No Opening Ceremony TV Privileges for LA’s British Consul General

In the latest installment of KPCC’s “L.A. To London” series about local connections to the 2012 Summer Olympics, reporter Adolfo Guzman-Lopez checks in with how various residents are planning to watch the action.

His first interview subject is British consul general Barbara Hay (pictured). The reporter is audibly amazed to learn that she will not be connecting to a live British broadcast feed of tomorrow night’s Danny Boyle festivities. Rather, she and her Hancock Park residence guests will watch the tape-delayed NBC version of the opening ceremony at 7:30 p.m. PT, like most everyone else in SoCal:

“All of this is being very carefully choreographed by the broadcasters who have the contracts to film and broadcast the games, so I don’t get any special privileges, I’m afraid,” Hay said, adding that she “doesn’t mind.”

So, no special privileges for Brits in the U.S., even if they’re consuls general, according to NBC vice president Christopher McCloskey. That’s because the network’s serving up a D-Day-like onslaught of coverage.

Guzman-Lopez also speaks to a couple near the Hollywood Bowl about their living room “command center” and a Korean American man who decided to subscribe to DirecTV’s South Korean Olympics package. To read-listen to the full report, click here.

[Photo courtesy UK in the USA]