Dear Editor,
With reference to a letter titled ‘Test cricket should take precedence over World Cup football’ in the June 11 edition of Stabroek News, The National Communications Network wishes to advise that cricket reigns supreme on radio at 560AM and 102.5FM as well as our shortwave signal which is received worldwide.

As reported by your sports section (SN, June 9) NCN will give precedence to football in our television broadcast but will return to the live cricket feeds as soon as the football matches are completed each day. Additionally we will be airing a special highlight programme each evening so that cricket fans will be able to enjoy the best of both worlds.

We have always maintained that the reason cricket is the national sport of Guyana is because of the amount of hours of cricket that are broadcast on radio. In fact the radio station was revived in 1935 in order to receive commentaries of MCC cricket matches. They were so successful that two radio stations VP3BG and VP3MR were established and operated on a commercial basis until they merged in May 1938 to form the British Guiana United Broadcasting Co Ltd.

As a child I recall going to sleep with my little battery operated transistor under my pillow so that I could listen to cricket in the middle of the night. The sweetness of the game embellished by our imaginations soaked into our very souls, making the game of cricket a starting point in any conversation with compatriots whenever Caribbean people gathered at home or in distant lands. Cricket is one of the strongest forces that binds us as Caribbean people and is the first point of reference when we speak of Caribbean unity and culture.

Throughout my tenure at NCN I have always advocated the provision of cricket broadcast as a service to the nation. I have received support for this from our corporate sponsors and the Government of Guyana in the person of the President himself, who has intervened on many occasions to share the cost of acquisition for Guyana rights to broadcast cricket so that all Guyanese can enjoy the games without paying expensive subscription fees. I honestly feel that it is through our persistence that the game remains alive in Guyana resulting in our stadium being always full, while the stadiums at other West Indian locations are often empty. I have used this argument with some success in my interactions with the rights holders in order to reduce the acquisition fees for radio broadcasts, pointing out that radio is the medium which should be used for the promotion of the game and attracting young talent.

To the rest of the world football is the number one sport, but to us cricket will always reign supreme as it is doing on radio in the face of the World Cup football matches. NCN has always been and will always be conscious of the psyche of the nation and will continue to work hard to satisfy most of the people most of the time.

Yours faithfully,
Mohamed Sattaur
Chief Executive Officer
NCN