TV networks clash with Beijing Olympic organizers on security, freedom to report

Monday 09th June, 04:44 PM JST

BEIJING —

Television networks that will broadcast the Beijing Olympics to billions around the world are squaring off with local organizers over stringent security that threatens coverage of the games in two months.

Differences over a wide range of issues—from limits on live coverage in Tiananmen Square to allegations that freight shipments of TV broadcasting equipment are being held up in Chinese ports—surfaced in a contentious meeting late last month between Beijing organizers and high-ranking International Olympic Committee officials and TV executives—including those from NBC.

In response to the complaints from broadcasters, Sun Weijia, head of media operations for the Beijing organizers, asked them to put it in writing, only to draw protests about mounting paperwork.

“I think what I have heard here are just a number of conditions or requirements that are just not workable,” said IOC official Gilbert Felli, according to minutes of the May 29 meeting obtained by The Associated Press. “There are a number of things that are just not feasible.”

Despite the outburst, Sun asked again to have the complaints in writing.

“I just wish to have a kind of document to help me identify the key points,” he said, drawing immediate protest.

“How many times do we have to do that?” asked Manolo Romero, an Olympic broadcasting official.

With time running out before the games open on Aug 8, the minutes hint that procedures broadcasters have used in other Olympics are conflicting with China’s authoritarian government. Some plans are months behind schedule, which could force broadcasters to compromise coverage plans.

The meeting in Beijing included representatives of nine broadcasters, each of which has paid for the rights to broadcast the Olympics. Top IOC officials and Beijing organizers were also on hand in what one TV executive termed an “emergency meeting.”

Non-rights holding broadcasters—news organizations that have not bought TV rights to cover Olympic action at the venues—did not attend the meeting but also are concerned about delays and security restrictions.

“We are two weeks away from putting equipment on a shipment and we have no clearance to operate, or to enter the country or a frequency allocation,” said Sandy MacIntyre, director of news for AP Television News. APTN is the television arm of The Associated Press.

Unnerved by protests on international legs of the Olympic torch relay following the outbreak of deadly rioting March 14 in Tibet, China’s communist government seems to be backtracking on some promises to let reporters work as they have in previous Olympics.

The government also has tightened visa rules in the last several months. One target has been students. The government fears many would side with activist groups if protests break out.

The minutes of the meeting show behind-the-scenes dialogue that differs markedly from the IOC’s public statements about smooth cooperation with Beijing organizers. In an interview, one broadcaster who attended the meeting summed up the problem.

“The Chinese are very concerned about something going wrong—and so they are in Olympic gridlock,” said John Barton, director of sport for the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, which represents broadcasters in 57 countries.

“This is the greatest moment in their sporting history,” Barton said. “They’ve built a stage on which they want to perform, but they are rather queasy about how it should be shown.”

“They are suffocating the television coverage in the crazy pursuit of security. They can’t secure the event. Nothing can be totally secure, yet they are trying to do that.”

Chinese officials say more than 500,000 people will handle security during the games, equaling the number of foreign visitors expected. Public security officials said a few days ago that protests won’t be allowed—unless protesters get a permit—with arrests or expulsion likely. Some athletes in Beijing also are expected to speak out against Chinese policies on Tibet or Darfur.

The rights-holding broadcasters generally lauded the organizers’ preparations, but worried about being stuck in a quagmire of security requirements. The meeting was held under the auspices of Beijing Olympic Broadcasting—also know as BOB.

BOB is a joint venture between the Beijing Olympic organizers and an IOC subsidiary. BOB coordinates and provides technical services for the television networks with rights to broadcast the Olympics, such as NBC.

Gary Zenkel, the president of NBC Olympics, told the meeting the issues “can be solved” and suggested the prospects are better than Athens or Turin, where he described some unspecified problems as “irresolvable.”

“This can be the world’s greatest Olympics,” Zenkel said, crediting Beijing organizers. But he said certain “obstacles” are hindering the organizers.

“I don’t know who they are or how to get to them collectively, but we must get to them,” Zenkel added. “Because these games will suffer and these problems will be presented to the world and they don’t do justice to these Olympics. ... This is a big day for China and the Olympics and it may be lost if there isn’t any immediate change or movement made by the government, or whoever. It has to happen. We hope the wakeup call is heard.”

Several TV executives were upset there might be no live coverage from Tiananmen Square. This is a change from two months ago when IOC officials in Beijing said China had agreed to allow live coverage. Broadcasters also have been told there’s unlikely to be live coverage from the Forbidden City.

Chinese police fear both might be venues for activists’ protests, which would be a public relations disaster if demonstrations—and police crackdowns—are beamed around the world.

“For us to potentially not be able to do live reports from Tiananmen—the most iconic place in China—is a disgrace,” said Scott Moore, executive director of Canada’s CBC Sports. “I’ve been told that to do business in China, you have to have patience. We don’t have time to have patience. The games have begun for us already.”

TV executives appear skeptical they will be able to deliver the kind of coverage they have in past games. Some say Chinese officials are requiring that forms be filled out specifying where satellite trucks will be each day of the games. The IOC says about 2,000 TV trucks usually go in and out of Olympic venues every day during the games.

These kind of restrictions could make it very difficult for TV crews to move quickly around the sprawling city to cover breaking news. Broadcasters also have been denied permits to record aerial views of Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.

Relaxing the rules and allowing Olympic broadcasters to avoid government censorship was one of the concessions China made to land the games in 2001. Now officials appear to be nervous about it, with TV executives complaining that high-tech TV equipment has been held up in Chinese ports.

Sun Weide, a spokesman for the Beijing organizing committee, denied there were delays in getting equipment into China.

“As far as we know, the importation of broadcast equipment has been going smoothly,” he said.

Any interference with news coverage will be at odds with promises made seven years ago when Beijing was awarded the games. At the time, Wang Wei, the executive vice president of the Beijing organizing committee, said the news media would have “complete freedom to report on anything when they come to China.”

The government enacted a law 18 months ago giving foreign reporters “free access” to report. The law has been helpful, although some areas of the country—such as Tibet—are still off limits. Reporters still complain of harassment, particularly away from Beijing where provincial authorities seem unaware of the new rules.

“In Athens we were pretty much allowed to film whatever we wanted, wherever and whenever,” said Tomoyo Igaya, senior program director for Japan’s NHK Sports and head of the Japan consortium, an Olympic pool that represents NHK and five Japanese commercial broadcasters.

Igaya attended the May 29 meeting and told colleagues she thought the disputes could be resolved. She also raised the specter of more pressure if they are not. She hinted at unspecified “legal-financial” action.

Igaya said China might be forced to loosen up with more than 30,000 accredited and non-accredited journalists expected to cover the games, which Chinese officials hope will polish the country’s image as the rising political and economic power of the 21st century.

“We’ve been talking about this internally for some time,” Igaya said. “Maybe when there are thousands of broadcasters and press in Beijing, maybe they won’t be able to keep an eye on every single person. There will be just so many. But on the other hand, it’s China—you know the population of the country. You could maybe have people keeping an eye on every journalist and broadcaster. Who knows.”

“I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that everything goes well.”

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Latest 15 of 23 Total Comments Show All

MPLS2 at 06:19 AM JST - 10th June

MichaelJP ..

I am in no way connected to an beijing or china olympic group .. I see it from an outside perspective .. In fact it is you who seems to be part of the western propoganda against China. Granted that China isn't perfect, and it's strive to be more open and transparent is an ongoing process that takes time.. I am willing to believe that China lies somewhere in between the extremes you state about China and the perfect utopian democracy that even the most democratic country has not acheived yet (can it be acheived?)..

Do you really kmnow what is going on in Tibet or are you regurgitating biased propoganda ?
Kwaabish at 09:47 AM JST - 10th June

Well, should've seen this coming... The IOC must've been high awarding it to Beijing.
Kwaabish at 09:50 AM JST - 10th June

MPLS2...

""I am willing to believe that China lies somewhere in between the extremes you state about China and the perfect utopian democracy that even the most democratic country has not acheived yet (can it be acheived?)..""

What makes you think China lies between perfect utopia and what the free western countries think? More likely, China lies between "extremes you state about China" and repressive totalitarian government.
some14some at 11:15 AM JST - 10th June

TV networks may clash now but will embrace Organizers once the games start. Once again, Western media will fail to politicize Beijing Olympics.
TonyUS at 02:14 PM JST - 10th June

Granted that China isn't perfect, and it's strive to be more open and transparent is an ongoing process that takes time
TonyUS at 02:19 PM JST - 10th June

that is funny
Terrikus at 02:30 PM JST - 10th June

Why? It's true.
TonyUS at 02:32 PM JST - 10th June

Open and transparent huh????

well let us put this into perspective..

how's this for the typical CCP BS!

From Taipie Times

June 4 vigil actually for quake: CCTV

Chinese state media covered the annual Hong Kong vigil to mark the Tiananmen Square massacre for the first time, but said the event was to mourn victims of the Sichuan earthquake, a report said yesterday.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2008/06/10/2003414343

As ussual.. the typical senerio.. CCP propaganda and backing away from what may expose the truths. These leaders are far from trying to open China, it is the rest of the world that is trying to open China while these leaders are continually trying to keep the door shut to rights and we are talking the BASIC human rights of people.
Terrikus at 02:43 PM JST - 10th June

Oh, so you're one of those types who believe progress comes from the snap of your fingers eh? China today is far cry from the Mao era, and has seen much improvement since the Deng era.

, it is the rest of the world that is trying to open China

Maybe that's your problem. Maybe Chinese don't want your fingers in their pie, and resent it so. I think Western involvement has done more to hinder China's opening more than help it.
TonyUS at 03:10 PM JST - 10th June

sure Terrikus.

All one has to do is look at the facts and how and why China is where it is today.

The hunger of power and the giving into certian conditions set by others to get there.. You talk about the people. I am not. I am talking about those that have complete control over the people.. The CCP!!!!

It is people like you that can only wish to convince everyone that the CCP and the people are one of the same..

THEY ARE DEFINITELY NOT!
TonyUS at 03:19 PM JST - 10th June

Now if these guys where selected and elected by the people then the two could be connected, but not when these guys are self empowered with out the voice of the people they are suppose to be representing as with a free democratic society.. as most of us that post here are from. Then these leaders would represent the views of the people and the will of the people.. This is no way describing China and that is where the seperation of the CCP and the people come into play. So do not try and make my words be about the people. They are not. My words are of the CCP!
TonyUS at 03:21 PM JST - 10th June

Besides this is about China backing down from promises they have made..

again, the CCP at its finest. As I was saying........
MichaelJP at 07:38 PM JST - 10th June
Maybe these Chinese commenters fear reprisal from the government if the speak the truth. I wonder if they have read Orwell's 1984?
- Why does China require all bloggers to be registered?
- Why is there a national firewall to prevent internet users from freely accessing any site they please?
- Why are journalists arrested?
Because China is a totalitarian regime.

Moderator: Readers, please stay on topic. Posts that do not refer to the Olympics will be removed.
MPLS2 at 08:27 AM JST - 11th June

Kwaabish, MichaelJP..

Is it the Chinese Government you hate or the people of China ?? Bear in mind one of answer means you are racist..
TonyUS at 03:42 PM JST - 11th June

MPL I like to comment on that a little. The people are not at fault as for what they believe because of the teachings that the government has laid out for the people to be exposed to throughout life under this regime. Just as any closed society. China’s leaders are still trying to keep the society as isolated as possible just as MichealJP has laid out in his post.

Then there is the nationalism that the CCP has projected into society and I may say,, just for the CCP's own use as a controlling force.

This goes as well with the Olympics.. The Peoples Olympics???? Will HU have his portrait hung on the entrance of the venues??? Of course these are the mindset and thinking of communist leaders today and in the past. Just as Sadam Husien had his portraits hanging thinking he should be worshiped by the peons, under him. China is a resemblance of Nazi Germany and the games fall right in line with this mindset of the leaders of CHina. All a projection of just how powerful we are and thrive for.. This is not the mindset of “ we are a peaceful nation” this is the projection of “we want to be dominate”

All of this projection of power comes along with what we are seeing Beijing backing off the promises they have made about the Olympics just as they have backed off promises when joining the WTO..

I do not hate people that are only ignorant to facts, but will confront them on the issues even if it hurts their feelings. The truth is the truth and if it hurts then that is too bad. This does not mean all should ignore the facts and bring them into the spotlight. Same with the Olympics, China has been awarded them so China must face all that comes with them and that includes ridicule from the promises they are breaking made when the decision was to let them host the Olympics. All have every RIGHT to confront China on these issues, maybe eventually they will see the light and eventually the people that have been so blindly lead by the CCP will understand what problems lie within their government that the rest of us are against.

Also I am not saying that all Chinese, or the majority of Chinese should be categorized as being ignorant to the facts or influenced in such a twisted way that the CCP wishes all could be , but many are and have been influenced in such a way by this government of China and I am certain no one needs to point out the specifics to back this remark. One would just have to look at the crisis the government of China suddenly established within China society last year with the issue of Japan and the backlash the government propaganda caused within China's society against the Japanese.. I guess you see nothing wrong with this and call this the great openness of the CCP for China. These leaders have not changed, and all changes within China has come from pressure and also the leaders of China’s outlook of how to gain the power they have longed for, sacrificing 10 of millions of Chinese trying to get. Still these leaders are using deception and lies to get there as we see with this issue of the Olympics and promised commitments that they are trying to get out of, and no one should let them!!!!!!!!! Or make excuses for them!!!!!!!