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Describing the protests by Prasar Bharati employees against the decision of Chief Executive Officer B S Lalli to go in for global tenders for coverage of the Commonwealth Games as ‘misplaced’, highly-placed sources in DD Sports told indiantelevision.com that outsourcing by the host broadcaster for live coverage of international sporting events was a normal practice since one broadcaster could not be expected to have expertise in covering all events.

It was pointed out that during the Olympics in China, the host broadcaster had covered only two sporting disciplines and all the others were outsourced. However, the supervisory control will be with the host broadcaster.

Furthermore, this had not been done merely because Prasar Bharati was unlikely to acquire technology for High Definition Television that is needed in most recipient countries. The sources said it was an economically sound decision as a large part of the equipment or Out Broadcasting Vans that will need to be acquired for the Games will become useless later. For example, each HDTV van costs around Rs 300 to Rs 350 million and India could not afford such expenses. Similarly, some events require OB vans having the capacity for ten or more cameras (just as cricket requires up to 16 cameras), and would lie unused after the Games.

Thus those approved global sports broadcasters who bring their own equipment would be free to take these back after the Games.

Lalli told indiantelevision.com that the Expenditure Committee had also recommended outsourcing. He said the entire control and coordination would remain with the pubcaster.

He said shortlisting of those who showed Expression of Interest had been done and the matter was pending with ihe Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

Some members of the Board who did not want to be named justified the decision for inviting Expression of Interest as they said India did not have the HDTV technology. However, some of them expressed unhappiness at the fact that they had been informed about the decision to invite after it had been taken and they had not been consulted at the initial stage, which violated the spirit of the Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Act 1990.

Leaders of the National Federation of Akashvani and Doordarshan Employees said the employees of All India and DD would boycott the transmission of coverage of the Commonwealth Game 2010 if the production and coverage is handed over to private parties and not to the professionals of Doordarshan. Such invitation of interest by Prasar Bharati through global tender will benefit the foreign media houses.

(Source: Indiantelevision.com)