Is there too much Olympics coverage on BBC News Channel?

The first day of the world’s largest multi-sport event, which is being held in your capital city, is news.

Oh I think that even if it is, it does not deserve to blot out all other news from the NEWS Channel. And so how would you justify the news Channel showing the same programme as BBC1 and BBC Olympic feed 3 and BBC1 HD on Friday night then. As it was, the ten o’clock news on BBC 2 only had 10 minutes of other news. It is sheer over kill.

24 dedicated channels? where are they on freeview? And the cheek of putting the ten o’clock news on BBC2, they should have stopped the opening ceremony for that surely?

I have seen on Facebook and Twitter, complaining soaps aren’t on. The Olympics take place for two weeks every four years, and the fact that it is in the UK makes it even more unique this year.

If it is any consolation it will have been forgotten about in three weeks, just a shame that the Paralympics probably won’t get the same coverage no matter how good C4 will be.

there was an amazing moment on BBC Breakfast this morning where Bill introduced the start of the show with ‘we have updates on the olympics coming up but first the headlines’ and his face said it all when he read out the first 3 headlines which turned out to be olympic updates anyway.

I’d agree that there’s a balance to be struck – and it can sometimes seem a bit ridiculous for the same event to be going out live on three different channels – but I’d also throw this in to the mix.

I’d wager that there are a very large number of News Channel viewers watching in places where they are unable to get access to the rest of the coverage. The Channel is often on in public places – hotels, pubs, airports, service stations etc – and it’s not unreasonable to expect that the people watching in those circumstances might appreciate some live action.

Not to mention the face that, let’s face it, the Olympics IS currently the biggest ongoing domestic news story.

@Bob Foster, East Enders and Holby and Panarama are on BBC2. I bet the BBC News would be if it was not for the fact that BBC2 can’t regionalise anymore.

I agree with Brian. It’s complete over-saturation. Sky News Radio have been the WORST. The 2 minute TOTH bulletins are containing a minimum of 60 seconds of Olympics news. On Sunday I heard the audacity of 90 seconds of Olympic news and then “and in Sport” leading into non-Olympic sport news.

BBC1 has effectively closed down for two weeks. The news channels are OBing from the Olympic Park for a fortnight. This whole attitude that everything has stopped for the bloody Olympics is just so unacceptable.

9/11 got less saturation coverage, for God’s sake.

The rest of the world is turning. I dare say if a major story were to break over this fortnight, it would get very conveniently buried to “other news.” Unless another Munich kicks off in London, then we won’t ever hear the end of it.

Olympic coverage on BBC is IMHO blown out of all proportion as already said.
What annoys me more than the wall to wall coverage is the continuous banging on by reporters how fantastic the games are, how everyone must like it and empty seats will be filled whether you like it or not. Yesterday there was a long shot on the GB men’s gymnastics team, nothing was happening and the commentator kept saying how amazing they were simply for standing there. (this was before they got the medal)
And is there really the need to mention that “this is the news live from Olympic Park every day/ half hour/ minute?” not to mention the “on the spot interviews” with fans entering the park which at times are cringe worthy.
With so much coverage the BBC have once again shown that they are the kings of overkill.

This morning, just for curiousity I taped the 8 am top of the hour on Breakfast, and listened to the 8 am news on Radio 4. Radio 4 had 11 non olympic stories, including Syria and the £300 million pounds drugs bust in Australia along with stories about the Governments Braodband policy beign ‘misguided’/ I played my recprding from Breakfast. There were only 4 non olympic stories in about a 6 minute slot. Syria was mentioned and the death of Irish auther Maeve Binchy which also had a filmed report from Rebecca Jones. No mention of the Aussie drugs bust or the broadband comments from a house of commons committee. I has only gone to show how the Olympics has shoved proper real news to the back of the cupboard. Even BBC World News usually broadcast at 0930 on the News Channel has been ditched. It is a total and utter and diabolical disgrace for the news to be sideline in such a way.Not everyone can, or wants to read newspapers for their news so we have come to sort of rely on the BBC.

I has only gone to show how the Olympics has shoved proper real news to the back of the cupboard.

What “real” news do you want to hear about though, Brian?

There’s a couple of foreign stories and a fairly nothing House of Lords committee, and it’s not as though other non-BBC outlets are running anything better.