Prasar Bharti sends notice to news channels over Games feed

Official sources said Doordarshan has the sole rights for telecast of the ongoing Olympics Games and private channels would have to take permission and come to an agreement for payment to use for using the footage.

When contacted private news broadcasters on the condition of anonymity said some of the players have received the letter from Prasar Bharti but said it would be responded through News Broadcasters Association.

Top officials of leading news channels, including NDTV, CNN IBN, Zee News and India TV, declined to comment individually.

NBA Secretary General Annie Jospeh said, “This is an administrative issue and we would not like to go through the media.”

Doordarshan in 2006 had made it mandatory for private TV channels to share with DD the live feed of all official One-Day Internationals, Twenty20 ties and some Tests of public interest abroad.

The private channels had at that time protested against this saying they have shelled out huge amounts to bag the telecast rights of all these matches and giving it free to DD would dent their earning prospects.

Doordarshan Director Marketing Sukhjinder Kaur said, “From our side we have not sold any Olympic footage rights to anybody, because we wanted to have the exclusive rights in the country for the subscribers.”

She said, “Some broadcasters have approached DD for the footage but the request was turned down.”

“Therefore, their showing of Olympic footage without our consent and knowledge is unauthorised,” Kaur said.