The Carlton Sports Network (CSN) says it will pay for the video footage that it has sought from the archives of the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) and denied it was getting preferential treatment to obtain this valuable material.
Janaka Ranatunga, Director Administration and Finance of CSN said that the SLRC routinely get requests and gives audio visual material to the public as well as organizations at an acceptable commercial rate and CSN was making use of this practice.
“CSN too is entitled to request the SLRC and other institutions to release significant images in order to aid in its undertaking towards the development of sports in the nation,” Mr. Ranatunga said in response to the Sunday Times story of August 21 titled “Private TV channel seeks to obtain SLRC’s sports visuals.” He added that only copies of such material would be made available to them while the original archival footage would remain with SLRC.
The Sunday times reported last week that CSN has asked the SLRC for sports material dating back to the past twenty years.
The issue was highlighted by UNP Kurunegala District MP Dayasiri Jayasekera who wrote to the SLRC Chairman Mohan Samaranayake last Thursday threatening legal action if any of the material in the archives of the SLRC is handed over the CSN.
Mr. Jayasekera also said that as the three director of the CSN were former employees of SLRC, it was possible that they were using their contacts in the Corporation to obtain the material they needed.
However CSN denied there was any such conflict of interest.
“…..we would like to clarify that there is no conflict of interest between the SLRC and CSN just by virtue of the fact that a few of the present employees of CSN are former employees of SLRC,” the Network said. |
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