TVNZ ready for all-night Games cover

Press, 16 July 1986, Page 15

TVNZ ready for all-night Games cover

When the action begins in Edinburgh on Thursday, July 24, TVNZ will present its most comprehensive coverage of a Commonwealth Games since the 1974 games in New Zealand.

Unfortunately for New Zealanders, it will be “bug-eye viewing” because the time difference means that live coverage will begin when viewers would normally be turning in for the night.

On most nights coverage from Edinburgh will begin at 10 p.m. and run through a full 12 hours until 10 a.m. the next day. Much of it will be live and all of it will come in from TVNZ’s suite in the B.B.G’s Broadcasting Centre in Edinburgh. Included in the transmis-

sions will be recorded events, as well as regular highlights packages so that those who cannot stay up all night can catch up on big events. The

most important of these is the “Breakfast Update” at 7 a.m. each week-day, giving New Zealanders their first regular taste of breakfast television.

National and international news and other sports will be included in these packages. Coverage begins on Thursday, July 24, at 11

commentator.

p.m. with a preview from the Edinburgh studios. Most of the night is given ‘over to live coverage of New Zealand’s cricket test against England at Lords,

although at midnight there is a look at the city of Edinburgh while the cricketers are at lunch.

At 5.30 ajn. on Friday live coverage of the 2$ hour opening ceremony begins with commentators Charles Martin, Keith Quinn and Brendan Telfer describing the scene. At 8 a.m. there will be a full replay of the ceremony, with highlights repeated at 6 p.m. All coverage is on Television One. Friday, July 25, from 10 p.m. sees the beginning of the coverage proper Interspersed with cricket from Lords. Peter Williams, Doug Armstrong and Phillip Leishman will share the hosting duties for the duration of the games and the executive producer is Kevin Cameron.