Are any other Canadians peeved that CTV won the contract to show the 2010 and 2012 Olympics for Canada?

Somehow not having Ron Maclean there will just be bad, I know it.

It's a long time away and plenty can change, but sports in Canada=CBC from my perspective. It will just be wierd and I can't believe it will be as engaging.

I was pretty surprised that the IOC chose Bell/Rogers over CBC.

As you said, it's still a while off and we still have 2 more Olympic games with the CBC - but it sure will be odd to have CTV covering it in 10 and 12.
There's a certain familiarity with the CBC's coverage, and their on-air talent that will be missed. Something tells me Rod Black and Valerie Pringle won't be able to fill the void left by Ron Maclean and Brian Williams.

Colour me unimpressed with the decision to go with CTV. While I'm sure CTV had the better deal financially, as a viewer who remembers CTV's coverage of the 1988 Winter Olympics this is cause for concern. I know alot can change in 20 years, but I remember back in '88 thinking that the coverage, production value and commentating crew was sort of "low rent".

I must say that I only really watch hockey on a normal basis, though I do tend to watch a great majority of the olympics.

Watching games on TSN or Sportsnet is painful after watching CBC. Just the camera work is insanely different. While Scott Oak and Steve Armitage will never qualify for the over 85 IQ club, most of the CBC talent is pretty well recognized by Canadians as being part of a top notch broadcasting team.

Where is the loyalty? Why would the IOC prefer to leap onto a new bandwagon after the old one had been so well received? I suppose for the Olympic folks it doesn't actually make a difference. They get paid one way or the other, even if fewer viewers tune in than would have otherwise. For the Olympic Committee it must be a pure money consideration.

Then again, I haven't actually heard the amount of the CBC bid, maybe they bid way lower than CTV.

I think CBC is still the only station you can get all across Canada on just rabbit ears but I could be wrong.

Well, speaking as an American, you just hit the nail on the head. Money is why the IOC would make the change. It sure explains why NBC got the Olympics for the next 150 years (or seems that way, it's actually through 2012) because they showed the IOC the money. As far as I know, CTV doesn't have any regular sports lineup because CBC has all the major events, especially the NHL. I hope CTV beefs up its equipment, and doesn't heavily borrow from TSN to be more Olympic.

Reportedly, CBC bid about $103 million, while CTV bid $153 million (US dollars). Big difference, but it really should be about more than just money. Apparently, though, it wasn't.

Olympic broadcasting is always primarily about money. If it was about quality, there's no way NBC would be allowed anywhere near it.

I lived in Canada for four years, and I'd like to extend my early condolences to all Canadians who will have to listen to Rod Black's smarminess for two weeks straight. I can only imagine how unbearable he'll be with the Olympics actually in Canada in 2010. Ack.

CTV is just wrong for sports - they occasionally show skating events which are uniformly craptacular.

And aside from that, and the fact that Rob Black is horrid, my usual summer vacation spot doesn't have cable and only gets the two CBC channels! Although I suppose that may change over the next five years, still...

CBC is federally mandated to serve all Canadians, the same as Air Canada lol. That's why Air Canada can never be a profitable airline. So five years from now I don't forsee any other stations serving your vacation spot.

That is a large difference in the cash.

CTV just pisses me off actually. I may be mistaken but I believe that when the CBC offered CTV the rights to simulcast the tsnuami benefit, presumably to increase revenues from advertising, the CTV actually said no lol. Nah, we don't want to raise money for anyone thanks. Asswipes.

CBC has the highest viewership for sports events out of all the Canadian networks and has had more average viewers for the Olympics that CTV did time they had them. One can assume that their bid was tailored in such a way that the corporation would make some money on the process. Given their experience and understanding of the advertising revenues that could be generated by broadcasting such an event, I tend to believe that they made the correct decision.

CBC is publicly accountable for every dollar they spend, being a federally created body. CTV is ultimately owned by large private corporations with public and institutional investors. One only has to look at the valuations stocks are presently being sold for on the TSX, NYSE and Nasdaq to realize that most investors are totally freaking clueless. So the CTV can waste all the money it wants. If they believe they can make more money from advertising than the CBC, go for it, haha.

I would sell Rogers and Bell based on their decision making ability. People that think this is a win for those companies probably aren't investors.

I remember the last time CTV did Olympics coverage. I remember hating it and wishing Rob Black would shut the hell up. In fact I think I barely watched that year the coverage was so bad. It's not the Olympics if Brian Williams isn't there.

And it had to be the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver too. This just blows.

Opening day for baseball and another year I'm wondering why we don't get to see swimming and Track & field to counteract the boredom of the national past-its-time.

I bet NBC is delighted that the 2012 Olympics will be held in London. They can just reuse all the stock footage of Buckingham Palace, etc. that they've got lying around. Not that it's any more of a cliche than Paris, but I just get the sense that they will be pleased. I'm pleased, but only because I want to see the look on Chirac's face. Hee.

Can you imagine Chirac's face, with his recent comments. Never mind that the British press are totally rubbing it in about France going down the pan and that Chirac is on the way out. Was it me or was Tony wearing the same tie as the Olympic bid team at Gleneagles.

Glad for London getting the games, I'm sure they will do a fantastic job. London could do with the incentive to get the transport system up to standard.

For Americans living near the border, the move to CTV means no longer being able to watch Canadian coverage of the Olympics.



Oh, I like CTV's Figure skating coverage just fine. I think Tracy Wilson is the best FS commentator we have. And I heard that Chris Cuthbert will be taking over Rod Black's role.

I actually thought CTV did an impressive job with the Winter Games in 1988. I guess it's my continued love of Johnny Esaw.

And NBC must be ecstatic. 2010 in Vancouver, 2012 in London.

I'm already sick of the Olympic coverage :) But seriously I was actually rooting for Paris but London was my second choice. Actually my attitude was any city not named New York.

I was really irked my all the digs at the French, after London was awarded the games. Is that really neccessary. The peeps over at Fox and Msnbc were just so damn catty. It was like being in Jr. High.

Oh, god. Tell me about it. NBC's coverage is terrible; and I don't get CTV anymore (I don't remember their coverage of the games in Barcelona, back when I could get CTV with the rabbit ears--go figure!). The Ceeb's coverage, on the other hand, has always been awesome. If I'm still living in the US by then, I'm probably going to go postal.



Now I'll be missing the fella even more. I've been missing him fierce since the Ceeb's coverage of the CFL started this year. Dammit!

It's not for another 7 years, but I can predict NBC's coverage already:

Image of a double-decker bus
Clip of Michael Phelps
Image of the Queen
Clip of Ian Thorpe
Image of Big Ben
Clip of Misty May on top of Kerri Walsh

Lather, rinse, repeat.

And now that London has been attacked by terrorists, we will get plenty of coverage of that as well.

Actually, it'll probably go something like this...

Image of a double-decker bus
Clip of Michael Phelps
Image of the Queen
Clip of Ian Thorpe
Image of Big Ben
Clip of Misty May on top of Kerri Walsh
Image of Buckingham Palace
Clip of (insert name of up-and-coming USican athlete here)
News footage from London bombings
Clip of (insert name of another up-and-coming USican athlete here)

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Well, we know there won't be any coverage of baseball and softball. Then again, NBC won't have any coverage of baseball or softball in 2008 either.

Dredging up this thread to report that I just read this over at Canoe!:

Holy Crap! CTV stole Brian Williams! I am gobsmacked.

I knew Brian Williams was going to host the Olympic broadcasts for them, but I didn't catch he was leaving the Ceeb. Eeek!

Yeah, I'm gobsmacked, too.

Another development, CBC terminated him this week before the end of his contract. So he won't be involved with CFL this year.
I figured he'd jump to CTV after 2008, but surprised he went early.

CTV having broadcasting rights for Vancouver 2010?

I can see it all now.

Ben Mulroney doing color commentary for the opening ceremonies while Jon Dore and Elena Juatco whore themselves next to apathetic, non-anglophone Russian athletes.

Zack Werner joining the figure skating commentators only to throw a trash can at each contestant who falls on his or her ass at least once.

I shudder to think what Jake Gold would do.

I know there's no love for NBC on this thread, so I was surprised not to see this mentioned, since it all started a couple months back. Then again, most people don't follow swimming outside of the Games. I'm a swimming fan, so I'm not exactly impartial about it, so I thought I'd post this and see what some non-swimming fan's opinions are.

Basically, NBC is trying to change the structure of swimming at the 2008 Games to suit their own broadcast schedule. Typically, swimmers compete in prelims in the morning, and finals (or semi-finals) at night. However, with the US set to do some damage in the pool, NBC has decided that they would prefer to show the events live. But the time difference in Beijing is 12 hours.

So the plan NBC has come up with? Ask the IOC to move the swimming finals to the *morning* local time instead of at night. So instead of swimming the prelims in the morning, you'd swim them the night before, with finals taking place the following morning.

You'd think the IOC would laugh and throw NBC out on their ear, right? Wrong! They're actually considering it, and seemed set to give the go-ahead until some other nations that have also bought broadcasting rights started making some noise about it.The sport's governing body, FINA, basically told the IOC to do whatever they wanted. Now the IOC says they'll delay a decision until August...but people are still expecting them to become NBC's lap-dog and make the change anyway.

Guess NBC wasn't satisfied with just screwing up the coverage--now they want to potentially screw up the athlete's performances as well!

Don't be silly. You know the Olympics aren't about the athletes. The Olympics are about the networks and the sponsors. I am at the beach and one of the books I brought was The Boys of Winter -- about the 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team. It made me so sad to remember what the Olympics used to be, or how they used to be. My only consolation is that Katie won't be there for NBC, and Al Michaels is now an NBC broadcaster so we could potentially have him, but much of the other suckage will continue.

TarHeel, I am so going to have to get that book. It is in my Amazon wish list right now. Thanks for the heads up.

Okay, my NBC Olympic coverage hate just went up to the stratosphere. Freakin' morons.

Bah, NBC. Why don't they just make all the swimmers compete in Chinatown in New York? It's close enough.

Can you imagine how much present day NBC would have screwed up the coverage in 1980? They would have totally tried to go around Herb Brooks and his "the players are off limits to the press" policy. Khatie would have been hitting on Jim Craig and wanting to massage Jack O'Callahan's knee.

Well ABC did try to get the game moved back to the second one of the day, which the Russians wouldn't allow it. Failing that the miracle ran on tape delay.

And don't get me into what a farce amateurism is.

Well ABC did try to get the game moved back to the second one of the day, which the Russians wouldn't allow it. Failing that the miracle ran on tape delay.

And don't get me into what a farce amateurism is.

I had no idea an Olympic thread existed.

So, it looks like, in a move that is not exactly thrilling many of our world athletes, the IOC has honored NBCs request to have the swimming and gymnastic finals in Beijing to the the morning--thus allowing them to show it live here in America. As an American, I personally could care less if it's live--I believe the games should be more about the athletes. This decision has really irritated me. I'm sure that the athletes can adapt as they have two years to get used to the new schedule, but, imo, they shouldn't have to.

Here is a link to one of the many articles written about the decision (although some are less angry than this one).

God, I hate the IOC. And damn you, NBC.

[Pheobe]YOU BURN IN HELL![/Pheobe]

Yeah damn you NBC for trying to make it so even though the events are happening nearly a day ahead, people won't be spoiled.

DAMN YOU.

I've never been spoiled with an Olympic competition. It can be avoided. This reeks of the all mighty dollar at work and imo, it goes against the spirit of the games. Athletes tend to perform better at night (and doctors have confirmed this). For them to force them to compete in the morning just so NBC can get more viewers is sad.

I've also read that NBC is doing this to draw more fans to the sport of swimming. If I see most of the major swim meets being televised throughout the four years after Beijing, then I'll start to believe that.

Agreed. Those who don't want to spoiled can avoid it. It's not hard. And those who actively look for the news usually tune in anyway. And I'd even say that spoilers can sometimes bring in viewers who might not otherwise watch, like if Americans knew of a unexpected/dramatic American win, they just might tune in to catch it. But I don't believe that spoilers are a big contributor in turning viewers away from the television.

Besides, this doesn't just affect American viewers. Most Euoropeans will be in bed and most Australians (where swimming is huge) will be at work or on their way to work at the new times. But I guess they don't deserve the chance to watch the games live like we do.

Obviously, NBC hasn't yet figured out that the Chinese are basically going to dominate their own games. They already rule in diving, gymnastics, and table tennis...these people are dead serious and they mean business. They want ALL the medals and will do whatever it takes to get them. This isn't a dig on the Chinese at all, but it is a dig on NBC, who seems to think that the US is going to have a ginormous haul of medals again. I'm predicting it now, the Chinese are going to blow everyone out of the water in 2008 and NBC ratings will not be good.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. What a bunch of self-serving a-holes.

From the link (emphasis mine)...



Meanwhile, I would imagine that if swimming will air live for US viewers, it's possible it may air live for Canadians and those of us in the US who get CBC, too (depending on the Ceeb's own schedule, of course).



Exactly, COESpiral. The Chinese have wanted to host the Olympics for quite some time; and, now that they have that chance, lord knows they're going to milk it for all it's worth. And yeah; they're disciplined as hell.

Here's the real beauty (read beauty as sarcasm) of NBCs request: Odds are (and I haven't heard any confirmation, this is just a thought) that they will only be able to show it live for the Eastern, Central and maybe the Mountain times since they'd lose a lot of PST viewers to commuting home from work, feeding their families and getting the kids into ready for bed. Oh and Hawaiins would still be in the middle of the work day. That's quite a gamble to take for only half of the country.

And I agree that China will more than likely kick ass at the games. They always mean business.

HA! I knew NBC strongarming the IOC wouldn't work.

European TV is peeved

Well, to be fair, this only works if the Euro broadcasters are prepared to take the big step and either demand some concessions of their own (i.e., we want some of the skiing finals in Vancouver to be prime-time events in Oslo), or to pull out entirely in protest of giving one broadcaster this much clout.

It is a horrible decision, to be sure but it also throws open the doors for the IOC to either be forced to say that they are well and truly for sale to the highest bidder, or to allow every broadcast partner to make similar demands. Wait until the riots start when the Scandinavian broadcasters ask for a Sunday 5pm start time for the hockey gold medal game in Vancouver, making it a 8am drop in BC.

God, I hope so. Minus the Queen and the bus.

The recent FINA results have got me looking forward to some lovely Olympics Uncoverage, as the case may be.

Prepare yourselves (either with popcorn or blinders, as you prefer) because with seven-and-shoulda-been-eight gold medals in Melbourne? NBC might consider an APhATT (All Phelps, All the Time) channel for the Olympic month. It's going to seem like that anyway.

(Ahem. Yay. Ahem.)

I was on vacation last week. I spent the latter part at home, and much to my delight discovered that FSNY was carrying Australian coverage of the FINA champs in the afternoon at 3 p.m. EDT. It was beautiful: just racing, both semi-finals and finals. No bullshit tragedy-mongering about some swimmer whose dog died right before the meet began, and oh how will she go on?

All Phelps All the Time in 2008?

Umsoyeah. I have no problem.

There's some controversy with the Olympics in China and Spielberg being called the Leni Riefenstahl of these games by Mia Farrow.

Oooh, sign me up for that channel. ;) Anyway, Olympic coverage annoys me a lot of the time, but since it's one of the only times I actually see swimming on TV, I'm not gonna complain, especially because I only get broadcast channels.

I see that and I'll raise you two. :)

NBC's coverage of every Olympic Games from 2000 onwards has infuriated me to the point where one of my reasons for tuning in is to actively root AGAINST the American team. I don't want to do that, but every two years NBC's coverage is too pro-American even for domestic tastes. If the winner is not an American, more often than not he or she will not be interviewed by an NBC reporter, even if his or her English is better than the American who DID get interviewed. So, unless things change, I have no choice but to root AGAINST the American team in Beijing. And in Vancouver. And in London.

That's not even funny. *shudders*

With that said, I'm looking forward for Canada to do well in the swimming events. The Thorpedo retiring was a blessing for Canada.

Bring it! What he did in Melbourne was ridiculous. The rest of the American team was great too, especially Ryan Lochte and Katie Hoff. Libby Lenton and Laure Manaudou were amazing, too. I love swimming, so I was waking up at 5 in the morning to watch the coverage live courtesy of wcsn.com, which is a great resource for Olympic junkies in non-Olympic years. Also, my regional Fox Sports channel was showing the same coverage later in the day, which was a pleasant surprise.

Anyway, after watching all the phenomenal swimming last week, I'm super excited for the Olympics. I just hope the results will be as compelling, despite NBC fucking with the scheduling of the events.

Oh, me too! Melbourne was awesome, wasn't it? Phelps is amazing. And I love the Aussie girls, especially Libby Lenton and her awesome Wallace-like grin.

I couldn't get the meet on tv or online, so I had to get up and read results and even that was exciting! I have friends who went and I'm so envious that they got to witness it. Beijing is going to be insane! I can't wait.