New Delhi:
The broadcast rights deal for the Commonwealth Games, worth Rs. 246 crore, is being thoroughly investigated. After allegations of favouritism and wrongdoing were leveled against SIS Live, a UK-based company that won the broadcasting rights, the company has denied all charges.
SIS Live said it never earned excessive profits or paid sub-contractors anything less than the market rates.
In an official statement the company said:SIS Live has paid all service tax due in accordance with the regulations; the last payment being made in October, the next payment is due in January 2011.
SIS Live has kept proper accounts and copies of bills. These are administered by our central service centre in the UK, and operated online from India. Since the I-T Department visit to our project office in Delhi on October 5, we have provided all the documents requested - over 2,500 - within the agreed timescale.
At no time were any SIS Live offices 'raided' or any of its bank accounts 'frozen'.
Currently, much more than 20 per cent of the contract value is outstanding, as was expected at this stage under the contract terms.
David Meynell, the Managing Director of SIS Live said "SIS Live was part of the team which worked tirelessly during the run up to the Games, under incredibly difficult conditions and circumstances, to ensure all the venues were broadcast-ready in time."
"Any suggestion that SIS Live has earned excessive profits and/or paid any sub-contractors anything less than market rates is entirely erroneous. Indeed, the enormous challenges presented and overcome by SIS Live in delivering world class coverage of the XIX CWG in Delhi 2010 have contributed to ensuring that any profit made from this event is extremely modest," Meynell added.
He also said that "We are very proud of the coverage which we have produced and have been delighted by the feedback received from broadcasters around the world. To now see these reports of unqualified accusations is deeply upsetting, particularly for all the staff who worked so hard to cover the event. All are completely groundless and some, frankly, outrageous."
(Comprehensive read: Top official denies CWG broadcast right deal reeks of impropriety)