�SLRC has secured exclusive rights for London Olympics�
Disna MUDALIGE
The
Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) has secured exclusive rights for
free terrestrial, satellite, cable and radio transmissions of the London
Olympic Games 2012, within Sri Lanka, SLRC chairman Mohan Samaranayake
stressed.
He emphasized that SLRC has no intention of sharing these rights with
another media network. He observed that the false propaganda of the
Sirasa claiming that the MTV/MBC media network has acquired broadcasting
rights to the forthcoming Olympics is plainly a violation of media
ethics and discipline.
Samaranayake noted that this private media institution is misleading
the sports persons, politicians, businessmen and the entire Sri Lankan
society. He added that the SLRC would continue to seek strict legal
action against this illegal move. He also noted that so far nobody from
this private media network has contacted him over this matter.
�The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is the principle rights
holder of the Olympic Games.
�The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) based in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia obtained the broadcasting rights for the London Olympic Games
2012 for the Asian Pacific region from IOC. The SLRC, having full
membership in the ABU officially applied for broadcasting rights to the
London Olympic Games, in 2008 soon after the conclusion of the Beijing
Olympics. Accepting this application, the ABU awarded exclusive
broadcasting rights of this event to the SLRC on December 6, 2011.�
The SLRC chairman and ABU Secretary General Dr Javad Mottaghi signed
an agreement and the SLRC paid USD 35,000 for this purpose. The legal
adviser to the ABU certified this agreement and we have necessary
documents to prove it,�the SLRC chairman explained.
The Chairman observed that the MTV/MBC Media network has not been
able to produce a legal document to prove its claim nor has it made any
payment to any institution to obtain broadcasting rights. He noted that
this private media network uses an email sent by ABU Sports Director
John Barton to National Olympic Committee (NOC) president Hemasiri
Fernando proposing to share broadcasting rights of the forthcoming
Olympics among interested media institutions, to attest its claim.
The chairman revealed that John Barton had been working as a
consultant for the MTV/MBC Media network, earning a wage. He also
stressed that John Barton�s proposal is too late to be executed now
since the SLRC had arrived at an agreement securing exclusive rights. He
also said that NOC president Hemasiri Fernando also asserted that the
NOC has no role to play in this issue.
The chairman observed that the SLRC is willing to discuss the
proposal to form a pool of media institutions to broadcast Olympics for
the next olympics, since it always respects media pluralism.
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