The Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) has called its members to an emergency meeting to find a solution to the 2003 World Cup dilemma.
General manager of the Guyana Television Broadcast Station (GTV) Martin Goolsarran said yesterday that the meeting which will be held Sunday in Antigua will attempt to find a way out of the impasse.
With the World Cup in South Africa less than a month away, the Caribbean is in limbo with regards to having television or radio coverage of cricket's most prestigious event.
The rights holder, Echo Star, of the United States, which runs the DISH Network satellite television system, have reportedly offered the rights to the Caribbean for the sum of US1M.
This figure, informed sources feel, is way too high for the region even though there will be 54 days of cricket. Sources say that even if all the matches are shown there is bound to be a drop in viewership if the West Indies fail to advance to the Super Sixes stage of the World Cup.
As such, they reasoned with only six preliminary games, where the West Indies will be involved, the US1M figure is entirely not feasible.
Goolsarran said the meeting which is expected to get underway at 9am will explore all the options available to have the region get the broadcast.
It is expected at the meeting that member territories will formulate a negotiated position that the CMC will take to EchoStar," Goolsarrran said.
Following the meeting, it is expected that the CMC will make a final approach to EchoStar with a final offer, Goolsarran said.
Sources told Stabroek Sport that even a figure of a 1/4 million US dollars is usually difficult for the region's stations to pay.
There is the opinion that individual countries might be forced to negotiate with EchoStar but such an eventuality would rule out countries like Guyana which does not have a cable television network.
Barbados is one of the few countries with cable television and test matches there are usually broadcast on a pay-per-view basis.