B&TB&TB&T
  • Advertising
  • Campaigns
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Technology
  • Regulars
    • Agency Scorecards
    • Best of the Best
    • Campaigns of the Month
    • CMO Power List
    • CMOs to Watch
    • Culture Bites
    • Fast 10
    • New Business Winners
    • Spotlight on Sponsors
  • Jobs
  • Awards
    • 30 Under 30
    • B&T Awards
    • Cairns Crocodiles
    • Women In Media
    • Women Leading Tech
Search
Trending topics:
  • Cairns Crocodiles
  • Nine
  • Seven
  • Cannes Lions
  • NRL
  • State of Origin
  • WPP
  • B&T Women in Media
  • Thinkerbell
  • Pinterest
  • imaa
  • AFL
  • Anthony Albanese
  • AI
  • Spotlight on Sponsors
  • Foxtel
  • Meta
  • TV Ratings
  • Radio Ratings
  • Sports Marketing

  • About
  • Contact
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise
© 2025 B&T. The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd.
Reading: Olympics Broadcaster Warns Camera Operators Against “Sexism” In Filming
Share
B&TB&T
Subscribe
Search
  • Advertising
  • Campaigns
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Technology
  • Regulars
    • Agency Scorecards
    • Best of the Best
    • Campaigns of the Month
    • CMO Power List
    • CMOs to Watch
    • Culture Bites
    • Fast 10
    • New Business Winners
    • Spotlight on Sponsors
  • Jobs
  • Awards
    • 30 Under 30
    • B&T Awards
    • Cairns Crocodiles
    • Women In Media
    • Women Leading Tech
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise
© 2025 B&T. The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd.
B&T > Media > Olympics Broadcaster Warns Camera Operators Against “Sexism” In Filming
Media

Olympics Broadcaster Warns Camera Operators Against “Sexism” In Filming

Tom Fogden
Published on: 30th July 2024 at 10:46 AM
Tom Fogden
Share
4 Min Read
Australian 4x100m freestyle relay team - credit: X
SHARE

The official Olympic broadcaster has urged camera operators to film male and female athletes in the same manner to avoid “stereotypes and sexism” in coverage of the games. 

Yiannis Exarchos, chief executive of the Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) told reporters in Paris that his organisation had updated its guidance for camera operators, most of whom are men. Images shot by OBS are shared with rights holders around the world — including Nine in Australia.

“Unfortunately, in some events they (women) are still being filmed in a way that you can identify that stereotypes and sexism remains, even from the way in which some camera operators are framing differently men and women athletes,” he said on Sunday.

“Women athletes are not there because they are more attractive or sexy or whatever. They are there because they are elite athletes.”

Exarchos added that the problem existed due to “unconscious bias” with the camera operators and TV editors.

This year’s Olympics are the first in history to see women’s sports given the same TV scheduling prominence as men’s. For instance, the women’s marathon is set to be the final event of the Games instead of the men’s race.

“The schedules of sporting events have traditionally been biased towards highlighting men’s events,” Exarchos said.

“Traditionally, in team sports, you have first women’s finals, and then the men’s final… In strength and combat sports, traditionally you have women’s competitions in the morning and men’s competitions in the afternoon.”

Marie Sallois, director in charge of gender equality at the International Olympic Committee, said the Paris Games were “de facto the world’s largest platform to promote gender equality in and through sport”.

She added that there were “symbolic moments” in Friday’s Opening Ceremony that saw nearly all the countries have a male and female flag carrier, as well as the show paying tribute to influential French women through history.

The reminder to camera operators comes hot on the heels of EuroSport commentator Bob Ballard being removed by the broadcaster after making sexist remarks about the Australian 4x100m women’s freestyle relay team as they collected their gold medals. 

Telling them to hurry up from the commentary booth, Ballard said “Well the women just finishing up. You know what women are like … hanging around, doing their make-up”.

While Ballard tried to laugh off the sexist comment, his co-commentator, Lizzie Simmonds, immediately called him out, deeming the comment “outrageous”.

EuroSport removed him from air quickly following the comment.

“During a segment of Eurosport’s coverage last night, commentator Bob Ballard made an inappropriate comment,” the network said in a statement.

“To that end, he has been removed from our commentary roster with immediate effect.”

The issue of sexist filming of female athletes is not a new one. In fact, VML Singapore’s “Change The Angle” campaign for beauty brand Lux put the issue into sharp focus and collected a Gold at the inaugural Cairns Crocodiles Awards earlier this year. 

Join more than 30,000 advertising industry experts
Get all the latest advertising and media news direct to your inbox from B&T.

No related posts.

TAGGED: 2024 Paris Olympics, Olympics
Share
Tom Fogden
By Tom Fogden
Follow:
Tom is B&T's editor and covers everything that helps brands connect with customers and the agencies and brands behind the work. He'll also take any opportunity to grab a mic and get in front of the camera. Before joining B&T, Tom spent many long years in dreary London covering technology for Which? and Tech.co, the automotive industry for Auto Futures and occasionally moonlighting as a music journalist for Notion and Euphoria.

Latest News

Patrick Rowe, Mandie Van Der Merwe, Avish Gordhan.
Agency Scorecard: Saatchi & Saatchi
15/07/2025
SCA Chief Content Officer Dave Cameron To Depart After 30 Years
15/07/2025
Harley-Davidson Rallies Riders For Inaugural ‘United We Ride’ Fundraiser Via The Salvation Army
15/07/2025
Agency Scorecard: Nunn Media
15/07/2025
//

B&T is Australia’s leading news publication magazine for the advertising, marketing, media and PR industries.

 

B&T is owned by parent company The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd.

About B&T

  • About
  • Contact
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise

Top Categories

  • Advertising
  • Campaigns
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Opinion
  • Technology
  • TV Ratings

Sign Up for Our Newsletter



B&TB&T
Follow US
© 2025 B&T. The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Register Lost your password?