No sporting event has a wider scope than an Olympic telecast. With this international reach comes great power and potential impact on many societiesa??a power that many critics claim is being misused. This is the first academic text to explore TV sports media's output from this 'behind the scenes' perspective including the first scholarly interviews with the influential US broadcasters and producers and sports media professionals. This unique text examines how NBC does (or doesn't) construct its coverage with identity issues in mind. Interviews with key media personnel and analysis of the telecast processes before, during and after the Olympics provide the basis for introducing media and cultural studies theory and discussion of sports media in modern society more generally.