THE MEDIA : GREENSPAN'S CHRONICLES ARE OLYMPIAN FEATS.

Byline: TOM HOFFARTH

We've almost become conditioned to believing that the Olympic Games don't become official until Bud Greenspan splices together a documentary and says it happened.

He is this human gargoyle, the Otto Preminger look-alike, the Walt Disney of his genre, perched high above the stadium to chronicle every Olympiad since . . . Athens?

Hired as the official Olympic filmmaker for the 1984 Los Angeles Games, he's kept that title for every summer and winter event since. In Atlanta, he'll have a crew of about 130 people, toting 20 cameras, working for him.

Greenspan's perspective - which has nothing to do with the fact he still props his eyeglasses high up on his bald forehead - has earned him awards, accolades, and access that the athletes themselves find hard to attain.

In some respect, Greenspan has become as big as the Games themselves.

The pre-Olympic Greenspan has almost become big business. Last April, he teamed with Turner Broadcasting to produce ``100 Years of Olympic Glory,'' which is also the title of a new book he wrote. He's hooked up with Dreamworks for a syndicated Olympic special.

Sunday, he has the latest two-hour achievement, ``America's Greatest Olympians,'' on TBS (6 p.m., with replays Monday and Thursday) that again should fulfill the required Greenspanian viewing.

So here are some questions we've been burning to ask the Budman: What if someone were to turn the camera around and do a documentary on you? What would ``16 Days of Greenspan'' look like?

``It'd be awfully short, I'm afraid,'' he said.

Besides, someone's already tried.

Twenty-three years ago, David Hill, a producer for the Nine Network in Australia, followed Greenspan around for three days while he did a documentary on Australian Olympic athletes.

``This kid made a beautiful film,'' Greenspan said of Hill, who must have learned a little from the experience - today, Hill is president of Fox Sports.

Although Greenspan has been all but deified in every story ever written about him - take a look at the Hollywood Reporter's salute in the June 25 issue, for example - there's plenty of worthiness to the praise.

He knows it, too.

``I think I've become documentary material by being associated with the athletes who have taught me so much,'' said Greenspan, whose company, Cappy Productions, is named after his wife and co-producer, who died in 1983.

``My inspiration is an ego trip that comes from the Taj Mahal story - the prince who married the beautiful lady, who, when she died, was so heartbroken he built her this shrine. Since I didn't have children and my wife was so important to me, this is the monument I have when I leave. My films became my children. I'm very much into immortality.''

Those he picked to immortalize in this latest special represent an interesting mix.

There's Bob Beamon. But then there's Benjamin Spock, the famous baby doctor, who was on the eight-oar crew team that won the gold in the 1924 Paris Games.

There's Mary Lou Retton. And then there's Betty Robinson, an untrained 16-year-old sprinter who made the '28 team, was the first woman to win a gold medal in track and field (100 meters), and then, after a near-fatal plane crash left her with a limp, came back to strike gold in the 400-meter relay in '36.

Greenspan found a link between Sammy Lee, Pat McCormick and Greg Louganis, divers from different generations.

And then there's the story of Bill Havens, who'd been selected to compete for the 1924 Olympic team as a canoer but chose to stay home instead for the birth of his first son, Frank. Some 28 years later, Frank won a gold medal in canoeing.

You can't make this stuff up.

In patented Greenspan fashion, history melds with humanity, and phrases such as ``answering the call,'' ``making the attempt,'' and ``seeking what few achieved'' hold the eras together. As writer/director/producer, Greenspan's control of the story is all-encompassing.

Greenspan adds class and dignity to the Games - commodities that have always been there but often get smothered by the fanfare and ribbons and banners.

``So many of these stories - 80 percent - that are predetermined don't evolve,'' said Greenspan, who wanted to focus on three sets of potential U.S. Olympic twins in the Atlanta Games, but only one set - the McCaggs in eight-oar rowing - made the team. ``I don't know how these stories will evolve. Many times I don't even see it until two weeks later in the editing room.''

For a former radio sportscaster who did Brooklyn Dodgers pre- and postgame shows, Greenspan has come a long way, and plans to go even further.

``The most important thing I learned is you can't win unless you stay in the arena,'' he said. ``I have a lot of ups and downs and could have easily taken a `real' job. But I think of all the qualities transposed to me, one of my favorite expressions is that everyone has talent, pride and courage, but a lot can't endure.

``I'll never quit.

We wouldn't expect that anyway.

Static cling: The new(est) lineup at sorta-all-sports KWNK-AM (670) includes a wake-up call for Fred Wallin (6 to 8 a.m., starting July 8), a solo act for Rich Herrera (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.), a switch for Joe McDonnell (1 to 3 p.m.), a tape delay of Bob Golic's national show (7 to 9 p.m.), and one more month of Pete Rose (4 to 6 p.m.) before that contract runs out. Most of the changes take place Monday. . . .

NBC announced a four-year game-of-the-week deal with the new Women's NBA when it starts play in June, 1997. . . .

ESPN/ESPN2's first Winter X Games will take place at Snow Summit Mountain Resort at Big Bear Lake from Jan. 30 to Feb. 2, 1997. The events include snowboarding, ice climbing, snow bicycling and super-modified shovel racing. No snowman-building contest?

MEMO: Staff Writer Tom Hoffarth's media column appears Fridays in the Daily News. His e-mail address is sptmediaaol.com.

CAPTION(S):

Photo, Box

Photo: GREENSPAN

Box: STATION BREAK