NEW DELHI: It's small comfort but some comfort for Sony Entertainment
TV India. Talk in the trade that Nimbus Communications, which is doing
the marketing of the ICC Champions Trophy cricket matches being telecast
on DD, has opened talks with Prasar Bharati to increase the number
of matches to be telecast on national broadcaster Doordarshan from
the present five to eight or nine is not happening.
DD, as announced,
will be telecasting five matches that include two pool matches featuring
India, two semi finals and the final. The two India matches airing
on DD will be telecast on 14 and 22 September.
A Nimbus source
earlier said: "Prasar Bharati is talking to us to see if DD can
telecast more than five matches even now. But both the parties did
not want to take a chance on marketing which was to have been done
at short notice and thought it best to stick to five matches which
would definitely attract advertising."
Discussions
between Prasar Bharati and Nimbus apart, such a scenario would have
further eroded the Sony's negotiating capacity on both the advertising
and distribution front.
Meanwhile,
a sizeable number of cable viewers in Delhi and surrounding areas
had to do without the opening match of the Champions Trophy being
telecast live on SET MAX as multi-system operator Hathaway-Win's
feed for Sony channels has been cut off because of an on-going payment
controversy. Hathway-Win services about 40 per cent of the Delhi
and neighbourhood's cable homes.
For
Prasar Bharati, it is not only Doordarshan that will be providing
live coverage of the event. All-India Radio (AIR) will broadcast
live commentary of nine important matches.
The matches that will be broadcast live on the AIR Network are:
1. The opening match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan (Day / Night)
on 12 September.
2. South Africa vs The West Indies (Day match) on 13 September.
3. India vs Zimbabwe (Day/Night) on 14 September.
4. Australia vs. New Zealand (Day match) on 15 September.
5. England vs. Zimbabwe (Day / Night) on 18 September.
6. India vs. England (Day /Night) on 22 September.
7. First Semi-Final (Day / Night) on 25 September.
8. Second Semi-Final (Day/Night) on 27 September.
9. Final (Day / Night) on 29 September.
The running commentary of the day matches begins at 9:20 am while
that of day /night encounters at 1:50 pm. The Delhi Station of All
India Radio will broadcast special radio reports in addition to
the live coverage. The 12 participating teams have been divided
into four pools of three teams each.
Pool 1: Australia, New Zealand, Bangla Desh.
Pool 2: India, Zimbabwe, England.
Pool 3: South Africa, West Indies, Kenya
Pool 4: Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Holland.
The toppers from each pool will clash in the semi-finals for a berth
in the final. With the top players confirming their participation,
the ICC Champions Trophy, is expected to deliver some engrossing
cricket over the next fortnight.
'A'
Team in place, SET safe on ad rates
Sony,
Star switch off feeds in Delhi
Subrata,
not Sahara logo for Indian team
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