IOC Session Hears Call for Stronger Role in Olympics Preps

Expert Says IOC Needs Stronger Role in Games Prep

The head of the IOC coordination commission for Beijing says the organization will have to take a more pro-active stance in preparations for The IOC Session meets in the Beijing Hotel. (Getty Images)future Games following some of the problems that have beset Chinese organizers.

"In the future, we need to be more hands-on and proactive in some elements of preparations," Hein Verbruggen, IOC member for the Netherlands, told the 120th IOC Session meeting in Beijing Tuesday.

"We cannot allow some of most sensitive areas to be solely in the hands of the OCOG," he said, in comments about some of the challenges faced by BOCOG since it was awarded the Games in 2001.

Verbruggen named the four main challenges as media freedom, the environment, politics and human rights issues, and geopolitics, insisting China had done a remarkable job despite "a few bumps along the road".

He noted the protests over human rights issues that marred the international legs of the torch relay as a difficult period in BOCOG’s build-up to the Games, admitting that the Olympics credibility had taken a knock.

"Our brand is strong enough to take this hit but it proved to be a painful experience for all of us," he told IOC members at the Session.

"We cannot allow it to be hijacked by pressure groups with vested interests," he said of the Olympic values.

His comments were a direct reference to the Olympic flame’s protest-hit stops in London and Paris in April. Police detained some protesters in both the London and Paris torch relays in April. (Getty Images)

Pro-Tibet demonstrators and anti-China groups wrecked what was supposed to be a peaceful journey through the two cities. The violent confrontations between police and protestors also sparked calls worldwide for a boycott of the Beijing Games.

In one intervention at the Session, Richard Pound, IOC member from Canada, called for the international torch relay idea to be shelved for future Games.

Addressing IOC President Jacques Rogge, he said: "The risks I think were obvious. They should have been assessed a little more carefully. The result was there that there was a crisis as you announced [in April]."

"I really do believe that in the aftermath of the Games there should be an analysis of how this happened and a resolution to do away in the future with international portions of the torch relay," Pound said.

Rogge said the issue would be analyzed as part of an overall review of the Beijing Olympics: "We have to study this very carefully."

Earlier, Pound also claimed the IOC had been damaged by the internet censorship controversy, a hot issue the past week for media covering the Games in the Main Press Center in Beijing.

Certain politically sensitive websites were blocked until the IOC put pressure on BOCOG last week to take action. However, only some websites including Amnesty International and those of some NGOs have been unblocked.

The IOC was left red-faced after promising on a number of occasions that media would have unfettered internet access in order to properly do their job in reporting the Games.

Pound suggested the issue could have been better handled as media freedoms in China had been recognized as a major challenge for Beijing organizers for several years.

Verbruggen praised the organizers of the Beijing Games for their remarkable achievements and said the Games would be an "unforgettable moment in Olympic history". He has led 10 coordination commission visits to Beijing since 2001.

TV Revenues Increases for IOC

Rogge insists the IOC is in good financial shape thanks to growing revenues, despite the global economic downturn.

Broadcasting revenues for the 2009-2012 period are ahead of expectations and will exceed $3.8 billion, up from $2.6 billion on the previous four-year cycle. IOC President Jacques Rogge says Olympic revenue is on the rise. (Getty Images)

"I have to warn you that this is purely virtual money," Rogge said. "We will only get the 3.8 billion if the Vancouver 2010 and the London 2012 Games are successful."

He also reported that the IOC's TOP sponsors' program for that period would see an increase on the current program. It is expected to generate $866 million.

And he said that for Top 7 (2009-2012) the IOC already have nine sponsors and other partnerships are being negotiated. Rogge expects about $1 billion in revenues for that particular program.

TV contributes the largest chunk of IOC income. About 75 percent of it filters down to the 205 IOC member countries and international sports federations, Rogge added.

The IOC’s marketing and TV services chair Timo Lumme said that the Beijing Olympics is a new benchmark for American network NBC, which paid $900 million dollars for the Beijing rights.

"We believe Beijing will be significant milestone - more coverage for more people on more media platforms as ever before," Lumme told the Session.

Beijing also heralds the arrival of new media platforms, he noted. NBC will broadcast 2,200 of its 3,400 hours on the internet, while China's CCTV will have complete online Olympic coverage. The IOC announced Monday that it would show video on demand in 77 countries and territories on YouTube.

Meanwhile, the IOC’s marketing commission head Gerhard Heiberg insists the economic slowdown is not affecting sponsorship interest.

Heiberg said London had done well to attract sponsors – the latest were BP and Nortel - and that Russian energy giant Gazprom could partner Sochi 2014.

"Gazprom cannot be a sponsor until after London 2012 [because of BP] and that fits fine with Sochi 2014," Heiberg said.

VANOC Doing "Very Well" with Accoms says Gosper

The head of the IOC press commission said Tuesday that VANOC is solving media accommodation problems.

Kevan Gosper told the IOC Session that VANOC is in "good operational shape" with almost 18 months until the 2010 Winter Olympics open.

"Things are moving quite well, in fact very well, with Vancouver," said Gosper.

VANOC, he said, has found appropriate accommodations for media in Whistler and has improved accommodations in Vancouver. In September 2006, Gosper rejected a VANOC plan to house reporters on cruise ships docked in Squamish because it was too far from Whistler.

VANOC CEO John Furlong is set to deliver an update on Vancouver 2010 planning to the congress midday Wednesday.

Reception for Heads of State

Beijing 2008 President Liu Qi confirms to the Session that Chinese President Hu Jintao will hold a reception for heads of state at 12 noon Friday, the day of the opening ceremony.

Written by Mark Bisson and Bob Mackin in Beijing

For general comments or questions, click here