I&B minister calls Nimbus 'unpatriotic'

Terming as "unpatriotic" Nimbus' refusal to share telecast rights of India-West Indies cricket series on Doordarshan terrestrial network, the government today said it would take urgent steps to bring in a law making mandatory for private broadcasters to share feed of important sporting events with the public broadcaster.

"I am sorry to say this but this is the most unpatriotic attitude of the company. We cannot allow them to plunder in India and take all the money. We will take steps to ensure that people of India are not deprived," Information & Broadcasting minister P R Dasmunsi said.

The minister said that the government would soon take up the issue with the cabinet to bring a law on this issue.

"We will bring a law and the matter is almost ready. I am reporting it to the cabinet this week," he said.

Dasmusi said Nimbus should share the rights with Doordarshan, as it was the country's only terrestrial network and millions of non-cable houses are dependent on the public broadcaster for TV viewing.

The cricket buffs were today deprived of the live action of the first one-day international with the West Indies owing to the dispute between Nimbus and Prasar Bharati.

Over 50 million TV viewers in non-cable homes and an even higher number of radio listeners missed the action of the match.

While the government is initiating steps to make a law on the matter, Nimbus has said that it was prepared to face the government and would take legal action "if coerced to" share the rights.