(BEIJING, December 19) -- Despite the surge of internet-led new media, the coverage of next year's Olympic Games is expected to be dominated by traditional media, an official said Wednesday.

Gao Changli, Vice-Director of the Media Operations Department of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) said members of the new media covering the Beijing Olympics compose just a small portion of the 20,000 expected press pool.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has given only a few press quotas to the websites, while placing some new media under the umbrella of traditional media, Gao told reporters covering a media forum. For instance, NBC has been awarded the right to Olympic coverage, and at the same time, is entitled to report about the event through its new media services. In China, the right of coverage by new media has been given to CCTV.

On the other hand, Gao said, BOCOG will set up a "temporary news agency" during the Olympic Games to provide the media with English language information about venues and competitions, allowing journalists to enrich their reports using the data received through their computer terminals.