Bravo Tennis Channel for having the backbone to do what the WTA wouldn't!!!
Sorry, nerissa, but I disagree with you completely. Dubai was able to bully the WTA, which means it will happen again. Next time it could be an American, or perhaps one of your foreign favorites. If a country is going to host a tournament, it should be willing to allow all qualified players in to participate. The WTA should have canceled the tournament, or withdrawn its accreditation, but lacked the guts to do so.
Look for more of this sort of nonsense now that Dubai has gotten away with it.
And good going, Tennis Channel, for standing up to principle.
As much as I want to see more live tennis, I too applaud what Tennis Channel is doing. I wish there was some way we could all protest what the UAE is doing to Shahar. Religion and politics have nothing to do with sports. The WTA should have boycotted the tournament. Next week with the ATP on schedule, it will be interesting to see if Andy Ram is allowed to play in the doubles tournament. I think Federer should move out of Dubai to protest what the UAE is doing.
Though I struggle with wanting more coverage, I stand with TTC on this one. When it comes to discrimination and hate. I support whats right. I'm glad to be on the side that wont ignore these rediculous Tournament Rules.
~ Okay, here's my take: If the cost for rights of televising the tournament a) wasn't previously bound in a contract (hel-lo?!?); b) that cost could be promptly returned to TC; c) TC would then donate a respectable portion of that to a human rights concern e.g the JDL...I'd have far more understanding/appreciation for TC canceling coverage.
I don't recall ABC pulling coverage on the '72 Olympics after the horrible events there. Put another way, it's "just business, folks"--whether you're a broadcaster, fan, poltician or religious nut. That interested, fair-minded parties now have to go without b/c of the latter seems ridiculous and very arbitrary. I don't care if it's the GD Rape of Nanking: I'm paying my local cable provider for TC coverage of imporant tournaments. In fact, I just called them to cancel that package. So right back atcha. I'll gladly resume the subscription once the French Open begins.
If I were a TV executive, I'd hold to my business mission statement to provide subscribers essential coverage then bring attention to the matter of any human rights violations during the event vs., say, trying to compensate for an economic downturn effecting all manners of commerce and media by slashing coverage. Ahem.
-M., Iowa City
p.s. In lieu of that last snarky comment, the closing part should have read: "...then coordinate with Sony E., the WTA (and all sponsors) and pull out entirely next year."
http://news.search.yahoo.com/news/search?p=dubai%20peer
Tennis Channel should stick to showing tennis matches. I pay a subscription to see tennis tournaments and that's it! I'll still be watching the Dubai tournament and I'm subscribing to live streaming video to do it.
melissav,knock yourself out, thats what you should have done in the 1st place. Everyone knows by now that the TTC tennis coverage is limited to begin with. Its easier to by the entire year-online live pass for $66.
It was a wrong, but understandable decision on the part of Dubai. It was a totally wrong decision by the Tennis Channel. What hypocrites these TC folk are. There's plenty of empircal evidence that Israeli players raise hackles in some countries, but are still allowed to play. I hear that Stockholm has to empty its tennis stadium whenever one of them plays, to avoid harm or embarrassment to the players. Ram and Peer should play so long as Israel acknowledges the risk and indemifies the host country against reprisals. TC's decision does nothing for Israel's image and, in fact, harms it. As for TC, it is begging for ESPN2 or another strong competitor to take its franchise away. TC may be on this road already, as it is programming table tennis. Puerility has no place in professional sport. TC's remit is to broadcast tennis, not blackout a major tournament from US view. Its remaining advertisers should just cancel its contracts based on this.The Ping Pong Channel. You're welcome to it!
As much as I support politics staying out of sports - something had to be done but - it wasn't very hard decision for Tennis Chanel: I looked up all published TV coverage and Tennis Chanel never had WTA Dubai on schedule to begin with!!!
I am not at all happy about it either. However; checking this weeks programming, I did notice that Tennis Channel will be airing Dubai this weekend (02/28/09). Will not be the enitre tournament (presumably). I am soo tired of reading about results when there is obviously so much available air time on Tennis Channel to show more tournaments. All week this week, they are replaying Davis Cup (US vs Spain) twice a day and also showing the final round of Rodderdam at least 4 times this week. All this time wasted on airing what happend last year and earlier last month, we could be watching new matches. I'm frustrated.