Olympics vs Paralympics

This evening, for the first time, I have sat through an entire evening's coverage of the Paralympics. Now, before I discuss how incredible paralympians are and the magnitude of their achievements, I would like to discuss the broadcasting debate that has proved quite the sticking point during these games.

We all know Channel 4 have the rights to the Paralympics and quite frankly, it hasn't got a patch on the BBC. It feels like a cheap imitation and a half-hearted effort at giving the games the coverage it deserves. As hard as Claire Balding tries, she cannot make Boccia interesting. Ade Adepitan has a smile that can light up any room, but he hasn't got a clue about S7 200m freestyle. His frequent mistakes tarnish the quality of C4's broadcast and only add to the lack of knowledge shown all round by the team.

Now, the BBC was widely acclaimed for their comprehensive coverage of the Olympics and there was a collective groan when people realised they would have to sit through a torrent of commercials rather than listen to Gary Lineker's silky smooth tones. But, the fact of the matter is that the BBC did not stump up enough cash to gain the broadcasting rights. As shocking as it may seem to some, Channel 4 just offered much, much more money than the Beeb. The backlash for Channel 4 has been completely overblown and out of control. What were they supposed to do? Lose out on millions of extra viewers simply because of the fear that the public would stage a mass protest at the sight of a Sainsbury's ad? You can blame Channel 4 for poor broadcasting but you cannot blame them for committing themselves to disability sport.

That is the core of this issue. Have the BBC neglected disability sport in favour of the more prestigious, higher ratings of the Olympic Games? Or have Channel 4 simply blown them out of the water with a hugely lucrative bid? Personally, I would favour the latter. Maybe because I'm optimistic that the BBC did not make this conscious decision, or maybe because Channel 4 set out to win these rights from the start and threw all their weight behind it; something the BBC could not do whilst also broadcasting the Olympics.

Whoever was broadcasting the Paralympics, the real stars were always going to be the athletes. Watching amputees jumping 1.75m in high jump may just be the most extraordinary thing I have ever seen. It is fantastic that the country has got behind these games in the way they have. I was lucky enough to go to the Olympic Park last Thursday and it was an incredible experience. The atmosphere when Britain won any medal, in any sport was just unbelievable. 

It is time to put the BBC/Channel 4 debate to bed and savour the fact that our country has hosted the two biggest sporting events on the planet.