Could the CBC lose Hockey Night in Canada?

The Globe and Mail?s Bruce Dowbiggin utilizes his usual amount of bluster to make a topic which should concern both Canadian and non-Canadian fans who grew up watching hockey on the CBC a little more complicated than it already is, but his bottom line is a simple one: it it entirely possible, if not probable, that the CTV/TSN empire or another Canadian sports network will out-bid the government-funded CBC outright for the lion?s share of the NHL?s Canadian TV contract in 2014, rendering Hockey Night in Canada extinct:


CBC is left to compete against well-capitalized communications giants that can amortize rights purchases and talent raids against their cellphone or cable TV businesses. Plus, the federally subsidized broadcaster is finding it hard to justify to the Conservative government using tax money to take assets from the private side. The CBC talks brave, but the clock is running on its traditional model of having Hockey Night underwrite its other operations.


Well-funded CTV/TSN and Rogers have set their sights on the next Canadian Olympic TV bids, CFL rights, curling, NFL and the NHL contract starting in 2014. Newly minted Shaw/Global is rushing to follow them with its application for a sports channel. Telus is also aggressively pursuing strategies to allow it to control sports content as well.


One thing is certain: The former kingpin of Canadian sports broadcasting is now a supplicant, looking for a hand-up from the giant telco and broadcast entities formed in the past decade. With its national network and production resources, CBC would appear to be the free-agent network that can provide a huge asset to eager suitors from the private side. But sources suggest that the Tories may not look favourably upon CBC forming a partnership with one private network at the expense of another.


Continued.

Source: http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/A2Y/comments/could_the_cbc_lose_hockey_night_in_canada/

Reegie Corona Juan Miranda Colin Curtis Kevin Russo Curtis Granderson Nick Johnson