Beijing Games – Security, Broadcast News

Beginning next week Beijing will post security at hundreds of checkpoints and road entries, said the Municipal Public Security Bureau.

Xinhua reports the bureau issued a written announcement saying armed police with explosive sniffer dogs and equipment such as electric metal detectors and security scanners would be posted at road checkpoints to restrict suspects and dangerous cargo from entering the city.

All vehicles with licenses registered outside Beijing will be subject to security checks at the checkpoints and can only enter the city with road-entry certificates and valid documents.

Reuters reports broadcasters will be able to transmit live by satellite from around Beijing and Tiananmen Square during the Games. International Olympic Committee (IOC) communications director Giselle Davis said Tuesday “we welcome the confirmations given today by BOCOG to broadcasters that they will be able to report and broadcast via satellite from around the city”.

She added, “particularly pleasing is the fact that all broadcasts – both rights holders and non-rights holders – will be able to record interviews, reports and packages unrestricted from Tiananmen Square”.

According to Reuters there will be restrictions on when broadcasting will be allowed from the square itself.

Addressing the issue Davis said, “whilst we understand there may be frustrations on the part of some broadcasters that they cannot transmit live around the clock from Tiananmen Square, we recognize that this iconic location is much in demand…and that consequently some time constraints for live access were needed to be given by the Chinese hosts”.

Meanwhile NBC Universal released a schedule Tuesday that with broadcast, cable and broadband, offers more coverage of competitions from Beijing than all the previous Summer Games combined, reports the Associated Press.

There will reportedly be an average of 212 hours of Olympics each day through 12 separate sources – the equivalent of eight days each day. Write or read comments about this article

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