What's the frequency?

This is the beginning of a quick write-up I'm doing on NBC's coverage of the Olympics. Needs a lot of work -- check back!

NBC's coverage of the Olympics is a dramatization. There is no telling whether the dramatization is an effective draw for spectators, just as there is no way to tell whether a specific component of a wide-net varied marketing campaign is an important part or totally irrelevant.

[evidence here] Producers lean production toward the dramatization, mostly through careful selection of commentators and filler material, but also through "press the flesh" pieces on the athletes themselves. Composed using lowest-common-denominator vocabulary (words like "gallop" to describe a sprinter's stride and "freak" to describe physical appearance), the commentary produces a comfortable home-grown feel which has appeal for the bulk of the television-watching demographic [evidence here].

Awards ceremonies and the follow-up reports on the "medal race" bring a Superbowl / World Series feel to the broadcast, giving Americans their much-desired celebration and reflection time. [evidence here: baseball's basis on great moments as opposed to great gameplay; note that the sprint-type races in swimming and running receive greatest attention from NBC]