But broadcasters cashing in on a nation glued to its TV sets have bankrolled planeloads of journalists to provide wall-to-wall coverage. For them, the crisis is finally over -- at least for a few weeks.

When Argentina play, employees get to go home early, financial markets grind to a halt and schools have bowed to the inevitable and placed TVs in the classroom. Rush hour begins early then ends abruptly as cities become ghost towns.

"There had never been round-the-clock coverage before. There's no getting away from the World Cup. If you turn your back on it, you're out of the loop from 6 a.m. till midnight," said Juan Borsato, producer of the specialist Web site www.television.com.ar.

Saturation coverage by TV in the South American country provides a daily dose of matches and sports shows from Frankfurt, Gelsenkirchen or wherever the boys in sky-blue and white are playing.

Top soap "Sos Mi Vida" (You Are My Life) even had a character win a trip to Germany so the production crew could film him live in the crowd during Argentina's 6-0 demolition of Serbia-Montenegro.

"This is unadulterated Argentine excess, taking relocation to the extremes of moving prime time, characters and even plots (to Germany)," said Pablo Sirven, entertainment editor at influential daily La Nacion.

For most of the day, TV screens flash weather conditions from German cities hosting matches and, as Borsato notes, match coverage even extends to kickabouts between journalists.

Fired by the success of the national team, World Cup fever is on the rise in Argentina and TV has become a channel for outbursts like a brewery advertising itself as the "anti-sponsor" for neighbours and eternal rivals Brazil.

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