Blackout takes effect

International news agencies suspended coverage of the Test series between India and England starting Thursday after Indian cricket authorities refused to lift restrictions on photo agencies.
News outlets including Agence France-Presse said they would not be filing any text or pictures from the four-match series after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) barred photo agencies such as Getty Images and Action Images.
English media organisations such as the Daily Telegraph and the Press Association also said they would support the protest.
While the BCCI has only withheld accreditation from photo agencies, other news organisations fear the move sets a dangerous precedent.
The BCCI is to make a limited number of its own images available during the series, which began in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
The News Media Coalition, which represents a group of media organisations, has been leading the discussions with the BCCI.
It said other agencies including Reuters and the Associated Press had decided to halt their coverage in text and photo before the British press added their voice to the protests.
There was no immediate comment from the BCCI on Thursday.