Category: Sport; Five Live
Date: 02.03.2006
Printable version
The Opening Ceremony of the XVIII Commonwealth Games will be held on Wednesday 15 March, heralding 11 days of intense sporting competition, throughout 16 venues, in Melbourne, Australia.
Viewers can choose to enjoy the games via BBC Television, including Interactive, on BBC Radio Five Live, the BBC Asian Network or at bbc.co.uk/commonwealthgames.
BBC Television is broadcasting 188 hours of TV coverage - 153 hours on BBC ONE and 35 hours on BBC TWO (15 to 26 March.
On tv, expert analysis is provided by the popular presentation team of Sue Barker, Hazel Irvine and Clare Balding with Steve Cram and Jill Douglas.
Michael Johnson and Colin Jackson join the athletics team.
Reporters are Phil Jones, Adam Parsons and Garry Richardson.
Steve Ovett will join the evening highlights programme during the athletics programme as studio guest.
The interactive service will offer a mix of live and recorded content so viewers can watch the action at a time that suits them, 24/7.
BBC Sport interactive services have proved extremely popular during multi-sport events - 3.5 million viewers accessed the interactive service during the Commonwealth Games in 2002.
Digital satellite viewers will have a choice of up to four extra screens, offering live action from 11.00pm to 1.00am every day, then a catch-up service will follow from 1.00 to 11.00pm.
The service will be complemented with a news and results section, medals tables and a viewing planner.
Freeview viewers will be able to choose from an extra two streams of live coverage.
All of the extra games footage will be accessible via the red button at any time, from any BBC channel.
For the first time, all of the Commonwealth Games action available on interactive tv will also be accessible via the BBC Sport dedicated games website, for UK broadband users, at bbc.co.uk/commonwealthgames.
On the website there will also be all the latest news and big stories around the clock from Melbourne, plus full events and tv schedules, a comprehensive results service and medal tables.
A host of other video content including BBC Sport Academy guides and masterclasses for many of the sports is also available.
BBC Ceefax and Digital Text will also have dedicated Commonwealth Games sections offering viewers up-to-the-minute news and results of one of the world's biggest sporting events.
On Five Live Mark Pougatch presents daily coverage providing regular reports and updates on the progress of the UK nations throughout the station's normal programming.
A special morning Sport on Five from the Commonwealth Games will be on air from 7.45 every morning.
It will focus on live coverage of the swimming and athletics finals, plus a comprehensive round-up of all the other events.
The Asian Network will be covering the games primarily during its Breakfast show, 6.00 to 9.00am weekdays and at weekends from 8.00 to 10.00am.
The station will also offer sport bulletins live from Melbourne and Drive will feature a round-up of the day's events, plus live action throughout the week.
The station will keep a special eye on the progress of British Asian competitors Amir Ghaffar and Carla Khan.
As athletes from the United Kingdom represent their home nation, viewers from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can follow the fortunes of their own local heroes.
BBC Nations & Regions is devoting extensive coverage to the games, largely within existing programmes.
There will be coverage across all 15 tv regions (BBC Northern Ireland, BBC Scotland, BBC Wales and 12 English Regions outlets) and 45 radio stations, including BBC Radio Cymru.
On television there will be coverage during the 1.30, 6.30 and 10.25pm sports news bulletins.
In addition, BBC Wales and BBC Scotland are producing additional dedicated Commonwealth Games TV programmes:
BBC Wales
Wales Today Sport Extra, 9.30-10.00pm, which will include a 15 minute daily Commonwealth Games round up at 9.40pm
Commonwealth Games Highlights, Sunday 19 and 26 March
BBC Scotland
Commonwealth Games Highlights, Monday 20 and 27 March, 7.00-7.30pm
Commonwealth Games archive programme, Monday 20 March, 11.05-11.15pm
In addition, there will be special daily coverage from the BBC's Channel Islands daily regional news programme - Spotlight Channel Islands - and the local Radio stations, BBC Radio Jersey and BBC Radio Guernsey, as the islands both compete independently.
The Melbourne 2006 sports programme comprises 12 individual and four team sports, with a total of 24 disciplines to be contested.
The sports programme for Elite Athletes with a Disability (EAD) will comprise 12 events across four sports - swimming, athletics, table tennis and powerlifting - which will be integrated into the general games competition schedule.
Swimming starts the games, with rugby sevens.
The athletics programme begins on Sunday 19 March.
All the major medals will be won in the UK morning because of the 11+ hour time difference.
Live coverage transmission summary for BBC ONE and BBC TWO:
11.00pm- 2.00/3.00am for morning heats
2.00/3.00-6.00/7.00am for other sports such as bowls, hockey, netball
6.00/7.00am-1.00pm for athletics, swimming, gymnastics finals
Catch-up output from 1.00pm onwards
7.30-9.00pm Games Today, evening highlights programme, BBC TWO
Television Team:
Ceremonies - Barry Davies
Swimming - Andy Jameson,
Adrian Moorhouse,
Sharron Davies
Diving - Bob Ballard,
Chris Snode
Athletics - Steve Cram,
Stuart Storey,
Paul Dickenson,
Brendan Foster,
Jonathan Edwards,
Colin Jackson,
Michael Johnson
Badminton - David Mercer,
Gill Clark
Basketball - Stuart Storey
Boxing - Jim Neilly,
Richie Woodhall
Cycling - Hugh Porter,
Gary Sutton
Gymnastics - Barry Davies,
Mitch Fenner,
Christine Still
Hockey - Matt Chilton,
Sean Kerly,
Barry Davies
Bowls - David Corkhill,
John Price
Netball - Eleanor Oldroyd,
Kendra Slawinski-Low
Rugby sevens - Paul Dickenson
Shooting - Phil Jones,
Adam Parsons,
Phil Jones
Squash - Matthew Syed
Table tennis - Matthew Syed
Triathlon - Matt Chilton
Weightlifting - Dougie Donnelly.
For detailed programme information please go to the pdf file on the right-hand side of this page.
NA/CF
