CRI's Studio at the International Broadcast Center [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]

 Call it the nerve center for the world's eyes and ears on the Olympics here in Beijing.  Broadcast organizations from around the world are now on the ground here in the capital making the final preparations for their coverage of the Games.  And at the heart of the coverage is the International Broadcast Center located right next to the National Olympic Stadium, or Bird's Nest.  The massive facility was constructed for the express purpose of accommodating the thousands of broadcasters, journalists and technical people who will be here to cover the Games for their respective countries.  The building itself, at 90,000 square meters, is the largest Olympic Broadcast Center ever built and will provide the world's broadcasters with the very latest in technology and support for their coverage.  So just what did it take to get the International Broadcast Center up and running?  And what is it going to be like for major broadcasters to cover the Olympics here In Beijing?  Ni hao, you're listening to  People In the Know, your window into the world around you, online at crienglish.com here on China Radio International.  In this edition of the show, we'll talk about broadcasting the Olympics to the world.  So let's get started.

(Music)

First, we'll talk to the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee.  Mr. Yang Binyuan is the International Broadcast Center's venue operation Secretary-General.

(Dialogue with Yang)

And after a short break, we'll talk to one of the larger broadcasters here to cover the Olympics.

(Promo)

Ni hao, you're listening to  People In the Know, your window into the world around you, online at crienglish.com here on China Radio International.  I¡¯m Paul James in Beijing.  In this edition of the show we're discussing the International Broadcast Center and what it¡¯s going to be like working out of the facility to cover the Olympics.  For more on this we're joined on the line from the IBC by Mr. Scott Moore, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Television Sports Department's Executive Director.

(Dialogue with Moore)

And with that we'll flip the off switch on this edition of  People In the Know, online at crienglish.com here on China Radio International.  Broadcasting from major events is never an easy task.  But with the state-of-the-art facilities available for the world's broadcasters at the IBC, one hopes it will make the task of showing the Olympics to the world that much easier.  Questions or comments for us can be sent to people@cri.com.cn.  For Executive Director Zhao Yang and Producer Yang Jingjie, I'm Paul James in Beijing.  We'll talk to you tomorrow.

(Editor: Wang Wenwen)