Notice to Centre in cricket telecast case

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Centre ESPN Star Sports to file their replies to the petition by Zee Telefilms.

The petition seeks quashing of the Board of Control for Cricket in India's tender invitation for telecast and broadcast rights in India for the next four years.

Zee has alleged that the eligibility conditions have been framed to keep Indian bidders out of the fray so as to favour ESPN Star Sports.

A division Bench of Acting Chief Justice BA Khan and Justice Madan B Lokur adjourned the hearing to August 31 as only BCCI had filed its reply yesterday.

Zee Counsel Pratibha M Singh wanted the court to restrain BCCI from scrutinising bids till final disposal of the matter, but the court did not pass any order on this.

The last date for submitting bids is August 26.

Senior Counsel Soli Sorabjee said the petitioner's case was based on the apprehension that BCCI would reject its bid. This was not the stage to agitate the issue as bidding was yet to take place, he submitted.

Zee Telefilms has sought a direction to the Centre not to grant permission to BCCI or any of its licencees for uplinking of TV signals of cricket matches to be played in India during October 2005 and September 2009.

On the last date, senior counsel Harish Salve had said the conditions were tailor-made for BCCI to suit ESPN Star Sports to continue and perpetuate its monopoly.

Salve had said the Centre should regulate these conditions. It should ensure these were fair and reasonable as air waves had been held to be public property by the Supreme Court, he had added.

Zee said the right to telecast was included in the Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression in the Constitution.