It's a promise - Olympics live and uncensored
A senior Beijing Olympic official has pledged that China will broadcast the event to the world live and uncensored.
Wang Wei, executive vice-president of the Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (Bocog), yesterday sought to allay international broadcasters' fears of a heavily edited, sanitised event.
'The broadcasting will be done by the [IOC-approved] Beijing Olympic Broadcast Company. There will be no delay of live broadcasts,' Mr Wei said after the last meeting with the International Olympic Committee chiefs before the Games start on August 8.
'In order to stage an open Olympics, the internet must be open, too.'
His guarantee of unprecedented freedoms for a variety of media was backed by Hein Verbruggen, chairman of the IOC's inspection team, who said all international rights-holding broadcasters would receive live television feeds and would be free to use them 'as they wish'.
He added: 'There will be [unhindered] access to the internet - full stop.'
Asked whether television audiences around the world would be able to see should any protest within Olympic venues take place, Mr Verbruggen said: 'I hope you will see [protests as they occur live]. But I hope I do not.'
If upheld, the promises by both Bocog and the IOC would halt - albeit temporarily - a long-running practice that blocks websites, censors television shows and bans films that contain anything critical of Beijing's authority.
The pledges could pave the way for television scenes similar to those at the Olympic torch lighting ceremony in Greece witnessed worldwide last month, which was disrupted by protesters who ran up behind Bocog president Liu Qi during his speech. Greek television cut away quickly, but was unable to prevent deep embarrassment to the IOC and Beijing.
Authorities usually use a 30-second to one-minute delay to control broadcasts on state-run television, and the protest was not seen by mainland viewers.
