IPL terms remain unacceptable to media bodies

The Indian Premier League may have eased several restrictions on media coverage for the forthcoming event but the Editors Guild of India has condemned the clause that prevents news agencies from supplying pictures to cricket-specific websites.

The Guild has also come down hard on the limitations imposed on television news channels, one that has prompted all the outlets to put their coverage on hold.

"[The Guild] regrets that the news agencies have been barred from supplying pictures to one set of subscribers, namely standalone specialised websites, as the news agencies should have the total freedom to supply news and pictures to all their subscribers," KS Sachidananda Murthy, the Guild secretary-general, said in a release. "The Guild notes that the news agencies are in negotiation with the IPL organisers to remove this clause also from the terms and conditions.

"Similarly the sole telecast rights license has put new conditions on giving feed to news television channels. These are not acceptable, and the Guild fully supports the stand taken by the News Broadcasters Association."

Meanwhile the News Media Corporation, which reacted to the fresh guidelines on Tuesday, is set to discuss the issue on Wednesday evening. As of now, though, they feel the restrictions are unacceptable. "As the Guild has said, the terms remain unacceptable," Barry Parker, the South Asia bureau chief of Agence France-Presse (AFP), said.