When the International Olympic Committee meets in Mexico City next month, one of the items on the agenda is the possible return of IOC visits to potential host cities. A reform commission appointed by IOC President Jacques Rogge is reviewing 52 changes that were initiated following the Salt Lake City scandal, and studying whether to improve and refine them.
Rogge said, “my position is I’m against the visits. I made that clear in my election campaign. I never visited any candidate cities. But I’m in charge of a democratic process”.
Rogge said there is still sentiment within the IOC that it was unfair to end the visits and he said he is prepared if the full membership votes to revive them.
“I’d want to make sure the problems that occurred because of the visits do not happen again. We’d be in charge. The cities would not be. There should be no reason to have suspicion in a visit if it’s handled properly”. He said no major changes to other reforms were expected.
Also, Rogge met recently with representatives of CBS, ABC, ESPN and NBC about the TV rights for the 2010 Olympics and beyond and will be meeting with a Fox Sports executive soon.
Negotiations with the networks could start as soon as early next year or as late as 2005 and Rogge said the IOC could sell the rights to two or more Olympics at a time.
