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The Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) says it will depend on foreign commentators to run the 2013 (African Cup of Nations) AFCON tournament commentaries in South Africa as the corporation has no funds to assign its own staff .
ZNBC Corporate Affairs Manager Masuzyo Ndhlovu says his organisation owes LC2, owners of the Broadcasting Rights Euros 250,000 equivalent to K1.8 billion (KR1.8.m) Kwacha rebased to enable the Corporation be considered to execute its mandate.
Ndhlovu says the moneys should be paid in a period of seven days.
ZANIS sports reports that the ZNBC Corporate Affairs Manager was speaking in an interview in Lusaka today.
Ndhlovu said ZNBC had raised substantial amount plus the KR1.5 million it received from First Quantum Mine (FQM), one of sponsors and the biggest mining firm in Zambia.
“ZNBC is not sending any commentators to South Africa to do the live commentaries. The moneys (KR1.8m) involved are too high for us as national broadcaster to afford to pay. We shall depend on English commentaries (foreign media) to do the live,” he said.
The ZNBC Spokesperson is appealing to other sponsors to emulate FQM to enable the national broadcaster operate at full capacity to the aspirations of the soccer lovers, the Zambian Government and the entire people.
He explained that earlier, the amount that was communicated to the national broadcaster for the Rights was 750,000 Euros but it was increased to 1m Euros meaning ZNBC still has a financial gap of 250,000 Euros.
He assured that the deficit in moneys would not affect the broadcasting of the 64 games as the 2013 AFCON tournament kicks off in South Africa this evening.
“As ZNBC, we are still appealing to the corporate entities for sponsorship because we don’t have funds on our own,” he said.
Ndhlovu has however, thanked ZAMBEEF which has managed to dispatch Leonard Chibansa and Maria Banda to South Africa to conduct radio commentaries on the courtesy of ZAMBEEF and not ZNBC.
The 29th Edition of AFCON will be held from January 19 to February 10 this year. The Broadcasting Rights for 2013 have been pegged at 1m Euros equivalent to K7.2 billion or (KR7.2m).
