Madras HC division bench stays earlier order on BCCI TV rights

A Madras High Court division bench has stayed an earlier court order which allowed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to initiate a fresh tender on cricket telecast rights.

The division bench also made it clear that the court will cancel any BCCI action on the re-tendering process till the appeal by ZEE Telefilms was fully settled.

The bench was referring to the ZEE appeal against a March 21 Madras High Court verdict arguing that if the cricket board was in the wrong, then ZEE Telefilms should be handed back the rights.

The next hearing of the case is scheduled for April 20. This implies that BCCI will have to wait to initiate a fresh tender till the next date of hearing.

Last month, the Madras HC had told ZEE Telefilms that while ZEE could sue the cricket board, BCCI could also put up the Indian cricket telecast rights for sale to the highest bidder.

The Zee Telefilms appeal gave another twist to the ongoing cricket-drama that has got deeply embroiled in controversies with an early end to the dispute nowhere in sight.

ZEE has meanwhile sent a legal notice to BCCI claiming compensation to the tune of Rs 1,630 million for the cancellation of telecast rights awarded to it in September 2004. Ashish Kaul, vice-president, Corporate Brand Development Group, ZEE Telefilms, confirmed the development. © 2005 agencyfaqs!