APhiladelphia Daily News Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Thursday, July 20, 1972 - Page 28
Fischer Wants Chess Match Televised But on Reasonable Terms (As Previously Understood and Agreed Upon)
Reykjavik, Iceland (UPI)—Bobby Fischer wants his $250,000 world championship match with Boris Spassky of Russia televised to the world, but he cannot accept an arrangement that would hurt his concentration at the chess board, a representative of the American challenger said today.
Fred Cramer, representing the 29-year-old Fischer, also said Icelandic chess officials were doing everything possible to insure that the fifth game of the match, which begins this afternoon, goes off without the problems that have caused Fischer to threaten a boycott.
As Cramer spoke, negotiations were underway between Fischer's attorneys and representatives of Chester Fox, Inc., and the American Broadcasting Co., which have bought broadcasting rights to the match.
“I DON'T KNOW what the result of the negotiations will be but Bobby is most anxious this great match can come out to the world,” said Cramer. “But he would not accept any deal which would disturb his concentration on the stage. The cameras must be absolutely silent and out of reach.” ([Automatic, unmanned, closed-circuit cameras are what Fischer anticipated would be used, but he was misled by Soviet organizers when he was confronted with large, bulky multiple-manned television cameras suited for football games, not chess championship tournaments.])
Fischer has protested every previous game, mostly because of the ([disruptive men operating]) television cameras. He even failed to show up for the second game and forfeited it to Spassky ([which was confirmed illegal on behalf of the Icelandic-Soviet sympathetic organizers. Col.Edmondson of the USCF once again confirms in the New York Times, on 7/20/1972 that “under the rules of a world championship tournament, Fischer had a right to demand the removal of the cameras and to refuse to play if they were not removed”])
