Less than two weeks after the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) backed out of negotiations with the American rights holders and advised their regional clients to enter into their own negotiations, CMC has been mandated by Caribbean broadcasters to secure a deal urgently - and on specific terms.

The mandate, given during an emergency meeting on Sunday at the Jolly Beach Resort in Antigua, came after regional stations also failed to secure an arrangement with rights holders EchoStar Communications during the past few days.

It is due in large part to the fact that the price tag of almost US$1 million is “very challenging”.

“The broadcasters therefore agreed that they will withdraw all bids entered individually so far, will not entertain individual discussions, and will only accept an agreement from the CMC, to which they gave a specific mandate,” the CMC said Sunday night.

“The CMC has been given a clear and specific mandate by radio and television broadcasters to achieve an agreement in the shortest possible time, if they are to contemplate undertaking World Cup coverage.”

Without disclosing the details of the mandate given to the CMC, broadcasters said issues on feasible cost, equitable payment terms, commentary arrangements for radio and TV satellite issues for all the cricket markets of the region were addressed.

Noting that the CMC had been negotiating for World Cup cricket rights for over two years, the broadcasters questioned why it was that the rights for the Caribbean had been awarded to a non-Caribbean entity, which still held the rights 20 days to the event.

“To this end, the meeting has also agreed that on behalf of broadcasters, a letter should be written to the West Indies Cricket Board president, Rev. Wes Hall, and International Cricket Council’s chief executive, Malcolm Speed, outlining the concerns of broadcasters in the Caribbean, and addressing the negative sporting, business and cultural impact matters of this nature are having on West Indies cricket, and cricket interests as a whole.” (Barbados Nation)