There is a bad news for those, who have radio commentary as the only medium to follow the live updates of ICC World Cup in England and Wales. The broadcasting agency Prasar Bharati submitted before the Delhi High Court that it will not take the feed from India Sports Flashes Pvt Ltd.

India Sports Flashes Pvt Ltd had submitted before the Delhi High Court that as per the Sports Broadcasting Signals (mandatory sharing with Prasar Bharti) Act 2007, they cannot broadcast radio commentary of any sports event of national importance unless it simultaneously shares the live broadcasting signal with Prasar Bharti.

"The terms and conditions shall also provide that the advertisement revenue sharing between the content rights owner or holder and the Prasar Bharti shall be in the ratio of not less than 75:25 in case of television coverage and 50:50 in case of radio coverage," reads a sub-clause in section 3 of the Act.

Prasar Bharti challenged the submissions made by the petitioner, contending that Sports Flashes in neither a radio channel nor a licensee for providing such services.

The Delhi High Court has ruled that neither Sports Flashes "is obliged to share such feed nor Prasar Bharti is obliged to accept the same."

It doesn’t matter who claims the victory in this courtroom battle, the thing that only matters right now is that the cricket fans in India, who were relying on All India Radio (AIR) commentary to get ball-by-ball updates from England, will miss out on the live audio commentary for cricket World Cup.

Radio broadcast reaches out to more than 90 percent of the Indian population, and rural India is still very much dependent on it for most of the information.

There is a bad news for those, who have radio commentary as the only medium to follow the live updates of ICC World Cup in England and Wales. The broadcasting agency Prasar Bharati submitted before the Delhi High Court that it will not take the feed from India Sports Flashes Pvt Ltd.

India Sports Flashes Pvt Ltd had submitted before the Delhi High Court that as per the Sports Broadcasting Signals (mandatory sharing with Prasar Bharti) Act 2007, they cannot broadcast radio commentary of any sports event of national importance unless it simultaneously shares the live broadcasting signal with Prasar Bharti.

"The terms and conditions shall also provide that the advertisement revenue sharing between the content rights owner or holder and the Prasar Bharti shall be in the ratio of not less than 75:25 in case of television coverage and 50:50 in case of radio coverage," reads a sub-clause in section 3 of the Act.

Prasar Bharti challenged the submissions made by the petitioner, contending that Sports Flashes in neither a radio channel nor a licensee for providing such services.

The Delhi High Court has ruled that neither Sports Flashes "is obliged to share such feed nor Prasar Bharti is obliged to accept the same."

It doesn’t matter who claims the victory in this courtroom battle, the thing that only matters right now is that the cricket fans in India, who were relying on All India Radio (AIR) commentary to get ball-by-ball updates from England, will miss out on the live audio commentary for cricket World Cup.

Radio broadcast reaches out to more than 90 percent of the Indian population, and rural India is still very much dependent on it for most of the information.