LHC asks Geo Super to approach PTVC for seeking rights
By: Amir Riaz
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court Friday barred the Pakistan Television Corporation (PTVC) from finalizing a deal with Indian channel, Ten Sports, for sub-licensing rights to telecast International Cricket Council (ICC) matches from 2012 to 2015 in Pakistan.
Justice Umar Ata Bandial issued the order on a petition filed by the Independent Music Group SMC (Pvt) Ltd, seeking telecast rights for its sports channel Geo Super. Justice Bandial ordered the petitioner company to submit the required amount in the bank, give guarantee to the court and then approach the PTVC for seeking rights, adjourned further proceedings till December 2.
The petitioner, through its counsel Saim Hashim, submitted that it was holder of Pakistan’s sole and exclusive sports channel Geo Super’s licence, which it had acquired under the direction of the Supreme Court on June 06.
The petitioner submitted that the ICC had granted the rights to telecast cricket events to ESPN which had further granted such rights for four years to different entities, belonging to different countries.
Keeping in view the keenness of fellow citizens of Pakistan, the petitioner-company had earlier acquired four years exclusive rights for ICC cricket events from ESPN to telecast certain cricket tournaments, including the ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011, on cable through satellite TV network within the territory of Pakistan.
The petition said the PTVC had also acquired rights to telecast the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 matches on its TV channel ‘PTV’ from ESPN, but only through its terrestrial network.This year, too, after expiry of the petitioner’s four-year rights to telecast ICC events, the ESPN invited bids for the auction of rights to broadcast the ICC cricket events for the next four years in Pakistan, including the rights to broadcast next ICC world cup 2015, the petitioner said.
The petitioner said the PTC had also approached ESPN to acquire rights to telecast the ICC cricket events through cable and TV channels. The PTVC made a bid for a huge amount of US $30 million and got exclusive rights to telecast ICC event for four years in Pakistan through terrestrial, cable and satellite networks. The petitioner argued that PTVC entered into back-to-back arrangements with Ten Sports, an Indian TV channel owned by Zee TV network, to give sub-license to its joint venture partner.
The petitioner’s counsel pointed out that on October 27, after knowing that the PTVC was formalizing its arrangements with Ten Sports, a letter was written to the PTVC with an offer that the Geo Super was willing to form a joint venture with the PTVC for ICC events on the same terms and conditions which were being offered to Indian TV channel, but they had turned down their offer without giving any reasons and signed a MoU with Indian TV.
Through Advocate Saim Hashim, the petitioner submitted that, in case the PTVC observed all legal formalities by publicly selling the rights, the petitioner hah all the qualifications to acquire such rights. Depriving them of the rights was tantamount to infringement on their fundamental rights. He said the conduct of the respondents was a violation of the Constitution, requesting the court to restrain the PTVC from sub-licensing the ICC cricket 2012-15 rights to Ten Sports.
Source: The News
Date:11/26/2011
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