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Commonwealth Games Coverage

As citizens of commonwealth countries would be well aware by now, the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games start on Wednesday night. Various broadcasters around the world will be covering it, but here in Australia the coverage will be brought to you by Channel 9, ABC Radio, and much more interestingly, Southern Cross Radio and affiliates.

Among the people bringing you the Commonwealth Games on Southern Cross are Bruce McAvaney, Kieran Perkins, Shane Healy, Tony Leonard, Murray Olds, Matt Granland, John Gibbs & Raelene Boyle.

The “host” broadcaster is 3AW (not surprising considering that they are in Melbourne), and the games coverage will be relayed to Southern Cross and subscriber stations. In most cases this is likely to be your local John Laws broadcaster.

Games coverage on 3AW will take place from 10am to 1pm and again from 6pm to 10pm daily. I would presume that 2UE will continue the John Laws Morning Show during the 10am-1pm session, and possibly even Afternoons with John Stanley during that time for the benefit of network stations who aren’t taking the Games, but I would expect 2UE to take the full games coverage.

Network stations’ own broadcast schedule is a mystery, and will obviously be up to them. I would personally be surprised if 2CC interrupt the rugby league coverage for the Commonwealth Games, and would be even more surprised if they don’t interrupt Laws and Stanley for the Commonwealth Games. None the less, contact your local stations for details.

Radioinfo [1] have a bit more information about the Commonwealth Games coverage:

The game plan for the Games on 3AW Southern Cross Radio
10 Mar 2006
3AW, the official commercial radio broadcaster for the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games will begin its coverage with a special program at 6pm on Wednesday by the breakfast boys, Ross Stevenson and John Burns, from the station’s outside broadcast site at the special Live Site at Queensbridge on the Yarra.

The coverage will then move to the MCG where Clinton Grybas will join Bruce Mansfield and Philip Brady to cover the opening ceremony in Nightline.

For the 12 days of the games 3AW will provide extensive coverage of all sporting events. There will be block coverage of events from 10am through to 1pm and again at 6pm to the close of the day’s competition around 10pm.

3AW programs will also be out and about during the games. Mornings with Neil Mitchell, Afternoons with Ernie Sigley and Drive with Derryn Hinch will broadcast from 3AW’s special games outside broadcast facilities at the Live Site and from the MCG.

Each night after the conclusion of sporting events, Bruce Mansfield and Philip Brady will broadcast from the Queensbridge Live Site.

In addition to more than 80 hours live sporting coverage, 3AW will bring listeners all the news as it breaks, interviews with the stars and The Games Today, a daily wrap of all the action, hosted by Bruce McAvaney and Clinton Grybas at 6pm.

Weekend programs will also be out and about the city during the duration of the games.

The broadcast team is headed by Bruce McAvaney with more than 20 years of broadcasting including six summer Olympics under his belt. Sportscaster Clinton Grybas has broadcast just about every sport over the last 11 years, spanning the Olympics, the AFL Grand Final, The Australian Open Tennis and the Manchester and Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games. And Kieran Perkins brings his great knowledge of swimming to 3AW listeners.

Also joining the team will be Shane Healy, Tony Leonard, George Grljusich, Benny Pike, Smokey Dawson, Murray Olds, Matt Granland, John Gibbs, Karl Langdon and Andrew Hewett.

Expert analysis will be provided by Raelene Boyle, David Wansborough, Phil Smyth, Michele Timms, Jim Irvine, Eloise Southby-Halbish and James Victor.

So, my plan for the Games. I will naturally be listening on 2CC, and when I’m watching on TV I will have the TV muted, and 2CC turned up. It will be very good to hear Bruce McAvaney in full voice and, to change the topic for a moment, I can’t wait to hear him calling Friday Night AFL for Seven again next year.

Samuel

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#1 Comment By John B1_B5 On March 11, 2006 @ 6:42 am

Wot about “The Drive Show ” ?

#2 Comment By Samuel On March 11, 2006 @ 7:03 am

I don’t think Drive will be affected as the Games aren’t on during Drive.

#3 Comment By John B1_B5 On March 11, 2006 @ 6:44 pm

Good ! ……. Speaking of “The Drive Show” …… I sent you an email with “sound effects” for the Drive Show .
I sent a copy to Mike Welsh too, but he refuses to play it on air …………. I guess he just doesn’t want to accept the fact that SOME people actually drive like that ( as heard in the sound effects ) . haha .

#4 Comment By Samuel On March 11, 2006 @ 6:47 pm

OK, I’ll let you know when the email arrives.

#5 Comment By demented_cupcake On March 12, 2006 @ 12:05 pm

They cancelled school, though, for the Commonwealth Games.