Why I Loved London 2012, Part 1: The BBC.

I tweeted the other day about how there were so many good things about the London 2012 Olympics, foremost of which was the coverage by the BBC.  I thought I should go into more detail about this and all the other reasons why I loved the Games.  I'm not expecting anyone to read this, I'm not trying to make a political point, I don't really have an agenda, nor am I a good enough writer to connect themes throughout my posts.  I really just want to record (for myself, more than anything) how much I loved the 2012 Games and the reasons why I did so.

I read a tweet the other day that said as license fee payers each of us in the UK paid £5.50 for the BBC's commercial-free coverage of the London 2012 Olympic Games.  That is astonishing value for money considering it included two broadcast TV channels, up to 24 sport-specific digital TV channels, Radio 5 Live's excellent coverage, a dedicated digital radio station, and oodles of web-based information.  But the quantity of coverage is only half the story.  It is the quality of the coverage that I will really remember.

As with most things, success often lies in the people involved and in this case the BBC completely nailed it.  Despite the occasional snipe from others about Sue Barker and Gary Lineker - who admittedly can't seem to convey enthusiasm without sounding like they are reading from a script - almost every person in front of camera and behind the mic were perfect for the job.

The ability of people like 5 Live's Colin Murray to perfectly put things into context for remote listeners was such a valuable way to connect the audience to the events.  His gentle anecdotal humour and interaction with his colleagues was one of the many highlights of the games for me.  Murray is just one of many though, and others that deserve a mention include:

• Clare Balding - her genuine, enthusiastic and knowledgeable interest in sport always come across and adds to the viewing experience.
• Jake Humphrey - perhaps the BBC's most likeable sports anchor.
• John Inverdale - in my mind, the best at getting to the most relevant point in the friendliest way.  His emotional reaction to his interview with rowers Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter at Eton Dorney was, surprisingly to me, more moving than the tears of the rowers themselves.
• Michael Johnson - is there a more considered and insightful studio expert?  I don't thinks so.
• Chris Boardman - heavily involved in the world of cycling and it comes across in every discipline he covers.
• Steve Cram - he's as good a commentator as he was a runner.  His commentating on Mo Farah's two gold medals was utterly priceless.
• Even the occasional guest experts did their bit.  Doing his bit for 5 Live, Judo competitor Colin Oates's yell of "She's got her!" when Gemma Gibbons won her semi-final with a dramatic ippon was an obscure games highlight for me.

My last comment is for boxing expert Steve Bunce.  Every afternoon on 5 Live during the games he did a short speech covering the highlights of the day, finishing each day with "We did it right, trust me."  Each one was pure radio gold in my opinion - but they will probably go into the archives forgotten, which is a shame.

I guess the point I'm really trying to make is that all of these people were passionate about the events they covered and their ability to convey that enthusiasm (each in their own way) to the viewers and listeners was invaluable to maximising the nation's enthusiasm for the games.  And all for £5.50.  Bargain.