The Hindu Business Line : SC asks Ten Sports to offer feed to DD for second ODI

Though the Supreme Court today directed Ten Sports to share the signals of the match with the national broadcaster, Prasar Bharati, Doordarshan may not be able to telecast the match if Taj TV Private Ltd, Dubai, does not offer the signals to Taj TV Private (India) Ltd.

The counsel for Ten Sports today said that no signals might be available if Taj TV Private Ltd, Dubai decided not to offer the signals to the Indian company.

The Indian entity said that it does not own the rights over the telecast signals generated from Pakistan and giving simultaneous telecast feed to DD could be a breach of its contract with the original telecast rights holder, Taj TV Private Ltd, Dubai. It, therefore, expressed apprehensions that the signals of live telecast might not be shown in India at all.

Officials of Taj TV, India were not willing to comment on the issue, as the matter is subjudice. Mr Lalit Modi, President, Cable Distribution Network, which is distributing the channel said, "As far as we are concerned, we will distribute the signals given to us. It is up to Taj TV to decide what to do. But we have an agreement with them whereby they will have to give us the signals." Industry sources said that the advertisers could also take legal recourse if the match is not shown as several of them have entered into various contracts with the channel.

The three-judge Bench headed by the Chief Justice, Mr V.N. Khare, in its interim order, also directed Doordarshan to carry the logo of Ten Sports as well as the advertisements to be telecast by Ten Sports.

While the final hearing is to take place on March 17, it said that all the ads must conform to the Advertisement Code and the advertisements that are not permitted to be telecast in India will not be shown.

The court also asked Prasar Bharati to deposit Rs 10 crore within two days before the Registrar General of the Supreme Court for availing themselves of the signals and other facilities provided by Ten Sports for the match. The national broadcaster had claimed that it had managed to sell over 5,000 seconds of advertisements and had garnered over Rs 10 crore on the first ODI played in Karachi.

The public broadcaster is optimistic that the sports broadcaster would provide it with signals. Mr K.S Sarma, Chief Executive Officer, said, "We have not heard otherwise from Ten Sports and we have agreed to carry their signals along with the ads. However, the final decision on who will pay what will be known only during the next hearing."

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