Good news and bad news about 2004 Worlds Canadian coverage

[jcspkbfan]

The good news is a Canadian channel is finally showing interest in picking up the Worlds broadcast rights from CTV/TSN:

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1063318211576&call_pageid=968867503640&col=970081593064

Here's the part of the article skating fans will be most interested in:

"And don't be surprised to see Craig pick up the international figure skating package, which sources say is up for grabs after CTV dropped it and CBC made an offer the International Skating Union found it could refuse."

The bad news is so far, it looks like this channel will only be avaliable in the Toronto area (and other nearby cities lucky enough to get Toronto stations). So where does that leave Canadian skating fans who live outside "the centre of the universe?" :cry: I don't think travelling to Toronto for a week just to watch Worlds on a Canadian station is an option for most people here.

I'm especially disappointed about CBC not getting the Worlds broadcast rights back again (as if people needed yet another reason to complain about the ISU/CBC budget cuts!) Even fans who weren't able to watch most of this year's Worlds on TSN (or just weren't able to stay up late enough--LOL!) would likely be able to see the whole thing on CBC.

I'm also curious as to which (if any!) Canadian network will broadcast 2004 Four Continents? The event is taking place in Hamilton next year, but I never would have known it from CTV/TSN's coverage last season. When a major international event like this comes to Canada, CTV/TSN normally promote it non-stop during their skating coverage...but not this time. :( So that makes me wonder...

[Jenny]

Craig Media is a network with affiliates across Canada, so maybe they'd put it on all their stations. Doesn't really fit into their mandate in Toronto, but ya never know.

Jenny

[evereg]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jcspkbfan
"...CBC made an offer the International Skating Union found it could refuse." [QUOTE]
Why would the ISU refuse the CBC's offer? Isn't any broadcast rights in Canada, better than none? Good grief

[singerskates]

I emailed a friend at TSN last week and she told me that the only two things that CTV/TSN will cover this year are Skate Canada International and Canadians. Reason, low viewership last year and budget cuts. My firend will be looking for a job after Canadians.

So no, 4 Continents Cup will not be broadcasted on CTV/TSN along with no Worlds. Forget about the rest of the Grandprix series or the finally.

Brigitte

[evereg]

Originally posted by singerskates
I emailed a friend at TSN last week and she told me that the only two things that CTV/TSN will cover this year are Skate Canada International and Canadians. Reason, low viewership last year and budget cuts. My firend will be looking for a job after Canadians.

Brigitte
Sorry, to hear about your friend. However, I wonder if their rating would have been higher if they had not put most of the broadcasts on TSN. I only have basic cable, and as a consequence did not watch much skating last year. If they broadcast had been on CTV - I would have been watching. Did their ratings slip when they made the switch to TSN?

Is CTV broadcasting the Canadian Pro?

[schnood]

The Worlds coverage on CTV/TSN last year was nothing to write home about....a lot of it was on TSN, which a lot of people don't get....and a lot of it was shown later at night, like about 9:00 pm, past when most people/casual fans would look for it - and of course well after the spoilers were out.

I am really disappointed that we may not see Worlds in Canada this year. Sure there is Uncle Dick's ABC coverage - several weeks after the fact, and the Canadian skaters will probably not be shown, unless they happen to be in the top 3-4.

I urge everyone to write or e-mail CBC and CTV/TSN and get some answers :

CTV Television Network
P.O. Box 9, Station 'O'
Scarborough, ON
M4A 2M9

TSN e-mail (audiencerelations@tsn.ca)

CBC e-mail (cbcinput@toronto.cbc.ca)

Does anyone have a snail-mail address for CBC?

[Tigger]

What's to write about?

CTV/TSN saw first Elvis leave and now Shae and Victor are gone. Those were their big name draws for skating (I know Elvis is coming back, but they didn't know that at the time of this decision) w/the average viewer. They very stupidly thought w/no big names, the ratings would drop. Which I know they did, but the boom years are over. Skating will always draw people. Maybe not in the numbers of the past, but they will draw people. This is a beautiful sport and people are attracted to it. Just because there isn't some big name performing, they think people won't tune in. That's their problem and their loss.

CBC did make an offer to the ISU, but the ISU didn't want to take what they saw as an inferior offer and amount of money for the rights. The CBC is Canada's Olympic Network and skating would be a perfect fit w/them, but if the ISU turned them down flat, there's nothing the CBC can do. Sad too, since I think they've got the best commentary team out there.

It's a sad day there won't be coverage of the World Figure Skating Championships in a major skating nation, but....What can you do when games are being played the way they are? If you want to write to someone, write to the ISU. Considering they need a major wakeup call to begin w/, I'm not sure what it would do, but....

[jcspkbfan]

A few people on other boards have already contacted Debbi Wilkes about this and she confirmed the main reason why CTV/TSN chose not to renew their contract with the ISU was because the ISU wanted too much $$$. Which explains why the only three events left on CTV/TSN's broadcast schedule are the ones sponsored by Skate Canada, not the ISU--and why there's no plans to broadcast 2004 Four Continents (an ISU event) right now despite the fact it's being held in Canada this year. :evil:

I would love to see CBC get the Canadian Worlds broadcast rights back--I thought they always did a good job broadcasting Worlds back in the 80s and mid-90s (and continue to do a good job with the skating and other sporting events they show today). Plus more Canadians (and Americans living close to the Canadian border) would be able to watch Worlds on CBC than they would on TSN. :) But considering how many budget cuts the CBC has undergone in recent years (to the point they almost had to yank a lot of their already-existing Canadian programming off the air), it sounds like the ISU would have to lower their price a lot in order for CBC to afford it. :cry:

But it sounds like Canadian skating fans may not be the only ones who may miss out on 2004 Worlds coverage--Debbi said a host broadcast for Worlds still hasn't been found yet because none of the European networks can or won't pay the $$$ the ISU wants for broadcast rights. Neither do any of the Japanese networks.

Debbi sounded fairly optimistic a deal of some sort can be hammered out between the ISU and these other networks before March (because, of course, the ISU would miss out on a ton more $$$ if none of these countries can broadcast Worlds because the ISU wants too much for the rights!), but right now, it sounds like the only network in the world with broadcast rights already negotiated for Worlds is ABC (which probably has more $$$ to spend than all the other world networks put together).

So this isn't just an issue for Canadian skating fans anymore: it's an issue for all skating fans outside the U.S. If no Canadian channel broadcasts Worlds this season, at least many of us can still watch the ABC coverage, but where would that leave fans in Japan, Europe, etc.

I agree the best place to write about this is the ISU, not CTV/TSN (especially since, as I just said, it's not just a Canadian issue anymore). Since this seems to be purely a money issue with the ISU, hopefully they'll come to their senses and realize raising the $$$ of TV broadcast rights to the point where most TV networks can't or won't pay them (and most fans therefore can't watch them) is not the best way to increase figure skating's popularity. But again, when was the last time the ISU came to their senses about any of the stupid decisions they've made regarding this sport in recent years? :roll:

[evereg]

Thank you for the details jcspkbfan. Does the ISU think that all TV networks have the same kind of money that the American networks do? What a joke! The ISU is shooting themselves in the foot. It is rather like someone pricing his or her house way too high. Sooner or later, they realise if they want to sell the house then they have to lower the price.

Wouldn’t it serve the ISU right if none of the European or Canadian networks bought broadcast rights this year. Bad for the fans, but it might be the wake-up-call that the ISU needs.

[LTM]

Sometimes I just get the feeling the ISU would be happier if we were
back in the bad old days when only a small group of people followed skating. No one complained about results, skaters won depending on who's turn it was, judges could hand signal each other if they felt like it and those pesky fans STAYED IN THEIR PLACE.
But some revenues got to better than no revenue (which is what the ISU gets if no broadcaster in these countries ante's up)so if common sense prevails (yeh, I know who I'm talking about, stop laughing)
a deal should get hammered out.
I hope so anyway.
And count me as someone who wouldn't mind seeing CBC get Worlds.
They just cover these kind of events so much better.

[Sydney]

Does the lack of coverage in Canada also apply to the French language networks? I know a lot of these French and English channels are affiliated, but they don't always show the same stuff. I know TVA stopped covering figure skating last year, although CTV kept it. Any possibility RDI will be showing Worlds?

[jcspkbfan]

Just bumping this thread back up to post an update from a recent Toronto Star article (sorry about the very long URL!):

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1065132613015&call_pageid=1044529391071&col=1044529389142

Even though the headline and most of the article doesn't sound too promising, there is one optimistic quote:

"We have had some discussions," said David Masse, CBC's director of program operations. "I don't ever consider negotiations over, so there's not a finality."

There's also still no host broadcaster for 2004 Four Continents in Hamilton and the ISU (surprise, surprise) hadn't returned the Star's phone calls, but there's still a little bit of hope out there for Canadian skating fans. :)

I just found another Toronto Star article with even more promising news about CBC and Worlds:

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1066342209803&call_pageid=969907739730&col=970081600908>

It's mainly an article about baseball, but here's the part most skating fans will be interested in:

"Sources say the CBC and International Skating Union are getting closer to a deal that would ensure figure skating fans here get to see the world championships. But there are still a few snags to work out."

[ceceB]

Whew, things are looking up. Thanks for posting that!:D

[Lulia]

Sydney wrote:

Does the lack of coverage in Canada also apply to the French language networks? I know a lot of these French and English channels are affiliated, but they don't always show the same stuff. I know TVA stopped covering figure skating last year, although CTV kept it. Any possibility RDI will be showing Worlds?

I don't think so, Sydney. I think RDS got their feed from TSN. And their commenting is terrible, anyway. And I don't think TVA has the money to pay for the rights.

Hey, anyone has access to high-tech filming equipment? We could make a "pirate" feed and show on on community television all over the (non-american)world! loL!

:lol: :lol: