Geo: match or no match?
LAHORE: Uplink rights have not yet been given to Geo TV for the cricket series against New Zealand and Pakistan. The Pakistan Cricket Board, International Cricket Conference and Geo TV officials were baffled at this decision as the series as the opening match of the series starts in Lahore on Saturday.
Uncertainty prevailed till the filing of this report, whether or not the nation was going to seethe much-anticipated New Zealand-Pakistan cricket series live on Geo TV. When Geo TV officials were contacted they could not confirm that PTV had also been sold the transmission.The series had already been postponed for over a year and recently due to security concerns it was again postponed for a week.
This will be one of the first times an international world class tournament will not be telecast live not only in Pakistan but throughout the world. Geo TV had bought the worldwide rights from PCB for $500 million. This bid was $ 100 m higher.
The match was scheduled to be aired on Sony TV UK, Ten Sports MidÂdle East and India, Sky Sports New Zealand among other inter national channels,these international rights would have bought valuable foreign investment and currency to the country.
When senior officials of the Information Ministry were contacted, it was learnt something will be done in the morning to resolve the matter.” These senior Officials were hopeful that the situation would be resolved so that the country could be saved from the embarrassment in the international community and millions of cricket fans inside and outside would not be robbed of the much-anticipated Pak-New Zealand series.The total cost of the project was estimated to be US$1.3 to 1.5 million including uplinking,space segment, production, state of the art equipment rented according to highest international standards it may be mentioned that PBC chairman Gen Tauqir Zia and the full board were comprehensively made for the coverage of the match and in the manner in which Geo carried out the marketing .
Source: The News
Date:11/29/2003
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