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Organisers confirm rehearsal for Closing Ceremony took place

Plot thickens on Johanna Griggs' tirade as organisers confirm a dress rehearsal -with cameras.

The Closing Ceremony saga took another turn yesterday after Nine News revealed a limited Dress Rehearsal did take place on Sunday with cameras.

A statement by GOLDOC to Nine confirmed:

  • Due to transition from Athletics to Closing Ceremony there were limitations on being able to conduct a full Dress Rehearsal as is done with the Opening Ceremony.
  • Individual segments were rehearsed off site in the lead up to the event.
  • There was a limited run through on the Sunday afternoon, prior to the broadcast time.
  • The host broadcaster rehearsed cameras as part of the rehearsal.
  • Rights holders were allowed to view the rehearsal.
  • Similar to the Opening Ceremony there were opportunities for rights holders to incorporate elements of the pre-show in their programming.
  • There (were) no embargoes in place post 5:30pm on Sunday.

Some of the points confirmed by GOLDOC contradict statements by Johanna Griggs, including that they were embargoed from including earlier content. The embargo actually applied to the details in the media guide from 8:30pm, in order to keep elements of the ceremony secret.

Griggs and Basil Zempilas also said there was no rehearsal of the Closing Ceremony but GOLDOC confirms rights holders could have attended the limited Dress Rehearsal on Sunday afternoon.

Seven is yet to respond to requests for interview.

8 Responses

  1. It was an extremely boring and amateurish closing ceremony. Most of the athletes and audience left before it even finished. A lot has been learned for a lot of people. Time to build a bridge ……..

  2. Sevens big mistake, they advertised MKR after the Games? unfortunately the games had not concluded. No matter what excuses Seven make , everyone knows that the athlete’s enter at the start
    of closing ceremony. The live broadcast was always going to conflict with MKR 7.00pm start with or without host broadcast footage. Surely 7 would of had interviewers on track as the team made there
    way around the venue? MKR was advertised well before to air at 7.00pm on Sunday !!!

  3. For pete’s sake the Organisers who were paid to organise it screwed up the ceremony and have apologised. Seven’s live commentators called it as they saw it, and they weren’t wrong. Griggs was given something that said “embargoed until 20:30” and interpreted it one way. Someone else citing some other text where the fine print in clause 15, sub-clause 5 says something else they are interpreting differently, to try and cover their arse doesn’t prove anything. Or matter at all. If Seven had realised how the Closing Ceremony was going to work out they would have said something because it cost them big in advertising revenue and reputation, even though it wasn’t their job.

    1. Yes to ceremony was rubbish from an artistic point of view. But people seem to be conflating that with the inclusion of the marching athletes and how it could be televised. And of course Seven can’t be blamed for the creative aspects. But if it turns out that Seven had footage of the athletes which it could have shown in the timeslot prior to the official ceremony, but instead opted to run MKR, then that’s a valid criticism. And if so if this is the case, it’s a bit self-serving for Jo Griggs to be so outspoken against the organisers.

      I remember when viewers were outraged when Ten snuck in an episode of the The Renovators amongst a Masterchef finale. People weren’t happy then and Ten copped it.

  4. Even if that is the case, GOLDOC are still to blame for not including the athletes more in the coverage. And they are still to blame for the lacklustre “Sisters” concert part of the ceremony. The ceremony was pretty good up until the speeches started, went downhill from there.

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