The Olympic Media dossier

 1960: Rome   

25 August-11 September
Television
For the first time the television rights were sold. CBS bought the US rights for $394,000 and transmitted 20 hours of coverage, achieving a 36 per cent audience share overall and 33 per cent during prime time. For US transmissions, videotapes were flown each day from Rome to New York, where the programming was produced.

The network also acquired the rights to the winter games at Squaw Valley for $50,000 and transmitted 15 hours, achieving a 52 per cent audience share overall and 38 per cent during prime time.)
        Aswell as being the first games broadcast in the US, these were the first available to the young television networks in Europe—12 countries had started services since the 1952 games—and coverage relayed through Eurovision amounted to 93 hours 40 minutes.

Film The official two-hour film, La Gran Olympiada, directed by Romolo Marcellini and produced by Franco Galliano, is available on video.

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