TV Stars You'll Be Seeing in Beijing

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

27 Jul 2008 08:52 PM

Hail, hail the gang's all going.

When the Olympic torch is lit in Beijing, China for the 2008 Summer Games next week the entire NBC News family will be there to bring it to you live.

Seriously, NBC could rent out an entire hotel just to accommodate the A-listers who will be headlining coverage of the hotly anticipated athletic showdown.

Brian Williams will be there, as will Tom Brokaw, Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira, Ann Curry, Lester Holt, Richard Engels, Kevin Tibbles, and the Weather Channel's Jim Cantore... and that's just the bigwigs from the news department. Bob Costas and a slew of former Olympians turned sports commentators, including Rowdy Gaines will also be on hand for the festivities in China.

Costas is returning for his seventh Olympics as primetime host and will be joined by athlete/commentators, who have racked up 42 Olympic medals including 25 gold medals. In addition, Bela Karolyi, arguably the most successful coach in the history of women's gymnastics (he coached Nadia and Mary Lou) and one of its most recognized personalities will be making his broadcast debut on NBC calling color during the gymnastics competition.

As for the other networks, CBS considered sending Harry Smith, but decided against it. Meanwhile, over at ABC, weekend news anchor David Muir is the network's biggest name heading to the Summer Games. Dana Lewis is Fox News Channel's lone representative. And cable king CNN says it is largely handling the story through its Beijing bureau, which means Anderson Cooper won't be racking up more frequent flyer miles traveling to China.

Given that talent line-up can you guess which network's sports division paid nearly $900 million for the rights to televise the Olympics?

According to execs at NBC, because China is 12 hours ahead of the eastern U.S. time zone, Williams will be doing "Nightly News" at dawn while ratings champ "Today" will be operating at sundown. In addition, Brokaw will be on hand to contribute historical vignettes for broadcasts, which will air throughout the day.

Will you be watching the Olympics?

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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