(From Radio World’s The Leslie Report)
The Associated Press and The Australian newspaper have reported that broadcasters and Olympic organizers in China are at odds over security actions and how that may affect broadcast coverage of the games.
The problems include equipment shipments being held up in Chinese ports, difficulties in moving personnel and gear in Beijing, limits on live coverage and complicated procedures for accreditation.
These obstacles may compromise broadcast coverage, according to Olympic broadcast officials quoted in the reports.
NBC holds the U.S. broadcast rights for the Olympic Games; NBC handles television coverage and uses Westwood One to handle radio coverage.
A Westwood One source tells me the network had not yet shipped any radio gear to China for the special coverage.
A IOC official, however, told the AP June 16 that there had been some progress.
“But I can’t say we are there yet,” he told the AP.
