ABSTRACT
The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games were a magnificent and influential sports event which drew attention from all over the world. Television has long played a key role in broadcasting the Olympic Games and numerous broadcasters around the world had access to the event. As was authorized by the International Olympic Committee, Chinese Central Television (CCTV), the state-owned broadcaster, was the only station licensed to broadcast the Olympic Games. On the condition that the authorization would be exclusive of other TV stations, local media encountered a burning issue, that is, how could the local media share in broadcasting the games? A study of the strategies of local media during Beijing Olympic Games can reveal the environment of the national and local media, and the hidden cultures behind these signs of media ecology. A study of television from the perspective of a particular social environment can provide a better understanding of the role of culture in constructing TV as well as of the interaction between national culture and media organizations; consequently providing directions in theory that will aid the survival and development of television.
