MUMBAI: It is not only the Indian cricket board (BCCI) that is looking to launch a television channel. Across the border the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has expressed similar intentions.

The PCB is believed to have requested the Pakistan Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to allot a television channel for sports. In a letter to the secretary of the ministry Shahid Rafi PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan said, "A sports channel would respond to the huge public demand in Pakistan for sports coverage on television."

A report in the newspaper Dawn states that the board wants to either have the channel to itself or share it with other sports like hockey, tennis, squash, athletics and soccer.

"The PCB has the financial capital to play a lead role in setting up and running this sports channel and would therefore be prepared to take the initiative in setting up a PCB channel," Shaharyar said in the letter.

As had been reported last month by indiantelevision.com two Indian cricket board officials had presented to the media a feasibility study on having a sports channel of its own. Howevr at that time a senior member close to the organisation president had debunked the announcement saying it was an "unauthorised" move.

According to the two BCCI officials, the capital expenditure required for the sports channel, primarily depending on cricket, is about Rs 400 million. The revenue projections say Rs. 160 billion could be generated over a period of five years.

With the fiasco over the Indian cricket rights last year the BCCI members have despite their internal differences realised that launching their own channel is perhaps the only way of not killing the golden goose.

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