House Republicans demand NBC execs reveal if Chinese Communist Party is trying to influence their coverage of the Beijing Olympics 

• Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans have asked NBC executives how much the Chinese Communist Party is trying to influence Olympics coverage
• The winter Olympics kicks off on February 4 and has attracted controversy for months over the CCP's treatment of Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang province 
• Additionally, China's behavior toward Hong Kong and Taiwan has rattled Western nations
• Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Bob Latta sent a letter to NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell and NBCUniversal President of Olympics and Business Gary Zenkel 
• They asked the executives if they believed the International Olympic Committee had been pressure by the CCP to hold the winter games in Beijing 
• They also wanted to know if the IOC or CCP had asked NBC to make any changes to programming - or if they were barred from airing critical reporting 
• The lawmakers wanted to know if China had the capability to shut down NBC's broadcasts during the games 
• The executives were also asked if NBC had safeguards in place to ensure they weren't using forced labor while working from China    

Two top Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee have asked NBC executives to provide answers on how much influence the Chinese Communist Party is trying to exert over Beijing Olympics coverage.

The winter Olympics kicks off on February 4 and has attracted controversy for months over the CCP's treatment of Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang province. Additionally, China's behavior toward Hong Kong and Taiwan has rattled Western nations.  

The committee's ranking member, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, and Rep. Robert Latta, the leading Republican on the communications and technology subcommittee, asked NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell and NBCUniversal President of Olympics and Business Gary Zenkel a number of questions related to how much pressure China is putting on the network to whitewash the country's human rights record.       

'Given China's history of censorship and government control, and the fact that the International Olympic Committee stands to benefit financially from NBCUniversal's coverage of the games, we are concerned about the extent of influence the CCP may have over NBCUniversal's coverage of the games,' the lawmakers said. 

'As NBCUniversal begins its coverage of the 2022 Winter Olympics, we believe viewers and listeners deserve to understand whether your programming has been influenced by the IOC or the Chinese Communist Party,' the letter continued. 

Axios first reported on the letter Tuesday. It was later released publicly. It was dated for Monday.   

Looking at the initial agreement to hold the winter games in Beijing, the lawmakers asked the executives if they believed the International Olympic Committee was 'privately influenced or presured' by the Chinese Communist Party to hold the games in China's capital city. 

Beijing played the host city for the 2008 summer Olympics as well. 

The Republicans pointed out that when Paris became the host city for the 2024 summer games, the IOC included a human rights requirement, but didn't do so for the Chinese with Beijing. 

'Has the IOC or the CCP taken any steps to influence your coverage of the games relating to reported human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang province?' the two Republicans asked. 

They also wanted to know if the IOC or CCP had asked NBC to make any changes to programming - or if they were barred from airing critical reporting. 

The letter also asked if the Chinese government had the ability to block NBC broadcasts during the games. 

And finally, lawmakers wanted to know if NBC had safeguards in place to ensure they weren't using forced labor 'specifically in Xinjiang province' during the network's time in China.  

The executives were told by the Republicans that they wanted answers before the start of the Olympic Games. 

'Like our athletes competing abroad, we believe all companies doing business in the U.S. must be examples to the world, as their success has been benefited from our country's respect for the rule of law, human rights, and entrepreneurial enterprise,' the letter said.  

The lawmakers also asked the NBC executives 'how you will use your investment in the Games to shed light on China's history of human rights abuses.'   

In 2014, the IOC agreed to a $7.75 billion deal with NBC to allow the network to exclusively broadcast the Olympics through 2032.      

NBC's Molly Solomon, the president of production for NBC Olympics, said last week that 'we understand that there are some difficult issues regarding the host nation.' 

'So, our coverage will provide perspective on China's place in the world and the geopolitical context in which these Games are being held,' she said.

She added that the athletes will be the 'centerpiece' of NBC's Olympics coverage.    

Solomon said that NBC News wuold be on-site to cover the news out of China, while NBC Olympics will cover the issues that pertain to the games. 

'As you probably know, we have a Beijing-based bureau there,' she said of NBC News. 

'And it’s always important to remember that we have a record of not shying away from these topics,' she continued. 'Not in 2008, the last time the Games were in China, in Sochi and PyeongChang. And most recently, we covered COVID and the athlete protests in Tokyo.' 

'We also plan to have reporters at all Beijing venues. If something happens, we’ll have our own cameras on site,' Solomon added.

The Biden administration announced a diplomatic boycott of the games - meaning the White House won't be sending a delegation of U.S. officials to attend the opening and closing ceremonies, as is tradition. 

Thanks to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, just First Lady Jill Biden made the trek to Japan for the Toyko summer Olympics last year.