NBC's making big profits with its silence over Chinese human rights violations at Beijiing games

I love watching the Olympics almost as much as my wife. And of course, we root hardest for the athletes from our country.

But it is most difficult to hear NBC and CNBC talking heads boast of how great China's games have been and how few protests they've seen.

What's wrong with protests? They are representative of a free people using their liberties to the utmost. Yet CNBC and NBC know the real truth that has been provided by the print media about these games. They're just looking the other way.

The Chinese to get the games had to agree to set up seven protest zones around Beijing. But the Chinese government must approve permits for people to protest. And they've turned down a lot of permits, particularly requests for their own people.

Two Chinese women in their late '70s -- who continuously applied for permits to protest -- were sentenced to one-year in an re-education labor camp. Chinese parents who protested the poor construction of schools that claimed the lives of their children during the recent earthquake in central China also were arrested -- this time last month.

Yes, the Chinese produced a most beautiful opening ceremonies. But more print media reports have produced revelations that human beings were put through 16-hour practice days. They lived in tough conditions in apartments on the outskirts of the city. And many had to wear adult diapers because they were required to stand in place for hours.

These revelations have not made it on the air at CNBC and NBC in telecasts from Beijing. Why? First, that would eat into big profits the network is making. Second, they could have their satellite connections pulled by the Chinese government. And that would cost money.

Finally, 10 American citizens were arrested for protesting over Tibet. They had prviously protested without incident. But since their latest protest came in the last days of the Olympics, they were arrested and sentenced to 10-days in detention. Protestors usually are just asked to leave the country. So sentencing U.S. citizens to imprisonment is unacceptable.

So as the Olympics come to an end and the Chinese produce a thrilling closing ceremony, remember the old women sentenced to labor-re-educaton prison simply for asking to protest the poor price given for their homes to make room for Olympic facilities. NBC did report initially report on criticism on the poor prices. But the arrest and sentencing have not been mentioned, or at least from my dedicated viewing not prominently on prime time.

Remember your fellow citizens put into Chinese jail for simply speaking their minds.

Remember the poor folks participating in the closing ceremonies and the horrible conditions they've endured.

And remember the big bucks NBC is reaping, partly because of the incidents they're not mentioning. For me, China is finishing these games with the world's greatest fears about it confirmed.

I wouldn't mind NBC staying quiet about these human rights violations if its talking heads didn't in turn so gushing praise the Chinese government.

But money always talks loudest as the Chinese again walk away from human rights.