunity," he said. For its Tour de France coverage, OLN pictures were provided by Societe Francaise de Production, the French production company in charge of sending a video feed to stations around the world. OLN supplemented the feed with 10 cameras of its own during the 23-day bicycle race. As Armstrong cruised to a near-certain victory on the tour's final day, he made the fatal mistake of stopping about 50 meters before the finish line. It is not known if this was a delibrate attempt to avoid the media crush awaiting him, or an oversight caused by his overeager teammates who had begun their celebration. OLN's request to have a camera following the American champion full-time that day was denied for security reasons, Harvey said. An OLN camera was perched at the finish line, but the production team was unable to provide live pictures. Instead, the cameraman had to rush his pictures to a production site and the race's ultimate moment didn't make it on the air until 25 minutes after Armstrong's finish. Harvey said he's still trying to find answers to why OLN didn't have a live camera at the finish line, or why the French production company also missed Armstrong's winning moment. He stated it was like Barry Bonds not touching home plate after hitting a game winning home run. Sometimes the scrum is so enthusiastic that the whole team is at the plate, and umpires frequently have an obstructed view of events. The sting of OLN's delayed finish was lessened somewhat when OLN executives learned Tuesday that Sunday's conclusion provided the nine-year-old network with its highest ratings ever. Three times during the race, OLN broke viewership records, according to Nielsen Media Research. OLN was watched by 1.37 million viewers during the race's final stage, Nielsen said. On a typical day this year, the Outdoor Life Network is watched by an average of 56,580 viewers -- barely enough to fill a baseball stadium. The network is available in 60 million homes, a little more than half the country. "Lance Armstrong has transcended the sport and transcended athletics," Harvey said. "For sports fans, he's a stud. He's a one-name athlete. He's a Tiger, he's a Michael ... He's a once-in-a-generation type of impact player." OLN first televised cycling's ultimate event in 2001. Armstrong's popularity then was a factor in OLN obtaining the rights, Harvey said, but the network couldn't have imagined he would take off as a sports personality. In 2003, race viewership was more than double what it had been in 2002. This year, it nearly doubled again, executives said. Harvey says he doesn't necessarily wake up in a cold sweat thinking of future tours with Armstrong on the sidelines. "We are the home of professional cycling on television," he said. "We love the fact that Lance has brought so many eyeballs and attention to the sport of cycling. But it's not just Lance." OLN made a conscious effort this year to highlight some of the other American riders and explain the sport to viewers, he said. "We're prepared" for a tour without Armstrong, he said. "We know the day is going to come." OLN packaged new programming around its 344 hours of Tour de France coverage. Copyright © 2004, The Associated Press |
Ads |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Did Lance actually cross the finish line in Paris? not a troll.
Yes, but it was not a priority with French TV. It was far more important to
view the sprint to the finish than getting a camera on the face that made a legendary finish. Go figure. |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Did Lance actually cross the finish line in Paris? not a troll.
crit pro wrote:
I suppose that the protest period has elapsed, so it's not a huge deal. Just curious. crit pro Tour De France Boosts OLN Despite Gaffe Get over it, it's such a non-issue, cripes. I can't believe people were so interested to see Lance come in after the crowd. |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Roche Says Lance is Finished | David Off | Racing | 34 | July 18th 04 05:14 AM |
LANCE ARMSTRONG'S BID FOR COVETED SIXTH TOUR DE FRANCE FOILED | Richard Longwood | Racing | 6 | June 28th 04 03:06 AM |
Composing my Tour Team | Thomas Lund | Racing | 3 | June 27th 04 04:15 PM |
Doping or not? Read this: | never_doped | Racing | 0 | August 4th 03 01:46 AM |