Networks, Olympics organizers clash

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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