David Wallack Comments on NBC Olympic Broadcast Fail

Online, August 9, 2012 (Newswire.com) - For three days, #NBCFail was a trending Twitter term with more than 40,000 tweets under the single hashtag; a response by Olympic fans to the NBC network and its coverage of the Olympics via tape delays. ABC News released an article discussing the social media site's service as a soapbox and a distraction for some athletes in this year's games. Olympic trainer David Wallack comments on NBC's decision to use tape delays in an era where instant updates and news are readily available.

NBC may have chosen to hold off until primetime to air bigger events like the opening ceremonies and more popular games such as swimming and gymnastics, but Twitter users did not. Athletes and viewers at the Olympic Games were able to tweet each event's wins and upsets in real time, leaving the network a step behind. This resulted in a flood of angry tweets. "Users were tweeting snarky and angry tweets about NBC's tape delays. While tape delays have been used by the network before, the effects were definitely felt this year," commented David Wallack.

Jeff Jarvis, a journalism and media professor at City University of New York's Graduate School of Journalism agrees with Wallack. "The scale is markedly different than it was four years ago, you can hear a louder voice from the public," comments Jarvis. "NBC thinks it can still control the experience, but that era is waning, that era of control."

Another noticeable impact Twitter had on the Games this year was with the athletes. With more athletes speaking their minds in 140 characters, new problems began to arise. Several athletes were kicked out of the games for inappropriate tweets while others said they were distracted by negative or malicious tweets sent by their Twitter followers.

Australian swimmer Emily Sebohm who came in second place in the 100m-backstroke competition blamed Twitter and Facebook for her poor performance. "I don't know, I just felt like I didn't really get off [social media] and get into my own mind. I obviously need to sign out of Twitter and log out of Facebook a lot sooner than I did," she stated in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Olympic trainer David Wallack said that with the still growing interest in social media sites the changes within the Games are likely to stay. "Although Twitter served to distract some athletes, the majority of users found that Twitter added to the interest and amusement of the Games," stated Wallack

ABOUT:

David Wallack was a track and field Olympic athlete and winner of the USA and World Track and Field championship. After a spinal cord injury in 2011, David Wallack retired to training track and field athletes. Wallack is a trainer for the 2012 Olympic men and women's track and field teams.