By Joe Reedy, Sports Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) --Molly Solomon began her career at NBC Sports as a researcher for its Olympics coverage. Nearly 30 years later, she will lead its coverage.
NBC announced on Tuesday that it has promoted Solomon to executive president and producer of the network's Olympics unit, becoming the first woman to be an executive producer for a network sports division.
Solomon succeeds Jim Bell, who announced Nov. 4 he was leaving the network. She will continue to be executive producer at GOLF Channel, a position she has held since 2012.
"I have three loves in my professional life; it's sports television, the Olympics and golf, so I feel really very fortunate to be able to combine them," Solomon said during a conference call Tuesday. "I really feel like I'm returning to my roots at NBC Olympics.
"My first job out of college nearly 30 years ago was as an Olympic researcher. So over the next 22 years I really climbed the production ladder at NBC Sports doing every job along the way. That culminated in London, and I really thought that was the apex. I know the requirements of this role. It's very familiar."
Solomon has extensive history with the network's Olympic coverage. She has worked 10 Winter and Summer Games, beginning as a network researcher in 1990 and becoming coordinating producer from 2006-12. She oversaw the network's production of golf's return to the Olympics in Rio in 2016.
She will oversee over 7,000 hours of coverage across broadcast and cable channels as well as online streaming. As was the case for the Seoul and Beijing Games, many of the swimming and track & field finals are expected to happen in the morning in Tokyo so they can air in prime time in most of the U.S.
"We are still roughly nine months away, and there will be plenty of time for Molly to be brought up to speed and to put her fingerprints on what the Olympics will look like in Tokyo," said NBC Sports Group President Pete Bevacqua.
Olympics primetime host Mike Tirico — who is in Los Angeles doing some pre-games preparation this week — said he couldn't be more excited for Solomon's promotion.
"I have great familiarity with her approach to things (from GOLF Channel)," he said. "Her DNA and roots come through every level of the Olympics at the network. There is no getting up to speed for her."
NBCUniversal owns the U.S. media rights on all platforms to all Olympics through 2032. The Tokyo Games next year are the second of three straight Olympics in Asia, which is 14 hours ahead of Eastern time.
“Scandal” cast will reunite for online script reading for hurricane relief in western North Carolina
The cast of ABC's hit political drama "Scandal" may need to brush up on their snappy, speedy delivery known as "Scandal-pace," because they're reuniting for a good cause. Its stars including Kerry Washington, Tony Goldwyn and Bellamy Young will take part in a live virtual script reading on Nov. 17 to raise money for hurricane relief in western North Carolina.
Beginning Friday, fans can go online and donate to reserve a spot for the online reading. Proceeds will benefit United Way of North Carolina. Everyone who donates will be able to take part in a virtual pre-event with the cast and Shonda Rhimes will give an introduction.
Additional guest stars will also be announced. The online fundraising platform Prizeo is also holding a contest where one person who donates online via their site will be selected to read a role from the script with the actors. The winner should not worry about the "Scandal"-pace, assured Young over Zoom.
"Whomever the lucky reader is can read at whatever pace they want," she said.
Young, who played Mellie Young, the first lady and later Republican presidential nominee on "Scandal," was born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina. She came up with the idea for the effort with a friend and took it to her fellow "Scandal" actors, who all jumped on board. Young said this is the first script reading the cast has all done together since the show ended after seven seasons in 2018.
Which episode they will be reading has not been announced yet.
Young said it's "been devastating" to see so many parts of her hometown badly damaged by Hurricane Helene, which ravaged western North Carolina one month ago.
To research the best use for donations, Young spoke with numerous political leaders, including North... Read More