WBZ Official Cites "Unrealism" of H.A.A. On Radio Coverage

Commercial broadcasts of Harvard football games may have ended permanently this fall, a Boston radio executive said yesterday. Grady Edney, manager of station WBZ, blamed the Stadium blackout on the Athletic Department's "unrealistic idea of what football broadcasts are worth."

WBZ, which has broadcast the Crimson's home games for the past three years, made another "very reasonable offer" to the University this fall but was turned down, Edney said. The Athletic Department "though it could get more money elsewhere but ended up getting none at all," he added.

In place of the Stadium broadcasts WBZ has not developed a "football scoreboard" program, Edney continued. This venture has been so successful, he said, that "it looks now as though we won't be interested in any more Harvard football."

Emphasizing the commercial disadvantages of Crimson football broadcasts, Edney pointed out that this fall's five-game home schedule, by not including the Yale game, is not worth very much to a sponsor. He also complained that the University's refusal to accept a brewery as sponsor handicaps any radio station buying Stadium football rights.