Beijing Olympics Coverage

Like a large portion of the world, I've been watching a lot of the Olympics. Not living on the U.S./Canadian border, my choice for viewing is limited to the coverage provided by NBC. And believe me, I'm using the word 'coverage' loosely. Sure, they learned their lesson with the Sydney and Athens games and now go ahead and show events as they happen, as opposed to taping shit and then hyping it like it's not already been decided and showing it in primetime (although, they are still pulling these hijinx on the west coast, which is just idiotic). The games themselves are great, even if the Chinese chick gymnasts are like, 8 yrs old, and get judged on a different learning curve than the rest of the world. That Bolt guy from Jamaica is probably the best sprinter ever, and Michael Phelps has eclipsed the meglomaniacal Mark Spitz for future generations. Plus, the Women's Beach Volleyball is a pleasure even guiltier than Dorothy Snarker's Tank Top Tuesday to behold.
Yes, by and large-ish, I'm enjoying myself. Except, of course, for one thing: The total lack of local Beijing coverage. NBC could be shooting this whole thing from a soundstage, for all the feel of the city, and indeed the whole country of China, that we get. Infact, my sister summed it all neatly by observing, "It's all like China Disneyland. It just feels fake and staged." Thank you. My brain had been grasping at straws to try and make some sense of this. And when they, NBC, do try and show some local flavor, we get an insipid cooking demonstration on the Today Show. I have watched the Today Show since I was a young child, but now I find myself not tuning in. I can't stand the lack of substance, and no, talking to emerging Chinese fashion mavens does not constitute substance, nor does an Olympic makeover for the US softball team.
When, exactly did they, the network Powers That Be, decide, exactly, to dumb down every goddamn thing into utter irrelevance?