What is ABC Warner supposed to do for the Olympics?

Anonus

The Networks of ABC Warner, the world's greatest media company, hold the U.S. broadcast rights to the Olympics in Rio.

Every two years, America sits their asses down in front of the TV to cheer on their homeland in the pursuit of athletic glory, and to watch overly sentimental Procter & Gamble commercials. America will do so again this summer.

So what the fuck does ABC Warner do for the Olympics? What am I supposed to do about that John Williams music?

Anonus

Adding now that the Sochi Olympics were an embarrassment to me. Tentpole programming, marred by those stupid "don't say gay" laws and the whole cost overrun thing.

Imipolex G

what's wrong with the John Williams music?

Anonus

NBC used it too often, and using it too often laid on the sentimentality thick and quite frankly wasn't televisual enough. Going to commercial you don't want to play John Williams. You want to play music that is simultaneously engaging but does not draw too much attention to itself.

Also, NBC and John Williams collaborated on The Mission, a suite of theme music pieces done for various NBC News shows. I do not want that association, no matter how indirect it is.

Imipolex G

but John Williams also wrote the Indiana Jones theme, and you do want that association, however indirect

Anonus

I don't know, I just kind of want to have a version of "Bugler's Dream" that didn't end up getting mashed into Williams's own composition:

Anonus

(Williams's own composition kicks in at 0:45)

Anonus

this is the only YouTube copy of the original Bugler's Dream composition, it seems:

Imipolex G

oh, is that what that's called

Anonus

Yeah

The part that starts at 0:45 in the Williams video is "Olympic Fanfare and Theme", which was composed for the 1984 Games in Los Angeles (incidentally, ABC's previous Summer Games).

lee4hmz

...ABC seriously hasn't done the Summer Games since 1984? Wow. It seems like hasn't nearly been that long.

They also haven't done the Winter Games since 1988. Huh.

Anonus

Yeah. CapCities dumped them because they felt them too expensive.

Incidentally, this will also be the second time ABC has had the Super Bowl and the Olympics, of any sort, in the same year (XXII/Calgary '88; NBC also can claim XXX/Atlanta 1996, and XLVI/London 2012)