RUGBY WILL NOT BE BROADCAST

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 143, 18 June 1931, Page 9

RUGBY WILL NOT BE BROADCAST

DELEGATES SUPPORT EXECUTIVE; IT IS SAID.

The half-yearly meeting of delegates to the Canterbury Rugby Union discussed last evening the question of broadcasting matches. The discussion was taken in committee, and no report of committee proceedings was made in open meeting. It was learned from authoritative quarters in the city this morning that the decisian reached was that the action of the executive in making a charge of £SOO for the season's matche* should b£ supported, but at the same time the executive was recommended to make a considered statement to the Press of all dealings between the Broadcasting Company and the Union. Although the action of the executive was supported by the delegates, there were many present who say that they definitely are not in favour of the action taken. The endorsement was merely to save the unpleasantness arising out of what would at this stage of the season be tantamount to a vote of non-confidence. All those in disagreement with the executive’s action feel that they will have another opportunity of reviewing the matter next year, and that perhaps by that time there _ will have been a change in the composition of the Broadcasting Company itself. Publicity Question.

It was stated by one man this morning that the bulk of the opinion among clubs and players was that matches should be broadcast to give the game publicity. The difficulty was that while the damage done to the. finances of the game could more or less be estimated by comparing gate receipts, the benefits to the game could not possibly be arrived at, because the publicity given by the radio descriptions of games would take some time to act. Some people interested in football would sit at home and listen if it was watch a game, to? the financial benefit of the Rugby Union. On the other hand, people not very interested in the game might become interested bylistening to the descriptions of kames, and eventually become regular visitors to the grounds. An interesting point was raised by one member of the Union when he described this morning the experience of an elderly friend of his. The elderly man, once a very keen Rugby man, is now unable with any comfort to see more than a few of the most important matches of a season. He has listener in to the description of the Wellington games this season, and declares that he now knows far more about the football in the northern province than he does about the game in Canterbury. The speaker said that the Union should take that lesson to heart. Payment of Fees. The princple of charging the Broadcasting Company for the right to watch games meets with a fair amount of support from the delegates. While it is felt that the Union might be accused of being grasping (and this has been said more than once), on the other hand, many argue that by allowing broadcasts, the Union would simply help a private concern to make its wares moer attractive, and thus make larger profits. The position is now definite for the rest of this season. The Union delegates have endorsed the action of their executive in demanding money or no broadcast. The Broadcasting Company on its side says that the demand for payment is the same as a veto, and to make up the sporting element in its Saturday programmes it turns to League and Association. The matter will rest there till it is reviewed next year, but in the meantime confirmed radio-football fans have eithe rto listen to doings in a far-away province, or hear about local League and occasionally Soccer.