Ten Sports to share live cricket broadcast signals with DD

Mumbai: Sports channel Ten Sports will share live broadcast feed of remaining India-Sri Lanka one day cricket series with Doordarshan (DD), after the ministry of information and broadcasting issued two show cause notices to the channel.

The Taj Television owned channel did not share the live signals of first three one day international matches played between India and Sri Lanka on 18th, 20th and 24th August, 2008 which they were mandated to do under the provisions of Section 3 (1) of the sports broadcasting signals (mandatory sharing with Prasar Bharati) Act, 2007.

As a result Prasar Bharati informed the ministry of information and broadcasting of this and accordingly two show cause notices each dated 20th and 21st August, 2008 were issued to M/s Taj Television India Private Limited, Mumbai (the downlinking agent of Ten Sports channel in India) and M/s Taj Television Limited, Dubai, the content rights owner or holder and the owner of Ten Sports channel for violation of the rules.

A civil miscellaneous application was also filed before the Delhi high court by a consumer organisation against Ten Sports for violating the act.

The counsels appearing for the sports channel made a statement before the court that they are ready to share live broadcast signals with Prasar Bharati. The court also directed Prasar Bharati (Doordarshan) to re-schedule its other programmes on the days of the matches and show the live matches in larger public interest.

The order was passed by the high court without prejudice to the rights and contentions of any of the parties in respect of the show cause notices already issued to M/s Ten Sports Channel.

The act was brought into force to provide access to the largest number of listeners and viewers on a free-to-air basis, of sporting events of national importance through mandatory sharing of sports broadcastingsignals with Prasar Bharati by any content rights owner or holder and a television or radio broadcasting service provider.