Doordarshan can share feed of WC matches with private cable operators: SC

Posting the case for further hearing in July, the bench also extended its order of stay on the Delhi High Court verdict that had asked Prasar Bharati not to share the live feed of the matches with cable operators.

The High Court order, the bench said, will remain suspended until further orders, while also rejecting the private channels’ offer to help Prasar Bharati start a new channel exclusively for beaming World Cup matches. “Although an offer has been made on behalf of Star India to make available its expertise and personnel to aid the Prasar Bharati, we are not inclined to consider the said offer,” it said.
The court also declined Star India’s second suggestion of putting up for all cable operators a scroll stating: “The channel displaying the sports event is meant only for Doordarshan”. It said that directing the Prasar Bharati to run this scroll would mean interpreting the Sports Broadcasting Signals Act and the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act in a particular manner, “which is not warranted at this stage.”

Prasar Bharati has moved the Supreme Court, stating the High Court verdict was not only against the mandate of the Sports Act and Cable TV Network Act but it was also contrary to public interest. The petition argued that it was mandatory under law for the private channels to share the feeds with Prasar Bharati for providing it on DD’s free-to-air terrestrial channels.

ESPN and Star had contended that cable operators were getting live feed free through DD channels, resulting in loss of revenue for them.