The extensive television coverage of the Opening Ceremonies of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games was a vital lead-in for a television network as it sought to generate audience interest over the course of the games. This coverage models an unfolding international news event in its presentation style and is analyzed from that perspective in a content analysis of American Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) television coverage of these ceremonies. Particular interest in these games stemmed from the fact that they took place on American soil and that ABC coverage was the subject of a good deal of criticism. A coding instrument, devised to analyze the videotape recording of the ceremonies, divided content into two domains, one political and the other athletic. Content categories selected for coding were: economic aspects of participating nations, relations to the United States, internal politics of the nation, and strife and/or warfare in the political domain; and general sports team and specific athletes in the athletic domain). The topic of fashion provided an additional neutral category. Findings indicated that although there was more commentary related to athletics than political commentary in ABC-TV coverage, the latter was still very apparent and rooted in stereotypical or ethnocentric contexts. (One note is included, and 20 references are appended.) (MS)