Retro Olympics: ABC's Broadcast Schedule For The 1988 Winter Games In Calgary

[Joseph_Gallant]

In February of 1988, ABC went to Calgary to cover that year's Winter Olympics.

No one knew it then, but it would mark the last time that ABC covered an Olympics. ABC covered ten out of the fourteen Olympics (Winter and Summer combined) that had taken place between 1964 and 1988.

Following is the ABC broadcast schedule for the 1988 Winter Olympics, as published in Sports Illustrated's 1988 Winter Olympics preview issue, puboished in early February of that year. All times were Eastern.

Saturday, February 13th, 1988: 2:30-5 P.M. (Live Boadcast of the Opening Ceremonies) and 8-11 P.M.

Sunday, February 14th: 12 Noon-6 P.M., 7-11 P.M., and 11:30 P.M.-12 Midnight

Monday, February 15th: 8-11 P.M. and 11:30 P.M.-12 Midnight

Tuesday, February 16th: 8-11 P.M. and 11:30 P.M.-12 Midnight

Wednesday, February 17th: 8-11 P.M. and 11:30 P.M.-12 Midnight

Thursday, February 18th: 8-11 P.M. and 11:30 P.M.-12 Midnight

Friday, February 19th: 8-11 P.M. and 11:30 P.M.-12 Midnight

Saturday, February 20th: 12 Noon-6 P.M., 7-11 P.M., and 11:30 P.M.-12 Midnight

Sunday, February 21st: 11 A.M.-6 P.M., 7-11 P.M., and 11:30 P.M.-12 Midnight

Monday, February 22nd: 8-11 P.M. and 11:30 P.M.-12 Midnight

Tuesday, February 23rd: 8-11 P.M. and 11:30 P.M.-12 Midnight

Wednesday, February 24th: 8-11 P.M. and 11:30 P.M.-12 Midnight

Thursday, February 25th: 8-11 P.M. and 11:30 P.M.-12 Midnight

Friday, February 26th: 8-11 P.M. and 11:30 P.M.-12 Midnight

Saturday, February 27th: 12 Noon-6 P.M., 7-11 P.M., and 11:30 P.M.-12 Midnight

Sunday, February 28th: 12 Noon-6:45 P.M. and 7-11 P.M. (the latter a Live Broadcast of the Closing Ceremonies)

While Jim McKay as usual hosted prime-time coverage, Keith Jacksonm hosted the weekend daytime broadcasts and Frank Gifford (along with his then-new wife Kathie Lee) hosted the late-night wrap-ups. Gifford did double duty in Calgary; besides co-hosting the late-night show, he also called the alpine skiing competition (which he had also done for ABC in 1976, 1980 and 1984).

 

[ixnay]

> In February of 1988, ABC went to Calgary to cover that
> year's Winter Olympics.
>
> No one knew it then, but it would mark the last time that
> ABC covered an Olympics. ABC covered ten out of the fourteen
> Olympics (Winter and Summer combined) that had taken place
> between 1964 and 1988.
>

That September my mother was watching NBC's coverage of the Summer Games from Seoul (NBC's first Olympics since 1972 in Sapporo and the Peacock's first Summer Games since 1964 in Tokyo - feel free to correct me). My mom said to me something like, "It just doesn't feel like an Olympics without Jim McKay hosting." She'll watch figure skating and gymnastics, Olympic or not.

ixnay

 

[danderson4411]

what i remember about Seoul that year besides NBC having to use guys like Curt Gowdy, Ray Scott and Merle Harmon on the NFL was some of the weird things that happened like Arlene Limas singing the anthem by herself when the tape machine would not play the boxing riots and the us women's gymnastics team getting a deduction that cost them a medal and the roy jones losing in a fight he should have won the judges were corrupt boy that was a crazy Olympics i wonder how Jim Mckay and abc would have handled those incidents