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DD makes last ditch attempt for Indo-Pak cricket
NEW DELHI: All is fair in love and war, they say. In case of a cricket series between India and Pakistan not only both the emotions are involved, but India’s pubcaster Doordarshan invokes the law, trying to whip up public passions.
In a letter to broadcast regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), Prasar Bharati Corporation, while seeking its intervention in the matter, has said that a public broadcaster cannot be held to “ransom” by the telecast rights holder over commercial considerations.
“It is our firm view that the rights holders cannot hold us to ransom by not giving access to terrestrial rights merely on commercial considerations,” Prasar Bharati CEO KS Sarma has stated in a letter — a copy of which is available with indiantelevision.com — to Trai chairman Pradip Baijal.
Prasar Bharati is an autonomous body that looks after the affairs of pubcasters DD and All India Radio.
The letter, dated 13 February, 2004, further goes on to add that DD is not looking at getting the terrestrial rights free. “We are prepared to pay a reasonable rights fee to be determined by any Authority or through mutual negotiations based on precedence for such fees in the past when the events are telecast simultaneously on private satellite channels as well as the public broadcaster,” it points out.
Trai’s Baijal, who met information and broadcasting minister Ravi Shankar Prasad last week, could not be contacted today for comments on the letter.
Dubai-based Taj Sports, which manages Ten Sports channel, had bagged last year the TV telecast rights of all cricket matches to be organised under the aegis of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for five years. Later, it also bought the global radio broadcast rights too.
According to figures being bandied around, Ten Sports bought the Pakistan cricket rights for over $ 42.6 million. This was done at a time when even the most optimistic wouldn’t have thought that resumption of cricketing ties between India and Pakistan would become a reality. Now, when such a scenario has become a reality with the Indian government too clearing the Pakistan tour, DD wants a share of the windfall such a series can generate.
The letter from Prasar Bharati seeks Trai’s “intervention” and tries to justify the demand by stating while Ten Sports’ viewership base in India would not exceed 15 million cable and satellite homes, DD’s viewership is about 80 million homes.
Pointing out that these figures would “signify deprivation to the public” of the entertainment they would derive from this “huge event happening after 14 years,” Sarma has conveyed to Trai that regulations in this regard, favouring the pubcaster to get access to the telecast rights, would not be out of place.
“Indeed such provisions do exist in a few enlightened countries where, even if a private satellite operator obtains the rights to such event, they are under obligation to give the signal to the public broadcaster also,” Sarma has pleaded, enumerating instances of such laws in other countries in annexures attached with the letter.
As things stand today, Ten Sports has agreed to give DD only highlight packages of the Tests and one-dayers of the Indo-Pak series, which may be broken up into Test matches being played before the general elections are held in India, while the one-dayers being held after the elections.
Though admitting that it is not an established norm for Prasar Bharati to bid for telecast rights of events outside the country, the letter adds, “However, they (Ten Sports) have consistently denied this opportunity (for the matches to be shown on terrestrial network) on the ground that they would be adversely affected commercially.”
Sarma, a seasoned bureaucrat, also does not let go of this chance to take a swipe at various sports bodies in India and abroad. “It is a matter of great dismay that various cricket boards, including ours, sell the rights to agencies who have no access to terrestrial transmission whatsoever, not only in India, but elsewhere too,” the letter sarcastically states.
The letter also goes on to underline the fact that various Bills, pending in the Indian Parliament, had envisaged bringing in a law that would make it mandatory for telecast rights holders to share terrestrial rights with the Indian pubcaster(s) of events that are of national importance. This, irrespective of the fact whether such events are held in India or outside India.
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.
