Grid Games May Be Broadcast If Harvard Can Locate Sponsor

In a tradition-shattering departure from its aloof stand regarding the broadcasting of Harvard football games, the Corporation has given its official permission to search for a sponsor, Director of Athletics William J. Bingham '16 announced yesterday.

Although Bingham has been negotiating for several months with various interested concerns, no definite agreement has been reached with any one of them as the football season draws near. Harvard is definitely in the market, but many considerations make it difficult to settle the matter.

One is that most of the Boston stations have already arranged their broadcasting schedules and find that they have few Saturday afternoons free. Station WBZ remains the only one with vacant time.

Another obstacle lying in the way is the advertising program of the H.A.A. News; certain firms have contracts stipulating that no rival concerns may be allowed to sell or advertise their products at the games.

Several bids have been received which are too low to be considered seriously, since the University feels that if it must abandon tradition, it should do it profitably. According to Bingham, Harvard was offered $100,000 three years ago for the broadcasting rights and refused, and more recently was offered $37,500 with the same result.

No Liquor or Tobacco'

Bingham said that the Committee on Athletics would consider selling broadcasting rights for individual games if the price made it worth while. However, the Corporation has stipulated that no liquor or tobacco companies be permitted to sponsor the broadcasts.

Interest in the long-debated question was revived last spring when the Student Council approved a petition signed by 1052 undergraduates, requesting that the broadcasts be instituted so as to replace at least in part the loss sustained by the 10 per cent slash in the athletic budget.

The bad feature of the present program, says Bingham, is that athletics are so dependent on gate receipts. As soon as the endowment fund is large enough it will be possible to eliminate these.