COMMUNITY radio station 3WAY-FM has pulled the plug on broadcasting Hampden football league matches.
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A lack of experienced volunteers is behind the station’s decision to end 15 years of football broadcasts.
Station secretary John MacInnes said the retirement of long-time commentators Darryl Agnew and Gerard Auld after last year’s grand final had left a void too big to fill for this season.
He said the station’s committee believed there was insufficient time to assemble a suitably experienced team for next month’s season-opening round of matches.
The station had called for expressions of interest from volunteers at the end of January and after hearing from about eight people, MacInnes said the committee was concerned it might struggle to maintain a regular, reliable team throughout the season.
“It’s a pity,” he said.
MacInnes said the station wanted to return to calling matches in 2016. “We thank the people who expressed interest in being involved, and hope that we can build up a skilled group for a possible resumption in 2016,” he said.
“There are experienced people and others with potential, but the lack of a solid core at this stage of the year led us to this difficult decision.”
He said the committee believed it could use the next 12 months to train and mentor potential commentators.
The station began broad-casting games in 2000 after commercial station 3YB withdrew, preferring to broadcast AFL matches. But 3YB returned to calling matches in 2013, the first year of the expanded Hampden league.
Both stations broadcast games in 2013 and 2014 with each covering a different match.
“This gave listeners a choice of match and a choice of style of presentation, and my impression is that the league, clubs and football followers found this of value,” MacInnes said.
He thanked the clubs, the HFNL, sponsors and listeners for their support over the last 15 years, and expressed hope that a new team would put on the headphones in 2016.