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20.01.2012 General News

GBC Needs 2million Euros For Live Telecast Of CAN 202

20.01.2012 LISTEN
By Musa Yahaya Jafaru - Daily Graphic

The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) has won the broadcast right to telecast all the African Cup of Nations matches live on its network.

But GBC has to pay 2 million euros broadcast right fee to the organisers before it can start showing the matches from January 21, 2012 in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

Consequently, Vice-President John Dramani Mahama, yesterday (Wednesday) convened a meeting with managers of public and private institutions and appealed to them to support the GBC to raise the 2 million euros.

The meeting was attended by representatives of Anglogold Ashanti, Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited, Glo Mobile Ghana, Airtel Ghana, MTN, Vodafone, ADB, GOIL, DVLA, VRA, NIA, GHACEM, GPHA, DVLA, SIC and AGI, among other organisations.

The Vice-President said GBC had won the broadcast right but the 2 million euros was “a big figure” for a state-owned media house.

Therefore, he said, the GBC had decided to raise the amount through sponsorship from public and private institutions.

The Vice-President said sports was an important avenue for adverts and promotion, and indicated that GBC had come up with a package for adverts and promotion.

He said Ghanaians would be glued to their seats to watch the matches from January 21, 2011, and predicted that Ghana’s matches which start on January 24, 2012, would receive much more audience.

Mr Mahama said the fact that the GBC would share the broadcast to the other television stations would increase the audience for the matches.

He expressed the hope that the public and private institutions “will do their best” to support the GBC to raise the amount.

Vice-President Mahama commended sponsors of the Ghana Black Stars - Goldfields Ghana Limited, Glo Mobile, Rice Masters, Guiness Ghana Limited and Puma - for assisting the team to bring respect and honour to the country.

The Director General of GBC, Mr Berifi Appenteng, said the GBC had only yesterday (Wednesday) and today (Thursday) to raise the 2 million euros.

Therefore, he said, the appeal for support from public and private organisations was a call to national duty since it went beyond commercial interest.

Mr Appenteng said the sponsorship package was in three categories, which he would discuss with interested parties.

He said the intention of the GBC was to extend any sponsorship package to the next Africa Cup of Nations.

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