Doordarshan will compulsorily get TV feeds of all international cricket matches in India featuring the national side but private broadcasters will not similarly benefit if the public broadcaster holds the telecast rights, a senior minister said Tuesday.

"The government has decided that the TV feed for all cricket matches in India in which the Indian team features will be shared with Doordarshan," Information and Broadcasting Minister S. Jaipal Reddy declared while addressing the Economic Editors' Conference here.

"At the same time, we cannot ignore market principles. Thus, 25 percent of the proceeds (from advertising) will go to Prasar Bharti (Doordarshan's holding company) and 75 percent to the party that holds the marketing rights," Reddy added.

He replied in the negative when asked if Doordarshan would agree to a similar arrangement in case it obtained the telecast rights.

"No. Doordarshan is a unique entity. We do not share rights," Reddy asserted.

The grant of TV rights has generated much heat for more than a year now, with the Madras High Court barring the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) from giving these to a private broadcaster while it decides a dispute on the issue.

Thus by default, Doordarshan obtained the rights for the Australia series late last year, the Pakistan series earlier this year, the just concluded Sri Lanka series and the South Africa series that began Wednesday.

The controversy erupted after ESPN-STAR Sports moved the Bombay High Court against the BCCI decision to award the telecast rights for four years - 2004-2008 - to Zee Telefilms Ltd, contending the broadcaster did not have the expertise to telecast international matches.

The Bombay High Court ruled in ESPN-STAR Sports' favour and Zee TV appealed in the Madras High Court against this. The issue is now before the Supreme Court, which is yet to give its final verdict on the issue.

Doordarshan might have got the rights by default for now but it does not have the expertise or equipment to execute the telecast. It has thus been subcontracting this to private players like International Management Group, which uses Doordarashan cameras and camerapersons but adds on a considerable amount of software and hardware, as also the commentators.