Can you guys confirm this for me?

Uh yeah it really matters that much.   When a US network can persuade the Olympic committee to change their entire swimming program to suit themselves and then not even show the race live it matters.

Its affected the swimmers programs in the lead up etc.  To change from the regular heats in the morning finals at night program that happens all around the world!  

 plus on a purely selfish note, We get the swimming live and uninterupted and have done for all the olmypics I remember.  I was incredibly disappointed when I heard the program had been changed for the US audiences.  what about the rest of the worlds audiences don't we count too!

I agree about the Los Angeles statement.  Last night, in BT chat, someone asked us not to talk about the swimming because the prime-time Olympic coverage wasn't on yet on the west coast.

I'll remind you all of this thread.

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=58385&start=1

My hide, it is chapped. NBC demanded that the swimming program be flipped so that they could show it live in the US. That's patently selfish. And now they don't even show it live.

Here on the east coast of the US, for the last couple of nights, they haven't shown some of the semi-finals live, and in fact, I'm not sure some of them were shown at all. I never saw the men's or women's 200m breast.

Maybe they could be sued for breach of contract?

I think some of us are getting some of it live.

I'm not sure much of it at all is being shown live onthe west coast.

To me, if NBC's justification for screwing with the swimmers is so that they can show it live in the US, they should show it live in the US.

One of the races they didn't show at all, at least they didn't show it before they broke at midnight for local news, was the men's 200 breast semi. So, we didn't get to see Eric Shanteau, the kid swimming fresh off of a testicular cancer diagnosis.

If it was yesterday morning, it wasn't live. Semis are run in the finals session, mornings in Bejing.

No surprise, West Coast is never live.  They want to show the events in "prime time," which in L.A., starts at 8.  Phelps hasn't been shown before 10 pm all week.

I've got other things to have a chapped hide about, this is what tivo is for.  If FINA and the IOC don't have the balls to stand up to NBC (i.e., dollars in their eyes), swimmers and complainers should look to them, not NBC

YMMV

Run4yrlife I missed your earlier thread but I totally agree with what you were getting at in that thread.

I for one was livid when the decision was made to change the program. To find out that its not even being shown live across the country is just disgraceful! why cause all the uproar changing the program around to suit 1 country/network to not even live up to their end of the bargain just disgusts me.

 I'm stuck at work sneaking down to the dining room to catch the LIVE coverage of all Swimming during work hours. 

and before anyone says it I know I'm going to get the Why do you hate USA line...

I think the complainers ie me should be looking at both NBC and the FINA/IOC.  I was angry at FINA/IOC when the decision was actually made but I got over that.  Now hwen I find out that NBC hasn't held up their end of the bargain I'm angry at NBC.

At least in AUS you can watch live on th e'net. NBC has it blacked out here online.

What I want to know is why doe NBC hate America?

Couldn't agree more.

Frankly, on the west coast US I think they are being considerate.   If it were "live" it would be happening while people were at/driving home from work, and would miss it.  So I think it's a good thing.

So, I think NBC is being very patriotic by alloiwing the most number of consumers, err,. viewers, see the big races. 

As always, YMMV.

I have absolutely no complaints about the coverage in fact with 2 channels covering the Olympics this  year its been great.   SBS channel(our tour de france coverage channel) broadcast both the mens and womens road races live from start to finish!! 

I spent last saturday glued to my television watching the road race! (very naughty! but I trained first so it was ok )

 I can't believe they have blacked out net coverage!  although I haven't actually checked if they are broadcasting on the net here.