Storm deprives TV viewers of semi-final drama

By Jon Bramley

VIENNA (Reuters) - A thunderstorm that cut power supplies interrupted coverage for millions of television viewers watching Germany's thrilling 3-2 semi-final win over Turkey at Euro 2008 on Wednesday.

Tournament organizers UEFA said the cause of the problem was still being investigated, with particular emphasis on the violent electrical storm that hit Vienna during the match.

The game was being played in Basel, Switzerland but the Austrian capital is the hub of TV operations for Euro 2008.

UEFA declined to speculate on how badly coverage had been affected around the world but the BBC said the problem affecting pictures from the St Jakob Park stadium was global.

Johannes B Kerner, moderator for German broadcaster ZDF, said: "The Swiss were the only ones in the world who had an extra cable to their home stadium in Basel".

(Additional reporting by Erik Kirschbaum in Berlin; writing by Jon Bramley; editing by Ken Ferris)