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NEW
DELHI: Prasar Bharati is willing to start negotiations with
KK Modi company, Modi Entertainment Network (MEN), on the
issue of converting national broadcaster Doordarshan's DD
Sports channel into a free to air channel from the existing
pay mode.
According to sources in Prasar Bharati, talks have to be
held with MEN on the issue as the latter has gone to court
over reported remarks on DD Sports to be converted into
a FTA channel and got a stay on any such thing happening.
MEN got an ad-interim injunction from the Delhi High Court
ordering Prasar Bharati to maintain status quo with respect
to its distribution agreement with MEN. As per the suit
filed by MEN, it has sought an order restraining Doordarshan
from interfering with the distribution of DD Sports channel
in digital and encrypted format till 2005 (the period for
which the existing contract runs) exclusively within India
and neighbouring countries.
The
next hearing of this case has been set for 3 December.
MEN's
actions followed recent comments by Prasar Bharati chief
executive KS Sarma made to the media in Chennai that the
pubcaster was thinking of converting DD Sports into a free
to air channel.
Contacted
today by indiantelevision.com, MEN chairman Lalit Modi,
while admitting that the company has gone to the court,
said: "We are open to any negotiations, but no formal communication
has come yet from DD or Prasar Bharati."
MEN
has an agreement with Prasar Bharati for the distribution
activities relating to DD Sports. Modi added that it was
unethical on Prasar Bharati's part to take a decision to
convert DD Sports into a FTA channel without first consulting
MEN as the company has invested a sizeable amount of money
in the distribution process of the channel, including set
top boxes.
Modi
also maintained that DD Sports' viewership is fairly large
and no efforts have been spared to increase its penetration
through the cable operators who initially were not much
in favour of the channel on the prime band.
If
DD decides to opt out of the agreement with MEN and goes
ahead with its plans on DD Sports, then it may have to pay
a hefty amount for exiting the agreement, industry sources
said.
Still, Prasar Bharati officials maintained that even while
the corporation would abide by the current court ruling,
the rationale behind the proposal to make DD Sports FTA
channel was that in the pay mode it was not getting enough
viewership.
"Considering that DD is a public broadcaster, its role is
to spread the messages far and wide. DD Sports in the pay
mode was not being accessed in the remote areas and promotion
of sports, including the indigenous ones, could not be taken
in a proper manner. Hence the broad proposal to convert
it into a FTA channel," a senior official of Prasar Bharati
told indiantelevision.com.
Moreover, with DD having bagged the terrestrial telecast
rights of ICC cricket, including the next World Cup in South
Africa, it ideally needs a channel where the cricket matches
could be shown without displacing its existing programmes
which would be necessitated if the cricket matches are telecast
on DD National or even DD Metro.
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