RUGBY BY RADIO.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20537, 11 April 1930, Page 12

RUGBY BY RADIO.

BRITISH TEAM'S MATCHES.

BROADCASTING ALL GAMES

POLICY OF UNION DECIDED

[BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON. Thursday.

The delegates of the New Zealand Rugby Union at the annual meeting today decided that all matches played by the British team in New Zealand should be broadcast.

Mr. S. S. Dean said the Now Zealand Union would not lose a. penny if the matches were broadcast, but it would be a serious matter for affiliated unions. Personally he liked listening-in, but the Radio Broadcasting Company was a commercial institution. The union did not see why the Radio Company should not, pay for the privilege of broadcasting Rugby matches, as they charged listenersin a licence fee, of 30s. Everyone had sympathy with patients in hospitals an<) charitable institutions, and they thought that if the Radio Company were sincere in its concern for these people, why should it not make a donation for the privilege of broadcasting ths matches? The expressions which had issued from the Radio Company werq mere camouflage. The secretary read a reply from the company in which it stated that it was not prepared to pay for the privilege of broadcasting the matches.

Service to the Public. Mr. H. H. Sterling considered that if the reports of the British games were not broadcast it would affect the game adversely. The union had a service to give to the public as well as tho company. H<> moved that all matches played by the British team in the Dominion be broad cast. '

The motion was seconded by Mr. McDevift (Waikato). Mr. S. Wilson (Canterbury) moved as an amendment that the meeting should approve of the action of the management committee in asking the Radio Company for some fee for the privilege of broadcasting the matches. The New Zealand Union had not brought out, the British team for the benefit, of lisleners-in.

Mr. J. Prcndeville . (Wellington) seconded "the amendment. He suggested that, the company might be allowed to send a reporter to the matches and send out a report over the air in the evenings. The company could well afford to pay a fee and each listener-in might pay a shilling for the privilege of receiving the report f» over the air, the money received in this way to go to a Rugby insurance fund.

Experience in Taranaki. Mr. ,T. McLeod (Taranaki) said the union was not concerned with the company, but it was vitally concerned with the public of New Zealand, and the game might get a bad setback if it refused broadcasting reports. Taranaki had been broadcasting Rugby and boxing events for the past few and found that, instead of reducing gates the added publicity had brought more revenue.

The Rev. P. Tamahori (East Coast) made a strong plea that, at least the test matches should be broadcast.

Mr. A. St.C. Belcher (Auckland) said that his union was strongly in favour of broadcasting, but he had been influenced by what he had heard during the discussion. There was something to be said for allowing the company to send reports out, in the evening.

Mr. A Murdoch (Auckland) said it could not bo expected that a report sent out some hours after the match would he anything like as vivid as onr broadcast while the game was in progress. Mr. A. A. Adams (West Coast) said that after hearing the discussion his union would bo prepared to lose a few pounds iri order that the greater good of the game might be served by broadcasting the matches. The amendment was lost.

Mr. J. T. King (Wellington) moved as a further amendment that reports of test matches only should be broadcast. This was also last.

Mr. Sterling's motion was carried