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NEW
DELHI: ESPN Star Sports (ESS) has appealed to the Delhi High
Court to restrain seven news channels from carrying sports
clippings from exclusive ESS properties other than scheduled
news bulletins without its prior permission.
ESS
has named NDTV 24 X 7, CNN IBN, IBN 7, Aaj Tak, Star News
and Zee News as illegally showing clippings of the current
matches being played in Australia in violation of the conditions
and terms set out by the company.
The
conditions say that such footage can be shown for news shows
only, that too for 30 seconds and not more than a total of
two minutes every 24 hour cycle. But according to the channel's
counsel, Ranvir Dave, the news channels are showing clippings
for commercial purposes by carrying advertisements.
ESS
has filed the appeal based on Tam data for the period January
6 to 8, that shows that these channels have been showing clippings
as highlights of the match of the day, which they are not
allowed to do.
According
the ESS appeal, the news channels are merely allowed to report
the outcome of the game, restricted to their actual news telecast
and not otherwise in any other form.
ESS
says it has bought exclusive rights for these properties from
International Cricket Council for millions of dollars and
the clippings being shown on news channels are causing them
great financial damage.
It
is common knowledge that during the Harbhajan Singh 'racist'
slur furore, various news channels have been running almost
day-long programmes with such aggressive headlines like Yeh
Hai Beimaan (The Traitors); Bucknor Tuney Kya Kiya
(What have you done Bucknor) and Beimaan Bucknor.
These
eyeball grabbing headlines were based on ESS clippings and
the channels ran advertisements during commercial breaks while
showing them. ESS has objected to this.
In
fact, it has pointed out to the court specifically about the
Bucknor Tuney Kya Kiya show on Zee News. ESS shows
from Tam data that Zee News had run clippings of 18 minutes
17 seconds from its own clippings.
ESS and news channels did not want to comment on the case
as it is sub judice.
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