The Secretary, Ministry Of ... vs Cricket Association Of Bengal & ... on 9 February, 1995
to edu- cate and inform the present and the prospective sportsmen interested in the particular game
and also to inform and entertain the lovers of the game. Hence, when a telecaster desires to telecast
a sporting event, it is incorrect to say that the free speech element is absent from his right. The
degree of the element will depend upon the character of the telecaster who claims the right. An
organiser such as the BCCI or CAB in the present case which are indisputably devoted to the
promotion of the game of cricket, cannot be place in the same scale as the business organisations
whose only intention is to make as large a profit as can be made by telecasting the game. Whereas it
can be said that there is hardly any free speech element in the right to telecast when it is asserted by
the latter, it will be a warped and cussed view to take when the former claim the same right, and
contend that in claiming the right to telecast the cricket matches organised by them, they are
asserting the right to make business out of it. The sporting organisations such as BCCI/ CAB which
are interested in promoting the sport or sports are under an obligation to organise the sports events
and can legitimately be accused of failing in their duty to do so. The promotion of Sports also
includes its popularization through all legitimate means. For this purpose, they are duty bound to
select the best means and methods to reach the maximum number of listeners and viewers. Since at
present, radio and TV are the most efficacious methods, thanks to the technological development,
the sports organisations like BCCI/CAB will be neglecting their duty in not exploring the said media
and in not employing the best means available to them to popularise the game. That while pursuing
their objective of popularising the sports by selecting the best available means of doing so, they
incidentally earn some revenue, will not convert either them into commercial organisations or the
right claimed by them to explore the said means, into a commercial right or interest. It must further
be remembered that sporting organisations such as BCCI/CAB in the present case, have not been
established only to organise the sports events or to broadcast or telecast them. The organisation of
sporting events is only a part of their various objects, as pointed out earlier and even when they
organise the events, they are primarily to educate the sportsmen, to promote and popularise the
sports and also to inform and entertain the viewers. The Organisation of such events involves huge
costs. Whatever surplus is left after defraying all the expenses, is ploughed back by them in the
Organisation itself It will be taking a deliberately dis- torted view of the right claimed by such
organisations to telecast the sporting event to call it an assertion of a commercial right. Yet the MIB
has chosen to advance such contention which can only be described as most unfortunate. It is
needless to state that we are, in the circumstances, unable to accept the ill-advised argument. It does
no credit to the Ministry or to the Government as a whole to denigrate the sporting organisations
such as BCCI/CAB by placing them on par with business organisations sponsoring sporting events
for profit and the access claimed by them to telecasting as assertion of commercial interest.
79.The second contention of NM is based upon the propositions laid down by the US Supreme
Court, viz., there are inherent limitations imposed on the right to telecast/broadcast as there is
scarcity of resources, i.e. of frequencies, and therefore the need to use them in the interest of the
largest number. There is also a pervasive presence of electronic media such as TV. It has a greater
impact on the minds of the people of all ages and strata of the society necessitating the prerequisite
of licensing of the programmes. It is also contended on that account that the licensing of frequencies
and consequent regulation of telecasting/broadcasting would not be a matter governed by Article 19
[2]. Whereas Article 19 [2] applies to restric- tions imposed by the State, the inherent limitations on
the right to telecast/broadcast are imposed by nature.
Indian Kanoon - http://indiankanoon.org/doc/539407/
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