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NBC: Today's Olympic Plans Not Affected by Tiananmen Square Changes
Despite an AP report detailing recent clashes between TV rightsholders to this summer's Olympics in Beijing and the International Olympic Committee over restrictions imposed by the Chinese government, NBC officials say its preparations are moving along smoothly, and they contradict previous reports that Tiananmen Square is the planned site for the Today show during the Games. "It has always been the plan for the Today show to broadcast from the Olympic Green," NBC spokeswoman Megan Kopf tells TVGuide.com. "It is in the middle of the action, close to all of the venues. Tiananmen Square [several miles south of the Olympic Green] is not where we will broadcast the show." Beijing hosts the 2008 Summer Olympics August 8-24 on NBC and its family of networks. While NBC says Today will not originate from the public plaza, it and other TV outlets were counting on the site as one among many to provide photogenic shots. In March, following public unrest in Tibet, broadcast officials were told...
Despite an
AP report detailing recent clashes between TV rightsholders to this summer's Olympics in Beijing and the International Olympic Committee over restrictions imposed by the Chinese government, NBC officials say its preparations are moving along smoothly, and they contradict previous reports that Tiananmen Square is the planned site for the
Today show during the Games.
"It has always been the plan for the
Today show to broadcast from the Olympic Green," NBC spokeswoman Megan Kopf tells TVGuide.com. "It is in the middle of the action, close to all of the venues. Tiananmen Square [several miles south of the Olympic Green] is not where we will broadcast the show." Beijing hosts the 2008 Summer Olympics August 8-24 on NBC and its family of networks.
While NBC says
Today will not originate from the public plaza, it and other TV outlets were counting on the site as one among many to provide photogenic shots. In March, following public unrest in Tibet, broadcast officials were told Tiananmen Square was off limits after previously being granted access. The plaza was the site of a 1989 deadly military response to democracy demonstrators. Beijing officials are worried that the Tibet issue and demonstrations during the Olympic torch relay could result in protests there during live broadcasts.
TV execs worldwide are also navigating through a maze of strict security measures set up by the Chinese -
so strict that they are reportedly delaying the shipment of some media equipment.
The AP quoted NBC Olympics president Gary Zenkel as urging the panel of broadcasters and IOC officials to find common ground with the Chinese government quickly. "I don't know who they are or how to get to them collectively, but we must get to them," Zenkel told the group. "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." -
J.R. Whalen