RACE BROADCAST.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 304, 26 December 1939, Page 5

RACE BROADCAST.

AFTER THE FINISH.

S.P. RAMP ALLEGATIONS.

announcer is arrested.

MELBOURNE, December 21.

The racing announcer of 3XY, Mr. Harry Solomons, was suspended after the broadcast of the last race at Ascot last Saturday. The race, the Berkeley Welter, was won by Buoyancy. Mr. Solomons broadcast a description of the race after it was finished. Later he was arrested on a charge of conspiracy. The 3DB and 3IX) lines were cut, -with the result that 3XY was the only station to broadcast the last race to other States. Police are investigating charges of an alleged s.p. betting ramp. Allegations ha\e been made that the broadcasting of the race after its finish made it possible to back the winner after the race had been won. Under the Federal regulations radio stations may not broadcast betting prices till atfter the last race finishes. An intensive search of the State is being made by a squad of detectives, under Detective-Sergeant Keogh. The Sydney express to-night was closely scrutinised, and all arterial roads watched. Found Wires Cut. The commentator for 3DB (Eric Welch) said he did not know that anything had occurred until his assistant rang the studio, immediately after the last race, to give starting prices. The assistant was told that Welch ;had been off the air for 10 minutes, j Welch said:— "On learning this. I had a look at the landline connecting us direct to the studio. The wires looked as though they had been cut by a knife. I patched np the line as best as I could but, of course, the race vu over The engineer. of-3DB could not üb, >n4l

said afterwards that when lie switched over to 3LO lie found that station silent. "After listening to the description of the race from 3AW, he switched over to 3XY, and was amazed to hear the race being broadcast again." j "Been Talking." Mr. Tom Holt, managing director of j 3XY, said:— | "The first I knew of the trouble was when it was reported to me on Saturday evening that the broadcast of the last race was late. I took a tazi to the Hunt Cluib Hotel, -where Mr. Solomons boards, and brought him to my office. "Solomons eaid he had been talking to Fred Tupper, broadcaster for 3AW, and had not realised that the race was on. "Wallace Sharland, who was with Solomons, said that just before the race two men, one in soldier's uniform and one in civies, apparently drunk, staggered up and demanded to see their pal, Harry Solomons. "They kicked up such a row that Sharland got down out of the tower, gave them cigarettes ,and pacified them. "After a couple of minutes, when! Sharland got back into the tower, he heard Solomons broadcasting the race. "He searched the course for the field, and found no horses. He then saw the jockeys of unplaced horses unsaddling, realised that something was •wrong, and reported the matter to me." Mr. David' Worrall, manager of 3DB, said:— "I did not know anything about it until late on Saturday night. I have called for a report from all our staff, and ■will hold an inquiry." For the past 12 years broadcasting stations in New South Wales have been taking race descriptions by relay from Melbourne, and the procedure is the same in every case. The Sydney announcer waits for a definite signal from the Victorian station to advise him that the race is about to start. Sydney stations then cross to the Melbourne racecourse, and the rest of the description comes from there. At the end of the description Sydney stations resume their own programmes. Minister Acts. A searching inquiry into the incident has been ordered by the PostmasterGeneral (Mc Harrison},

He may also compel B-class stations to install equipment which will prevent any repetition of what happened on Saturday. | Interviewed, Mr. Harrison said:— "I have called for a full report from • my Department. "If the Press reports of the incident are found to be correct, I will compel | B-class stations to operate- on similar methods to A-class stations when making broadcasts of this kind. "A stations have a mechanic in attendance, and also a monitor line. "Because of this, 3LO was able on Saturday to contact its ocmmentator immediately the line was cut. "I will require 3XY to furnish me with a full report, including the reasons for the suspension of their commentator, Solomons. "I will need to be thoroughly assured by them that they are taking every effort to safeguard the interests of tha public." No Big Sydney Bets. No attempt was made in Sydnev to place big bets on Buoyancy, it "was learned. Starting-price bookmakers said that the only likely victims would be tho® who paid out on prices received by telegram or by wireless. These men few in number—rpperated chiefly in hotels and betting shops. Any bookmaker who paid on newspaper prices would, they said, probably refuse to honour a bet placed on Buoyancy after the actual starting time of the race. ° In Melbourne and in country districts of Tr ictoria, South Australia. New South Wales and Queensland there are a number of town bookmakers who pay out on wired or wireless prices. These would probably be the heaviest losers.