China May Ban Live Broadcasts During Games

Fearful Of Tibet Protest Coverage, Beijing May Block Live TV From Tiananmen Square

(AP)  China might bar live television broadcasts from Tiananmen Square during the Beijing Olympics, apparently unnerved by the recent outburst of unrest among Tibetans and fearful of protests in the heart of the Chinese capital.

A ban on live broadcasts would disrupt the plans of NBC and other major international networks, who have paid hundreds of millions of dollars to broadcast the Aug. 8-24 games and are counting on eye-pleasing live shots from the iconic square.

The rethinking of Beijing's earlier promise to broadcasters comes as the government has poured troops into Tibetan areas wracked by anti-government protests this month and stepped up security in cities, airports and entertainment venues far from the unrest.

In another sign of the government's unease, 400 American Boy Scouts who had been promised they could go onto the field following a March 15 exhibition game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres were prevented from doing so by police.

"It was never specifically mentioned to me it was because of Tibet that there were extra controls, but there were all these changes at the last minute," said a person involved in the Major League Baseball event who asked for anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

The communist government's resorting to heavy-handed measures runs the risk of undermining Beijing's pledge to the International Olympic Committee that the games would promote greater openness in what a generation ago was still an isolated China. If still in place by the games, the security measures could alienate the half-million foreigners expected at the games.

Like the Olympics, live broadcasts from Tiananmen Square were meant to showcase a friendly, confident China - one that had put behind it the deadly 1989 military assault on democracy demonstrators in the vast plaza that remains a defining image for many foreigners.

"Tiananmen is the face of China, the face of Beijing so many broadcasters would like to do live or recorded coverage of the square," said Yosuke Fujiwara, the head of broadcast relations for the Beijing Olympic Broadcasting Co., or BOB, a joint-venture between 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.

Earlier this week, however, officials with the Beijing Olympics Organizing Committee, or BOCOG, told executives at BOB that the live shots were canceled, according to three people familiar with the matter who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

"We learned that standup positions would be canceled," one of these people said. "No explanation was given for the change."

Sun Weijia, the BOCOG official in charge of dealing with BOB, declined comment, referring the matter to press officers, three of whom also declined to comment. IOC offices were closed Friday for the Easter holiday; two spokeswomen did not immediately return e-mails and phone calls seeking comment.

The decision by BOCOG may not be final. The change was relayed verbally, one person said. All three hoped that IOC President Jacques Rogge and other leading Olympic committee officials, expected in Beijing next month for regularly scheduled meetings, may be able to prevail on Beijing committee to change its mind.

It's unclear whether the ban would apply to coverage of the Olympic marathon, which starts in Tiananmen. An early indicator will be a marathon test-event scheduled for April.

If the decision stands, it would be a blow to the TV networks whose money to buy the right to broadcast the games accounts for more than half the IOC's revenues. The biggest spender is NBC. It paid $2.3 billion for the rights for three Olympics from 2004 to 2008 - Athens, Turin and Beijing.

Officials at NBC refused to comment.

The Tibet unrest - which broke out March 10 in the regional capital of Lhasa and has since spread across western China - and the government's harsh response underscores the communist leaders' unease as the Olympics approach.

With paramilitary police patrolling Beijing at night and journalists being expelled from Tibetan areas, security measures are on par with those not seen since the government mobilized police to crush the Falun Gong spiritual movement in 1999-2000.

Activist groups have said for months that they planned to use the Olympics to promote their causes. But the challenge faced by China's leadership seems to grow more imminent.

Aside from Tibet protests, the government said it foiled a plot this month by Muslim separatists in western China to blow up a China Southern Boeing 757. Foreign activists angry about China's support for Sudan, which is party to a civil war in Darfur, said this week they would demonstrate in Beijing during the games.

After the Icelandic singer Bjork shouted "Tibet!" at the finale of a Shanghai concert this month, officials ordered tighter scrutiny of all performances.

The Boy Scouts seemed to get caught in a response to both the sometimes violent Tibet protests and Bjork; police canceled all on-field entertainment for the exhibition baseball games, including the singing of the Chinese and U.S. national anthems.

Beijing Olympic committee officials began signaling their discomfort with live broadcasts in Tiananmen Square to the IOC a year ago but discussions went back and forth, according to the people involved. The square - overlooked by a large portrait of communist founder Mao Zedong - has been a magnet for protests for decades.

[smilingez50]

Wal-Mart get out of China.

[usbrit-2009]

What I don''t understand is how the Olympic Commitee chose Beijing. The smog levels are much higher than those complained about before the LA Olympics in ''84. The dangers will only be exacerbated by the fact the games are taking place at the hottest, most humid time of the year when the air is at it''s most stagnant. I think we''ll see a lot of atheletes in trouble - especially the long distance runners.

[usbrit-2009]

You''''re wasting your energy on demslie. He really isn''''t worth your time. I ignore his posts.

Posted by finewoven

Proposal seconded

[tucano2]

"Drop by drop fills the glass" - Billions living outside of China need only to spend a little less each month on "Made in China" goods and services, say, $10 to $20 each times 5 Billion of us each month till the Chinese economy is devastated, and China weakens it''s grip on Tibet. Create enough economic misery in China and there will be a change in government, likely leading to an implosion similar to that of the former USSR. Consistent pressure constantly applied will do wonders. Stop the talk and do the walk.

[finewoven]

demslie....Man you are totally full of *****. Your post about democrats hating everything is pure B.S. Look at my earlier post. Read it. I am a democrat and I do not love China. Remember it was your boy bush who put us in hock to the Chinese to pay for his little adventure in the middle east. I don''''t care that you disagree with me, it''''s just that when you get on here and put up posts like yours that are totally stupid it all takes on a different meaning. If you want to discus policies, fine but enough with the hate, hate, hate. You sound like the bully on the elementary school playground. You are a republican and I totally respect that. I don''''t hate you and I don''''t hate your party, we simply have different points of view. One of us will win, one of us will lose but wouldn''''t it be nice if we could both win?
Posted by Element51 at 01:06 PM : Mar 23, 2008

You''re wasting your energy on demslie. He really isn''t worth your time. I ignore his posts.

[killtheliars]

The U.S. should not even be participating in the Olympics if they are in china. We should not have relations diplomatic or economic with them. Their goods should not be sold in the U.S. and they should not be holding any of our debt.
The relationship between China and the U.S. clearly benifits China more, without our market they would not be able to grow nearly as fast as an economy. With their huge population the U.S. market is a must, all of these people are used for cheap labor which mean profit for China when the goods are purchased in the U.S. If we did not trade with China we could help turn thier huge population back to the disadvantage it used to be. If they don''t need all of the people for cheap labor that means large numbers of unemployed that will have to depend on social services or perish.
Screw China, we in the U.S. need to look out for number 1.

[smilingez50]

Wal-Mart get out of China.

[tucano2]

"Drop by drop fills the glass" - Billions living outside of China need only to spend a little less each month on "Made in China" goods and services, say, $10 to $20 each times 5 Billion of us each month till the Chinese economy is devastated, and China weakens it''s grip on Tibet. Create enough economic misery in China and there will be a change in government, likely leading to an implosion similar to that of the former USSR. Consistent pressure constantly applied will do wonders. Stop the talk and do the walk.

[arlt1627]

Notice that China has commited the worst human rights abuses of any nation on earth but IRAN, Al Qaeda and Democrats only have nasty words for the United States. The American people are starting to ask, "Who are we voting for?". The Democrats hate Bush, hate Republicans, Hate the military, hate the economy, hate the environment, hate rich people, hate white people, hate Captitalism, hate Christianity and hate America, But China is loved by every Democrat alive. And these people are going to rule America?? Might as well let Al Qaeda take us now.

Posted by demslie
----------------------
China is MORE loved by Republicans because they do business with them...oh wait...GW just borrowed Chinese money to give ALL Americans their rebates this year too! Take a few seconds and be a true American, one that actually is willing to listen to other Americans and engage in intelligent conversation. Stop being the name-calling, hate-mongering, McCarthyist that you are!!

[element51]

jerromara...You are quite right. Why do we continue to ignore Cuba and continue to kiss the Chinese on the arse? With Castro and his brother there is a good possibility that Cuba will begin to change. In fact there have been some minor changes since Raoul has taken over. I think that if we opened up diplomatic relations Cuba could be saved. However, China does own a big chunk of us and many big corporations, Wal Mart for one, are dependent of China and don''t want to let them go. Since corporations call the shots nothing will change and the Chinese grip on our country will just get stronger. But you made a very good point. Even demslie agrees with you.

[element51]

demslie....Man you are totally full of *****. Your post about democrats hating everything is pure B.S. Look at my earlier post. Read it. I am a democrat and I do not love China. Remember it was your boy bush who put us in hock to the Chinese to pay for his little adventure in the middle east. I don''t care that you disagree with me, it''s just that when you get on here and put up posts like yours that are totally stupid it all takes on a different meaning. If you want to discus policies, fine but enough with the hate, hate, hate. You sound like the bully on the elementary school playground. You are a republican and I totally respect that. I don''t hate you and I don''t hate your party, we simply have different points of view. One of us will win, one of us will lose but wouldn''t it be nice if we could both win?

[fstop100]

America should boycott the olympics

[beehive21-2009]

China is dropping the ball on the Olympics,whoever gave the commies the Olympics ?

[rowdytexan2]

All the IOC has to do is say, return our money, we''re not going to play communist footsie with you, we''re out of here. Why the hell were they given the games in the first place? Because we owe them so much money?
If they can''t keep people safe without violent attacks due to their fascist government, screw them. There''s plenty of beautiful places in the world that promote peace, freedom and civil rights.

[downsteamjim]

Well, that''''s just UN-American! Oh, wait - that is like America!
Posted by watcher269

Get real. If you were in China and posted this stuff against the Chinese govt., you would be in jail now & possibly donating your organs for rich people.

[demslie]

We treat Cuba like S*** and we kiss the A s s Of China. Almost everything we buy comes from there. WHAT A HYPORCITICAL PIECE OF C R A P the U.S is.

Posted by jerryomara

See what I mean?

[demslie]

Notice that China has commited the worst human rights abuses of any nation on earth but IRAN, Al Qaeda and Democrats only have nasty words for the United States. The American people are starting to ask, "Who are we voting for?". The Democrats hate Bush, hate Republicans, Hate the military, hate the economy, hate the environment, hate rich people, hate white people, hate Captitalism, hate Christianity and hate America, But China is loved by every Democrat alive. And these people are going to rule America?? Might as well let Al Qaeda take us now.

[jjp735i]

Then why would the networks and other media even go?
Do they really think the world would want to watch government run news? Why would advertisers pay the networks? There will be nothing to watch but select shots. Not going live will cause people to miss so much it will not be worth watching. If they networks give in, they should lose their money.

[katie254]

don''t watch the olympics from china

[watcher269-2009]

Well, that''s just UN-American! Oh, wait - that is like America!