With just three days to go for the start of IPL-3, the buzz around the T20 event seems to be missing, largely due to TV channels keeping away from the event due to IPL's stringent media guidelines. There have been no promos, no IPL-based programming and no coverage of even the practice games being played across the country.

For example, a practice game involving Delhi Daredevils here at the Kotla on Monday evening was largely ignored by the electronic media.

Obviously, this state of affair has made IPL team owners a bit jittery and they want a solution to the impasse. Sources said that some franchisees who have signed up deals with news channels had to postpone promotional events. Teams who were planning to launch merchandise and announce new sponsors and commercial partners are not able to organise any event.

While the National Broadcasting Association (NBA) is confident the tussle will be solved before the mega event begins on Friday, the BCCI is keeping itself at a safe distance. "This a matter between the IPL broadcaster and the NBA.

The IPL's unveiling of its two new franchises on Sunday ended in an anti-climax with the league pushing back the entire process by two weeks, in the process scrapping the existing tender procedure after bidders objected to stiff financial clauses. The new tenders, which will be floated on March 9 and opened on March 21, will drop a clause requiring the bidder to have a net worth of $1 billion.

The new process will also amend two existing clauses: One will be a reduction of the advance deposit from $100 million to a $10 million "performance guarantee", to be submitted 24 hours in advance of the bid being opened. Another original clause gave the IPL's governing council the discretion to seek from the winning bidder 100% of the amount with a minimum time-frame; under the new process, the winning bids will be expected to pay 10% of their bid within 48 hours.

The minimum bid amount, however, remains the same at $225 million; the existing tenders were not opened at the IPL governing council meeting in Mumbai and were returned to the bidders.