RADIO COVER FOR RUGBY TOUR

New Zealand Listener, Volume 20, Issue 503, 11 February 1949, Page 11

RADIO COVER FOR RUGBY TOUR

Test Transmissions Being Made

transmission tests which are now being carried out between South Africa and New Zealand prove at all satisfactory, the NZBS will be able to provide listeners with a first-class radio

coverage of the New Zealand Rugby team’s South African tour which starts early in May. Arrangements have been made by the Service for Winston McCarthy, the Rugby commentator who toured England with the 1945-46 Kiwis, and Australia with the 1947 All Blacks, to

accompany the All Blacks abroad again this year, and he will leave for South Africa with the team on the Tamaroa in mid-April. If the transmission tests now being made are successful, McCarthy will broadcast a full running commentary on each of the four Test Matches, and a five-minute summary of each provincial match followed by a supplementary 15minute summary, interspersed with ex-. cerpts from his running commentary on the games. Because any direct broadcasts made must be transmitted through the Antarctic auroral zone they may be subject to considerable interference at times, in the opinion of the acting chief engineer of ‘the NZBS, and the transmission tests at present being carried out are aimed at discovering what quality of reception may be expected from them here. Winston McCarthy’s commentaries on all matches, however, will be recorded on the spot on a tape-recorder. These recordings will be airmailed to New Zealand to enable delayed broadcasts to be made by the NZBS approximately two weeks after the various matches have been played.