Vision Cim

It could be a premise for a Netflix thriller: An American company is trying to run a media business inside a dictatorship that is imprisoning minorities and threatening its neighbors. The U.S. executives have to walk a fine line, placating the regime while showing the world the ugly things that are happening on the ground.

That is essentially the script for Philadelphia-based Comcast Corp., whose NBC network broadcast the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics Games early Friday. Comcast is facing challenges on every front, with advocates for the Uyghurs, Tibetans, Hong Kong, and Taiwan residents demanding attention for legitimate concerns, while the government exacts obedience with its invasive surveillance system.

Topping it off, Comcast must also contend with homebound concerns: a traditional television audience that’s declining, and the fact that the Games will play out at inconvenient times for American and European viewers.

“Comcast is in a tough spot