Beijing MPC Officially Opens

The Main Press Center (MPC) for the Beijing Olympics formally opened today and will follow a 24-hour operation schedule between July 25 and August 27 for media crews from around the world, Director of the MPC and IBC operation team, Sha Wanquan, told reporters.The International Broadcast Center (IBC), nearby the MPC, also began operation today.

With a floor space of 62,000 square meters, the MPC is the largest media center in Olympic history. Located within reach of the "Bird's Nest", "Water Cube", National Indoor Stadium, the Olympic Fencing Hall, the Olympic Village, Media Village and other venues, the MPC allows for more convenient news coverage and easy access by journalists.

The two media hotels are conjoined to the MPC, allowing for direct flow between media work space and living quarters, setting a precedent for the Olympic Games.

With 971 workstations, the press work room is also the largest in Olympic history. Among these workstatio! ns, 680 are equipped with electrical and network interface features to provide media crews with optimal communication capabilities. An additional 206 workstations will be available for photographers. W-LAN and laptop locks will accompany all stations for user convenience. To date a record 144 media organizations have rented 110 offices at the facility.