CSN bid for TV rights to be taken up by the SLC IC
The Interim Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket will sit on Wednesday to evaluate local bids for TV rights, in which CSN an exclusive Sports Channel is a major runner. CEO Sri Lanka Cricket Ashley de Silva speaking to the Sunday Times said “We will form a Tender Committee which probably would comprise the CEO, Head of Finance, Head of Marketing and the Secretary of the Interim Committee along with either the Chairman or the Vice Chairman of the Interim Committee. We will meet in the morning session and evaluate the tenders and forward our recommendations to the Interim Committee which would sit in the evening for their sessions. The final decision would be taken at that meeting”
The Sports Minister claims that he had a very cordial meeting with ICC CEO David Richardson (above)
SLC received a Rs. 175.5 million bid from CSN for local TV rights of Sri Lanka Cricket for a three-year period from 2015 to 2018 – a sum much higher than by any other bidder. It is said CSN bid is a massive Rs. 65.5 million more than the second highest bid offered by state television Sri Lanka Rupavahini who had offered Rs. 110 million while the country’s only other sports channel MTV has come in third with a bid of Rs. 51.5 million.
It is also learned that the SLC tender board will go deep into the financial status of the bidders and ascertain if they are in a position to honour the offers once the bid is awarded. Meanwhile the tussle between the Interim Committee and the former executive committee members is raging on unabated.
Last week Minister of Sports Naveen Dissanayake, Chairman of the Interim Committee Sidath Wettimuny and Interim Committee member Nuski Mohammed made a trip to Dubai expecting to meet ICC officials, but it was only the minister who met the ICC CEO David Richardson and its General Counsel Iain Higgins, but the three Interim Committee members were excluded from the meeting.
This was revealed by Interim Committee secretary Prakash Schaffter when the Interim Committee met cricket stake holders last week. Later a Sports Ministry Communiqué read “The discussion centered on the current concerns of the ICC with regard to the appointment of the Interim Committee and the minister clarified his position in this regard.
The discussions were most cordial and constructive, held in an atmosphere of mutual respect. Some headway has been made with regard to resolving the concerns of the ICC and the Minister and Officials of the Interim Committee are confident that the concerns of the ICC vis-a-vis SLC will be fully resolved in the very near future. SLC remains an active and vibrant member.”
However it is also learned that a majority of the former executive committee also has written to the ICC CEO stating their concerns on the current status of cricket in Sri Lanka.