The host broadcast organization of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games will be also the host broadcaster of the Paralympic Games for the first time in the history of the Olympics.

 

The host is Beijing Olympic Broadcasting Co., Ltd (BOB), a Sino-foreign joint venture funded by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) and the Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS).

 

On Thursday BOCOG, BOB and OBS officially signed an agreement regarding the broadcasting operation and management for the Beijing Paralympic Games, marking the official kick-off of the Paralympics broadcasting operations.

 

According to preliminary plans, broadcasting for the forthcoming Paralympics will be conducted through high definition equipment for the first time. BOB will provide live telecast signals for 11 sports, including athletics, boccia, cycling, judo, swimming, table tennis, volleyball, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair fencing, wheelchair rugby and wheelchair tennis.

 

Chinese TV stations such as CCTV and the Beijing TV Station will be in charge of producing telecast signals and some 600 Chinese TV crews are expected to be involved in the job.

 

Present at the ceremony were Mr. Jiang Xiaoyu, executive vice-president of BOCOG and chairman of BOB, Ms. Tang Xiaoquan, executive vice-president of BOCOG and vice-president of China Disabled Persons' Federation, Mr. Hein Verbruggen, vice chairman of BOB, Mr. Philip Craven, president of International Paralympic Committee, Mr. Manolo Romero, chief executive officer of BOB, and other BOB board members as well.

 

(BOCOG April 23, 2007)