I've searched everywhere and couldn't find an existing thread, so ... here it is. I've started to get excited about it now, although Channel Nein's coverage? Not so much. They can't do much worse than Channel Stupid's Olympics "coverage" (both Summer and Winter versions).

Random thoughts on last night's opening ceremony:

1. Delta's Grande Anthem didn't sound too much different from every other long and winding journey blah blah inspiration cakes song she's produced. It wasn't too dire, though.
2. I ended up not watching the whole thing, because I knew if one more clueless commentator mispronounced "ceremony" as "cer-uh- MOANY" one more time I'd throw something through the TV. Plus those "world class-state of the art-committed to world's best practice and lots of meaningless corporate-speak Victoria" ads have already resulted in projectiles being launched at walls. Aaargh!
3. Who is "Jules Lunt" and what is he doing on my TV screen?
4. That ubiquitous ground announcer bugs. Who is it - Craig Williamson? He's bloody everywhere, and he'd make "Would you like a cup of tea?" sound overwrought.
5. Shut up, Ray Martin. Because it can never be said enough.

The Opening Cer-uh-moany has to have been one of the most boring things on television. I lost interest after the boy and his duck thing started. The music was boring, the song Under the Milkyway, or whatever it was, was boring, the music for the entry of the athletes was boring. The only bit I liked was Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's Happy Birthday to the Queen.

Did you notice Johnny Howard during the raising the CG flag? Everyone else was clapping, he was just sitting there, looked up at the big screen, noticed he was on, noticed he was the only one not clapping, started clapping.

The AFL captains walking on those pontoons was tragic. They were obviously scared of slipping off. The pontoons were wet because they sprayed water all over them earlier. I thought at the time that that was a silly thing to do, if people were going to be expected to walk along them.

Nine's coverage of the events so far has been pathetic as well. All we saw all morning was swimming heats. I wish now I had paid for the Foxtel extra channel coverage. I didn't bother because I work and there are only so many hours in the day anyway. I'm home sick today, and wish I had more to choose from than what Nine has decided to dish up. At least my husband is happy now, the lawn bowls is on. Oops - he's just complained about the poor players (not Australians), so he's not so happy after all.

Good to see Craig Stevens finish fastest qualifier for the 400 metres final. After the way he has been treated, I hope he wins it tonight. Go Craig!!

They all looked like they were walking on hot coals - yet another thing that must have "seemed like a good idea at the time."

I missed Little Johnny (thank God) - that man never misses a chance to get his ugly mug on television. How hilarious that he was the only one not clapping!

I also liked Dame Kiri's "Happy Birthday", though I was half hoping she'd do the Marilyn Monroe version. Then again, that would have been weird.

Your description of Nein's coverage to date does not surprise. If they follow in Seven's footsteps, the evening's coverage will be broken up into:

• Swimming heat recappage - one race between each ad break;
• More recappage of swimming heats, in case you missed it five minutes ago;
• More ads;
• Inane interview by a hanger-on who usually does reports on diets for Current Abomination with random competitor's Mum/Dad/Nanna/next-door neighbour's friend's cousin's pet giraffe, where the hapless victim is told how proud he/she must be (I am waiting for the day when someone responds, "No, actually, we wanted her to be a doctor and the fact that she's turned into a sportperson who spruiks for Uncle Tobys is a matter of severe family shame."
• More ads! Each one repeated three times in the same ad break! Woo hoo!
• Another inane profile of a plucky Aussie competitor (complete with dopey interviews as above, with a cut to the local RSL where we get the obligatory cheering footage);
• Lots of talky-fest among Ray et al and "expert commentators" recapping what we've just seen and foreshadowing what we will probably eventually see at about 2 am after all the filler, if we can be bothered staying up that late ...

And so forth. Yes, I know ... cynical much? Am I going to watch nonetheless? Hell yeah. I can't resist, and there'll be plenty of snark material. I do like my swimming (I used to compete, but was never very good) and for some reason I find gymnastics fascinating.

"GO CRAIG"! seconded. Wouldn't it be fabulous if he wins?

Looks like it's just you and me in hereat this stage. Hopefully some others will join us after tonight.

You were spot on with your description of Nein's coverage! This afternoon we saw Rugby 7s, lawn bowls, table tennis, badminton and weightlifting, plus a recrap of the swimming. I drifted off to sleep during the badminton. I could hear the commentary, but couldn't force my eyes open to actually watch it.

I can't resist watching it either, even though the most of the commentators drive me nuts. Daryl Eastlake was at his obnoxious best at the weightlifting. No way could I drift off to sleep during that! Ray (Rabbit) Warren sounds like he is calling at rugby league match while doing the swimming. Give me Bruce McAveney from 7 any day over Rabbit.

Liz Chetcovich will be doing the gymnastics, so at least they have gotten an expert for that.

It's just about to start again after the News and A Current Affair.

GO CRAIG!!!!

Heh, Craig sucks.

Since when could the Scots swim?

Go the cyclers. Was Ben Kerseten the one who was thrown out for drugs then cleared?

The rugby ref is a CHEAT in the Aussie/Pommy game. He friggen KNOCKED on and get to keep THE FUCKING BALL! They score and we're now losing! Fucking disgusting piece of shit! (and I'm not a rugby fan?)

Its been laughable so far though, audio problems, can't get footage of the regional basketball games (they've only had how many years footage?) The starters gun didn't work either.

Most of the reactions I got from around the country (work in a national call centre) was "WTF was the ceremony on about?" Stupidist ceremony ever. If our country can't understand it, what does the rest of the world have a hope of?

I'm also avidly watching the Hockeyroos as well. I went to school with Rebecca Sanders (who scored a goal today!) and she's one of the nicest people you've ever met. She could have represented Australia in softball if she'd chosen to concentrate on that. I really hope she gets gold.

Reny Sue, I had the same reaction to you over the rugby - WTF was that referee on? I don't pretend to understand it all that well - I'm an Aussie Rules girl - but even to me, some of those decisions seemed way dodgy.

My parents went to the Opening Ceremony rehearsal (my mum and stepmum are volunteering, so they got free tickets) and it sounds like most people there didn't get it, either. So it was just as obscure seeing it live.

Yes, I also miss Bruce McAvaney. Shut up Rabbit Warren, you jingoistic twit. However, Liz Chetkovich and Phil Liggett are among my favourite expert commentators ever, along with Lucinda Green who does the equestrian at the Olympics - I'm so glad they aren't considered the "property" of one particular network.

On the subject of gymnastics, with one rotation to go and the two teams vying for the gold medal less than a point apart - why would you only show two competitors from each team (and I don't think we even saw all the individual scores of the ones they did show) and then cut straight to the result?? Bizarre. And I doubt I'll be the only person saying this ... can we please have more actual sports footage and less Ken Sutcliffe enjoying the sound of his own voice? 'Twould be much appreciated!

Craig disappointed me. I was hoping he would have swum better than he did. I think he's disappointed in himself.

The gymnastics men's team silver medal win was fantastic. They came so close to the gold. I was disappointed with the poor coverage. I wish now I had forked out for the extra Foxtel channels, because one of them is showing all the gymnastics.

The segment hosts need to realise no one wants to see or listen to them. It's not just Ken Sutcliffe. Those two idiots who are hosting the morning session are pathetic. Ex-sportsman does not equal good sporting commentator.

The Rugby refs certainly need to learn the rules better. Some of their decisions have favoured the lesser nations, giving them a second chance so to speak, but when it is the top nations playing each other, the rules need to be tightly enforced. Allowing Sri Lanka to get away with knock ons and forward passes while playing Australia is different to allowing England the same latitude when playing Australia.

It's good that Nine have gotten some of the top expert commentators Seven uses for the Olympics, such as Liz Chetkovich and Phil Liggett. They know what they are saying, the say it well, and don't waffle, and don't let enthusiasm get in the way (I'm looking at you Daryl Eastlake).

Liz and Phil are awesome. Thank God they're doing this. It wouldn't be gymnastics without them.

I think the reason they've got them though is because they're the commentators for gymnastics, not the CHANNEL SEVEN commentators fo gymnastics. Look at the pettiness they've had with Grant Hackett and Liz Ellis not being allowed into the athlete's village because they're with Channel 7. It really is disgusting and has pretty much ensure no member of either teams will want to sign with them/

I weakened tonight and decided I couldn't cope with 9's coverage any more, and bought the Foxtel package. Cost me $65.00, but it's worth it. Just spent the last 2-1/2 hours watching the womens team gymnastics. Australia won convincingly. Garry Wilkinson (usually on 7) and Allana Slater (top gymnast) are the commentators. While Liz is good, Allana is better, she described the movements the girls were doing. The coverage was excellent, saw most of the Aussie girls routines on each of the apparatus.

Australian girls are the top qualifiers for each of the apparatus finals, and an Australian girl is top qualifier for the all-around. Well done to all of them.

My husband is now watching his sport of choice, lawn bowls. YAWN! Anyway, it will keep him quiet for a while, and allow me time to catch up on my favourite TWoP forums.

Of course, by watching the gymnastics I missed most of the swimming finals and whatever else 9 decided to show snippets of.

The British dude they have presenting just rubs me the wrong way. Not only is he smarmy but the whole Commonwealth and then a Brit presenting just weirds me out.

I hate Nine's filler but there was one about the families of some of the Aussie swim team - how Danni Miatke moved from Darwin to Melbourne when she was 14 that showed Jess Schipper with her triplet brothers - highly amusing because Jess looks exactly like them too!

I've been watching Foxtel (I'm so glad I bought the package), with their sensible commentators, it's like a breath of fresh air. I briefly looked at Nine before to see what they were showing, and wondered exactly the same about that smarmy Brit. I think he did some cricket commentary for Nine.

I am very good friends with Jessica Schipper's cousin, and her sister works for the same government department that I do. My daughter went to school with Leisel Jones, and is so pleased to see that she is doing really really well.

So they are my claims to fame!

Definitely indifferent to the opening ceremony - by watching at home had the luxury of changing the channel quite a few times... wouldn't have been happy if I had paid 500 bucks for a ticket - think some of the tickets were that price.

Was totally ambivilent about the games, but now they've started my [small voice] insanely enthusiastic patriotic side kinda has come out - was walking in the city down Bourke St yesterday seeing all the Aussie flags flying and felt so proud - like you'd feel if you were overseas or something.... or I think I'm just a little emotional at the moment...

Also sick of nine's coverage - haven't watched too much, but have we seen a medal ceremony other than Aussie Gold?? Wish I had Foxtel

And I was so pleased to see Emma Snowsill win - still remember all the news coverage with the tragic death of her boyfriend a few years ago.

Go Aussie girls in the 100 freestyle - not that it was unexpected that they'd sweep the medals, but seeing as there can only be two entrants (I think!) in all other major competitions, gotta take it while they can get it.

Nine hasn't bothered showing any anthems of the medal ceremonies where Australia didn't get the gold. The do show the Australians being presented with their minor medals, then cut away to something else before they play the anthems. Foxtel shows the lot, regardless of who the medalists are. And of course, Foxtel has no commercial breaks, and with 7 channels to choose from, you get the whole session of Gymnastics, cycling, shooting, or whatever. It's great.

I haven't spoken to anyone who liked the opening ceremony. I'm wondering how much they paid those spectators who said how wonderful it was, and whether they are now privately telling people that it was rubbish.

Emma Snowsill's win was great, she was so far in front, but right at the end slowed down and spoke to people and picked up a flag to cross the line with. She didn't care about the time, only the win.

I thought it hillarious yesterday afternoon when 9 crossed to the synchronised swimming and said let's just enjoy it without commentary. I took that to mean they couldn't find anyone willing to commentate for them. Foxtel had commentary.

LOL!!! I used to be friends with someone who was on the fringes of the national synchro swimming team, so always used to defend 'synchro' on her behalf - but now... theres just too many funny things to say about it!!



GRRRR... still wishing I had foxtel..

Is there anywhere I can see video highlights of the games?

WORD re: Smarmy Brit - where did they dig him up from? He is extremely skeevy and unappealing. I so wish I had Foxtel. One more patronising comment from Rabbit Warren about "ooh there's another tonguetwister of a name" when the ground announcer has just pronounced it correctly and I think my brain will explode. My compromise is to mute the sound and have ABC radio on during the swimming.

Finally saw a non-Australian gold medal ceremony played in full! Nearly fell off my chair in shock!

Another good night for the Australian women in the pool. Not so good for the men (again) apart from Matthew Cowdrey (the EAD swimmer). So good to see Ryan Pini win the gold in the butterfly for Papua New Guinea. Even though he spends all his time in Australia, he has represented PNG for quite a few years now.

Good idea about the swimming commentary. I never thought to do that. I spent the night channel surfing between the gymnastics on Foxtel and whatever 9 was showing at the time, so I didn't really see much of the swimming at all.

I think by the next Commonwealth Games they will change the rules and only allow 2 entrants per nation, like the Olympics and World Championships do. Australia has finished first, second and third in too many events. The other nations will gang up on us and make them change the rules.

At least you're getting some medal ceremonies though - CBC isn't showing any of them - even when Canadians win they just throw up a 2 second shot of the podium and that's it!

That said though, I was just watching the daily summary show on CBC Newsworld, and aside from the pointless "walking through Melbourne" segment, I was surprised by how good the commentary was.

For those who have Foxtel but are too stingy (like me!) to pay for the extra Games package, flick to the channels and you can at least get the sound.

I was able to hear a tiny bit of Allana Slater and deduce that a Canadian had won the gold medal - Elyse H-Hibbs.

I'm amused when watching the Canadian gymnastics team - no severe hairstyles, no outlandish clips and no overuse of glitter, it's quite refreshing once you get use to it.

Re: Anthems, I was actually shocked when I flicked back to Channel Nine and saw this flag WITHOUT red on it and this really foreign sound without the word 'girt' or 'wealth' - turns out it was the Scottish anthem.

I, for one, is so sick of hearing our anthem. Completely OVER it. It's so refreshing to hear the Canadian or the Scottish anthem. And I hate the news updates with the complete arrogance of how we are going - we're getting to American levels of 'they ONLY won bronze'.

Elizajoey, that's my problem with the coverage too. I've started switching channels or doing something else during the "medal cer-uh-moan-ies." So sick of it. As for the attitude that it's gold or nothing - I was jumping up and down cheering when Michael Klim had a go at the sort of people who think "If you haven't won gold, you suck" and said, "We just think it's an honour to compete for our country." Exactly. To even make a final of international competition, let alone to win a medal, is a phenomenal achievement. I'd like to see Rabbit Warren try and do it - hopefully he'd drown in the attempt and we'd never have to hear his overwrought verbal diarrhoea again.

Yesterday on the radio, one of those ridiculously chirpy FM newsreaders (you know the type, with their chummy abbreviations of athletes' names, and an uncanny ability to sound like breathless gossips when they're reading an item about a tragedy somewhere) made a really offensive comment: "The Aussie boys have only one more chance to win their first gold in the pool and salvage some national pride ..." What the FUCK??? First of all, Matthew Cowdery and his two world records and gold medals ring a bell?

I was stunned when they actually showed David Davies' medal ceremony - notjust the Welsh national anthem, but no Australian medallist. Such a nice change. I think the track coverage has been better (in the sense that there's much less obnoxious self-congratulation) than the swimming, I suppose that's partly because Australia never dominates in athletics.

By the way, I cringe everytime that "Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi" business starts up. We're a sporting nation, and that's the best we can come up with? It makes "U-S-A! U-S-A!" sound highbrow.

I had to laugh at Ken Suckcliffe's summation of the gymnastics last night - the patronising "tiny mites" (where does he get this crap?) and then coming up with this theory that Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs had turned the tables on Hollie Dykes in the apparatus final after losing to her on a tiebreak in the all around. Actually, Ken? Doing your homework might be in order - it was Chloe Sims who won it. Moron.

Meerkat, how does the Canadian coverage compare? It sounds way better than ours - is CBC a commercial channel, or like our ABC?

ETA: Here's an article that rates our illustrious and not-so-illustrious commentators and talking heads. It's spot on about Darryl Eastlake. I'm a bit bemused by the assessment of Rabbit, Smarmy Brit and Suckcliffe though.

CBC is a public channel, so it's like ABC.

The coverage has gone up in quality, but way down in quantity. They've gotten rid of some of their more useless presenters and they've gotten very good at packing a full day's worth of events into two hours of programming, but compared to years past when they'd have 6 hours daily it seems a bit sparse.

So we don't get coverage of heats or semi-finals, and today was the first day I've seen a "local colour"-type story, but we do have the finals of every swim/track race and get to see at least the top three in the other sports.

I suspect that the main reason for this is the time difference (there was almost constant coverage for Manchester) combined with them thinking that the audience is burned out from the Olympics.

Yes, that's what I thought - in my experience generally a public broadcaster's coverage is much better, because they're not beholden to advertisers (therefore don't have to have ad breaks every five minutes). Could be wishful thinking though.

Bizarrely, our network's been doing the odd "local colour" segment too, which as a Melburnian I find highly amusing - the concept that is. I know it's a national broadcast, but it does seem strange to have landmarks that I already know very well pointed out to me. I wonder if people from other host cities have felt the same? I did get a bit of a kick out of the triathlon coverage, as part of the route is very close to where I live, and I kept thinking, "Wow! I drive past there almost every day!" So that was a bit of a thrill, because for me, big events such as the Cth Games or the Olympics always seem somehow not-of-this-world. The segments themselves, though, are uniformly excruciating. Who IS that Jules Lund creature? More to the point, why does he exist? He looks like a cross between Fryzie from Big Brother and a lobster and his attempts at "Wa-hey, let's poke fun at the tourists" humour are just woeful. I thought Neil Kearney from Ch7 and his cosy-corner profiles were bad.

I'm looking forward to the diving starting. Does anyone know who the expert commentator is? They used to have Steve Foley, who was absolutely brilliant, but I think he's now coaching the British team.

I'm watching the diving on Foxtel at the moment - men's 1 metre. Not sure who the commentators are, but I think one is Dean Pullar (former diver) because the other commentator keeps calling him Dean. Calm, rational commentary, they know what they are saying and keep the overhype out. I keep wondering what Daryl Eastlake would be like at the Diving or Gymnastics or Synchronised Swimming.

The Foxtel commentators are so much better than the 9 ones (generally). I spent 2 hours last night watching the second half of the decathlon, and was delighted to see the Aussie bronze medal winner, Jason Dudley. He went to school with my children, and my son was tickled pink to see him do so well. 9 briefly mentioned the medal in their "what's happened today" bit with Leila McKinnon. What I did find amusing was the commentators description of where he lived. At the start of the 110 hurdles, they said he was from Caboolture (which is where he used to live, and where he went to school with my kids at Tullawong High). Later on they said he was from Mango Hill (which is where he now lives). Then they said he lived north of Brisbane (which Mango Hill is) and then that he lives in the Redcliffe area (which Mango Hill is near), and finished it off by saying he is from up near the Sunshine Coast (not really - it's further north). My son told them to make up their minds.

I think it would be better if each Australian state competed instead of Australia as a nation, like the countries of the British Isles compete as separate countries, that way Australia wouldn't dominate. Queensland would be leading of course, after all those swimming, gymnastics and cycling medals won by Queenslanders. What would our "anthem" be though? "Peter and the Wolf"? "Life is Great in the Sunshine State"?

The BBC's coverage is very laid back but with the time difference most live events are happening in the small hours of the morning. it also sounds as if we have many more female presenters than Australia. I'm not sure if the BBC didn't pay enough money for the rights but coverage is a little sketchy; several times our presenters have mentioned that even quarter or semi final coverage of a British competitor has not been available.

Yay, they did get Steve Foley back for the diving! Dean Pullar's his offsider on Channel Nein as well, so I wonder if Nein and Foxtel are using the same commentators. I love them - they show the same amount of enthusiasm for a brilliant dive regardless of the nationality of the competitor, they're pleased by Australian success without being obnoxious about it (I'm looking at you, Rabbit Warren), and they know their stuff.

Bwah to Ken Suckcliffe's faux pas, calling them the "synchronised swimmers"! He's obviously been hanging out too much with Daryl Eastlake.

Was anyone else slightly disturbed by the fact that one of our divers is only thirteen? Melissa Wu's brilliant, and seems very mature and level-headed but ... thirteen? Plus she looks about eight! I think there's a minimum age limit for most sports, but there have been some 12 year old divers in the past. This article has an interesting take on it. However, I don't know. Congratulations and all the best of luck to her, but if I were a parent, I'd be troubled about letting my child compete in an adult international competition that young. Then again, you wouldn't want to hold a child back if that's what he or she loved to do, so it's a difficult one.

And John Steffensen? Great race but ... boyfriend is stark. Raving. Bonkers! He's overwhelmingly arrogant, but hilariously so, and at least he's got the ability to back it up.

That's really interesting about the British coverage puppytoe - I wonder if the BBC has to rely on the "host broadcaster" whoever that is (from what one of the commentators said, Channel Nein is disclaiming host broadcaster responsibility, but I'd have thought they were it). There's been quite a bit in the media here about the lack of focus on competitors from other nations - totally justifiable complaints too.

Here's another funny article about the commentators from The Age. I particularly like this bit:

So true.

Word.. At the moment I can't help liking him. He's just over the top but in a good way and as you say he's got the gold to back it up.. but I'm sure that will change and Jana will be off the back page and he'll be anouncing that he's leaving Aust because everyone hates him.....

Just caught the last few minutes of the closing ceremony - good on John Farnham for screwing up the words to You're the Voice..Not like he hasn't sung that just a few times over the years!

I caught some of the diving on Thursday's wrap-up and we had them too! I guess they're on the host feed?

We had their commentary intercut with the Canadian presenter doing the intro and then the interviews.

I'm thinking that Steffensen is the Anthony Mundine of the athletics world. Dog.Help.Us.

Dear Channel 9,

Please never never never host a Games again. You're the Eddie the Eagle of games coverage. You're biased, and you brought Darryl Eastlake out of retirement. I hate you.

No Likey

A & S's Mommy

Anyone else hear how Jana Pittman was booed at a nightclub last night?

Channel 9's coverage of the games sucked. I am so glad I bought the Foxtel package. I spent a pleasant afternoon yesterday watching the men's cycling road race.

The closing ceremony was one long yawn fest, until John Farnham came on. Finally someone who could sing and not rely on a pre-recorded tape like that girl who sang that Crowded House song.

As a former Victorian, I was wondering what on earth some of those icons of Melbourne were, and didn't get the vinegar skipping girl until it was mentioned sometime later as being the first neon sign. Then it hit me, I had seen it as a child on drives into Melbourne. I got Luna Park and Flinders Street Station of course.

I think 9 are now the Commonwealth Games Australian broadcaster, so we are probably stuck with them for 2010 in Delhi, because Nicole and Ray were talking about how wonderful it will be there.

I know 7 have the Olympics until at least the next Winter Games in 2010.

Jana was booed at the nightclub because she snubbed Tamsyn Lewis after the relay win when Tamsyn went to hug her. She also apparently has now decided that she didn't want to put in the protest against the English team, even though she and Tamsyn did it together, after agreement was reached by all the girls.

John Steffensen was asked by Ken Sutcliffe before the closing ceremony (which Sutcliffe kept calling the opening ceremony) if he was going to be the Anthony Mundine of the Athletics world. I hope not.

Steve Foley and Dean Pular were the Foxtel diving broadcasters, so they were probably the host feed. All the Foxtel commentators were excellent (apart from the ones would couldn't make up their minds were decathlete Jason Dudley lived!). Ray Warren and Daryl Eastlake are by far the worst of 9's commentators. 9 had some good ones - Phil Ligget for the cycling and Liz Chetkovich for the gymnastics, but the Foxtel ones were just as good.

Ah well, just over 2 years to the Beijing Olympic Games. Must let my boss know that I will be taking two weeks leave while they are on (not to go of course, just to watch on TV at home).

It would be good if Foxtel did the Olympics in Beijing like the Com Games, but probably it will be wishful thinking. Just imagine - whole sessions of a particular sport (Equestrian would be my pick), uninterrupted by commercial breaks, with excellent knowledgeable commentators. ***sigh***

That would be my dream, especilly since we'd then have softball uninterrupted. Its the sport's last games too! *bastards* They did it in 2000 so I don't know why it didn't happen for Athens.

I'm with you guys, I am totally shelling out for cable for the Olympics and the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

I didn't mind the closing ceremony - it was good to see Casey Donovan [/Idol fanatic], though the way they broke it up with the Andrew Gaze bit was odd. The Bollywood sequence was hilarious, especially when they started rapping. I did not much care for Crowded House girl - she has an interesting voice, but the performance was weird. The John Farnham bit at the end, with all the athletes dancing and going off around the stage, was the highlight.

Ron Walker has fake hair. He's looking more and more like Donald Trump every day.

Jana Pittman seems to have serious issues. I noticed the way she froze Tamsyn Lewis out too, and I thought that was a bit average. And what is it with deciding she didn't want to protest after all? I was happy she won the 400m, partly she has had a rough time of it of late, and partly because I thought, "Thank God, now the media can shut up about will she or won't she already." But it's all very strange.

It happened in 2000 because it was in Sydney, and Seven had the rights, and at the time they had a pay TV channel as well, C7. Foxtel didn't normally carry C7, but they "bought" the rights to carry C7 for the Olympics, and there were 2 dedicated channels. It's what made me get Foxtel. The two C7 channels carried all of the equestrian, apart from the showjumping days for the three day events, which 7 themselves showed (with commercial breaks while the Brazilians were jumping in the teams event). They also showed full sessions of the lesser known sports, as Foxtel did with the CG's, while 7 concentrated on the big ticket items such as swimming, athletics, cycling, gymnastics.

I went to Sydney for the eventing week, leaving my daughter at home with strict instructions on what to tape on what channel and when. Lucky for her she got it right!

Don't you have digital TV in Australia? Or is it difficult technically in such a large country? In the UK, if you have digital, which now over 50% of viewers, the BBC has, as well as the regular programming, 6 more interactive channels which are dedicated to individual sports.

We have digital TV, the government was going to turn off analogue in 2008, but not enough of us have bought digital TVs so they are going to extend the turn off date. Digital set top boxes are quiet cheap, but it's the extra expense of new aerials as well that is turning people off. Also, I have heard people complain that the reception in fringe areas is worse with digital than with analogue.

As far as I can understand but I may have misconstrued what I have heard, multiple channels are not allowed, so that's the case, I really can't understand why bother with digital. I know ABC (the national broadcaster, equivalent of BBC) has an ABC2, which I get with my Foxtel package.