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Dynamos demand $30k from ZBC-TV

by Eddie Chikamhi
26 Feb 2014 at 08:48hrs | Views
HARARE giants Dynamos want ZBC to pay them $30 000 to beam live their Champions League tie against AS Vita at the National Sports Stadium this Saturday.

Dembare will host the side from the Democratic Republic of Congo in the first leg before travelling for the return leg next week.

There were efforts to screen the match live on television but the negotiations appear to have hit a snag as the Harare giants are demanding a flat fee of $30 000, which ZBC have indicated are not in a position to pay.

Dynamos chairman, Kenny Mubaiwa, confirmed yesterday that they have had meetings with representatives from the national broadcaster but the talks have not been conclusive.

"We have a meeting with ZBC and they said they wanted to broadcast the match and we told them that we want a flat payment of $30 000 taking into consideration where we are coming from as a club.

"Here in Zimbabwe we survive on what we collect from the gates and if that match is screened on television then many people will not come to the stadium, which means loss of revenue on our side.

"We don't have sponsorship in the Champions League and next week we have a trip to the DRC, so where will we get the money if that match is shown on TV and we get nothing and people decide to watch it from home?

"ZBC had proposed that they give us airtime and asked us to look for advertisers so that we get our money from the adverts but we are saying we don't have that capacity as a club.

"They are the ones who are better positioned to do that because they are in the industry and that is why we are saying they give us a flat fee and whatever they will realise from the adverts is none of our business. So we are sticking to our position," said Mubaiwa.

Efforts to get a comment from ZBC were fruitless but Zifa Marketing Manager Wellington Mugwagwa told The Herald that they were still pursuing avenues to bring Dynamos and the broadcaster to a common understanding.

"We are still trying to work on that and once they agree to come together then they will make a statement.

"As the football mother body it's our duty to see that the national broadcaster and our football teams come together a deal that benefits all. It has to be a win-win situation," said Mugwagwa.

Dynamos have maintained the gate charges from the last match when they hosted Mochudi Centre Chiefs with the cheapest ticket for the rest of the ground marked at $3.

Bays 15-18 will cost $10 while those supporters who want to watch the match from the VVIP enclosure will have to part with $20.

"I think $3 is fair for the rest of the ground if we are to make comparisons with last year when the supporters paid $5.

"When coming up with the fee, we took into consideration that they need extra bus fare to the stadium and we are appealing to all Zimbabweans to come in large numbers," said Mubaiwa.

Source - The Herald
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