The TV war

2010 is an interesting year. It is the World Cup year. RTM bought the broadcasting rights for terrestial tv in Malaysia two years ago. So it is for the eighth time since 1974 that world's biggest sporting extravaganza would be televised over the national station. Expect Astro to feed Malaysians with the matches as well, on high definition. But naughty thoughts ran through loose cannon's minds upon reading this Bernama report below:

RTM and Media Prima to work together

2010/01/21

KUALA LUMPUR: Radio Televisyen Malaysia and private media broadcasting group Media Prima Bhd will sign a memorandum of understanding early next month to work on several areas, including news exchanges, film exchanges, joint production, sports programme acquisition, exchange of personnel and joint marketing and promotions, said Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim yesterday

Speaking at an inaugural meeting between the two organisations at Angkasapuri here, he said the move would enable RTM and Media Prima to pool their resources and undertake seamless cooperation.

He said both RTM and Media Prima would look for practical solutions and work towards the improvement of the broadcasting industry.

Rais said there were many areas where the two parties could work together, especially in further promoting the concept of 1Malaysia and other national programmes.

He said the collaboration between RTM and Media Prima should not primarily be on television programmes alone but radio broadcasting as well.

Datuk Seri Farid Ridzuan, chief executive officer of Media Prima International as well as group CEO of TV3, 8TV, ntv7 and TV9, said the joint collaboration would also result in further developing human capital in the country's broadcasting industry. -- Bernama

Could TV3, driven on most occasions by commercial interests, beam the World Cup matches live and pay much-criticised RTM peanuts for the rights?

Interestingly, TV3 sports buletin quoted blogger Satwant Singh's blog that FA of Malaysia (FAM) had pulled the plug on Astro Arena from showing the Malaysian Super League matches! What's the motive?