Olympics: NBC Gaffes Outshine Athletes in 2014 Olympics

Pinkeye, awkward interviews among issues NBC encountering

Sochi's Buzz Problem: Pinkeye and Awkward Interviews Outshine Athletes (The Hollywood Reporter)

Bob Costas' crippling pinkeye won't win any gold medals, but it has emerged as the star of the 2014 Winter Olympics. Through the first 11 days of NBC's coverage, Sochi had yet to produce a breakout personality. The biggest stories were the anchor's weeklong conjunctivitis-induced absence, pinch hitters Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira and, most embarrassingly for the network, alpine skier Bode Miller crying after being prodded about his dead brother by correspondent Christin Cooper. NBC's solid viewership has shown signs of fatigue, lagging 11 percent behind Vancouver in 2010 for the past 11 days and dipping below the similarly time-delayed 2006 Turin Games on Feb. 15.

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