Broadcasters urged to cancel plans to cover Beijing Olympics

By STEPHEN WADE
AP Sports Writer

TOKYO (AP) — Some of the world’s largest broadcasters including American network NBC are being asked by human rights groups to cancel plans to cover the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing. The Winter Games are set to open on Feb. 4. The request comes in an open letter from rights groups representing minorities in China including Uyghurs, Tibetans, Hong Kong residents and others. The open letter was sent to NBC Universal chief executive officer Jeff Shell and other broadcast executives. NBC has paid $7.75 billion for the rights to the next six Olympics. Those payments are estimated to account for about 40% of the International Olympic Committee’s income. The letter says broadcasters risk “being complicit” in the “worsening human rights abuses” in China.