New Delhi, Jan 21: Frustration and anger mounted among millions of cricket fans, deprived of the live action of the first one-day international with West Indies owing to the dispute between Nimbus and public broadcaster Prasar Bharati, with news of Indian openers giving a blazing start to the team.
Over 50 million TV viewers in non-cable homes and an even higher number of radio listeners missed the action of the match as Sourav Ganguly and Gautam Gambhir raced to a century partnership in first 15 overs of the game at
Nagpur.
As both Nimbus and Prasar Bharati refused to climb down from their positions, only homes with cable connection could see India reach a solution to their opening woes in the one-dayers after a long time.
However, the government might intervene "in public interest" and mediate to reach both the broadcasters an agreement. Another place the dispute may go to is the courts, where most of the telecast matters have gone in case of a stalemate.
Nimbus has already threatened that it may take recourse to legal option "if coerced to" share the rights.
The private broadcaster, which bagged the four-year BCCI telecast rights last year for a whopping 612 million dollars, has refused to share the telecast with Prasar Bharati, including on its DTH, because of "rigid conditions" put up by the public broadcaster. (Agencies)
