Decades before the first communications satellites, Australians loved to stay up listening to "live" broadcasts of Test cricket from England. How was it done?
First published in the Sydney Mail on July 11, 1934
The present series of cricket Test matches being played in England between the English and Australian cricket teams have aroused international interest. In Australia the public interest has magnified considerably this season in comparison to that of 1930. Cricket has always held a great public interest, but with the advent of broadcasting and the ball-for-ball description so efficiently put over the air by the multitude of broadcasting stations the Australian people particularly are becoming even more cricket-minded, if that were possible.
Radio coverage of the Third cricket test match between Australia and England at Old Trafford from radio station 2UE in Sydney on 10 July 1934. The staff are pictured here at the end of the match which ended in a draw.Credit:Staff photographer
A recent announcement made by the Victorian Electricity Commission indicated that there were thirty million units of electricity used in one evening during the Test match, and that was additional to the usual load on the electric supply system.
At the present time there are over 574,115 licensed wireless sets in Australia, and at least 50 per cent of these are operated from the electric power supply, which means approximately 400,000 wireless sets are consuming additional electricity during many hours that the cricket Test match is being played. This striking increase in public appreciation of the wonderful service is a great tribute to the power of broadcasting and the wonderful blessing that radio has proved to mankind.
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Mr. E. T. Fisk (president of the Institution of Radio Engineers, Australia) said recently: 'He doubted whether any other industry provided the same enjoyment and entertainment for the community. When an industry causes 90 per cent of the people to sit up half the night to listen to a vast inter-Empire struggle it is something to justify its claim to importance.'
When an industry causes 90 per cent of the people to sit up half the night to listen… it is something to justify its claim to importance
E. T. Fisk, president of the Institution of Radio Engineers
THE national service through Station 2BL made a very bold decision when they decided to allot that particular station to broadcast the cricket during the entire cricket session — i.e., from about 8 o'clock until about 3.30 in the morning. The 2BL cricket broadcast, which extended to all the national stations, was worthy of the highest tribute. It was quite to be expected that the 'B'' class stations would also make the most of their opportunity, and Station 2UW linked up with stations in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Adelaide, also Horsham, Victoria, and Newcastle, N.S.W.,put up a very fine entertaining programme, combined with the continual broadcasts of the cricket scores and comments by Mr. Vic. Richardson and other prominent identities.
Radio broadcast of a cricket match from radio station 2UE, New South Wales, 27 December 1933.Credit:Staff photographer
Station 2UE also presented their cricket programme in a very attractive manner under the able announcership of 'The Captain,' who conducted the ball-by-ball description in 1930.
THERE was very little difference between the three stations, particularly in the second Test. It may have been only a matter of seconds in some cases as to who would get the information first. The scheme, in a nutshell, is that the broadcasting stations, both 'A' class and 'B' class, found the additional cost of getting separate messages from England was prohibitive; therefore, the whole of the broadcasting stations pooled their resources and arranged for a continuous flow of cables, by beam and the cable services, to arrive in Sydney.
[The] cheers and crowd noises, coupled with the taps of the ball, all went to paint a picture almost of what one would see with television.
These messages were duplicated and transmitted to each particular broadcasting station that came in under the scheme. The cablRead More – Source
Decades before the first communications satellites, Australians loved to stay up listening to "live" broadcasts of Test cricket from England. How was it done?
First published in the Sydney Mail on July 11, 1934
The present series of cricket Test matches being played in England between the English and Australian cricket teams have aroused international interest. In Australia the public interest has magnified considerably this season in comparison to that of 1930. Cricket has always held a great public interest, but with the advent of broadcasting and the ball-for-ball description so efficiently put over the air by the multitude of broadcasting stations the Australian people particularly are becoming even more cricket-minded, if that were possible.
Radio coverage of the Third cricket test match between Australia and England at Old Trafford from radio station 2UE in Sydney on 10 July 1934. The staff are pictured here at the end of the match which ended in a draw.Credit:Staff photographer
A recent announcement made by the Victorian Electricity Commission indicated that there were thirty million units of electricity used in one evening during the Test match, and that was additional to the usual load on the electric supply system.
At the present time there are over 574,115 licensed wireless sets in Australia, and at least 50 per cent of these are operated from the electric power supply, which means approximately 400,000 wireless sets are consuming additional electricity during many hours that the cricket Test match is being played. This striking increase in public appreciation of the wonderful service is a great tribute to the power of broadcasting and the wonderful blessing that radio has proved to mankind.
Advertisement
Mr. E. T. Fisk (president of the Institution of Radio Engineers, Australia) said recently: 'He doubted whether any other industry provided the same enjoyment and entertainment for the community. When an industry causes 90 per cent of the people to sit up half the night to listen to a vast inter-Empire struggle it is something to justify its claim to importance.'
When an industry causes 90 per cent of the people to sit up half the night to listen… it is something to justify its claim to importance
E. T. Fisk, president of the Institution of Radio Engineers
THE national service through Station 2BL made a very bold decision when they decided to allot that particular station to broadcast the cricket during the entire cricket session — i.e., from about 8 o'clock until about 3.30 in the morning. The 2BL cricket broadcast, which extended to all the national stations, was worthy of the highest tribute. It was quite to be expected that the 'B'' class stations would also make the most of their opportunity, and Station 2UW linked up with stations in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Adelaide, also Horsham, Victoria, and Newcastle, N.S.W.,put up a very fine entertaining programme, combined with the continual broadcasts of the cricket scores and comments by Mr. Vic. Richardson and other prominent identities.
Radio broadcast of a cricket match from radio station 2UE, New South Wales, 27 December 1933.Credit:Staff photographer
Station 2UE also presented their cricket programme in a very attractive manner under the able announcership of 'The Captain,' who conducted the ball-by-ball description in 1930.
THERE was very little difference between the three stations, particularly in the second Test. It may have been only a matter of seconds in some cases as to who would get the information first. The scheme, in a nutshell, is that the broadcasting stations, both 'A' class and 'B' class, found the additional cost of getting separate messages from England was prohibitive; therefore, the whole of the broadcasting stations pooled their resources and arranged for a continuous flow of cables, by beam and the cable services, to arrive in Sydney.
[The] cheers and crowd noises, coupled with the taps of the ball, all went to paint a picture almost of what one would see with television.
These messages were duplicated and transmitted to each particular broadcasting station that came in under the scheme. The cablRead More – Source
