IPL-Media tussle persists, television channels threaten blackout
PTI to cover event in protest
The IPL- Media tussle over the media guidelines seems to persist despite the Twenty20 governing body relenting to many issues raised the media fraternity.
The News Broadcasters Association, an umbrella body of television broadcasters, have decided to boycott IPL, trigerring a prospect that many channels would resort to a blackout.
The decision to boycott IPL was conveyed to IPL boss Lalit Modi by the organisation’s secretary general Annie Joseph.
The exclusive rights given to ony Network and IPL’s refusal to discuss this is the bone of contention.
BCCI president Sharad Pawar, however, said he has told IPL boss Lalit Modi that he does not want to hear any complaints from media.
The country’s premier news agency, The Press Trust of India, which had earlier hinted at a boycott of IPL, now says it will cover the event under protest.
The key issue over whether dedicated cricket web sites would be able to use pictures still remains unclear.
IPL it seems wants a cap on the number of photographs web sites can use, a clause which media agencies say would hit their business and see it as an infringement on their freedom.
The accreditation of media had ended on April 10 but most media personnel had refused to do the formalities with IPL in protest. Now IPL has agreed to extend the date, though only two days are left for it to start.