MUMBAI: With the next edition of the Olympic Games scheduled to take place in China in three years time authorities are preparing the ground for a smooth coverage of the event.

A Memorandum of Cooperation has been signed between the Beijing Olympic Broadcasting Committee (Bob) and eight Chinese TV stations.

The contracted stations, including CCTV, Beijing TV and Zhejiang TV will produce the international TV and radio (ITVR) signals of seven sports - table tennis, badminton, modern pentathlon, football, basketball, volleyball, and tennis in the Olympics.

This is the first agreement that Bob has signed with TV production teams for the Beijing Games. It is also the first time that Chinese TV Stations are participating in the production of ITVR signals for Olympics on such a large scale.

During the 2008 Olympic Games, more than 600 Chinese TV personnel will work at 19 competition venues as part of the BOB team. During Athens Olympic Games in 2004, CCTV produced ITVR signals of table tennis, badminton and modern pentathlon for the host broadcaster. That was the first time that a Chinese production team was involved in the production.

Bob will sign contracts with broadcasting teams around the world to produce ITVR signals of all 28 sports, which will be used by more than 200 rights-holding broadcasters in the world.

To host a high-level Olympic Games with distinguishing features, Beijing Organising Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad Bocog and Chinese broadcasting authorities are working closely to facilitate the preparations for Olympic broadcasting. The Olympic Broadcasting Committee has been working on policies and procedures regarding entry-exit, customs, taxation, working permit and frequency coordination etc. for Olympic broadcasters in order to provide a smooth working condition which is in accordance with Olympic practice and meets international broadcasters’ requirements.