Sorrell fires a warning shot over digital Olympic coverage

The IOC has to embrace younger generations and "learn from the likes of YouTube or risk losing young viewers for life."

That was the opinion of Martin Sorrell from WPP Group as reported by Social Media today.

In a keynote speech on digital media at the International Olympic Committee’s Congress he also recommended that “If they are going online, you go online. You have to let them play–with your content, your assets–in their own way.”

and according to Sorrell

1.4 billion people had Internet access and four billion used mobile phones, but people with mobile wireless devices were “no longer satisfied” with just consuming content created by television networks. They wanted to make their own images and communicate through social networking sites, he said.

His conclusion?

We must ensure the iPod, iPhone generation is tuning in, not tuning out,

Ht-Martin Belam

Now this blog has reported before on the Venezulean leader Hugo Chavez's atempts to control media but perhaps it has gone too far.
This is coverage of the Olympics by TVes which replaced the opposition station RCTV last year on the airways



Hat Tip Harry's place

Olympics encouraging use of new platforms-at least in the States

Some interesting news from across the Atlantic.

With the Olympics nearly a week into play,Broadcaster NBC is reporting that

About half of the people who are using mobile phones to pull down video or information about the Olympics have been trying out that technology for the first time,

via AP

It adds that

NBC Universal, a unit of General Electric Co., has been using the Olympics as something of a research lab to track the adoption of new media technology. Since the opening ceremony last Friday, the company has made content available online, through video on demand and via cell phones along with traditional TV.
The number of people requesting Olympic content over their phones is still relatively small — 494,506 on Sunday and 476,062 on Monday — but NBC executives say they're stunned at how many of those never used the phones for this purpose before.

On the back of Michael Phelp's performances viewing figures in the states are well up on four years ago.The 200m butterfly event saw 39m viewers

So far over here the figures have not been brilliant certainly TV wise but interviewe over at Paid Content,Ben Yallop head of BBC Sport interactive is in bullish mood.

video output has doubled and the website clocked more video views in the first two days of these games than during the entire fortnight at Athens 2004: “We’re just seeing enormous traffic, record levels that we’ve frankly never seen before...”

So much for Press freedom

Coverage of the arrest of ITV correspondent John Ray who was covering a protest by several foreign activists who unfurled a pro-Tibet banner near Beijing’s main Olympic zone

White House Press Corps have problems at the airport

Staying on the subject of the Olympics,the Huffington Post reports that a plane load of American journalists were detained for three hours at Beijing airport.Just to make matters worse it was the White House Press Corps

The flight crew of the Northwest Airlines 747 had been expecting to park at a VIP terminal, but after landing was instead directed by the control tower to a normal international gate.
White House officials would say only there were "logistical problems" getting clearance to unload the aircraft. The flight crew was told the Chinese were insisting that all luggage be inspected.

So much for journalistic freedom during the games

Olympic overkill already?

Thanks to Dave Lee for the screen shot and who does a good round up of the online coverage yesterday afternoon


I haven't caught up with any of the Olympic coverage as yet,but I see that the debate has already started over the Beeb's over emphasis on it.

Yesterday it chose to lead its main news bulletins with the opening ceremony when a little closer to home,war was breaking out on the Southern borders of Russia.

Sky lead with the latter,but the BBC chose the line that the Olympics happens only once every four years.

Writing on the Editors blog,Katy Searle tries to justify the coverage

With only 30 minutes of air time what exactly is the news today? Well, like it or not, Beijing has put on one of the most memorable ceremonies any of us have ever seen. Today is not about sport but about China making a statement to the world. It's worked - after years of planning - the design, the choreography, the lighting of this three hour performance guarantees its place at the top of the bulletin.

But I wonder whether the BBC has got the balance right?

Not surprisingly though David Vance has something to say on the matter

As has been pointed out, Russia has just invaded Georgia with 150 tanks rolling across the border. Sky has it as the lead story - the BBC has the Olympic opening ceremony as its lead story. World class broadcasting, eh? If you want news, best avoid the Olympic broadcaster.