America’s Cup race will be telecast live

Press, 24 September 1983, Page 15

America’s Cup race will be telecast live

Television New Zealand will take the final America’s Cup race live from Newport from 7 a.m. on Sunday. The satellite link will cost more than $lO,OOO an hour but TVNZ’s controller of sport, Mr Bruce Crossan, said yesterday that interest in the seventh race between Australia II and Liberty was exceptionally high.

“The duration of the telecast will, of course, depend on the conditions for the race,” said Mr Crossan. “We spent today tying up a pack-

age with the Australians where, as you would expect, interest is even more intense.”

Cup races have been finishing around 8 a.m. New Zealand time during the Australia 11-Liberty series. Aussie rules fans will not be able to see live coverage of the Victoria Football League final on Saturday. However, they will be able to see highlights from the match in the sports slot on TVI, on Sunday, October 16.

TVNZ had difficulties in getting the rights which the V.F.L. has now placed out-

side Australia with an American international television entrepeneurial firm, but on Thursday the head of sports for TVNZ, Mr Keith McEwen, was able to arrange a highlight package deal direct with the V.F.L. The Australian match also clashes with the highlights from the Canterbury/Auckland Ranfurly Shield match, which will be screened at 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Qantas has sponsored the coverage in past years and spokesmen for the airline confirmed that funds had been set aside in its annual

budget to sponsor the game again this year, but TVNZ had not been interested. “Until we knew we had the rights there was no point in asking Qantas for sponsorship,” Mr McEwen said.

Mr McEwen also said: “We prefer to spend our production budget on coverage which involves national teams.

“We will be covering the cricket tour with England here and the upcoming All Black tour, but next year it is quite possible we will screen V.F.L. final live again,” he said.