Olympics on CBS commentators

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The following is a list of commentators to be featured in CBS' television broadcasts of the Olympic Games. CBS was the very first television network in the United States to broadcast the Olympics, having done with beginning with 1960 Winter Games from Squaw Valley, California.

Contents

Hosts

Jim McKay was originally tabbed to be the lead broadcaster of the network's coverage of the 1960 Winter Olympics, but had to be replaced by Walter Cronkite after suffering a mental breakdown. McKay recovered in time to host the 1960 Summer Olympics from the CBS Television studio in Grand Central Terminal. [1]

Each Winter Olympics telecast from the 1990s had a different prime time host(s): Paula Zahn and Tim McCarver [2] in 1992, Greg Gumbel [2] [3] in 1994, and Jim Nantz [2] in 1998.

YearPrime-Time HostDaytime Host(s)Late-Night Host(s)Cable Host(s)
1960 Winter Walter Cronkite [4]
1992 Winter Tim McCarver [5]
Paula Zahn [6] [7] 		Greg Gumbel [8] [9]
Jim Nantz [10] 		Pat O'Brien [11] Fred Hickman
Nick Charles (for TNT)
1994 Winter Greg Gumbel [8] [12] Jim Nantz [10] [13] [14] Pat O'Brien [15] Jim Lampley (for TNT)
1998 Winter Jim Nantz [10] [16] [17] Mark McEwen
Jane Robelot [18] 		Michele Tafoya
Al Trautwig [19]

By event

1960 Winter Olympics

Event Play-by-play Color commentators
Skiing Chris Schenkel Andrea Mead Lawrence [20]
Giancarlo Rossini [21]
Biathlon Chris Schenkel
Figure Skating Dick Button [22]
Hockey Bud Palmer [23] [24]
Ski Jumping Chris Schenkel Art Devlin [25] [26]
Features Harry Reasoner

1992 Winter Olympics

Event Play-by-play Color commentator(s)Reporters
Opening Ceremony Paula Zahn Tim McCarver James Brown and Pat O'Brien
Skiing Tim Ryan [27] Christin Cooper [28] Mary Carillo [29] and Cindy Nelson
Freestyle Greg Lewis Steven Smalley [30]
Men's Skiing Brad Nessler [31] Hank Kashiwa [32] and Billy Kidd [33] Jim Gray
Bobsled Sean McDonough [34] John Morgan [35] Lesley Visser
Figure Skating Verne Lundquist [36] Scott Hamilton [37] Tracy Wilson [38] and Katarina Witt [39]
Hockey [40] Mike Emrick [41] John Davidson [42]
Mike Eruzione [43]
Luge Sean McDonough [44] John Fee [45] [46]
Skijumping Phil Liggett [47] Jeff Hastings [48]
Shorttrack Speed Skating Ken Squier [49] Pat Maxwell
Cross Country Al Trautwig [50]
Speed Skating Dick Stockton [51] Eric Heiden Michael Barkann

1994 Winter Olympics

Event Play-by-play Color commentator(s)Reporter(s)
Skiing Tim Ryan Christin Cooper and Andy Mill
Freestyle James Brown Park Smalley
Nordic Combined Phil Liggett Jeff Hastings
Bobsled Sean McDonough John Morgan Jim Gray
Figure Skating Verne Lundquist Scott Hamilton Tracy Wilson
Ice Hockey Mike Emrick [52] John Davidson
Mike Eruzione
Luge Sean McDonough Bonny Warner Jim Gray
Skijumping Phil Liggett Jeff Hastings
Shorttrack Speed Skating Ken Squier Paul Wylie
Cross Country Al Trautwig Paul Robbins
Biathlon Lyle Nelson
Speed Skating Dick Stockton Eric Heiden [53]

1998 Winter Olympics

Event Play-by-play Color commentators Reporters
Opening Ceremony Jim Nantz Andrea Joyce [54] Al Trautwig, Michele Tafoya, and Lisa Kennedy Montgomery
Skiing Tim Ryan [55] Christin Cooper
Hank Kashiwa 		Mary Carillo
Ken Read
Freestyle Ted Robinson [56] Park Smalley Lisa Kennedy Montgomery
Bobsled Gus Johnson John Morgan Craig James
Figure Skating Verne Lundquist [57] [58] Scott Hamilton Tracy Wilson
Ice hockey [59] [60] Sean McDonough [61] John Davidson Darren Pang
Ellen Weinberg [62]
Luge Gus Johnson [63] Bonny Warner
Skijumping Al Trautwig [64] Jeff Hastings
Snowboarding Jim Rippey [65] Steve Podborski Lisa Kennedy Montgomery [66]
Shorttrack Speed Skating Ted Robinson Randy Bartz
Cross Country Al Trautwig Paul Robbins
Speed Skating Gary Thorne [67] Dan Jansen
Closing Ceremony Jim Nantz Andrea Joyce Al Trautwig, Michele Tafoya, and Lisa Kennedy Montgomery
Features Jose Diaz-Balart [68]

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References

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  4. ↑ Sandomir, Richard (July 19, 2009). "Amid Blizzard, Cronkite Helped Make Sports History". The New York Times. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  5. ↑ Sandomir, Richard (March 1, 1992). "TV SPORTS; McCarver Survives Olympic Task". The New York Times. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  6. ↑ CHRONICLE
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  8. 1 2 Greg Gumbel Archived 2005-01-19 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ↑ Glauber, Bill (February 11, 1994). "CBS has eyes only for Gumbel WINTER OLYMPICS". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  10. 1 2 3 Jim Nantz {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517053708/http://cbs.sportsline.com/cbssports/team/jnantz |date=2008-05-17
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  35. ↑ Olympians Bank American - Feb 1994 - Page 29. p. 29.
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  38. ↑ Tucker, Ken (February 28, 1992). "1992 Winter Olympics". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  39. ↑ Longman, Jere (October 29, 1993). "OLYMPICS; For Witt, Final Figure Is Yet to Be Cut". The New York Times. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  40. ↑ Article: A LOOK AT THE OLYMPIC ANNOUNCERS
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