LETTERS OF PROTEST

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 1, 20 July 1928, Page 5

LETTERS OF PROTEST

Be Sports! I cannot say how disappointed I am at the news that broadcasting of races is to be banned. What are the authorities thinking about? Don’t they want their sports to be popular? Don’t they want thousands of people who otherwise would think nothing of racing to be interested in the thrilling broadcasts and make up their minds to go when they have a convenient opportunity? Broadcasting is the greatest feeder of interest in the sport that wé have had. It gives a wide knowledge and interests thousands otherwise indifferent. The,cure fo1 the evils that are alleged more efficient police work, I doubt very much if the allegations are soundly based. A policeman always sees what he is '

looking for and against that, anyway must be put the pleasure-of in: valids, the aged and the distant. I trust the Conferences will show they are sports and amend this rather ridiculous ban. Australians will laugh at us as a crowd of wowsersand they won’t be far wrong.-‘Good Sport," Levin. What About the Backblockers? O the Racing and Trotting Conferences realise what they are doing by their ban on broadcasting? Have they given any consideration at all to the pleasure that the broadcasting gives ‘the listeners in the backblocks who are quite unable to attend the meetings in the bigger centres which are chiefly affected by the ban? Their action wiil be most unpopular. If it is an effort to squeeze a few shekels out of the listener, it is, I think, doomed to failure. Obviously, on merit, the boot should be on the other foot, The racing and trotting meetings get their revenue from listeners’ when they attend the meetings, which they do in big numbers when the meetings are held locally. It is the distant listener that is affected. No one interested in the sport will stay away from a meeting when he can attend. The sport is too good for that. But when he cannot attend, he should be given the second-hand thrill of a good broadeast. There is no doubt about that and I am sure the ban will be condemned on all sides. The argument about illegal betting is, to my mind, ridiculous, The bookmaker does not rely on broadcasting. He is too clever for that. I hope the public will speedily let the Conferences know their wishes in this matter.-"F.N.," Palme erston North,