Non-cable viewers may have to watch seven minutes deferred live telecast of India-Sri Lanka cricket match on Sunday as the argument remained inconclusive on Nimbus-Prasar Bharati row.
NEW DELHI: Millions of non-cable viewers may have to watch seven minutes deferred live telecast of India-Sri Lanka cricket match on Sunday as the argument remained inconclusive on Nimbus-Prasar Bharati row in the Delhi High Court.
After hearing both the sides, Justice BD Ahmed posted the hearing for Monday, the day when another bench comprising Chief Justice MK Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Khanna will hear the petition filed by Prasar Bharati challenging single judge bench order of showing seven minutes deferred live telecast.
Accusing Nimbus of adopting delaying tactics in the court, Additional Solicitor General PP Malhotra said they wanted to prolong it till February 17 when India-Sri Lanka series would be over.
Malhotra further contended that after passing of the Ordinance, it had become law as of Friday and Nimbus had challenged the guidelines and not the Ordinance.
Later on, Nimbus Communications also challenged the Sports Broadcast Signal Ordinance 2007, which makes it mandatory for private broadcasters to share live feed of matches of national and international importance with Prasar Bharati.
Nimbus, which has exclusive telecast rights for the cricket matches, is seeking quashing of the Ordinance on the ground that its jurisdiction can be exercised across the country. If it has trans-border impact, then it would be without the authority of law and cannot be enforced.
The Sports channel also contended that Ordinance was violative of its intellectual property rights and fundamental rights under Article 19 (1)(a) of the Constitution, guaranteeing freedom of speech and expression.
Referring to Section 6 of the Ordinance, the channel said any declaration which overruled the order passed by the court was illegal and null and void.
The channel had accused Prasar Bharati of promoting its commercial interests under the garb of public interest.
It is also contended by Nimbus that the constitution of a committee, which would look into the encryption of signals, by the government was a clear admission that there was a lacunae in the Ordinance.
Terming the passing of the Ordinance as a 'colourable exercise of power', the petitioner contended that it had been promulgated only to deprive its valuable contractual rights and to enrich the commercial interest of Prasar Bharati.
Questioning the manner and the haste in which Ordinance was brought in, the sports channel said it had been done keeping in mind the ongoing India-Sri Lanka cricket series.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}