There is a seperate thread for Sydney 2000:
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I found myself on a tiny bit of a rabbit hole looking to see if there were old TV guides of the Tasmanian stations in Trove, and stumbled on the King Island News.
There was a whole series of articles each week with progress towards using the ABKT-11 translator station, which was the island’s only service at the time, and switching it over to show the 1984 LA Olympics (with ads replaced somehow with “fill in films”).
Essentially, the ABC signal from Launceston (ABNT-3) was received at Smithton in the north west coast of Tasmania, and then a microwave link connected that receiver to King Island to be broadcast to the area.
In a subsequent issue, they printed a full guide to all the events TNT-9 would air, p5 - 25 Jul 1984 - King Island News (Currie, King Island : 1912 - 1986 - Trove and then finally proclaiming
When the Olympics concluded, the newspaper seemingly deemed that it was such a momentous achievement that they made a logo for ABKT-11 featuring the LA Olympics symbol, no clue if this ever was seen on air.
They used this successful use of ABKT to relay TNT to cover future programming, with this note regarding the 1985 VFL grand final -
Unfortunately the paper ended up out of print in 1986, so there wasn’t much more to the saga of getting sport to the island or what happened with the 88 Olympics, or when indeed they got a proper TNT translator station, which I have seen elsewhere occurred by 2000.
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I’ve never been to King Island. I’ve wondered if the locals installed big antennas to receive TV from Northern Tasmania or the mainland, even if sporadic?
We’ll see how long this lasts on YouTube but the opening 5 minutes of Barcelona '92: Great Olympic Moments:
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Barcelona.. rival bidder to brisbane (who also bid for 92). Barca won because the ex lord mayor of Barca was Juan Anotio Samarach. no corruption there though
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Nice find!
Does Seven own any footage?
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From the ad I think they’re using Ray Hadley’s calls. In 2000 the ABC and commercial radio rights holders combined to do “Australian Radio” coverage. Ray Hadley headed up most of the calls for athletics in combination with Tim Lane who worked at the ABC at the time. The late Clinton Grybas was involved. ABC did their own call of the swimming as did 2UE/3AW with Ray and Duncan Armstrong.
6PR provided George Grylizuic from memory to call the boxing.
2UE did breakaway from the combined coverage from time to time to do their own calls off tube. John Stanley called the memorable Archery gold medal and Dougal Saunders (now nationals state MP) did the women’s waterpolo call.
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This 9 special is using the NBC commentary for the highlights of the opening ceremony. I think I can hear Katie Couric and Bob Costas.
They’ve got michael Knight as an interview. He speaks Of Ric Brich the creative director of the ceremonies. He mentions the secrecy in the lead up.
I intensely remember the rants Alan Jones would go on at 2UE at the time because games organizers refused to reveal who and what was involved in these ceremonies and he demanded to know. I remember one rant “who does this Ric Birch think he is” because he wouldn’t bow down to Alan to reveal what was involved in the opening ceremony.
I remember thinking this is the guy who did the Barcelona 92 opening which was absolutely brilliant.
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Condensed episode from last Wednesday
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The cauldron malfunction which almost sent our Opening Ceremony into a national embarrassment with no lighting of the cauldron!
Phil Liggett on Nine’s coverage in 1994 with Ken Sutcliffe and Liz Hayes. Liggett had a CBS jacket despite covering for Nine
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Presumably he was working for CBS as well?
Yep. Liggett was with CBS Sports as well when they had the rights to the Winter Olympics