News Headline
M2006: Zee close to a deal; DD ups price
NEW DELHI: Pubcaster Doordarshan has virtually given up the race for getting an omnibus telecast rights for Commonwealth Games 2006, instead deciding to settle for just the terrestrial rights at an increased price of $ 500,000.
With the pubcaster hoping to only bag the terrestrial rights, which would take the Melbourne Games to over 90 million TV homes through DD’s networks in the country, the task of private sector Zee Sports channel becomes easier.
While Prasar Bharati, which manages DD, had earlier bid $ 400,000 ($A532,000) for the Games’ rights, Zee Sports was said to have quoted a price of $ 650,000.
Speaking to Indiantelevision.com today, Prasar Bharati CEO KS Sarma said, “The logjam over rights continues. Though we have increased our bid to $ 500,000, we have also told the Games authorities that we’ll be happy with the terrestrial rights.”
However, during a week when M2006 expects to finalise the telecast deal for the India region, which is considered a huge market for Games’ sponsors, Sarma added today, “We are still not sure as the Games management team has only told us that our new offer is being considered.”
Sarma and Zee Sports both expressed ignorance till the time of writing this report that a M2006 team has left Australia on 12 September for India to close the telecast deal.
“We have no information that any official of the Games management team is coming to India. They haven’t got in touch with us yet,” Sarma said.
Ozzie newspaper The Australian reported on 12 September that M2006 chief executive John Harnden and Victorian sports minister Justin Madden left for India on Monday to present a progress report to the executive board of the Commonwealth Games Federation.
“They are expected to sign a deal in New Delhi with an Indian cable TV operator, which would then on sell a two-hour daily highlights package to India’s public broadcaster, Doorarshan,” The Australian said, hinting that that the M2006 has decided to bypass the pubcaster DD for a satellite channel.
The newspaper also said that those who do not buy cable TV in India will have to make do with a two-hour daily highlights package, despite New Delhi’s role as host of the next Games in 2010. This makes it quite clear that M2006 is hoping that the private channel would come to an understanding with DD for a highlights package.
M2006 had hoped to sign a deal direct with Doorarshan, the world’s biggest free-to-air network. But a standoff on price scuttled the negotiations after India said M2006 wanted too much for the TV rights, but M2006 chairman Ron Walker refused to cut the price, the Aussie newspaper stated.
New Delhi will play host to the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
