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ESPN-STAR SPORTS GETS FLAK
FROM CABLE OPS
After appearing to have dealt with Indian cable
TV ops effectively on the issue of piracy, ESPN-Star Sports
this week ran into rough weather as cable operators in Mumbai
openly aired ads over the commercials booked by the two channels
during their telecast of the World Cup Cricket tournament.
The ESPN-Star Sports management had taken the assistance of
the Mumbai police force which threatened to impose heavy fines
and arrest cable operators who resorted to piracy and blocked
the telecast.
For a couple of days, the MSOs took heed. But
then they approached local political supremo, Shiv Sena chief
Bal Thackery's daughter-in-law Smita Thackeray and informed
her that they were more than willing to air promos for a new
Hindi film she had produced over every commercial Star Sports
or ESPN aired. Once she gave the go-ahead, the cable operators
then went to town and blocked every television commercial
with their own local ads, secure in their minds that the police
would not go against Thackeray. One estimate is that cable
operators are likely to generate advertising revenues in excess
of Rs 100 million by superimposing their ads over the ESPN-Star
Sports commercials during the cricket telecast.
At the time of writing the broadcasters had
not taken a decision on how it would tackle the fresh wave
of piracy that they have been hit with. Advertisers have been
pressuring the ESPN-Star Sports management to curb the wild
cable TV trade. The ESPN-Star Sports management had taken
to switching off the decoders of cable operators who were
blocking ads. No arrests had been made at the time of writing.
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