Consortium reinvents how Games coverage will be delivered

Canadians to experience Olympic Games like never before

Record 4,800 hours of live Vancouver 2010 coverage

It’s a completely new way to experience the Olympic Games. With one month to go until the Opening Ceremony, Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium announced today the most ambitious media initiative in Canadian history.

The Consortium will deliver unprecedented choice and access in a broadcast plan that is unlike anything seen before anywhere in the world. The strategy is designed to allow Canadians to experience the Games on their own terms – to watch what they want, when they want and how they want. Viewers can access three levels of experience: Best of the Best (on CTV and V), Extended (on TSN, Rogers Sportsnet, RDS and others), and Complete (on CTVOlympics.ca and RDSOlympiques.ca). The Olympic Games experience will also be delivered by the Consortium via online, radio, print, mobile, VOD, theatre, and in person at local events.

“Throw away any pre-conceived notions you may have about an Olympic Games broadcast,” said Ivan Fecan, President and Chief Executive Officer, CTVglobemedia and Chief Executive Officer, CTV Inc. “We are giving consumers complete control of their Olympic Games experience, tailored for our digital age.”

“We have seen an evolution in the way Canadians consume media, and as content providers, we have an obligation to deliver on those desires and expectations. And that is precisely what we aim to accomplish,” said Keith Pelley, President, Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium.

Viewers can choose the intensity of their Olympic Games experience:

Best of the Best – All the ‘big’ moments will be featured live on CTV and V (with French-language coverage produced by RDS). Viewers won’t miss any of these key moments from Vancouver 2010, as the two channels will provide live coverage of the top stories and most significant events at any given time, including every single Canadian medal victory. In addition to live event coverage, CTV and V will present highlights from events happening concurrently on other channels, directing viewers to additional networks for extended coverage of certain events.

Extended - Companion networks, including TSN, RDS and Rogers Sportsnet, will present live coverage of key events from start to finish. Full hockey games, curling matches, alpine skiing races, figure skating programs, speed skating, sliding events and more will air in their entirety on these channels.

Complete – Every second of every competition will be provided live on the Consortium’s two websites CTVOlympics.ca and RDSolympiques.ca. With up to 14 concurrent live streams available, the websites will host live feeds from five networks (CTV, TSN, Rogers Sportsnet, V and RDS) as well as the live host broadcast stream of every sport and discipline from beginning to end of competition. For coverage viewers don’t often get to see – such as the 65th-ranked alpine skier from the Cayman Islands – CTVOlympics.ca and RDSolympiques.ca offer access like never before. Viewers won’t miss a second of the action.

The Olympic Games transcend sports, and as such, the Consortium will roll out the red carpet for all the glamour and glitz as the ETALK and FASHIONTELEVISION teams cover the celebrity sightings, style, fashion and pop culture of the Games. MuchMusic also heads out west for a daily double dose of the music, sights and sounds of the Games with MOD Live @ The Base, as well as exclusive coverage of the star-studded nightly concerts from the Vancouver and Whistler Victory Ceremonies. CTV and Rogers’ industry-leading news organizations will also be front and centre with frequent daily reports on the politics, protests and topical issues of the Games.

In an Olympic Games first, the Consortium will deliver every second of every competition LIVE from Vancouver 2010, encompassing more than 4,800 hours of coverage in 22 languages on 12 television channels, 20 radio stations and two dedicated websites. In all, the Consortium will present more than 2,250 hours of coverage on television, 2,350 hours online and 200 hours on radio. The Consortium’s coverage of Vancouver 2010 on television alone is more than double the amount of Canadian television coverage made available in English and French for Turin 2006 (1,009 hours). Coverage of Vancouver 2010 will be produced entirely in High Definition and will be presented from February 12 to 28 across the following platforms:

- Television (English) – CTV, TSN, Rogers Sportsnet, OLN, APTN, MuchMusic
- Television (French) – V, RDS, RIS Info Sports, APTN
- Television (Multilingual) – OMNI.1, OMNI.2, ATN, APTN
- Online – CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca
- Radio (English) – Rogers Radio: THE FAN 590 Toronto, THE FAN 960 Calgary, Mountain FM Whistler, News 1130 Vancouver, 680 News Toronto, 660 News Calgary, News 95.7 Halifax, News 88.9 St. John, News 91.9 Moncton, 570 News Kitchener
- Radio (French) – Corus Quebec: CKAC Sports, 96.9 CKOI, 98.5 FM and Info690 Montreal, 102.9 Souvenirs garantis Quebec, 102.1 CKOI Quebec,
104.7 Souvenirs garantis Outaouais, 98.3 Souvenirs garantis Saguenay, 104.5 CKOI Estrie, 106.9 Souvenirs garantis Mauricie
- Print – The Globe and Mail
- Theatre – live coverage available in 64 Cineplex theatres throughout Canada during the Games, with CTV Olympic Games Broadcast at Cineplex
- Mobile – exclusive live video streaming on Bell Mobility, live coverage of men’s and women’s hockey, recaps, highlights and unique mobile features
- Video on Demand – details to be announced in the coming weeks
- CTV Olympic Celebration – details to be announced in the coming weeks

To help viewers navigate their Olympic Games experience, CTVOlympics.ca and RDSolympiques.ca offer an all-encompassing interactive digital Viewers’ Guide, presented by Bell. Launching February 1 at CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca and as a mobile application, the Viewers’ Guide is fully customizable offering Canadians complete control over their Vancouver 2010 experience. The Viewers’ Guide also enables and instructs fans to set reminders and alerts as well as program their Bell TV PVR by specific sport or event, ensuring they don’t miss any of the action or results.

Source: CANADA’S OLYMPIC BROADCAST MEDIA CONSORTIUM – OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES – ENGLISH

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has awarded broadcast rights for the Olympic Games in 2010 and 2012 to ESPN in South America, it was announced today.

ESPN will acquire free-to-air television and radio broadcast rights in Argentina for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games and the London 2012 Olympic Games, including minimum free-to-air exposure guarantees; pay television rights to air the Games on cable and satellite platforms in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay for the same period; and satellite-only television rights in Venezuela for the same period.

IOC President Jacques Rogge said “The popularity of the Olympic Games in South America is growing rapidly, and we want to ensure that audiences in the region have the best possible broadcast experience. We are delighted to announce this agreement with ESPN and look forward to working with them.”

IOC Executive Board member Richard Carrión, who led the negotiations, said, “ESPN will provide unprecedented levels of coverage of the Olympic Games, which is great news for sports fans in South America. We would like to thank ESPN for their commitment to the Olympic Movement.”

“This is a tremendous milestone for ESPN’s business in South America,” said Russell Wolff, Executive Vice President and Managing Director, ESPN International.  “This agreement expands our relationship with the IOC and adds the Olympic Games to the schedule of world class events we cover.  The Olympics is on the world’s most inspiring events and we are very excited to bring it to sports fans around South America.”

“The scope of this agreement offers us a tremendous opportunity to serve sports fans in South America,” said Tim Bunnell, Senior Vice President, Programming and Marketing, ESPN International.  “The Olympic Games are at the pinnacle of all sporting events and I am pleased that ESPN can utilise and leveraqe its platforms to showcase an event of this magnitude to fans in South America.”

“Barrage of splash, spectacle, sound, light and the kind of thrill you only get from a cast of thousands… rewrote the record books.” — USA Today on the Opening Ceremony

In time for the holiday season, NBC will air a primetime special “The Beijing Olympic Opening Ceremony: TV Event of the Year” next Saturday, Dec. 27 from 8-10 p.m. ET/PT hosted by NBC Sports & Olympics host Bob Costas and “Today” co-host Matt Lauer. Costas and Lauer were hosts of the Beijing Olympic Opening Ceremony on 8.8.08. The special will take a new look at what was one of the great events of 2008, in which the world came together in record numbers to watch the critically acclaimed Ceremony. In fact, it is estimated that nearly 2 billion people worldwide watched the Opening Ceremony, which Reuters described as “a dazzling display.”

NBC drew a record audience for the critically lauded Ceremony. In the nearly 50 years of televised Olympic Games, NBC’s coverage of the Opening Ceremony in Beijing was the MOST VIEWED EVER for a non-U.S. summer Olympic Games with nearly 70 million total viewers.

Acclaimed Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou, whom Time Magazine recently ranked No. 5 in their Person of the Year issue, directed the Ceremony at the “Bird’s Nest,” which featured a cast of 15,000. The show celebrated Chinese culture and its long, rich history, through spectacular use of fireworks, lights, colors, music, synchronized performances and climaxing with a dramatic lighting of the Olympic Cauldron. The special will not include the Parade of Nations.

Steven Spielberg, who wrote Zhang Yimou’s entry for Time Magazine said, “On the eighth day of the eighth month of 2008, 2 billion TV viewers and thousands in attendance in the now famous Bird’s Nest were treated to an unforgettable spectacle…In one evening of visual and emotional splendor, he educated, enlightened and entertained us all. In doing so, Zhang secured himself a place in world history.”

USA Today called the Opening Ceremony an “astounding mix of cutting-edge technology and ancient traditions, its barrage of splash, spectacle, sound, light and the kind of thrill you only get from a cast of thousands…rewrote the record books.”

“The Beijing Olympic Opening Ceremony: TV Event of the Year,” also takes a look back at the greatest moments of the Beijing Games, including the record-setting performance from Michael Phelps. It also will include a brief look forward to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Source: United States Olympic Committee

French are nuts! For this french “athlete”, sport is everything. He practices everywhere, anywhere, just to make sure he will be fit for the Olympic Games.

New Cancer Data Shows Women Do Not Feel Knowledgeable About Their Cancer Risks and Justifies Need for More Credible Health Information; Show Set to Educate and Entertain

Olympic champions of the 2008 Summer Games, led by Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin, along with Team USA will join with some of the biggest names in music for a national network television special, Frosted Pink with a Twist, in an effort to inspire action, celebrate survivorship and encourage women to become advocates for themselves in the fight against cancer.

Paired with these gymnasts will be icons of song, including Grammy-award winner Carole King, Cyndi Lauper and billboard sensations, Natasha Bedingfield and Jesse McCartney, making for a historical event of sports, entertainment, and health awareness. Also appearing will be hip-hop singer and Dancing with the Stars contestant Mario and Kenny Loggins. Cancer survivor Sharon Osbourne will be accepting the Nationwide(R) Insurance Woman of Courage award.

Frosted Pink with a Twist is the anchor event of a multi-year television and multimedia campaign that focuses on educating viewers about cancers that primarily affect women. Co-hosted this year by Olympic Gymnastics Champion Shannon Miller and cancer survivor and Olympic Figure Skating Champion Scott Hamilton, the show will highlight current Olympic champions Shawn Johnson, Nastia Liukin, Paul Hamm, Shannon Miller, and other stars of the men’s and women’s US Olympic Gymnastics teams.

“Frosted Pink’s message is simple, but necessary: we all need to do our part in the fight against women’s cancer,” said Ms. Miller. “Our hope is that with more information, women will become empowered and become better advocates for their own health.”

Raising awareness is especially significant because research continues to find that despite significant improvements in the diagnostic tools and treatment options for women’s cancers, many women lack the basic information they need to help protect them from a cancer diagnosis. In fact, a recent Woman’s Day magazine survey of nearly 7,000 women found that only 21 percent of respondents believe that they are very knowledgeable about the risk factors associated with cancer even though an overwhelming 90 percent agree that cancer is our nation’s biggest healthcare fear. The majority (51 percent) wished they knew where to find credible and reliable information about cancer, justifying the need for more educational efforts like Frosted Pink with a Twist.

Woman’s Day, the official media partner of Frosted Pink with a Twist, surveyed 6,534 women on womansday.com to gauge their perspectives, hopes and fears of cancers that primarily affect women. While 76 percent of the respondents disagree or were unsure that cancer is a death sentence, the vast majority (63%) do not believe that they will see a cure for cancer in their lifetime. To learn more about the Woman’s Day survey, click here.

And strikingly, even though the American Cancer Society estimates that 1 in 3 women will develop cancer at some point in their lifetime, the majority of respondents (51%) were either unsure or felt it was unlikely that they would get cancer in their lifetime.

“According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), an estimated 260,950 women will be diagnosed in 2008 with a women’s cancer in the United States,” said co-host Scott Hamilton. “And as a cancer survivor, I understand the need to do a better job providing people with the tools they need to become their own health advocates. We need to take every opportunity to educate as we entertain.”

In 2007, the television event paired Grammy award-winning artists, such as Rascal Flatts and Joss Stone, with Olympic Champion women’s figure skaters in a unique collaboration of stars from both disciplines. This year, Frosted Pink with a Twist will air nationally on ABC from 4 – 6 pm on Sunday, October 12. The show will re-air on additional cable networks throughout the remainder of the month.

Frosted Pink with a Twist is supported by presenting sponsors Sanofi-Aventis and Wachovia. Cream of Wheat, Five Rivers Winery, Laura Ashley, Merck & Co., Inc., Nationwide Insurance, and Woman’s Day magazine have also signed on to support the show and promote the campaign in various ways. To learn more about our sponsors, click here: http://www.frostedpink.org/sponsors/sponsors.html.

To ensure accurate and credible health content throughout the telecast, Frosted Pink with a Twist has also joined with America’s most effective patient advocacy organizations: the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation (GCF), the National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC), the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS), and the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance (OCNA). Moreover, the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) have joined the initiative as outreach partners. The result is a united effort of patient groups and professional organizations to broaden the message to millions who are touched by cancers that primarily affect women. To learn more about our partners, click here: http://www.frostedpink.org/partners/partners.html.

In an effort to expand the outreach to women across the country, the following organizations are official Frosted Friends, dedicated to spreading the advocacy and education message of Frosted Pink with Twist: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Blue Thong Society, Coalition of Labor Union Women, Hadassah, National Alliance for Hispanic Health, National Association of Female Executives, National Council of Women’s Organizations, National Rural Health Association, National Women’s Health Resource Center, Society for Women’s Health Research, and the YWCA-USA. To learn more about our Frosted Friends, click here: http://www.frostedpink.org/partners/frostedfriends.html.

Frosted Pink with a Twist is the creation of Mike Burg, CEO of Edge Entertainment and Edge Marketing & Management, who conceived of the Frosted Pink campaign after twice winning the battle against Hodgkin’s disease. The Edge companies, based in Charlotte, North Carolina and Los Angeles, California, specialize in entertainment and sports specials for broadcast, Olympic sport arena tours, and representation of Olympic athletes. The Edge broadcast portfolio includes creating the Teen Choice Awards on FOX, the Kids Choice Awards on Nickelodeon, Ice Wars on CBS, Hope Rocks on FOX, and the Action Sports Awards on FOX.

For more information on Frosted Pink with a Twist, visit www.frostedpink.org. For medical information on cancer, visit the patient Web site, Cancer.Net (www.cancer.net), the official clinical cancer information resource for Frosted Pink with a Twist.

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Source: Frosted Pink with a Twist