Coverage of Olympian proportion

Olympic Games: RTÉ are preparing for 'couch potato' heaven this month with blanket coverage of the Olympic Games in Athens in addition to the run in to the All Ireland Championship finals in both hurling and football.

The national broadcaster will screen no less than 16 hours of Olympic Games coverage each day, spread over five different programming sessions, beginning on August 14th, with Bill O'Herlihy covering the opening ceremony of 6.30pm the previous day.

Once the games begin, there will not be a moment's action between 8.00 in the morning and half past midnight that will not be available to viewers. In all, 250 hours will be shown on Network 2, in addition to comprehensive coverage on radio.

Tracy Piggott and Michael Lyster will present Olympics Daybreak every morning from 7.50am through to 12 midday, which will feature the early live action of the day - with events in Athens, two hours ahead of Ireland, getting underway early each morning.

Olympics Midday then kicks in from lunchtime until 5pm. Presented by Formula 1 regular, Peter Collins, the four-hour slot will provide Olympic news reports and updates on the Irish competitors as well as live action.

Another four-hour programme, Olympics Live, from 5pm to 10pm, will be hosted by Bill O'Herlihy and will include more live action. This will include the evening sessions in Athens and will feature most of the major swimming and athletics finals.

A highlights programme, Today at the Games, presented by Tom McGurk from 10-11pm, will also include discussion and analysis of the major issues of the day. Finally, Olympics Event of the Day, an hour-long send off between 11.25pm-12.25am will focus on highlights of one of the main events of the day. That gives the Couch Potato just over seven hours' sleep before it all begins again.

The live studio presentation will feature a number of former Olympians including Gary O'Toole, Neville Maxwell (rowing) and Seán Kelly as well as Eamonn Coughlan and Jerry Kiernan (athletics), Trevor Woods, (triathlon), Jack Doyle (equestrian), Ian Wiley (canoeing), and Mick Dowling (boxing).