The worst thing BCCI has done this time is that the TV Media persons or, if I say more specifically, the journalists working in the TV News channels are not even allowed to cover the press conferences that is exclusively meant for the journalists and for no businessman or entity like Neo Sports or BCCI persons. The right to cover the press conferences is sold to a non-news broadcaster like Neo-Sports and newspersons representing newspapers and channels are asked to take the video of the press conference from the right holder.

The media that is shouting for its rights is still silent! The Indian media maintaining dumb over the issue where the basic right of the media is not exactly encroached but completely crushed for the business interests of a broadcaster and the BCCI is what is the irony!

The restrictions imposed by BCCI in regard to coverage of the matches may not have any significant impact on the print media but have bigger impact on the TV news media because the cameras are not allowed inside the stadium during the game and even during the Press Conference. In the first One-day match scheduled on November 29, 2011 at Barabati Stadium of Cuttack in Odisha, TV journalists are asked to keep their camera in the cab to be parked at a distance of about 300 meters from the main gate of the stadium. The journalists are to bring the camera after the Post-match PC is over just to get transfer of the PC visuals. And, for this only the journalist has to sit and wait till the PC is over. So, through out the day the journalist is not allowed to do any journalistic work but submit the self to the mercy of the broadcast right holder.

The primary question is how could the BCCI sell out the right of covering the event that is exclusively meant for the representing members of all form of media to a single broadcaster? Isn’t BCCI taking the whole TV news media of the country for granted by doing this to fulfil its commercial ambitions? And, in such a situation why the NBA and other forums of news broadcasters are not raising a voice to stop BCCI from encroaching into the rights of the journalists and reporters of electronic media? Because, the danger may loom large on media in future if it is tolerated now.

The board of ICC also must take such a step by the BCCI seriously as the media of a country is being restricted from doing its job of covering the game. Restricting members of media from covering the press conference is a direct attack on the press rights. And, in India, BCCI is doing this for commercial interests only and for no promotion of the sport of cricket. Such an act by BCCI is not going to help cricket anyway but convert the sport into a business activity.