SC asks DD to switch off Fourth Umpire

The Supreme Court today asked Doordarshan not to insert its programmes like "Fourth Umpire" during lunch hour of the ongoing cricket matches between India and Pakistan.

The order was passed when Ten Sports, which has the exclusive rights to telecast of the one-day international cricket matches, complained that Prasar Bharti was violating the terms of the agreement arrived at in the court on January 30.

Justifying the telecast of "Fourth Umpire", Solicitor General G E Vahanvati told the bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhan that Doordarshan was airing the programme when there was no live coverage of the match. There was no violation of the terms of the agreement as the cricket coverage was uninterrupted. However, the judges told him that "uninterrupted means from the beginning till the end."

Ten Sports and Prasar Bharti had come to a settlement after the court asked the latter to deposit Rs 15 crore with the registry by February 9, which could be withdrawn by Ten Sports as full and final settlement for sharing "uninterrupted feed" of the five one-day matches.

Doordarshan was required not to run any advertisement during their terrestrial transmission and reduce the power of its satellite so that signals did not spill over to neighbouring countries.

The court had also transferred a petition pending in the Bombay High Court in this regard and said all matters relating to the dispute would be heard by a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court.

The holders of the telecast rights contend that the government guidelines are arbitrary and oppressive.