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Tag: cricket telecast

  • HC refuses to grant interim relief to Ten Sports; admits plea

    HC refuses to grant interim relief to Ten Sports; admits plea

    MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court has admitted a petition filed by Ten Sports, challenging the Union Government’s uplinking guidelines on telecasting the India-Pakistan matches scheduled next year. However, the court refused to grant any interim relief and adjourned the hearing till further order.

    This means that Ten Sports’ cricket telecast fortunes will hang in the balance. The Bombay High Court’s Christmas vacation spans from 26 December 2005 to 8 January 2006 (both days inclusive). India plays its first Test in Lahore from 14 January to 18 January.

    Yesterday, Ten Sports had submitted a proposal before the High Court expressing its willingness to share the cricket telecast feed with Doordarshan only in rural India’s non-cable markets.

    In the proposal, the channel had said it was ready to provide feed of sports events to Prasar Bharati in the rural Very Low Power Transmission (VLPT) areas, where cable is not available, as an interim measure.

    Ten Sports had moved the Bombay High Court on 9 December challenging a government move on making it mandatory for private sports channels to share listed sporting events with pubcaster Doordarshan. The channel alleged that acquisition costs of such events run into millions of dollars and sharing feed with Doordarshan would mean a loss for the broadcaster in advertising and subscription revenue.

    UNI adds that a consumer body called Consumer Action Network has also intervened in the matter and opposed the Ten Sports plea. The intervention was not opposed by the bench comprising Justices Ranjana Desai and Abhay Oak.

    Ahmed Abidi, representing the forum, told the court that as per the Supreme Court guidelines, the signals had to be made available to DD and free-to-air channels also. He pointed out the Australian example where the Government has taken concrete steps in this regard.

  • Ten Sports proposes to share feed with DD in rural non cable markets

    Ten Sports proposes to share feed with DD in rural non cable markets

    MUMBAI: Ten Sports has submitted a proposal before the Bombay High Court expressing its willingness to share the cricket telecast feed with Doordarshan only in rural India’s non-cable markets.

    In the proposal, the channel said it was ready to provide feed of sports events to Prasar Bharati in the rural Very Low Power Transmission (VLPT) areas, where cable is not available, as an interim measure.

    The court is hearing a petition filed by Ten Sports challenging the government’s recent policy guideline which makes it mandatory for sports channels having TV broadcasting rights to share their feed with Prasar Bharati for national and international sporting events held in India or abroad.

    According to a PTI report, Ten Sports argued that the issue of public interest, with regard to the right to watch international cricket matches involving India, arises only in case of rural areas because in those areas cable TV is by and large non-existent. Ten argued that in the metros Prasar Bharati can’t demand the feed of cricket matches as cable TV is easily available there.

    The Information and Broadcasting ministry counsel opposed Ten Sports’ proposal, saying that even in urban areas many people don’t have access to cable TV. Justice Ranjana Desai and justice Abhay Oka adjourned the hearing and indicated they will pass an order tomorrow.

    It shall be recalled that Espn Star Sports (ESS) has also moved the Delhi High Court challenging some of the clauses in the downlink guidelines. After an initial hearing, the matter has been kept for further arguments after the court’s winter vacation ends early next year. The ESS petition has also made the Prasar Bharati a party to the case.

  • SC clears decks for cricket telecast on DD

    SC clears decks for cricket telecast on DD

    NEW DELHI: As it had happened in the recent past with the historic India-Pakistan cricket series, the Supreme Court today stepped in to untangle the telecast rights issue through an interim order.

    The court deferred the hearing of an interim application by Zee Telefilms Ltd questioning the award of rights by the cricket board to Prasar Bharati and Sony Entertainment Television India.

    This means that the cricket matches against Australia, South Africa and a one-dayer against Pakistan can be seen on Doordarshan channels within India.

    The apex court, however, made it clear that this interim order would be operative till December 2 only, while it continues with its third umpire role on the original petition filed by Zee Telefilms contesting cancellation of a tender process relating to the telecast rights by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

    A five-judge Constitution bench comprising Justices N Santosh Hegde, SN Variava, BP Singh, HK Sema and SB Singh cleared the deck for the telecast of the upcoming cricket matches after hearing Zee’s counsel Harish Salve and BCCI counsel KK Venugopal this morning.

    Still, the bench directed the BCCI, pubcaster Prasar Bharati and SET Satellite Pvt Ltd Singapore (which has the international telecast rights) to maintain separate accounts of the earnings they would make from the advertisement and sale of rights overseas (as in Sony’s case) during the telecast of these matches.

    This directive was given to take care of any compensation claims in future relating to the original petition of Zee Telefilms, which issued a statement later in the day stating, the apex court’s ruling has been given “so that if the final decision is in favour of Zee, then its commercial interests could be protected on the basis of the revenue accounts filed by the parties (concerned).”

    As per deals struck by BCCI, live package of the cricket telecast will be prepared by Dubai-based Ten Sports and international syndication would be done by Sony. Doordarshan has been awarded exclusive rights for the domestic coverage of the cricket matches.

    In the court today, when Salve pressed for an immediate order to protect Zee’s rights, the bench said that it would not be possible to do so immediately.

    However, Hegde told Salve that ”supposing we hold that the BCCI is not a state within the meaning of Article 12 of the Constitution, the BCCI shall be free to do anything they like. But, supposing we hold otherwise, we will protect your (Zee’s) rights and nothing will happen to you.”

    The court observed, ”It would be in the fitness of things that the hearing on your interim application questioning the grant of telecast rights by the BCCI to Prasar Bharti and Sony is put off till the writ petition filed by you (Zee), challenging cancellation of your bid for domestic telecast rights for the next four years, is decided.”

    It was last Thursday that the Indian board announced that live feeds would be produced by Ten Sports network for BCCI, while “telecast, distribution and marketing” would be done by Sony Entertainment Network on a “revenue sharing basis”.

    The arrangement was done for three events, the India-Australia four-test series, the India-Pakistan Platinum Jubilee match on 13 November and two-test series between India and South Africa in November-December.

    Two days later, following national broadcaster Doordarshan’s threat to go to court, the Indian cricket board chose to go along with DD in place of Sony, thereby ensuring the removal of government interference.

    DD COMMUNICATION TO DISH TV

    If the bad news from the apex court were not enough for Zee to digest, another controversy is brewing as the Indian pubcaster, reportedly, has conveyed to Dish TV to discontinue DD National and DD Sports on its platform till cricket is being aired.

    Though it is not clear what exactly is the nature of the content, Prasar Bharati officials say a letter has been written to Dish TV management on the availability of DD channels (showing cricket) on the DTH platform.

    While pleading ignorance about any DD letter, a Zee Telefilms source did admit that “verbally” Dish TV has been told to discontinue airing DD National and DD Sports for the duration of the cricket matches.

    Pointing out that “negotiations are on with DD to resolve this crisis, which may affect Dish TV susbcribers,” the source, however, said that technically, it was not feasible for Dish TV to blank out two DD channels on a temporary basis.

    If DD channels continue to be on the Dish TV platform (for which no revenue share arrangement is in place till now), subscribers of Dish TV would also get to see the cricket matches – albeit by default.

    Technical experts opine that even if DD channels, notably DD Sports and DD National, are not carried on the Dish TV platform, its subscribers could watch the matches as they are likely to be on DD’s yet-to-be-formally-launched KU-band service, which can be accessed by Dish TV subscribers too.

    Experts further explained that since Dish TV and DD’s Ku-band service, at present on a trial run, are on the same satellite, Dish TV’s pizza-sized dish antennas would be automatically tuned to the satellite for receiving DD’s 
    free-to-air DTH service.

    If DD is really serious about choking subscribers of Dish TV — promoted by Zee Telefilms and ASC Enterprise Ltd — of cricket , then it would have to ensure that DD National and DD Sports are not carried on its DTH service, a highly unlikely scenario.
     

    For the complete picture on the cricket rights saga click here…

  • No offer before DD for cricket telecast: Sarma

    No offer before DD for cricket telecast: Sarma

    NEW DELHI: People have chosen their bride and made the announcement too. But ironically, the prospective bride has yet to be informed of the marriage.

    Speaking to indiantelevision.com this evening, Prasar Bharati CEO KS Sarma expressed surprise that the Indian cricket board had has told a court that the Australia and the South Africa cricket series, to be played in India, would be telecast on Doordarshan.

    “Well, theres no offer from anybody, including the cricket board,” Sarma categorically said, adding, “And neither is there an offer from Zee Telefilms or ESPN-Star Sports on sharing of the telecast feeds terrestrially with DD.”
     
     
    The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had said a few days back as part of a submission of a legal case involving the telecast rights, that DD would telecast the Australia and South Africa series on the domestic circuit, while for the international market, another agency would be located.

    In the light of inconclusive arguments in the telecast case currently being heard by the Supreme Court, Prasar Bharati, which manages DD, also did not hold an organisational meeting today on the cricket issue.

    According to Sarma, An empowered committee (comprising Sarma, director-general of DD and member-finance of the Prasar Bharati board) was not held today as “we are still awaiting a clear signal form the Supreme Court on the cricket issue.”

    Both ESS and Zee Telefilms have said informally and formally on various occasions that if they get the Indian cricket rights, they would share it with the national terrestrial broadcaster “in the larger public interest”.

  • BCCI says cricket telecast will be on DD

    BCCI says cricket telecast will be on DD

    NEW DELHI / MUMBAI: Even as the Supreme Court today referred the telecast rights issue to a five-judge constitutional bench, the Indian cricket board submitted in the court that the Indian pubcaster would be telecasting the Australia and South Africa series domestically.
     
     
    This was conveyed to the apex court by the Board of Control for Cricket India (BCCI) counsel KK Venugopal, who added that the international rights would be given to “somebody else”. This, he contended, was being done because of the gravity of the issue and that a situation is being attempted to be averted where Indian public do not get to see the matches being played in India.

    On cue, ESPN-Star Sports has written a letter to the BCCI offering to produce the live telecast of the matches and share the feed with Doordarshan. “In view of the fact that the contract for telecast of cricket matches awarded to Zee Telefilms has been cancelled, we are ready to produce the live telecast of the matches,” the Press Trust of India, quoting from the letter, reported today.

    In its letter, ESS has again reiterated that it should be given the cricket rights as it has “all the infrastructure to do the live telecast of matches.”

    ESS COMMITS TO GIVE BCCI NET AD REVENUES FROM CRICKET TELECAST

    In the letter, ESS has further committed to give BCCI all the net (international?) advertisement revenues the channel earns as well as the “net share of DD revenues net of costs.”

    Efforts made by indiantelevision.com to get comments from BCCI supremo Jagmohan Dalmiya and Prasar Bharati CEO KS Sarma proved futile. While Dalmiya refused to comment at all on the issue, including the fact whether an agreement with Prasar Bharati has been reached or not, Sarma could not be contacted as he was out of the country, scheduled to return late this evening.

    Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has adjourned to Tuesday its hearing of Zee Telefilm’s petition in the India cricket telecast rights case.

    Reflecting the seriousness with which the apex court views the matter, a three-judge bench headed by Justice Santosh Hegde referred the case to a five-judge constitutional bench that will hear arguments in the case to which main respondent BCCI has already filed its caveat.

    The first issue that the court will have to get out of the way is whether Zee’s petition is maintainable or not. In its petition, Zee has contended that it is the rightful owner of the cricket rights as it has deposited $ 20 million with the Indian cricket board as per terms and conditions. It has also contended that the cricket board’s decision to cancel an earlier tender process, which saw Zee emerge as the highest bidder with a quote of $ 308 million, is unjust and the court should overturn that decision.

    The respondents in the case include the government of India, c BCCI and PriceWaterhouse Cooper (PwC), the audit firm that vetted the various bids.

    Zee had moved the Supreme Court last Wednesday after the BCCI the previous day filed an affidavit in the Mumbai HC that it was cancelling the tendering process and would retain the rights of Indian cricket with itself. Immediately after that, ESPN Star Sports, a joint venture between Walt Disney and News Corp, withdrew its petition against the award of the rights to Zee.

    Zee had said in its petition that its contract for cricket telecast rights with the BCCI was signed and was not incomplete as the BCCI maintains.

  • Parleys on to find way out of cricket telecast impasse

    Parleys on to find way out of cricket telecast impasse

    NEW DELHI: The high stakes poker game around the telecast of the historic cricket series between India and Pakistan looks to be entering the end game stage. That was not evident to most viewers in Mumbai and Pune and 40 per cent of Delhi though, who could do nothing but gnash their teeth in frustration as they had to rely on the news channels for some glimpses of the action on the field today as India faced the Pakistan A team.

    In the capital meanwhile, Ten Sports CEO Chris McDonald met regulator chief Pradip Baijal today afternoon. The Indian government, which has taken on the role of “facilitator” in the imbroglio, is scheduled to meet with Ten Sports executives later this evening in an attempt to hammer out a solution to the vexed cricket telecast issue.

    One of the options, according to government officials, that Ten Sports would be offered is simulcast on the satellite sports channel and on Doordarshan’s national terrestrial network. The hook being that Ten gets to keep whatever ad revenues DD manages to garner out of the telecast (or it let Ten sell the event?).

    Under this formula, DD won’t pay Ten any money but offer the platform and also allow Ten’s logo to go during the broadcast.

    The other option is to make available to DD the feeds of the cricket matches on a deferred basis. But, here, the time of deferment would be crucial as in one-dayers even six overs makes a lot of difference. Under this formula, DD would have to pay some money based on mutually arrived at agreements.

    Though Ten Sports officials could not be immediately reached for their reactions, it is also learnt that the government has advised DD to be flexible if Ten agrees, in the first place, to consider a compromise formula.

    The government feels that non-telecast of the matches on DD of a series, which has been “largely facilitated by the government”, may lead to law and order problems. However, the government also acknowledges Ten’s contention that DD signals would be stolen or pirated by those cable ops that have not signed up with the Dubai-based broadcaster.

    Meanwhile, Ten conveyed to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) its apprehensions on cable operators stealing signals if DD is provided a feed and also dwelt on other issues during a visit that was termed a “courtesy call” by Baijal’s office.

    Keep tuned in for more on the cricket soap opera.