Zee to approach High Court

The Supreme Court has allowed the Indian board to keep its autonomy but yesterday's ruling has not helped resolve the dispute over the telecast rights which has plagued Indian cricket for more than five months. While the working committee of the BCCI is likely to meet on February 6 to discuss the telecast-rights issue, Zee Telefilms, which had contested the BCCI's decision to cancel its bid of Rs14000million (approx US$320million) for the rights to televise Indian cricket for the next four years, is certain to take the matter to Bombay High Court.

The Supreme Court dismissed Zee's public-interest litigation against the BCCI on the grounds that the board wasn't a "state". However, it allowed Zee to contest BCCI's decision under article 226 at the High Court.

A Press Trust of India report quoted a Zee Telefilms spokesman as saying: "The writ petition has been dismissed under article 32 of the Constitution but is maintainable under article 226 before the High Court." He added that Zee would be approaching the High Court as soon as possible after consulting with its legal team.

Zee, which plans to launch its own sports channel later this year - their lack of pedigree in sports telecasting was one of the bones of contention when the bidding process started - had argued that since the BCCI picked and controlled the team which represented India at international events, its actions were subject to the same clauses that governed the functioning of the "state".