Dunedin Experiment in Sports Broadcasting

New Zealand Listener, Volume 29, Issue 729, 3 July 1953, Page 18

Dunedin Experiment in Sports Broadcasting

of ac NZBS is at present conducting an experiment to discover whether one person can practicably handle sports broadcasts for a whole district. As district sports officer at Dunedin, Brian Russ (right) now collates all sports information for broadcast from 4YA and 4ZB. To his office’ in the Garrison Hall, Dunedin, come sports news from country ‘correspondents, requests for broadcasting coverage from city clubs, and public enquiries for information concerning sport. It is hoped the venture will provide a better service for listeners as well as lessening work and expense for the NZBS and for sporting bodies. Information. received at the district sports office is passed on to 4YA’s compére Lankford Smith, wellknown Otago cricket captain and N.Z. representative soccer player, while from 4ZB the programmes are compéred by Brian himself. A young man with a sporting background of his own, Brian Russ also has broadcasting experience and the ability to present sporting news in an attractive form. He was educated at Wanganui, where he was junior 880yds._ track champion. At school also he won the Wanganui Junior Cross-country Championship. In 1945 he ran at Wingatui, Dunedin, as a member of the West Coast, North Island, team. Earlier he was a member of the Castlecliff Midget Life-Saving Team which appeared at the Centennial Championships at Lyall Bay. He has been a Wanganui Senior B Soccer player, a representative indoor basketball and softball player, and has taken an interest in tennis, table tennis. rugby and bowls. Outside’ of these activities Brian’s hobbies, when time permits, are photography and amateur dramatics. In the latter activity, he has -been associated with Repertory and other amateur groups in the North Island. He played leading roles in The Arcadians, ‘produced by the Wanganui Amateur Dramatic and Musical Society, and in sev. LS LT TT

eral Repertory productions. In the few weeks he has been broadcasting in Dunedin, Brien has had little time to indulge his hobbies, but has given Otego’s sporting activities the publicity fillip they need. A new series of programmes he has organised will begin from 4YA on Monday, July 6. Entitled Sporting Briefs the programmes are designed to help fill the coaching evap which has in the past

been characteristic of New Zealand sport. Each evening, Monday to Friday at 6.20 p.m., a prominent Otago coach or selector will give a three-minute coaching talk on his particular game. Among the speakers already arranged are R. O. (Ossie) Johnston, an Empire Games representative, who will begin the series with talks on general physica] fitness. Rugby Union followers. will, receive advice from Charlie, Saxton aa an --

former captain of the Kiwi Rugby Team and now an Otago selector and coach of the Pirates senior club team. Doug. Reid, a vice-president of the New Zealand Badminton Federation, will explain the finer points of this popular winter sport, and Johnny Welsh, coach of the Otago senior Association football team, will help guide the ‘soccer players. Each sport has been allocated one week, so that each speaker will give five talks. a