Culture
Was London's Fancy Olympics Media Center Worth It?
The expensive, state of the art facility bears little resemblance to media accommodations for the 1948 "Austerity Games."
For London's 1948 summer Olympics, the fittingly titled "Austerity Games" had its Broadcast Center (used mostly by the BBC) situated inside the city's old Palace of the Arts. Media personnel crammed into the historic building, which was constructed for the 1924 British Empire Exhibition, leaving behind no permanent upgrades to the facility once they departed.
In stark contrast, London's new media digs for the 2012 Olympics show little sign of austerity. The massive, publicly funded complex officially opened over the weekend. It's the first venue at Olympic Park to be fully open for business.