Doordarshan kills Wimbledon
Amita Malik

THIS columnist is used to being rung up by protesing viewers at all hours, but seldom has there been such a deluge of protests as over the Wimbledon semi-finals and finals that DD so callously ignored.

Down the years there has been a regular pattern by which major sports events, including tennis, have remained a Doordarshan monopoly in the last rounds, while other channels with far better coverage do the earlier rounds. In fact, DD normally boasts weeks in advance about its monopoly and its exclusiveness although viewers far prefer the coverage by independent channels, which do not have so many interruptions by advertisements thrust in at crucial moments by people who are obviously ignorant of specific sports and in any case are more interested in making money than giving some respect to serious sports fans.

This year, in the absence of advance announcements, everyone took it for granted that DD would enter the scene once the quarter finals were over. So when they tuned in hopefully for the semis and finals, in which Indians were figuring in a big way, there was neither announcement nor coverage. A crying shame on the part of a channel which claims to be the national broadcaster. As a result, Star Sports showed us the events in replay long after they were over. And even as proud a father as Sania Mirza's had to stay glued to the Internet to see how his daughter was faring, although "see" is the wrong word, because he could not see a thing except the results without the visuals.

The same happened when Leander Paes and Martina Navratilova won their spectacular mixed doubles final, and little Sania Mirza of Hyderabad gave India its first girls' grand slam title. Even if Bhupathi lost in the men's finals, we in India would have loved to watch all these matches live and not as stale leftovers when the results were already known. Clearly an arrangement has to be made by which the independent channels and Doordarshan work out their share of coverage well in advance so that sports lovers are not left high and dry like this at the most important stages of a tournament. As the national broadcaster, viewers consider DD should as a matter of duty and responsibility to Indian viewers allow them to see international events in which India has a big stake, live. When, after getting a deluge of angry and anxious calls, I rang up DD to pass them on, the only person I could contact first did not seem to know whether they were covering it or not and then said in a throwaway manner that they were not covering Wimbledon. I sometimes think the angry calls should be directed to DD as is done in other countries, rather than columnists so that DD, in case it cares for the sentiments of viewers, would realise that it has a responsibility to viewers and cannot act in a whimsical way. Incidentally, the US Open comes up next and, from what one gathers, will be exclusively covered by Star Sports. Up to the end, one hopes, otherwise DD will leave us hanging.

The temptation to repeat programmes can lead to the most embarrassing situations. Simi Garewal's Rendezvous with both Kamal Hassan and Amir Khan recorded in happier times, led to the terrible faux pas of their discussing their romantic marriages when everyone knows both marriages have since broken up. Then in the game of musical chairs, Simi has been doing more interviews with one person, as Karan Thapar used to, while Karan is doing husband and wife couples, as Simi used to. In the process, we have the most unlikely couples, like the Nandas and the Trehans telling us about their romantic mariages and life thereafter in often giggly terms. So Page 3 has arrived with a bang on the small screen, BBC included, while NDTV English has a whole night slot devoted to Night Life.

Tailpiece: In spite of all its faults, TV does have its compensations. I would like to end by mentioning some images which haunt me from last week. First that shattering image of the railway employee trapped in the Andhra rail accident, peeping in agony through the bars of his compartment, waiting to be rescued. As one reporter put it: "The media arrived in an hour but the doctor in three hours." The poor man died from loss of blood. The picture ought to haunt the Railway Minister and his officials for the rest of their lives. Then the happier picture of a Palestinian couple trying to get past Israeli road blocks for their wedding. The handsome young bridegroom and his beautiful bride just make it, but his relatives can't get across. Then the groom puts a tender arm round his bride's shoulder to comfort her and they dance shyly at the reception. One happy ending, at last.