The NBC argued that One Africa Television had offered it a raw deal which it would not accept, claiming it would financially cripple the cash-strapped station.

As a result, only viewers in Windhoek, Rehoboth and Okahandja will be able to watch the beauty extravaganza live on One Africa Television tomorrow.

The NBC said it was offered an opportunity to broadcast the event with "stringent conditions attached which, if agreed to, could affect the corporation negatively".

One Africa Television offered to supply the live feed to the NBC provided the national broadcaster screened the programme with the One Africa logo and the advertising messages of the sponsors.

One Africa Marketing Director Waldheim Shiluwa told The Namibian that sponsors were involved to make live broadcasting possible and that his company had to commit to the set agreements.

NBC argued that although the event was of national interest and importance, the only entity that would lose out was itself.

"Airtime is a commodity for us, and with the NBC reaching the entire nation, we cannot allocate free airtime to entities from which we gain absolutely nothing," the NBC said in a statement.

It also emerged that the NBC was aggrieved because it was not afforded the opportunity to bid for the pageant's rights.

"We feel that we were not included, but we also feel that this national event should not be exclusive - it's an event of national importance and the current situation is unfair to both the NBC and the broader Namibian public."

The national director of the pageant, Conny Maritz, said: "The event is not exclusive, as the NBC was offered the live feed, but they declined.

One Africa approached me last year with a very good business proposition that benefits not only the pageant itself, but also the actual event and, in the end, the entire Namibian public.

NBC always expected payment, which I couldn't always deliver, so the decision to sign an agreement with One Africa was based on profitable business principles."

Privately owned free-to-air station One Africa holds exclusive rights to the pageant until 2010.