News Broadcasting
TDSAT rules in favour of ESPN in dues dispute with ICC
MUMBAI: ESPN Software India has won its case against Pune’s biggest MSO Intermedia Cable Communication (ICC) for recovery of dues that go back to December 2004.
In what is being described as a landmark judgment, the Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT), which was hearing the case on a complaint filed by the sports broadcaster late last month, has directed ICC to clear of its pending dues even in the absence of any written contract.
The dues under dispute cover the the period 5 December 2004 to 8 June 2005 when the operator was provided signals even though the agreement between the two companies had expired as of 5 December 2003.
TDSAT has ruled that since the signals were continued beyond the date of termination of the agreement, the subscription fee for the period be kept at the old rate of Rs 32 per subscriber. This amounted to a monthly subscription of Rs 1,272,000 per month that was owed to ESPN for the period under dispute.
The Tribunal has directed ICC to pay ESPN Rs 7,221,000 in three equal monthly installments payable on 1 June, 1 July and 1 August respectively. In its order, TDSAT indicated that since the MSO had argued that it was facing a a problem of recovery of money from the ground, a point not denied by ESPN, it was giving the operator three months to clear the dues.
Any further delays would make ICC liable to pay additional interest at 12 per cent per annum, the Tribunal has ruled.
Commenting on the development, ESPN’s CFO Vijay Rajput said, “This is a landmark judgment. This judgment will act as a precedent wherever the cable operators arm twist broadcasters under the pretext of negotiations.”
During the course of the hearing, an interesting point that came up was that the relations between the two parties turned sour following the alleged disconnection of signals by ESPN for four days in January 2004 at the time of the India–Australia cricket series followed by another disconnection in June 2004 for two days at the time of the Euro Soccer Football matches. ICC had claimed that the two signal disruptions were done despite excess subscription amounts having been made to ESPN.
The MSO argued that it paid subscription w.e.f 5 December 2003 at the old rate despite not being able to collect the amounts from the ground. The crux of its argument was however that since no fresh agreement was entered into after the expiry of the contract on 5 December 2003, ESPN was therefore not entitled to make any claim for the period 5 December 2004 to 5 June 2005.
ICC in its counter affidavit had stated, “The Tribunal has no jurisdiction to entertain this petition; that the service contract dated 5 December 2003 provides for arbitration, and that ESPN even though a company incorporated in India is in reality foreign controlled, as such, it has no right/locus standi to enter into agreement with any of the companies in India without permission from the government of India”.
Responding to the objections raised by the MSO, the Tribunal stated that it had the jurisdiction to adjudicate on this matter.
News Broadcasting
Mihir Bhatt appointed as chief content officer at News18 Studios
The media veteran brings two decades of experience across television, digital and radio to one of India’s biggest broadcast networks, Disney+ Hotstar, Discovery+
NEW DELHI: Network18 has a new strategist in the building. Mihir Bhatt, one of Indian media’s more versatile operators, has joined News18 Studios as chief content officer, stepping into a role that will see him shape content strategy, build multi-platform properties and drive brand partnerships across the network.
Bhatt brings more than two decades of experience spanning television, digital and radio, with a track record of doing something rare in Indian media: combining editorial ambition with hard commercial results. At Times Network, where he served as managing editor and chief business officer of Times Influence, he built one of the industry’s more respected content studios, launching marquee properties such as the India Economic Conclave, the Times Now Summit and Leaders of Tomorrow. He also pushed the network into premium OTT territory through tie-ups with Disney+ Hotstar and Discovery+.
His resume stretches well beyond the studio. Bhatt has led Global Investor Summits for multiple state governments, worked alongside the World Economic Forum and played a pivotal role in launching the Indian Pickleball League. Earlier, as editor of Zee Business, he pioneered investor education initiatives that are still cited as industry benchmarks.
At News18 Studios, Bhatt will report to chief executive S Shivakumar and will oversee the studios execution vertical alongside revenue verticals covering emerging markets and campaigns. Sidharth Saini, Hemanth Kumar and Nimar Sarkaria will work under him.
Rahul Joshi, managing director and editor-in-chief of Network18 Group, made the announcement in an internal communication. “Mihir’s ability to build enduring brands, foster strategic partnerships and navigate a rapidly evolving media landscape will be instrumental as we continue to strengthen our position and explore new avenues of growth in the Studios business,” Joshi said.
In a media industry lurching between disruption and reinvention, Network18 has bet on a man who has spent two decades thriving in exactly that chaos. Whether he can do it again, at greater scale, is the question worth watching.
