Indian news broadcasters lift IPL boycott
Saturday, 13 March 2010
Indian news broadcasters will cover the IPL after all, with the tournament organisers and the News Broadcasters' Association (NBA) resolving the dispute regarding tournament footage. Lalit Modi confirmed the development on the eve of the third season of the IPL in his Twitter page. Further details on the compromise are still awaited, reports Cricinfo.
"NBA issue resolved. News broadcasters will carry IPL news," Modi wrote. "Both us moved forward to ensure all fans don't miss the IPL. My sincere thanks to the NBA members for making it happen."
The NBA, which has 34-member channels, had last month decided to boycott the tournament in protest against what it called "arbitrary" guidelines and contentious clauses regarding tournament footage. The decision followed a meeting between the NBA and officials of the IPL and Set Max, the tournament rights holder. The media coverage guidelines for 2010 had reduced the duration of match footage that news channels could carry -- 30 seconds per bulletin and seven minutes a day. Repeats would be allowed three times a day, as against four previously, and while match footage could earlier be telecast with a five-minute delay from the end of the live telecast, it had been expanded to a half-hour delay.
"NBA issue resolved. News broadcasters will carry IPL news," Modi wrote. "Both us moved forward to ensure all fans don't miss the IPL. My sincere thanks to the NBA members for making it happen."
The NBA, which has 34-member channels, had last month decided to boycott the tournament in protest against what it called "arbitrary" guidelines and contentious clauses regarding tournament footage. The decision followed a meeting between the NBA and officials of the IPL and Set Max, the tournament rights holder. The media coverage guidelines for 2010 had reduced the duration of match footage that news channels could carry -- 30 seconds per bulletin and seven minutes a day. Repeats would be allowed three times a day, as against four previously, and while match footage could earlier be telecast with a five-minute delay from the end of the live telecast, it had been expanded to a half-hour delay.