Athletic Dept. Opposes WHRB Grid Broadcasts

The Department of Athletics has indicated strong disapproval of a WHRB proposal to broadcast all Crimson home and away football games this fall, it was learned yesterday. Final action on the station's petition--made last spring--will probably be taken this Monday at a meeting of the nine-man Faculty Committee on Athletics.

The proposal comes in the wake of yesterday's announcement that the University has not renewed its contract with Boston radio station WBZ which has broadcast Crimson football games for the past three seasons.

If the WHRB plan is turned down only the Yale game will be heard in the Boston area.

Athletic officials reason that coverage by a local station would keep away many students who might normally attend home games. Since all undergraduates receive one free ticket, the athletic department hopes to keep the stadium as full as possible.

Third Year of Petition

This is the third year that the station has petitioned the department for permission to broadcast football games. Each time they have been turned down on the grounds that coverage by a local station would violate an exclusive rights clause in Harvard's contract with WBZ. Negotiations this year began in April.

A strong possibility remains that although the Faculty Committee may prohibit WHRB's reporting home games, it will encourage the station to cover the Dartmouth, Columbia, and Yale contests which will be played outside Cambridge.