BROADCASTING OF RUGBY

Taranaki Daily News, 30 April 1931, Page 6

BROADCASTING OF RUGBY

N.Z. RUGBY UNION UNDECIDED MATTER LEFT TO COMMUTES. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. Opinion was divided to-day , on ths question whether broadcasting of matches was for the benefit of the game as far as finance was concerned. It was pointed out by several member!, that the meeting really had no power to make any hard and fast decision, as the question was more one that-affected individual unions. Though several conflicting , motions were presented it was eventually decided to leave the whole question in the hands of the management committee. In his annual report the president, Dr. G. J. Adams, said:— “The broadcasting of the, Bntismatches, and the important intef-pro-vincial matches, played no little part in causing the financial strain that many unions” are experiencing to-day, and I have not the least doubt that the broadcasting of subsequent matches played under the jurisdiction of the N.Z.R.F.U., and perhaps of all unions, will, receive earnest consideration, so that a- universal policy can be brought down to safeguard the country unions which, it appears, will have to be protected. “There is not the least doubt that the broadcasting of big provincial matches in the four centres does not seriously hamper the finances of those centres, but it does hamper the country unions and as the public becomes more and more educated to listening-in to matches, broadcasting will ultimately jeopardise the finances of many of the country unions, and it might therefore be wise at this stage to adopt a universal policy in the Dominion for their protection.’