Taking an Unfair Advantage

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 41, 24 April 1930, Page 1

Taking an Unfair Advantage

Canterbury Rugby Union Management Committee decide that all or no matches shall be .Broaacast

HE old bone of contention, the broadcast of sports events, has been dug up again. This time it is the Cauterbury Rugby Union who cannot see eye to eye with the Broddeasting Company, with respect to the broadcasting of the matches played under its auspices. "Upon the company’s application for the right to broadcast this season’s matches, the Management Committee stated that they were ready to grant permission if no exceptions were made. The attitude of the union clearly indicates that they wish to lessen the risk of the gate takings being affected and to effectively block Rugby broadeasting. 7

N introducing tue subject at the | meeting, the. president (Mr. A. E. McPhail) stated that last season permission was granted, but the Union held the right to say when ‘the matches were to be kept off the air, Then Dr. W. S. Seed suggested that: "It would be a good idea to grant permission provided the company would broadeast our matches every Saturday throughout the season." The president: If we retain the right to say when the company should go on or off the air for our football matches, we could see that all matches were broadcast. Dr. Seed: The company is going to broadcast our matches when that suits: it. When the British team is playing the company will broadcast the British matches. . Mr. 8. F. Wilson: That’s the point. We "should have the right to say that the company must broadcast our matches. Dr. Seed: The company wants to fill up Saturdays when it is not broadcasting matches played. by the British team. Mr. Wilson: We should grant permission only on condition that the company broadcasts our matches every Saturday. Mr. L. V. Jensen: There is no doubt whatever that when a Test match is being played in Dunedin or Wellington, the company will not want to broadcast a match here.. People with valve sets could, of course, pick up the Test matches direct. It was pointed out that insistence on the company’s broadeasting all the union’s matches would prevent the company from re‘broadeasting matches played elsewhere. Dr. Seed moved that the company be given permission to broadcast, provided that it broadcast\all matches played under the union’s jurisdiction, at Lancaster Park, throughout the season. ‘Tpis motion was carried. A. The Company’s Point of View. [NTERVIEWED by a representative of the Christchurch "Press," Mr. A. R. Harris, general manager of the Radio Broadcasting Company, stated that the terms of the committee would, in effect, mean that the Broadeasting Company would not be able to: take ful] advantage of the recent decision of the New Zealand Rugby Union to allow the broadcasting of the British Rugby team matches. "Jt was the company’s intention, on the occasion of the four test matches," said Mr. Harris, "to make application to the Post and , Telegraph Department for a land line from Auckland to Dunedin for the purpose of linking up the four stations at Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, so that the descriptions of the matches would be broadcast from all the stations simultaneously as it was felt that these matches were of Dominion-wide interest to all football enthusiasts.

"In regard to the provincial matches, it was intended that these should be restricted to the station serving that district. For instance, when:.a British match was being played at Christchurch, it was proposed that this be broadeast by 8YA, and when a match was being played at Timaru, the company had a duty to perform in respect to its listeners in South Canterbury interested in that particular event, and this match would also be broadcast by 3YA. "It was also intended to carry out the same idea at the other stations in regard to their respective provincial matches, our: only object in this proposal being to serve the district- as widely as ‘possible. w‘th the limited hours at our disposal, as it was impossible to broadcast more than one match at the one time from the same station. . Ranfurly Shield Games. "THEN there Is the question of the Ranfurly Shield matches to be played this year at Inee ee eee ee

vercargill. All followers of the Rugby game in Christchurch are sure to be interested in the description of any Ranfurly Shield matches played at Invercargill-in particular when Canterbury is the challenging team-and in offering to broadcast this match from the Christchurch station by means of a land line from Invercarll "Subject, of course to its availability, we would do so entirely in the interests of the ° local community and not for any mercenary motive on the part of the company, as it . means considerable expense to do this. "On Saturday afternoon, May 3 next, com« mencing at three o’clock, there is the SarronDonovan fight at Dunedin, and as permission has been granted by the Otago Boxing Association for this fight to be broadcast, endeavours ire being made to link up all stations so that the bout will be sitnuitaneously broadcast from all the company’s stations. Owing to the Dominion-wide interest that will be shown in this fight, the company could not very well compromise itself in respect to local matches so that it could not.broadeast the SarronDonovan fight. on the Saturday afternoon or avail itself of events of such nation-wide interest. : . A Matter of Preference. "FT is not a question of picking and choosing as one member of the local Rugby Union stated, but entirely a matter. . of public preference, and the company would be failing in its duty to the community were it to compromise itself and jeopardise its sports service at this stage and without regard to other national events that may be offering on special occasions and of far greater public interest than some football matches of little interest. "When the Canterbury team played the Wairarapa team at Masterton last year, we were severely criticised by the Wellington Rugby Union for broadcasting this game in preference’ to broadcasting a description of the local. Wellington match. The Wellington Union used the same argument that the Canterbury Rugby Union now puts forth. However, the match at Masterton was of far greater interest to New Zealand Rugby fol-' lowers-and in particular. the Canterbury public-than any Wellington match. Had the Broadcasting Company not taken the wider view and broadcast’ the WairarapaCanterbury match from 2YA and_ rebroadeasting by 8YA, then a far greater number of Rugby followers would have’ had reason to complain than was the case when the company did not broadcast the local Wellington match. Catering for All. "[z is not the desire of the Broadcasting Company to lessen the public interest, ‘in any societies or associalions organised (Concluded on page 2)

Rugby Broadcasts {Continued from page 1.) in the spirit of public service or in any way to prejudice their activities. We fully realise that these organisations exist for a definite purpose of promoting interest in various subjects, and in the greatest public utility radio broadcasting should co-operate with such organisations as far as it is practicable. At the same .time it must, in its policy, endeavour’ to cater for all sections of the community without any question of favouritism towards a particular section or unfair discrimination between those sections entitled to use a national broadcast service.

"There appears to be a doubt in the minds of some of the Rugby Union officials as to the sincerity of the Broadcasting Company'in its object, and we would suggest that this may be overcome by the formation of a committee consisting of- representatives of the more prominent sports organisations and members of the Broadcasting Company. "It could then make recommendations on the question of priority or preference arising out of competing _ Claims for the company’s service in respect of sporting. matters and to make. such suggestions to the company as they care to with the object of stimulating public interest in and utilising the broadcast service for furthering the interest of amateur sport generally.

"Committees of this character are already operating to further child welfare. in connection with the children’s sessions and also in: regard to music and art in connection with the company’s entertainment sessions, and religious matters in respect to its church services, Having for its members representatives of amateur: sports organisations organised to consider sports events, the interests of sport in so far as broadeasting affects it would be, as far as is practicable, in its own hands." Press Comment. [Har the decision is not popular in Christchurch. is evident; from the comment in the local press. Bach of ' the. three daily papers has given the matter attention and none has express-

ed sympathy with the union. The "Star"? says:-Did the managemen committee of the Rughy Union me what: it said last night when it resolyed that the Broadcasting Company should be given permission to broadcast from Lancaster Park on Saturdays and at other times, provided ail Saturday matches were broadeca2zst. "All Saturday matches" would be a tall order, but it is easy to believe that this was not in the mind of the committee. But all Saturday matches at Lancaster Park, which may have been in the mind of the committee, would involve three running descriptions of three matches simultaneously played on _ three different grounds, broadcast on the same wavelength, which is unthinkable, or on three (ifferent wavelengths, which would be stupid. ’ Presumably the committee’ decified that only the matches played on. the Oval should be put on the air, and this looks obvious enough and natural enough and harmless enough. But the managers of Rugby Union football are nothing if not shrewd. They know that if the local station is putting out a running report of the matches on the Oval it cannot also be. broadcasting a match at Auckland. . On the face of it, this looks like a perfectly effective move to prevent people from deserting Lancaster Park in order to lis-ten-in to. descriptions of the matches played elsewhere by the English team. That is what it looks like to the Rugby Union. To other people it looks more like a priceless boost for the radio dealers, who would be working overtime providing sets capable of tuning out» Christchurch and picking up Aucks land, Wellington, and Dunedin. In the language of the street it looks like one in the eye for the owners of erystal sets.