Mumbai:
If you were planning on watching the ICC Cricket World Cup matches with your buddies at the nearest eatery, here is some bad news.
Several eateries are contemplating not to broadcast cricket's biggest show owing to the big licence fee that they will be forced to shell out for televising the matches.
With just nine days to go for the World Cup, hoteliers and restaurants across the city are yet to obtain the licence to telecast these matches from Novex Communication, who is responsible for issuing licences for the matches.
Novex has already issued legal notices to several eateries asking them to seek a licence worth Rs 25,000 (see box), which will be applicable for the entire year.
Speaking to MiD DAY, Sudhakar Shetty, president of Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association (AHAR) who has more than 8,000 hotels, bars and restaurants under their umbrella across the city confirmed that many AHAR members had received notices from the company. "We are not going to pay them as we are already paying cable fees.
They are sending us legal notices. We have decided to reply to them as they are extorting money from us. For the last two years we are fighting against this, we are not going to tolerate it."