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Hopes Majors Will Alter Air Policy Must Take Steps To Save Minors Discontinuance of Networks! By All Major League* Clubs Would Be Great Help-Lane By the United Press General manager Frank Lane of the Chicago White Sox told the National Association of Radio and Television Broadcast-; ers yesterday he was hopeful some way could be developed -to "control television and broadcasting of major league games"] to make it possible for minor leagues to survive. , "Right now, no matter how that fellow in the minor leagues operates," he said, "hes batting his head .against a wall. "if all the major league clubs discon-: tinue their "networks, it will be a great help; to minor league baseball." Lane said that baseball attendance, though down in the last lew years, had reached a "normal standard" as far as the major leagues were concerned. But lie said the minors were not in good shape and the "greatest thing they are fighting is the influx of telecasting of major league games." i. Lane said the minor league fan was .be- coming "major league conscious. He spends : two or three hours watching a major league game in the afternoon and lie doesnt grab his hat to go out to a minor league game1 at night. "He lias spent .so much time watching baseball that he is satiated." Lane said such lans now are -apt to go to the nearest major league area to see their baseball games. "Control might minimize the hazard for the minor, league operator," lie said. Minor League Attendance Slump George Trautman, president of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, likewise complained about telecasts and broadcasts of major league :games into minor league territory. He reported that over the past five years minor .league attendance has slumped from 41,000;000 to: 22;000,000, that 22 leagues have collapsed and that the membership lias dropped from 464 to 264 teams. "The habit of going to the park nas l een lost," he said. "Our quarrel, If it is a quarrel, : is with the expansion of major league club networks." Trautman said stations in minor league territory could buy broadcasts of major league games for from to 0 a day, .and the "minor league .game is a drug on the market. Its not salable." He said he had no objection to television or broadcast of major league ball in major league territory, but he saw no reason why a major league game should be displayed 2,000 miles from the park. Trautman said 187 teams replied to an Association questionnaire and 144 iiad the "game of the day" broadcast in their town: "Theres a lot to be done by some source, somehow, some day," he said. Trautman said that of 149 clubs reporting last year, one reported a profit. "The martyrs of the game are not in the big leagues," hes aid. Theyre down under.! Were not hysterical, were concerned." George Higgins, vice-president :and general manager of KMBC, Kansas City, Mo.,: chairman of the NARTB sports committee,! said the committee was ;going to make a; recommendation that every broadcaster ;and particularly management get interested in I the local team and campaign to see that •baseball survives.
