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Tag: Sharjah

  • IPL governing council clears UAE as venue; Vivo as sponsor

    IPL governing council clears UAE as venue; Vivo as sponsor

    MUMBAI: So, the Indian Premier League is moving to the UAE after all. All that it awaits is the official government go-ahead, which is likely to come in the next couple of days or so.  The IPL’s governing council green signaled the holding of the world’s most premium cricket tournament in the UAE on Sunday from 19 September to 10 November.

    The council also approved the retention of all its sponsors including Chinese mobile company Vivo, which has committed to Rs 440 crore annually for five years. The tournament will be played in Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi – all of which have world class stadiums.

    Ten of the matches will be played in the afternoon from 3.30 IST while the evening matches will be played from 7.30 pm.

    The IPL governing council agreed that each team will have a squad of 24 while allowing any number of replacements in teams in case players get infected. However, standard operating procedures are being prepared.  The final will take place during the Diwali week, which should augur well for brands and broadcaster Disney Star India as well.

    Fans who have been starved of cricket are clearly looking forward to the recommencement of live cricket starring their favorite Indian players.

    Meanwhile the IPL council has also agreed to go ahead with the women’s IPL, featuring three teams and four matches to be played during IPL Playoff week. 

  • Delhi HC directs Stracon India to pay Rs 7.31 crore to DD for Sharjah Cup 1999

    Delhi HC directs Stracon India to pay Rs 7.31 crore to DD for Sharjah Cup 1999

    NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has affirmed that Stracon India Ltd owes a sum of Rs 7.31 crore to Prasar Bharati towards revenue earned for the Sharjah Cup 1999 between India and Pakistan.

    Although an arbitrator had announced an award and a single judge had given a decision, the matter came before a division bench because of an appeal by Stracon India.

    Dismissing the appeal, Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice Mukta Gupta in their order of 14 March 2016 made available to indiantelevision.com today noted that: “If the learned Arbitrator who authored the award dated 14 March 2014 or the learned Single Judge who has pronounced the decision dated 1 October 2014 had been clear in their reasoning, a simple issue would not have seen so complicated.”

    The Court noted that the Arbitrator had awarded Rs 7.31 crores. However, the judges regretted that the Arbitrator had not done the simple analysis of the pleadings but “left the award with the pleadings being simply noted”.

    The Court said: “In this context it assumes importance that the appellant had issued cheque No.945977 on 20 May 1999 in sum of Rs 7.31 crores which was dishonoured when Prasar Bharati presented the same for realization”.

    Prasar Bharati and Stracon India had entered into an agreement on 5 June 1997 whereby Stracon became the accredited agent for Prasar Bharati concerning Doordarshan Commercial Service. Stracon was to be paid commission of 15 percent. It had a credit facility of between 45 days to 60 days. Indo-Pak one day test series was to be held between 7 April and 16 April 1999 in Sharjah, popularly known as the Sharjah Cup. Pertaining to the Sharjah Cup, an agreement of 22 January 1999 having therein an arbitration clause was executed between the parties.

    But the World Cup had to be held in May of the same year. Another party, Nimbus, obtained an order in its favour from the Bombay High Court in this regard.

    However by that time, certain amounts realized by Stracon concerning the World Cup from advertisers had been credited in an account maintained with Canara Bank, the benefit whereof was taken by Prasar Bharati together with the liabilities concerning the amounts. Amounts realized by Stracon from the Sharjah Cup and expenses incurred were credited and debited in the same account. In other words, amounts relating to both the World Cup and the Sharjah Cup were credited in the same account and amounts paid out were debited in the same account.

    When the matter went for arbitration, Prasar Bharati claimed Rs 7,52,44,234 as the licence fee, Rs 3,33,50,000 towards withholding tax, Rs 3,48,16,159 towards revenue sharing, and Rs 3,56,01,813 towards opportunity cost as relating to the Sharjah Cup.

    The Arbitrator award rejected the later three claims on account of no proof. Thus, the Delhi High Court only confined its order to the sum of Rs 7,31,00,000. In any case, even Prasar Bharati counsel Rajeev Sharma conceded that any claim pertaining to the World Cup could not be the subject matter of the arbitration proceedings.

    The bank statement also showed that a sum of Rs 26,75,45,007 was realized by the appellant from third parties and the expenses are admittedly Rs 34,27,89,241 and even counsel on both sides did not dispute the correctness of the statement of account.

    The court said this meant that “one has to simply bifurcate the amounts concerning the World Cup and the Sharjah Cup and ignore the amounts concerning the World Cup and focus only on the amounts concerning the Sharjah Cup.”

    Prasar Bharati claimed that the deposits Rs 12,54,00,000 was for the World Cup and thus for the Sharjah event the amount would be Rs 14,21,45,007 after deducting the World Cup amount from the total of Rs 26,75,45,007. The outgoing for the Sharjah event was Rs 21,52,52,641 and this would mean the amount payable to Prasar Bharati is Rs 7,31,07,634 after deducting the sum of Rs 14,21,45,007 from Rs 21,52,52,641.

    But the court said: “It is trite that of various kinds of admissions made by a party, the strongest admission against a party is the one made in a pleading.

    The Court said: “There is a clear admission of the pleadings in first paragraph 11 of the Statement of Claim. As regards the second paragraph, the denial is vague and has to be treated as an admission because we do not find anything in the preliminary submissions wherefrom it can be deduced that as per the appellant it denied the bifurcation as pleaded by the respondent in the second paragraph numbered as 11 in the Statement of Claim.”

    The judgment said this admission is fortified from the pleading in paragraph 13 of the Statement of Claim and its corresponding reply filed by the appellant. Thus, it is apparent that there is an admission of Rs 14,21,45,007 being towards the Sharjah event.

    The court said: “The evasive denial means as admission of the fact pleaded in para 15 of the Statement of Claim that the total outgoing for the Sharjah event was Rs 21,52,52,641. If this be so, the destination is apparent. Deduct Rs 14,21,45,007 from said amount and we have the figure Rs 7,31,07,634.”

    On the subject of limitation, the court said “we concur with the view taken by the learned Arbitrator that as long as the parties discussed the issue and till when a clear denial of the liability came from the mouth of the appellant limitation would not commence.”

  • Delhi HC directs Stracon India to pay Rs 7.31 crore to DD for Sharjah Cup 1999

    Delhi HC directs Stracon India to pay Rs 7.31 crore to DD for Sharjah Cup 1999

    NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has affirmed that Stracon India Ltd owes a sum of Rs 7.31 crore to Prasar Bharati towards revenue earned for the Sharjah Cup 1999 between India and Pakistan.

    Although an arbitrator had announced an award and a single judge had given a decision, the matter came before a division bench because of an appeal by Stracon India.

    Dismissing the appeal, Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice Mukta Gupta in their order of 14 March 2016 made available to indiantelevision.com today noted that: “If the learned Arbitrator who authored the award dated 14 March 2014 or the learned Single Judge who has pronounced the decision dated 1 October 2014 had been clear in their reasoning, a simple issue would not have seen so complicated.”

    The Court noted that the Arbitrator had awarded Rs 7.31 crores. However, the judges regretted that the Arbitrator had not done the simple analysis of the pleadings but “left the award with the pleadings being simply noted”.

    The Court said: “In this context it assumes importance that the appellant had issued cheque No.945977 on 20 May 1999 in sum of Rs 7.31 crores which was dishonoured when Prasar Bharati presented the same for realization”.

    Prasar Bharati and Stracon India had entered into an agreement on 5 June 1997 whereby Stracon became the accredited agent for Prasar Bharati concerning Doordarshan Commercial Service. Stracon was to be paid commission of 15 percent. It had a credit facility of between 45 days to 60 days. Indo-Pak one day test series was to be held between 7 April and 16 April 1999 in Sharjah, popularly known as the Sharjah Cup. Pertaining to the Sharjah Cup, an agreement of 22 January 1999 having therein an arbitration clause was executed between the parties.

    But the World Cup had to be held in May of the same year. Another party, Nimbus, obtained an order in its favour from the Bombay High Court in this regard.

    However by that time, certain amounts realized by Stracon concerning the World Cup from advertisers had been credited in an account maintained with Canara Bank, the benefit whereof was taken by Prasar Bharati together with the liabilities concerning the amounts. Amounts realized by Stracon from the Sharjah Cup and expenses incurred were credited and debited in the same account. In other words, amounts relating to both the World Cup and the Sharjah Cup were credited in the same account and amounts paid out were debited in the same account.

    When the matter went for arbitration, Prasar Bharati claimed Rs 7,52,44,234 as the licence fee, Rs 3,33,50,000 towards withholding tax, Rs 3,48,16,159 towards revenue sharing, and Rs 3,56,01,813 towards opportunity cost as relating to the Sharjah Cup.

    The Arbitrator award rejected the later three claims on account of no proof. Thus, the Delhi High Court only confined its order to the sum of Rs 7,31,00,000. In any case, even Prasar Bharati counsel Rajeev Sharma conceded that any claim pertaining to the World Cup could not be the subject matter of the arbitration proceedings.

    The bank statement also showed that a sum of Rs 26,75,45,007 was realized by the appellant from third parties and the expenses are admittedly Rs 34,27,89,241 and even counsel on both sides did not dispute the correctness of the statement of account.

    The court said this meant that “one has to simply bifurcate the amounts concerning the World Cup and the Sharjah Cup and ignore the amounts concerning the World Cup and focus only on the amounts concerning the Sharjah Cup.”

    Prasar Bharati claimed that the deposits Rs 12,54,00,000 was for the World Cup and thus for the Sharjah event the amount would be Rs 14,21,45,007 after deducting the World Cup amount from the total of Rs 26,75,45,007. The outgoing for the Sharjah event was Rs 21,52,52,641 and this would mean the amount payable to Prasar Bharati is Rs 7,31,07,634 after deducting the sum of Rs 14,21,45,007 from Rs 21,52,52,641.

    But the court said: “It is trite that of various kinds of admissions made by a party, the strongest admission against a party is the one made in a pleading.

    The Court said: “There is a clear admission of the pleadings in first paragraph 11 of the Statement of Claim. As regards the second paragraph, the denial is vague and has to be treated as an admission because we do not find anything in the preliminary submissions wherefrom it can be deduced that as per the appellant it denied the bifurcation as pleaded by the respondent in the second paragraph numbered as 11 in the Statement of Claim.”

    The judgment said this admission is fortified from the pleading in paragraph 13 of the Statement of Claim and its corresponding reply filed by the appellant. Thus, it is apparent that there is an admission of Rs 14,21,45,007 being towards the Sharjah event.

    The court said: “The evasive denial means as admission of the fact pleaded in para 15 of the Statement of Claim that the total outgoing for the Sharjah event was Rs 21,52,52,641. If this be so, the destination is apparent. Deduct Rs 14,21,45,007 from said amount and we have the figure Rs 7,31,07,634.”

    On the subject of limitation, the court said “we concur with the view taken by the learned Arbitrator that as long as the parties discussed the issue and till when a clear denial of the liability came from the mouth of the appellant limitation would not commence.”

  • SET launches Pepsi IPL’s ‘Come On, Bulaava Aaya Hai’ campaign

    SET launches Pepsi IPL’s ‘Come On, Bulaava Aaya Hai’ campaign

    MUMBAI: The IPL fever is set to grip the cricketing world once again beginning 16 April 2014 and this time around the first half it is set to kick-off in the UAE.

    The first phase of Indian Premier League (IPL) matches will be played in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah.

    The official broadcasters of the IPL – Sony Max and Sony Six – have announced their big ticket marketing campaign for the Pepsi IPL 2014 coined ‘Come On, BulaavaAayaHai’.

    The broadcaster claims that the campaign is inspired from the fact that Pepsi IPL is the biggest cricketing extravaganza in the world. The word ‘Bulaava’ connotes the ‘calling’ with the main premise that the year’s most awaited and anticipated cricketing event has finally arrived and there is no way anyone would want to miss it.

    Talking about the upcoming season of the Pepsi IPL 2014, Sony Max EVP and business head Neeraj Vyas said in a statement: “In India, nothing supersedes the passion for cricket and during the IPL, that passion rises to an all-time crescendo. That is where we draw our latest campaign ‘Come On, BulaavaAayaHai’ emphasising that irrespective of anything that takes place in your life, the calling for the IPL will always reign supreme. This enthralling campaign coupled with world class talent on display is sure to entertain our viewers through this edition of IPL.”

    The campaign kicksoff with a series of four films set in diverse situations of different people’s life reaching a crescendo with three surprise films and culminating into a final Bulaava film. Be it a runaway bride drawn to the call of the IPL bugle, a son by the side of his ill mother or a priest struggling to free a woman possessed with a spirit, all films have the essence of the key nuance of IPL ‘Bulaava’, prompting people to literally drop everything to watch Pepsi IPL.

    Speaking about the campaign, Sony Max VP marketing and communications Vaishali Sharma added, “IPL entices people across age groups, gender and languages. This year’s campaign “Come On, BulaavaAayaHai’ is a unique thought that stems from the insight of how the passion of IPL overtakes every aspect of these different people’s lives highlighting their hunger for the tournament and eventually creating a huge national frenzy”.

    The marketing campaign jingle is one of the most awaited elements of this striking tournament. After the splendid response and adulation of last year’s jingle, Max has once again roped in the musical duo Vishal and Shekhar. Basing on the campaign theme, the duo has come up with yet another catchy song. The broadcasters feel the jingle is sure to be a mega hit and will set the nation grooving to the tunes.

    The entire campaign is the brainchild of the creative agency Havas Worldwide and has been directed and filmed by noted ad film director Rajesh Saathi of Keroscene Films.

    On the association with Max on the films Havas Worldwide ECD Vivek Rao stated: “The campaign idea of ‘Come on, BulaavaAayaHai’ is played on a simple truth – no other property provides more action, more entertainment or more opportunity whether you’re a viewer or a player. So no matter what calling you have, it’s the call of the IPL that’s more irresistible. After last year’s campaign, we needed something that would entertain as well as move the IPL brand forward. This seemed instinctively right.”

    Stretching across a four week period till the launch of the tournament, the Pepsi IPL 2014 campaign will have a complete 360 degree rollout across mass media. Starting with the campaign films on television, the communication will be seen by viewers across mediums like television, print, radio, digital, outdoor, onground, mobile, BTL and out of home. The campaign can also be viewed on www.SonyLIV.com, the online home of Sony Entertainment Network.

  • ‘K’ show rate hikes: Balaji expects 8% rise in turnover

    ‘K’ show rate hikes: Balaji expects 8% rise in turnover

    MUMBAI: Balaji Telefilms Ltd. is targeting a 7-8 per cent growth in turnover to around Rs 3.1 billion this fiscal on the back of a rate hike on four of their popular TV serials and an increase in programming hours.

    The investment in capital expenditure for the year is estimated at Rs 250-300 million. “We are adding two more studios this year. The capex is also towards equipments and sets,” a source in the company says.

    Of the four serials that will come up for an upward rate revision, three are expected from Star India and one from Zee Telefilms. Balaji makes a prime time show, Kasamh Se, for Zee TV.

    The paid up capital for Balaji’s wholly owned subsidary company at Sharjah will be Rs 40 million.

    The company is making a serial for ARY which will go on air by the first week of November. “The serial will air four days a week. If demand for our shows increase, we will invest in ramping up our facility. We don’t expect revenue inflows getting reflected this fiscal,” the source adds. The subsidiary company will produce serials aimed specifically at the Middle East market.

    Commissioned programming in the year is eexpected to increase by 7-8 per cent while exposure in the sponsored category will reduce. Revenue from the southern market is also estimated to reduce from Rs 320 million to Rs 200-250 million. Balaji has an exposure on the Sun Network channels.

    “The average revenue realisation per house will see a further rise this fiscal,” the source says. Balaji’s realisation per hour of commissioned shows rose from Rs 1.7 million to Rs 2.2 million for FY06.

    The company is adopting a cautious approach towards movie production. It will not be releasing any movie this year and is taking the co-production route for the next three films. “We are taking safer bets. There is no pressure on us to take risks. Our bottomline will stand even stronger this year,” the source says.

    Balaji Telefilms saw a robust growth in FY06 with topline increasing 43 per cent to Rs 2.8 billion. Net profit rose 44 per cent to Rs 594 million.

  • WWE Summer Slam on Ten Sports

    The biggest WWE event of the year so far explodes on to TV screens when Ten Sports airs Summer Slam 2006 at 1100 IST on Sunday.

    This years Summer Slam takes place in Boston and the highlight of the evening will be when hometown boy John Cena challenges WWE Champion Edge for his title.

    But before that there will be plenty of other enthralling action which is set to get underway with the continuing bitter feud between Rey Mysterio and Chavo Guerrero.

    As well as the WWE Championship being on the line there will be two other titles up for grabs including the ECW World Title with the champion Big Show facing the daunting challenge of Sabu.

    World Heavyweight Champion King Booker also faces a serious threat to his title when he squares up to the virtually unstoppable Batista.

    And of course there will be the much awaited match up between D-Generation and The McMahons made up of WWE Chairman Vince and his son Shane.

    Other matches on the bill include Randy Orton against Hulk Hogan and Rick Flair and Mickey Foley going head to head in an ‘I Quit” match.

    With such a line up there is bound to be incredible action and controversy and it is all on Ten Sports.

    ABOUT TEN SPORTS: Only launched in April 2002, Taj TV’s Ten Sports is watched by more viewers than any other sports channel in the sub-continent and is available in more than 50 million cable/ satellite households worldwide. Ten Sports is the world’s biggest producers of cricket. The Channel broadcasts cricket from Sharjah, the West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Morocco throughout the Indian sub-continent and Asia, as well as in Europe and the Middle East. Other cricket properties broadcast by Ten Sports in certain territories include internationals from India, the World Cup 2003 and the ICC Champions Trophy 2004.

    FOR MORE INFORMATION ON TEN SPORTS PROGRAMMES, CONTACT:

    Murtuza Madraswala – Taj Television India Pvt Ltd, 403 Manish Commercial Complex, Dr. A.B. Road, Mumbai, India. Tel no: +91 22 6662 3101; Fax no: +91 22 6662 629; Email: murtuzam@tajtv.com or visit www.tensports.com

  • Sharjah looking to host Twenty20 event next year

    Sharjah looking to host Twenty20 event next year

    MUMBAI: The Cricketers Benefit Fund Series (CBFS) is looking to relaunch Sharjah as an international venue with a Twenty20 club championships early next year.

    Media reports indicate that the Twenty20 competition, involving top teams like Australia and India will take place before the World Cup next year. CBFS had not been able to hold matches for the last three years due to a hectic international calendar and problems with dates while inviting teams to participate.

    Pakistan, Sri Lanka, England and South Africa all hold annual domestic Twenty20 Cup tournaments. The West Indies recently completed its inaugural competition. As yet, India does not have a Twenty20 event but there are plans in this arena.

  • Zee unveils state-of-the-art digital studio in UAE

    Zee unveils state-of-the-art digital studio in UAE

    MUMBAI: Zee Telefilms International has opened a state-of-the-art digital studio in Sharjah, UAE. The studio been launched with the purpose of telecasting locally-produced programmes in the region.

    UNI has quoted Zee Telefilms International regional MD Yogesh Radhakrishnan as saying that, the system would complement the network’s increasing emphasis on Arab viewership and indigenous content as exemplified by its Arab-oriented channel Zee Arabiya.

    The six million dollar high-end studio and post-production facilities located at the ISO certified Airport Free Zone will serve several purposes, including support to the new, Arabic based and youth-focused channel Zee Arabiya, as per the report.

  • BCCI calls for tenders for ‘neutral venue’ media rights

    BCCI calls for tenders for ‘neutral venue’ media rights

    MUMBAI: And so the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) continues along its merry road of extracting “maximum value” for its properties.

    The latest money-mopping plan the BCCI has pulled out of its cupboard, which will only add to an already seriously overloaded cricket itinerary, are for matches played by India at neutral venues (non-ICC member countries) over the next five years. The media rights for this latest piece of the India cricket pie will be inaugurated with the two-match Indo-Pakistan limited over series that will be held in Abu Dhabi next month.

    According to a media release issued by the cricket board today, the last date for submission of tenders for global media rights for India matches at these neutral venues would be 5 April, at noon at Nirlon House in Mumbai. The tenders would be scrutinised the same day.

    The financial bids would be opened in Delhi the following day between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. at the Oberoi Hotel, the release adds.

    “The global media rights tender is intended to streamline the process of match telecasting wherever the Indian team is playing. With the number and quality of matches growing, this streamlining becomes increasingly important,” said BCCI vice-president and chairman of its marketing sub-committee Lalit Modi.

    The minimum bid varies with the region/ country being bid for. However bidders have the option to bid for rights in more than one country/ region.

    Some countries tentatively included in the list of venues are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Holland, Toronto, New York and Tristate Area, Houston, Chicago, Palo Alto and bay area, Singapore, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur.

    The Indo-Pak Friendship Series to be played at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Stadium on 18 and 19 April is being organised as a fundraiser for the October 2005 earthquake victims in Pakistan and India. These matches are recognised by the ICC and will be counted as official one-day internationals (ODI).

    It was yesterday that the board invited tenders for the stadium ground rights that include all in-stadium branding and on air promotions. The eligibility criteria that the board laid down for this was that interested companies and agencies would need to have a net worth of $5 million. The minimum bid for the ground rights tender package is $3 million.

    “The ground rights sponsorship entails an exclusive sponsorship package, offering logos on all tickets, entry gates, ground logos, stumps etc.,” Modi was quoted as saying yesterday.
    Sealed bid entries will be accepted at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai till 4:30 p.m. 31 March. The bids will be opened at 5 p.m. the same day.

    “This is a unique opportunity for brands to not only reach out to the Indian communities overseas but also promote their brand in a unique manner where, for the first time, all rights are being offered to a single company,” Modiwas quoted in media reports as saying.