The Hindu : Front Page : Stop misuse of unencrypted signals: BCCI, Nimbus

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Wednesday, Mar 07, 2007
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Stop misuse of unencrypted signals: BCCI, Nimbus

Vijay Lokapally

Television company has a fair complaint, we will find solution: Pawar

NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the television company Nimbus have appealed to the Union Government to find a solution to stop misuse of unencrypted signals of matches within the country.

Nimbus, which paid $ 612 million to acquire television rights for home matches for a four-year period from 2006, has claimed that it is losing money because of unauthorised use of signals by agencies in neighbouring countries. It is also concerned at loss of revenue because of the illegal use of signals by DTH (direct-to-home) service providers.

Fair complaint: Pawar

"Nimbus has a fair complaint, but we will have to find a solution within the Indian law," BCCI president Sharad Pawar said here on Tuesday.

About the "must-share" telecast ordinance, Mr. Pawar said he was part of the government and had no problem with the proposal to make it a law. But the government must see Nimbus' plea and sort out the issue.

"We have no problems with Prasar Bharti taking the signals for its terrestrial channels, but its footprint also covers the region where Nimbus has sold the signals," said Mr. Pawar.

"We don't have a problem with DD, but we do have a problem with DTH," Nimbus Communications chairman Harish Thawani said after a meeting with BCCI officials.

"For the BCCI also DTH is a concern. Nimbus has hinted at material changes in the contract including reduction (of money)," said BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla after the board officials discussed the issue at a meeting at Mr. Pawar's house.

"As long as DD runs an unencrypted signal, we have a problem. A solution has to be found so that we should begin the next season with a clear mind," said Mr. Thawani. He said Nimbus had made no threat to pull out of the contract and hoped that a solution would emerge.

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