November 30, 2003	Sunday	Shawwal 5, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 29: Pakistan Television (PTV) on Saturday accused Dubai-based satellite channel Geo of not honouring a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and pulling out without intimating them, resulting in a blackout of the first International against New Zealand.

Akhtar Viqar Azim, Managing Director of the state-run PTV told Dawn that a settlement with the private channel had been reached over telecast of the series late on Friday night and an MoU duly signed.

As per the agreement, PTV was to show live the five matches of the series on PTV-1 with the Dubai-based channel only being given the marketing rights.

“Although everything had been sorted out, they withdrew without informing us therefore both parties couldn’t telecast the match,” Akhtar said.

But an official of Dubai-based channel, asking not be named, blamed PTV for creating hurdles in their way that resulted in the current crisis.

As agreed Friday, the private channel was to purchase airtime for telecast of the series on PTV-1 for five days amounting to Rs 15 million with no reference to the rival logo. Also the satellite channel was to be given a minimum of 130 minutes each day.

The series had run into problems over telecasting rights long before the first ball had been bowled Saturday at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.

After the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced last month, it had sold the rights to Dubai-based channel, PTV objected to the decision. It claimed that being a terrestrial set-up it had more rights than a channel having limited audience.

Following a meeting earlier this week of top officials involved, the private channel had agreed to give PTV the rights to air the signals for a sum of $100,000. “It was decided that we will be given a clean signal with no logo of private channel and audio lines for commentary,” Jahangir Raza, director sports of PTV said.

Later, having a rethink, Dubai-based channel suggested that PTV cover the series on PTV-1 and the marketing rights be given to them which eventually led to the final MoU being signed.

Both parties had also agreed to an advertising rate of Rs 56,000 per minute during the series for any package deals that private channel was to make in addition to those made by PTV.

While regretting what damage may have been done to Pakistan’s image abroad because of the blackout, Akhtar said that PTV would telecast the remaining matches of the series if the PCB told them to.

The second one-day International is again in Lahore on Monday followed by a match in Faisalabad and another two in Rawalpindi.