NBC to have Rio Olympics studio at Copacabana Beach
This photo provided by NBC and HD Studio shows NBC's daytime and late night set for the Rio Olympics located on Copacabana Beach in Rio. Credit: AP
On Sunday Newsday published a feature on three Connetquot High alums – Vinny Rao, Jules Schoenfeld and Shannon Ward – who are among NBC’s behind-the-scenes workers at the Olympics.
Their story was meant in part to illustrate an invading force of about 2,200 NBC employees who will be on site in Rio this month, an all-time high.
In Beijing in 2008, there were about 1,600 NBC staffers on-site, and there were about 1,400 in London in 2012.
Why the increase? A lot of it is tied to two new sports, rugby and (especially) golf. Also, there is the matter of staffing the new set at Copacabana Beach.
That is where NBC’s daytime and late-night coverage will originate – the first time in 24 years that a daytime and/or late-night studio will be located outside the International Broadcast Center.
The studio will have both indoor and outdoor sets, naturally situated to capture picturesque views.
The last time NBC staged a major studio outside the IBC was in Barcelona in 1992.
Commack’s own Bob Costas will anchor prime-time coverage from a more traditional studio at the IBC starting this weekend.
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
More Olympics
