In the United States, Jim McKay achieved fame as the “Voice of the Olympics.” He was host or co-host on the U.S. television network televising the Olympics an unprecedented seven times: six times for ABC Sports – 1976 and 1984 for the Olympic Games, and the Olympic Winter Games consecutively from 1976 through 1988 – and for CBS in 1960. McKay was not the main studio host in 1972 at Munich, but it was there that he achieved his greatest fame as an Olympics host. He was called on to broadcast the news reports of the horrific Israeli hostage massacre, and was on the air in the United States for over 15 consecutive hours. He was the one that eventually told the viewers, in his own poignant words, “They’re all gone.” He was awarded an Emmy for that broadcast, one of ten individual Emmys won by McKay, nine for sportscaster of the year, and one for lifetime achievement.
United States