MUMBAI: National Basketball Association (NBA) and German multinational software corporation SAP have entered into a new multiyear marketing partnership that will make SAP the Official Business Analytics Software Partner of the NBA.

The partnership includes the Women?s National Basketball Association and the NBA Development League and will allow SAP to connect with the passionate fan bases of all three leagues. Along with the U.S, the partnership extends to several international markets, including Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, India and Russia.

As part of the marketing partnership, SAP will serve as an associate partner of NBA All-Star, the NBA Draft and the NBA Cares All-Star Day of Service.

Additionally, SAP will be a partner of NBA China Games 2012, which includes two games between the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Clippers in Beijing (11 October) and Shanghai (14 October), and NBA Europe Live 2012 presented by BBVA game in Berlin between the Dallas Mavericks and Alba Berlin (6 October).

In addition, NBA has selected SAP HANA platform to develop a statistical experience for its fans on NBA.com. The real-time data platform will enable the league to bring official NBA statistical information directly to fans? fingertips on the league?s official website.

?We are constantly researching new and emerging technologies in an effort to provide our fans with new ways to connect with our game,? said NBA Commissioner David Stern. ?SAP is a leader in providing innovative software solutions and an ideal partner to provide a dynamic and comprehensive statistical offering as fans interact with NBA basketball on a global basis.?

?SAP is honored to partner with the NBA, one of the world?s most respected sports organizations,? said SAP co-CEO Bill McDermott. ?Through SAP HANA, fans will be able to experience the NBA as never before. This is a slam dunk for SAP, the NBA and the many fans who will now have access to unprecedented insight and analysis.?

The NBA statistics team will implement SAP HANA to run the league?s enhanced statistical offering on NBA.com, which previously was accessible only to NBA employees and select media members. NBA fans will be able to access large volumes of statistical information and analysis tools on the SAP HANA platform, which will enhance their overall experience.

Furthermore, the NBA has also selected SAP BusinessObjects business intelligence (BI) solutions for advanced analysis with SAP BusinessObjects Explorer software and SAP Data Services software.

By utilising SAP HANA to power official NBA statistics on NBA.com, and SAP BusinessObjects Explorer and SAP Data Services to enhance data quality, the NBA will provide fans with access to an innovative and easy-to-use statistical platform for their desktop, tablet or mobile device. The project is scheduled to launch during the 2012-13 season.

Throughout the year SAP solutions will deliver real-time data across the NBA?s entire global operations, encompassing media, special events, mobility, social media, player and team statistics, technology and fan interactions.

MUMBAI: In a move that complements a previously announced restructuring of Fox Networks Group?s (FNG) business and legal affairs team, FNG executive VP, general counsel Rita Tuzon has announced that long-time Fox business and legal affairs executive Karen Brodkin has been promoted to Fox Sports Media Group (FSMG) executive VP, business and legal affairs.

The restructuring, which was originally announced in June, is designed to bring the company?s business and legal affairs group and broadcast standards team under one umbrella. Brodkin will continue to work closely with Fox Sports Media Group co-presidents, COOs Randy Freer and Eric Shanks while reporting to Tuzon.

Brodkin will be responsible for legal and business affairs pertaining to FSMG. FSMG includes Fox Sports, Fox?s 19 regional sports networks, their affiliated regional web sites and FSN national programming, as well as Fox?s national sports channels and Fox Sports Interactive Media.

Brodkin will oversee a legal team charged with negotiating professional and collegiate media rights acquisitions, as well as production, programming and talent agreements, on behalf of FSMG. She also continues her oversight of the local media rights agreements between Fox Sports Networks (FSN) and its more than 40 MLB, NBA and NHL team partners.

Tuzon was enthusiastic about the move. "Karen is a key executive in our sports group and brings not only her legal expertise but important business relationships across the spectrum of our sports world."

NEW DELHI: Even as the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) described the decision of non-renewal of licence in the cast of five or more violations as arbitrary and unconstitutional, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry expressed surprise at the strong reaction.

Ministry sources said that the Government?s view in this regard had been conveyed to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India last year and it had also been placed on the Ministry?s website. Simultaneously, Trai had also placed these views on its website.

Thus Ministry sources wondered why none of the stakeholders had made known their objections, although wide publicity had been given to the Government?s views on Trai?s recommendations.

Furthermore, the sources told indiantelevision.com that the purpose of the proposal had been completely misunderstood.

Under the Guidelines prior to the Cabinet?s approval of the amendments, any channel could be asked to go off air up to a maximum of 30 days on first violation, and 60 days on second violation, and face cancellation of licence on third violation. The sources said the Government had never acted harshly and no channel had been asked to go off air for more than 15 days.

As the first decade of private satellite television had come to an end and the channels were to seek renewal, the Ministry had asked Trai to revisit the Uplinking and Downlinking Guidelines. The approval by the Cabinet said the Ministry may or can refuse to renew the licence of a channel which had been found guilty on five or more occasions of violations of the Programme and Advertisement Codes.

Meanwhile, the NBA said there "cannot be any power vested in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to cancel" or "refuse to renew" a broadcaster?s licence on their subjective view that a television channel has violated the terms of the Uplinking and Downlinking Guidelines or the provisions of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995.

Describing the Government?s amendments to the Guidelines as "a direct assault on the self regulatory regime put in place by broadcasters", the NBA which is the apex body of TV news broadcasters said there is no such requirement under the existing Uplinking & Downlinking Guidelines for renewal .

The self-regulatory regime had, in fact, been encouraged and recognised by the Ministry. The proposed step, therefore, "is wholly retrograde and places broadcasters at the arbitrary mercy of the Ministry; and is therefore a violation of the constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression and will not be countenanced by the NBA".

In a statement, NBA noted with regret that the Cabinet had ?purportedly approved certain modifications? to the Guidelines including one which provides for non-renewal of licence of a TV channel found "guilty" of violating the terms and conditions of permission including violations of the Programme and Advertisement Codes on five or more occasions.

The statement noted that proceedings following the Show Cause notices issued by the Ministry to broadcasters on various counts have ?been conducted internally within the Ministry and never has been in the nature of adjudication.?

"Be that as it may, certain other broadcasters have complied with directions issued by the Ministry for running apologies and even shutting down their channels for certain periods of time. To now retrospectively use such proceedings to deny permission to broadcast for future is wholly arbitrary, illegal and unconstitutional".

Placing on record its ?deep anguish to such amendments to the Guidelines, the NBA urged the Government to urgently review the "regressive decision which would be anathema to the constitutional framework of our country."

NBA is seeking an urgent appointment with Minister Ambika Soni to explain and clarify the Association?s concerns, the statement said.