It is seemingly a simple enough thing -- identify a broadcaster for international cricket matches/series hosted by India in India.
And yet, for the best part of a year now, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has managed to take this seemingly simple brief, and make of it a right royal mess; to land in multiple lawsuits and, in the process, to jeopardise key encounters against Australia and, now, Pakistan.
How, when, and why was the mess created, and perpetuated? A timeline:
August 7, 2004
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) invites bids for live telecast and radio broadcast rights for international matches to be played in India for a three year period.
September 5, 2004
Zee Telefilms Ltd's bid of USD 308 million for telecast rights for a four-year period is deemed the best; the network is awarded the rights subject to its depositing USD 20 million as signing amount within 48 hours.
Bidding rivals ESPN-Star Sports object; saying the BCCI has violated its own bidding process.
September 6, 2004
ESPN-Star Sports moves the Mumbai high court, challenging the award of the contract to Zee Telefilms. The latter files a caveat.
September 7, 2004
Zee Telefilms deposits the signing amount of USD 20 million within the prescribed time frame.
September 9, 2004
The Mumbai High Court asks ESPN-Star Sports and Zee TV to make fresh bids. The court rules that the highest bidder will earn telecast rights for all international matches played in India between October 2004 and September 2008.
September 14, 2004
Zee refuses to file a fresh bid. The Government of India meanwhile, in an affidavit filed in the high court, refuses to be party to the controversy. The GoI maintains that the BCCI is an autonomous body, and hence the award of telecast rights is solely within its jurisdiction.
September 17, 2004
Zee Telefilms counsel Harish Salve argues in court that the ESPN-Star Sports contention, that Zee does not have the requisite experience and production facilities for live telecast of cricket, is wrong.
The Bombay high court observes that if the conditions of the tender are strictly adhered to, then neither Zee Telefilms Ltd nor ESPN-Star Sports qualify for the rights.
September 21, 2004
The BCCI tells the Bombay high court it is cancelling the tender process for telecast rights.
Zee Telefilms accuses the BCCI and ESPN-Star Sports of hatching a "conspiracy."
September 22, 2004
The BCCI announces that it will make its own arrangements to telecast the upcoming Test series against Australia.
September 27, 2004
The BCCI announces that Prasar Bharati will telecast India-Aus series.
February 2, 2005
Zee Telefilms argues before the Supreme Court that the BCCI is a 'state', as it selects the Indian team and has been given de facto recognition by the Union Government to carry out its functions. Based on this argument, Zee asks the apex court to scrutinise the BCCI's action in cancelling the tender process for award of telecast rights.
The Supreme Court rules that the Board of Control for Cricket in India is not a 'State' within the meaning of the Constitution; therefore it cannot be sued in court for alleged violation of fundamental rights.
February 9, 2005
The BCCI counsel gives an undertaking in court that it will not finalise tenders or contracts for telecast of cricket matches to be played in the country, including the upcoming India-Pakistan series, till February 17.
February 17, 2005
The BCCI admits to having incurred a loss of Rs 150 crore during the series against South Africa and Australia due to its failure to award telecast rights.
February 20, 2005
ZEE Telefilms sends a letter to the BCCI, urging it to "leave the unpleasantness behind" and find a way to sort out the contentious issue.
February 22, 2005
International Cricket Council president Ehsan Mani says that without the assurance of live telecast, the scheduled India-Pakistan Test and ODI series cannot proceed.
February 24, 2005
The Madras High Court directs Prasar Bharati to telecast the upcoming Indo-Pak cricket series. The court gives the BCCI freedom to engage any producer for the purpose of live feed, but adds that neither Zee Telefilms Ltd nor ESPN-Star Sports can be asked to produce the feed.
