Cricket on TV: LHC tells PTV to issue new tenders for broadcasting rights
PTV attorney accuses Geo of unfair business practices.
LAHORE:
The Lahore High Court has directed the Pakistan Television Corporation (PTC) to issue new tenders for sub-licensing rights to telecast international cricket matches from 2012 to 2015.
Justice Umar Ata Bandial issued the order on Tuesday while disposing of a petition by the Independent Music Group SMC (Pvt) Ltd seeking exclusive rights to telecast cricket matches for its channel Geo Super. The judge directed the PTC to invite bids and complete the process as soon as possible.
The PTC attorney submitted that the Music Group participated in the bidding, but their offer was rejected because they did not meet certain requirements. For one, the group was a loan defaulter and owed the National Bank Rs1.5 billion and the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) Rs50 million, he said. The group was also demanding exclusive rights, which the PTC did not offer. He said that the group’s financial position was unsound.
He said when the PTC won the broadcasting rights for the cricket matches from ESPN, Geo was a rival bidder. He said that the Supreme Court had ruled that a party could reject a business offer from a rival. He said that Geo had already involved the PTC in “frivolous litigation”.
The lawyer also accused the group of unfair business practices. He alleged that Geo had stolen emails and other data from PTV to include in their petition. He demanded action against the group. The judge advised the PTC counsel to move the proper forum.
Saim Hashim, the Geo attorney, said that the PTC counsel was lying and the group was not in a weak financial position. He said the group would prove this if required to do so.
The petition stated that the International Cricket Council (ICC) had granted the rights to telecast cricket events to ESPN, which had sold rights for four years to the PTC for $30 million, or Rs2.676 billion.
It said the PTC had entered into back to back arrangements to sub-license cricket broadcasting rights to Ten Sports, an Indian TV channel. It said that on October 27, Geo wrote a letter to PTC offering to form a joint venture to broadcast ICC events on the terms and conditions being offered to Ten Sports, but they refused the offer without explanation.
The petition said depriving the group of these rights was a violation of their fundamental rights, as was the conduct of the PTC.
It asked the court to restrain PTC from selling the rights to Ten Sports as it was an Indian channel.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 14th, 2011.
The Lahore High Court has directed the Pakistan Television Corporation (PTC) to issue new tenders for sub-licensing rights to telecast international cricket matches from 2012 to 2015.
Justice Umar Ata Bandial issued the order on Tuesday while disposing of a petition by the Independent Music Group SMC (Pvt) Ltd seeking exclusive rights to telecast cricket matches for its channel Geo Super. The judge directed the PTC to invite bids and complete the process as soon as possible.
The PTC attorney submitted that the Music Group participated in the bidding, but their offer was rejected because they did not meet certain requirements. For one, the group was a loan defaulter and owed the National Bank Rs1.5 billion and the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) Rs50 million, he said. The group was also demanding exclusive rights, which the PTC did not offer. He said that the group’s financial position was unsound.
He said when the PTC won the broadcasting rights for the cricket matches from ESPN, Geo was a rival bidder. He said that the Supreme Court had ruled that a party could reject a business offer from a rival. He said that Geo had already involved the PTC in “frivolous litigation”.
The lawyer also accused the group of unfair business practices. He alleged that Geo had stolen emails and other data from PTV to include in their petition. He demanded action against the group. The judge advised the PTC counsel to move the proper forum.
Saim Hashim, the Geo attorney, said that the PTC counsel was lying and the group was not in a weak financial position. He said the group would prove this if required to do so.
The petition stated that the International Cricket Council (ICC) had granted the rights to telecast cricket events to ESPN, which had sold rights for four years to the PTC for $30 million, or Rs2.676 billion.
It said the PTC had entered into back to back arrangements to sub-license cricket broadcasting rights to Ten Sports, an Indian TV channel. It said that on October 27, Geo wrote a letter to PTC offering to form a joint venture to broadcast ICC events on the terms and conditions being offered to Ten Sports, but they refused the offer without explanation.
The petition said depriving the group of these rights was a violation of their fundamental rights, as was the conduct of the PTC.
It asked the court to restrain PTC from selling the rights to Ten Sports as it was an Indian channel.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 14th, 2011.