The national broadcaster Doordarshan denied the press release sent out by the ex-Star TV owner Richard Li‘s Internet group Pacific CyberWorks. The release stated that Pacific CyberWorks will build, maintain and operate Doordarshan‘s Internet site dedicated to Indian cricket. Pacific Century CyberWork‘s statements about it bagging the Internet media rights for international cricket matches played in India through the year 2004 has been questioned by DD.
Doordarshan had earlier announced that it will give away Internet rights for international matches played in India to anyone paying an annual charge of Rs 2.5 million. But, no contracts have been signed on as yet and thus Pacific Century CyberWork‘s claims seem to be incorrect.
Senior DD officials were quoted in a local newspaper saying that if TransWorld International, who own the marketing rights for four years, have given away Internet multimedia rights to any one, it was without the knowledge of Doordarshan and that the company desiring to acquire them should obtain it first from the national broadcaster.