BROADCASTING RUGBY

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 39, 5 April 1935, Page 5

BROADCASTING RUGBY

PHE Otago Rugby Football Union and various subunions in the south seem to be at variance on the . question of football broadcasts. The South Otago Sub- : Union urged that some if not all of the fees paid by the, New Zealand Broadcasting’ Board to the parent union be distributed among the sub-unions as compensation for. the fact that broadcasting was adversely affecting the gate takings in the country centres, Just what effect broadcasting is having on gate takings and public interest in Rugby it is yet a little early.to discover, but it is a definitely established fact that the indiscriminate broadcasting of matches is having a detrimental effect on football broadcasting in general and on the attitude of the public toward the game in particular. The various unions could do much to arouse greater public interest and to. promote better football if they choose the matches to be broadcast with some care. And so far as some country districts are concerned their sub-unions would be better advised to attach less blame to broadcasting for the smallness of their gate takings than to the poor standard of football that is played on their grounds.