To avoid broadcasting any undesirable incident, China's government has instituted a 10-second delay on the "live" broadcast of the Olympics. According to sources, the Central Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party has ordered all regional television stations to implement a 10 second delay on their "live" Olympic broadcast. This delay order is meant to protect against any political protest--whether shouting a slogan or unveiling a banner--being broadcast, including any by foreign athletes in competition or on the medal stand

Last January, in the city of Changchun, Jilin Province, during the Asian Winter Games, five South Korean female athletes unveiled a banner reading: "Baitoushan (in China known as Changbaishan) is Korean Territory." But because of China's standard practice of delaying live broadcasts, the act was not shown on Chinese television. But it did put a scare into China's media officials and for a time influenced the foreign relations between China and Korea.

If there is a sudden protest or Tibetan flags are unfurled as they were during the Olympic torch relay, all Chinese TV stations central and regional can switch over to a different broadcast and prevent China's domestic audience from seeing the protest on television.

In addition, all station managers of regional television stations will be required to sleep in the station and remain on duty throughout the Olympics and personally vet all broadcasts to make sure that no political protest or other embarrassing event is broadcast on Chinese television.

Also, China's Copyright Bureau, MInistry of Information Industry, and State Administration of Radio, Film and Television Monday July 7 announced that it was investigating websites broadcasting Olympic-related events without proper permission and that several video broadcasting sites have already been shut down for illegal broadcasting. This is the first time that websites have been shut down because of the pending Olympics.