PCB plans to start sports channel

The Pakistan Cricket Board is planning to launch its own sports channel with assistance from the sports federation in Pakistan. This move is intended to provide more exposure to domestic cricket and to other sports in the country.

"We've written to other federations and the Pakistan Sports Board [PSB] on this proposal and we've got favourable responses," explained Abbas Zaidi, the PCB director of operations, to The News. "Even the Pakistan Television Corporation has not objected to this proposal which we feel is feasible. However it's a big project with huge expenses involved in it. We need to work out all the modalities and a feasibility report; we need to involve experts and see how many people have to be involved in running such a project. But obviously the PCB will play a lead role given it's the leading sports body in the country."

Zaidi mentioned that while one option for the PCB was to buy time on one of the PTV channels to run their sports channel, the other alternative was to start their independent channel. "We can't simply run the channel on cricket feed and programmes alone. We are planning to give exposure to all other sports on the proposed channel and involve all the federations and the PSB and Pakistan Olympic Council in it as partners."