WHRB May Preempt Live Hockey Game for HRO Concert

WHRB listeners may not hear a live broadcast of the men's hockey team's Friday night battle with Colgate in the first round of the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference playoffs due to a programming conflict.

WHRB plans instead to broadcast a tape of Sunday night's Harvard Radcliffe Orchestra (HRO) concert. WHRB Vice President James S. Twiss '98 said the station will air a tape-delayed broadcast of the hockey game after the already-scheduled HRO concert.

Twiss said that when the station originally scheduled its programming, organizers were not aware of the Friday night game.

"It was kind of a miscommunication between the programming people and the sports department," Twiss said.

According to Twiss, WHRB reconsidered its decision to air the concert over the game earlier this week but currently plans to follow its published schedule.

"[The sports department] had one view and classical had another, but I wouldn't say there was any acrimony over it," Twiss said.

WHRB Director of Sports Joshua P. Garoon '98 said he could not comment on the issue.

Claude A. Naar '01, a classical music fan who attended last weekend's HRO concert, said he disagrees with WHRB's decision.

"I think most people who really, really wanted to hear the HRO concert already heard it. So I think it might be better to air the hockey game live and possibly reschedule the HRO concert," Naar said.

Ben H. Story '99, who plays defense for the varsity hockey team, spoke to the importance of Friday's game.

"The regular season is over, so basically this is the most important game of the season," Story said.

Story said broadcasting the game live would be better for hockey fans.

"It might be nice for the people who can't go to the game to be able to hear [the game] live instead of something that was taped a week ago," Story said.

Twiss emphasized WHRB's interest in covering hockey. "It's a sport we're very committed to and we've had great success with it over the years," Twiss said.

He could not comment on whether WHRB will reconsider its decision to air the hockey game on a tape delay.