North Korea given right to broadcast Olympic games

North Korea has been given the right to broadcast the Olympic games by the Asia- Pacific Broadcasting Union and Korea Broadcasting System, reported AFP today.

AFP reports the agreement contains "a special condition that KRT broadcast at least 200 hours of major events of interest to North Korea via terrestrial channels."

According to KBS, North Korea has already deployed six TV production workers to the Games, says AFP, and it's not clear yet if the footage will be live, or previously recorded. 

The Committee to Protect Journalists says that all TV in North Korea is tightly controlled by the government, and radio and television receivers are locked to government-controlled – and heavily censored – frequencies. 

More from GlobalPost: North Korean women's soccer team refuses to take field 

North Korea previously made Olympic news when a flag mix-up caused the women's soccer team to refuse to take the field when the South Korean flag was accidentally displayed beside the players names prior to the match, instead of the flag of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. 

The North Korean won the game 2 to 0, reported North Korea's Korean Central News Agency, although KCNA's report was curiously mum on the flag incident. 

The agreement includes "a special condition that KRT broadcast at least 200 hours of major events of interest to North Korea via terrestrial channels", the statement said.

A 2008 report in The Oregonian reported that North Koreans have a "lonely" experience at the Olympics. They were not allowed to go sight-seeing, were not allowed to interact with other athletes, and stayed in a private compound with the Olympic Village during the 2008 games – though they did march in the Opening and Closing ceremonies, reported The Oregonian's John Canzano.