Olympics open Friday in Athens

With a team consisting of three officials and only two athletes, and our beloved Marion Jones running under a cloud of doping allegations and qualifying only in the long jump, this does not figure to be a banner year for Belize in the Olympics. But the spectacle of athletic achievement that takes place every four years will still occupy the world?s attention over the next two weeks…and thanks to an agreement reached this week between rights holders and local television operators, Belizeans will have a front row seat in Athens. Under that deal, the Belize Cable Operators Association purchased full cable rights to the Olympics from the Caribbean Media Corporation and will have access to all NBC coverage. At the same time Channel 5 will provide live and tape-delayed coverage of the games from a Caribbean perspective courtesy of the C.M.C. Because of the ten hour, time difference between Athens and Belize there may be some confusion, but hopefully between all the different options, viewers will be satisfied. Channel 5?s two and a half hour broadcast of the opening ceremonies from Athens begins Friday morning at eleven.