Broadcasting the Second Test Match

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 26, 11 January 1929, Page 24

Broadcasting the Second Test Match

Keen Interest in Australia. HE second Test Match between England and Australia gave the New South Wales Broadcasting Company Limited, another opportunity of establishing a record. This was the first occasion on which every ball bowled in one of these historic matches was described, and some idea of what a colossal task this covered may be gathered from the fact that 3035 balls were bowled during the game. Commencing at 12 o’clock on the Friday morning, the Company’s Sta-tions-2FC and 2BL-were made available at alternate periods on each day right up to the close of the match on the following Thursday afternoon. The switch from one station to another was made during the interval between the overs, thus every ball bowled throughout the game was: accounted for on the air. It was not alone in local broadcasting that this match created a record for, at different periods, no less than four States were broadcasting the description from the Sydney Cricket Ground. Other records attached to this game were created by the number of traders who operated continuous services outside their establishments and the number of letters and messages of congratulation, received by both the Company's studios. Intense Interest Displayed. EVERAL examples of the intense interest that is created in sport by broadcasting might be cited. At the District Court held in Grafton, slips of paper were being constantly passed around among the various officials, the Counsel and the Judge. This caused a good deal of conjecture as to what urgent messages were being so conveyed. At last it was found that somebody outside the court was operating a wireless set and the slips of paper bore progress results as received on the air. Leyland, who has been chosen twelfth man for the English team, was taken ill suddenly but through the thoughtfulness of one of the Radio firms in Sydney, this English player was able to hear every ball of the match described, in his bedroom at the hotel, In hospitals and nursing institutions right throughout the State where wireless is installed, the receiving sets were worked continuously right throughout the match. Is Attendance Affected? T the present time a controversy is being waged in Victoria as to whether broadcasting from Sports Grounds has a tendency to interfere with attendances. Whatever evidence there may be in favour of this contention in the Southern State, it certainly does not exist in New South Wales. The attendance and gate receipts of the recent test match created records. It has been felt for some time that descriptive broadcasting has a tendency to improve afternoon attendances, and this was

very strongly demonstrated during Wednesday’s play. When Richardson’s wicket was lost late on the Tuesday evening, there was a feeling abroad that Australia was about to fail once more. This considerably affected the attendance on the Wednesday morning, but after Hendry and Woodfull had settled downg@@jd a description of their play was breadcast up till the lunch adjournment, so great was the interest created that the crowd again poured to the ground to view the afternoon’s play. Series of Talks. ANOTHER successful feature of the test match was the series of progressive talks given by the exInternational .player, Mr. M. A. Noble, who at the lunch and tea adjournments and again at night time, gave his impressions of the day’s. play. Throughout the whole test match every facility to make the transmission a feature was extendyd to the Company’s representatives\by the trustees and groundsmen at the Sydney Cricket Ground, and this contributed very much to the successful broadcasting.