NBC Responds To IOC Statement

Yesterday the International Olympic Committee released a statement declaring that it had "received assurances from the highest levels" of the Russian government that athletes and fans would be exempt from arrest under the "homosexual propaganda" law during the Sochi Olympics. Buzzfeed's Chris Geidner reached out to NBC for a statement:

“NBCUniversal strongly supports equal rights and the fair treatment for all people. The spirit of the Olympic Games is about unifying people and countries through the celebration of sport and it is our hope that spirit will prevail,” NBCUniversal senior vice president of corporate communications Cameron Blanchard told BuzzFeed Friday evening. Human Rights Campaign had raised questions about the coverage plans in a letter to NBC officials earlier this week, with HRC president Chad Griffin writing, “NBCUniversal … has a unique opportunity — and a responsibility — to expose this inhumane and unjust law to the millions of American viewers who will tune in to watch the Games.”

Geidner reports that NBC noted that the Olympics are still seven months away and that "specific coverage plans are yet to be finalized." Let's hope that coverage includes much more than the above blanket statement of support.