Dallas Gurney, the general manager of talk programming for The Radio Network, told the Otago Daily Times the broadcaster remained committed to providing live coverage for domestic one-day and twenty/20 games but was trialling a new approach for first-class cricket.
"Instead of running extended periods of commentary and crossing between the multiple games, we are going to have a commentator in a central commentary position providing updates on the games," Gurney said.
While it sounds like a cost-cutting exercise plain and simple, Gurney disagreed.
"It is as much about providing the best possible coverage for our Radio Sport audience as it is any money that we might save by not having a commentator at every single Plunket Shield game", he said.
"I can give an absolute assurance that Radio Sport listeners won't miss out on the action from the Plunket Shield this year. And it is only a trial. We'll trial it for this season and see how it goes."
Experienced broadcaster Steve Davie questioned whether someone sitting in studio looking at scores coming through on the internet was going to enhance the coverage.
"It is the thin edge of the wedge," Davie said.
"If you are not going to cover first-class cricket then your twenty/20 and one-day domestic play is going to be next.""Will they not bother with first-class rugby or do they not cover the A-League?"
"It is disappointing for the listeners. People have painted the house listening to Jeremy Coney scoring a century and all of those sort of things. It is part of their summer memories.
"I can understand programming decisions and I'm not saying it is right or wrong, but it is a quantum change for people who have listened for generations."
"If you add Peter Sharp, Allen McLaughlin and me, there is probably over 100 years of cricket broadcasting experience. And if you throw in Ron Snowden, Garth Gallaway, Phillip Stephens and Kevin Hart there is another 100 years probably. So it is a lot of experience which is going to be sitting around doing the odd one-dayer and odd twenty/20 game."
Davie, who has 30 years' broadcasting experience, said while the Plunket Shield did not draw crowds, there was plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest people listened to the radio and followed the sport that way.
"They cover it because people listen to it on the radio or have the score up on their desk at work."
Gurney said Radio Sport might provide live coverage for some key games but conceded those matches would have to be in Wellington or Auckland, where the company has fulltime commentators based.
