Olympic broadcasting rights only to Rupavahini

The Commercial High Court today issued an enjoining order to the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union(ABU) effective until May 31 preventing issuing of the London Olympic TV rights to any Television station in Sri Lanka except Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation.

The Court issued this order after a petition filed by Rupavahini was taken up today. In its petition the Rupavahini Corporation claimed that it had rights to broadcast the Olympic games.

Television coverage of the London 2012 Olympics sparked controversy recently in Sri Lanka with two broadcasters - the private Maharaja Television Network (MTV) and state-owned Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) - both laying claim to the domestic TV rights.

MTV, along with the radio rights winner Maharaja Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), reportedly outbid the state owned Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation and Carlton Sports Network (CSN), according to media reports last week.

However, SLRC chairman Mohan Samaranayake insists that only the state television network has the rights to broadcast the Olympic Games live on television.

Traditionally the SLRC has broadcast the Games, which are held every four years.