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CBS Boss Moonves Sounds Off About How NBC Is Handling Its Olympics Coverage After Outcry From Viewers

Jul 30, 2012  •  Post A Comment

CBS’s Leslie Moonves has waded into the debate over how NBCUniversal is covering the London Olympics, after a chorus of viewer complaints arose — especially online — over NBC’s strategy of tape-delaying of much of the coverage, B&C reports.

Moonves was supportive of the network’s strategy, telling the publication: "They had no alternative to do that. What are they going to do in prime time? They would have had to show events at 5 o’clock in the morning. They don’t happen that way. If you don’t want to know the result, don’t go online. If you want to know the result, go online. But I don’t know what people expected of them, and I think they’re doing a very good job of balancing it.”

Moonves noted that if CBS had the Olympics, the network would probably have to do the same thing to ensure that the most popular events aired during prime time.

“I think almost definitely we would have done the same thing," Moonves said.

The report adds: “For all the online groaning, NBC’s tape delay has seemingly not hurt its primetime viewership. The London opening ceremony was the most-watched Summer Olympics opening ceremony ever, drawing over 40 million viewers, and its first night of primetime coverage on Saturday averaged over 28 million viewers, the most-watched opening night ever for the Summer Games.”

2 Comments

  1. Who asked Les what he thinks? Who the hell cares what he thinks? Everyone who cares, raise your hand…………………………………………………………………………..

  2. FINALLY. Someone is honest and gets why NBC, or any US network, tape delays an Olympics from Europe.
    As for the “Out cry of viewers”, I think the record breaking numbers is proof positive that it really doesn’t matter.
    If it was not for the delayed coverage, I would not get to see ANY events.

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