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Australia’s Channel Nine, Seven to skip Ashes coverage
MUMBAI: While cricket rules the roost in India this piece of news should shed light on how hard it is for the bat and ball game to maintain its television share abroad.
The Australian cricket team may be going from strength to strength but Australians wanting to watch the progress of Ricky Ponting and company against arch rivals England next year will probably have to subscribe to Fox Sports to watch the Ashes series.
While no formal decision has been taken reports indicate that the Kerry Packer owned Nine Network and Channel Seven have decided to not to air the Ashes series in the future. This means cricket lovers wanting to watch the series will need to find at least Aus $50 a month for a basic Foxtel subscription. One in five Australian television homes subscribe to pay TV.
Channel Nine spokesman David Hurley was quoted in The Age attributing the unlikeliness of the network bidding for the series partly to the event clashing with the Australian Football League, rugby league and Wimbledon. A report in ANI indicates that Channel Seven was criticised for restricting coverage of the 2001 Ashes series. This time the broadcaster is blaming the time zone and scheduling difficulties across Australia as the primary reason for cancelling the coverage of the series.
The channels are also most reluctant to air the cricket instead of highly rated shows which constitute primetime programming like CSI or Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. Meanwhile Australia’s cricket legend Doug Walters has cited the popularity of what he described as “stupid soap operas” for the commercial Australian television networks shunning the Ashes series.
“I guess that’s the sign of the times. Unfortunately that’s what we’ve got to put up with. People want to watch those other stupid soap operas and movies and they are the ones who have cost us. I think money has been talking. It should be a great series — hopefully it’s their loss.”
Cricket Australia meanwhile cannot do anything about the situation. The debate has entered the political arena. Senator Conroy called on Australia’s Prime Minister John Howard to have talks with Foxtel about allowing the pubcaster ABC, SBS or community TV station Channel 31 to show the Ashes as well. ABC is believed to have found the cost for the free to air rights that the English cricket Board is asking for to be on the higher side.
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.
