The Chinese government is adapting to the western media’s insatiable appetite and likely won’t hamper the CBC’s in-depth coverage of the upcoming Beijing Olympics, say pubcaster executives.

At a press conference outlining the CBC’s 2,500 hours of multiplatform coverage, which begins Aug. 6, Scott Moore, the executive director of CBC Sports, called the Beijing Games the most important Olympics in his lifetime: ‘The storylines are many and intriguing. It’s either going to be the greatest coming out in the world — or it will be less than that.’

For the first time, the CBC’s television coverage will all be in HD, and roughly 1,500 hours will be streamed live on the Internet on cbcsports.ca.

‘We are providing the most coverage, on the most platforms ever,’ says Moore, adding that he’s witnessed a ‘sea change’ in the Chinese government’s attitude over the past year. To illustrate this, Moore recalls a recent press conference with two Chinese officials responsible for security at the Games. ‘There we were, the rabid western broadcasters. And they told us there wouldn’t be any questions,’ says Moore. ‘But the organizing committee must have taken them behind the woodshed that night because they came back to answer questions.’

Broadcasters will have the freedom to operate satellite trucks throughout the city, including in Tiananmen Square, the site of the 1989 protests and subsequent massacre that was initially off limits, says Moore. ‘They are bending in ways I didn’t expect them to bend. From a cultural standpoint it’s unbelievable,’ he says. While the Chinese government is becoming more flexible, Moore acknowledges it remains an authoritarian regime ‘used to changing the rules at the last minute.’

CBC’s broadcast of Beijing 2008 begins on Aug. 6 at 4:45 a.m. ET on the main network and cbcsports.ca with live coverage of a preliminary women’s soccer match featuring Canada taking on Argentina. On Aug. 7, CBC will prep Canadians for the Games with its Beijing 2008 Preview, followed by live coverage of the opening ceremony on Aug. 8 at 7 a.m. ET. Ron MacLean will host the ceremony. Other coverage will be fronted by Scott Russell, Diana Swain and Ian Hanomansing.

CBC will provide more than 2,000 hours of English-language coverage on CBC Television (282 hours), CBC Newsworld (145 hours) and its new digital channel bold (250 hours). TSN will broadcast 150 hours and cbcsports.ca will offer more than 1,500 hours. For French viewers, Radio-Canada will offer 263 hours of content, while RDS will provide 206 hours of coverage.

In addition to television, online and radio, Bell Mobility subscribers can keep abreast of the Games in Beijing with a two- and three-minute highlight package of CBC’s Olympic Games coverage delivered throughout the day to their cell phone, available via Bell Mobility’s Beijing 2008 video bundle.