Canadian TV Coverage This Season | Golden Skate

Canadian TV Coverage This Season

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
After being spoiled for so many years by such great skating coverage by CTV, I am wondering what state our tv coverage will be in this season. Last season they turned most of it over to TSN - a station I do not receive. I hope CTV does not do that again this season. I just can't afford to get more channels. I guess I will have to wait and see!
 

Norlite

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
TV schedule for upcoming season:

Skate Canada International:

Oct. 30 9:30- 11:30 (ET) Live TSN
Oct. 31 7:30- 10.00 (ET) Live TSN
Nov. 1 7:00- 10:00 CTV
Nov. 2 2:00- 3:00 CTV
Nov. 8 7:00- 9:00 CTV
The Nov. dates are your local time zone as they are not live.

Canadian Championships

January 8 10:30 - 12:30 (ET) LIVE TSN
January 9 7:00 - 9:00 CTV
January 10 7:00 - 9:00 CTV
January 11 2:00 - 3:00 CTV
January 17 7:00 - 9:00 CTV

And that's all she wrote.

It doesn't look like other events will be covered, as CTV / TSN did not renew their contract for them and apparently CBC have decided not to pick them up.
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Norlite:

Thanks! No more coverage? This is terrible!
 

Kara Bear

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Man, I hope I have cable and the American channels by the time the season starts...or its gonna be a loooong winter.
 

mike79

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
I wonder if CBC will pick up the Worlds coverage? They usually do a pretty good job of skating.
 

Antilles

Medalist
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Why didn't CTV want to renew? They must get better ratings from Worlds than from Nationals. This is going to suck. What about Sportsnet?
 

bleuchick

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Finally some news...good news depending on where you live

Craig T.V from Alberta is lauching a new channel in Toronto called
Toronto 1 on Sept 19. This is what gonna happen,

Toronto - according to toronto star, Craig T.V is planning on showing the international skating events on this channel. Apparently, the ISU chose Craig T.V over CBC.

**Check todays torstar.com**

CBC - will probably show Ice Wars.

CTV - SKate Canada and Nationals

til later...
 
Last edited:

astimegoesby

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 8, 2003
That's great news for Toronto fans, bleuchick, but what about the rest of us who don't live in "the centre of the universe" (and aren't likely to get their TV channels, either).

Someone on another skating board received an e-mail from Debbi Wilkes confirming Skate Canada, Canadians, and Canadian Synchro Championships are the only skating events on CTV/TSN's broadcast schedule so far. Canadian broadcast rights for Worlds are still being negotiated, but Debbi presumes CBC will get those rights (I'm guessing CTV/TSN's contract for Worlds broadcasting rights expired this year and they decided not to renew it). I'm hoping some kind of deal can be hammered out before next March--it would be sad if Canada, one of the biggest skating countries in the world, doesn't broadcast the World Championships while many other countries where skating coverage is virtually non-existant at least get to see Worlds. :cry:

I'm also interested in what (if any) network will broadcast Four Continents next year. 2004 4CCs are taking place in Hamilton this year and when this kind of major international event comes to Canada, CTV usually promotes it to death (posting ads about ticket info every five seconds, etc.) But not this time, which has me worried. I'm hoping the lucky people sitting in the stands in Hamilton won't be the only Canadians who get to see this event, though!

It would be a dream come true for me if Sportsnet starts broadcasting skating again (anyone else remember the "good old days" when Sportsnet used to show at least two hours of skating every Saturday night and all the GP events?), but the new network that took over from CTV seems to have next to no interest in skating. :(
 

Antilles

Medalist
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Thanks for the update, bleuchick. I'm hoping we get the new channel here in London. Although the article only says they might pick up skating. I wonder why CBC got turned down? It's not like the ISU has many choices.
 

Norlite

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Antilles said:
Thanks for the update, bleuchick. I'm hoping we get the new channel here in London. Although the article only says they might pick up skating. I wonder why CBC got turned down? It's not like the ISU has many choices.

Yes, I had heard about Craig TV entering neg. for the international rights. Nothing is definate. CBC backed out because they wouldn't meet the price the ISU was asking. Talk is that Craig TV's thinking is they might get it at a better price now that they are the last network in Canada interested. Word is Sportsnet said "no thanks" right from the start.

Guess we have to wait and see how this all plays out.
 

astimegoesby

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 8, 2003
Norlite said:
Yes, I had heard about Craig TV entering neg. for the international rights. Nothing is definate. CBC backed out because they wouldn't meet the price the ISU was asking. Talk is that Craig TV's thinking is they might get it at a better price now that they are the last network in Canada interested. Word is Sportsnet said "no thanks" right from the start.

Guess we have to wait and see how this all plays out.

Thanks for the update, Norlite--even if it's not the news I wanted to hear. :cry: Especially about CBC backing out of Worlds broadcast rights (as if we needed another reason to complain about the ISU and/or CBC budget cuts!)

Right now I'm really going to cross my fingers that this Craig TV station becomes avaliable nationwide and I hope all skating fans outside of Toronto will do the same (do they have a website anywhere?) Right now, it sounds like the best thing for Canadian skating fans to do is move to Southern Ontario--not only do they have more live events down there than any other part of the country, they might have much better TV coverage, too! :(
 

Lee

Rinkside
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Found this after a fair bit of searching...

http://www.toronto1.ca/corp_profile.php

Looks like Craig Media also owns A-Channel in Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg. If they do end up with ISU coverage, I sure hope they plan to bring in some people who know what they're talking about -- the sportscasters on A-Channel Edmonton and Calgary haven't struck me as being overly-knowledgeable about skating in the bits and pieces I've seen. Not sure what huge amounts of experience they have with live sports coverage either.
 

bleuchick

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
you know I am still trying to figure out how why Toronto. It is true that SOI sold out in Toronto last year. Certainly over 10,000 and possibly 12000 attended this show. However, this city is not
your typical skating city. Sorry my country men and women.


:D :eek: :\

j/k about Toronto.;)
 

rain

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 29, 2003
T.V. coverage....

This is HORRIBLE news!

I love skating and look forward to my usual weekend fix throughout the winter. I get the major U.S. networks (usually ABC shows some of the Grand Prix) but generally speaking - and no offence meant to Americans - but the U.S. network coverage sucks. Canadian coverage is much better. They usually show more of the competitors and I find the commentators to be less biased.

I know last year the U.S. networks often would show the mens and ladies portions of a given event and skip the pairs and dance since they really didn't have anyone to speak of in either event most of the time. As a skating fan I love ALL of the events.


I can't believe I may not even be able to see WORLDS on a Canadian channel? What about the Grand Prix final? Four Continents? Couldn't TSN take a few hours out of their extensive (endless really) golf and auto racing coverage to pick up a few skating fans? CBC should step in here. And news of some regional channels picking it up don't do anything for me here in Atlantic Canada. This is the worst news I've heard this fall. I may just have to write an angry letter to some T.V. networks for the first time in my life.
 

paintbrushhh

Rinkside
Joined
Aug 17, 2003
Well, this really bites. Rain, I'm here in Atlantic Canada too and I'm thinking we'll stay a "have not" region if some station in Toronto has the coverage.

I'm sure I have read that televised FS events are scond only to the Grey Cup in viewership. Unfortunately the advertisers apparently think we're only interested in Centrum and that stupid Colgate toothfairy and would go to the fridge during beer commercials. :eek:

Paint...
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
I can't see CTV not showing the whole skating season. It does not make sense! I will wait on this one and contact Debbi Wilkes. I am sure she will have the "inside scoop." Canadians will not be "happy campers" about this if it is true!
 

kirkyo

Rinkside
Joined
Jul 29, 2003
I know last year the U.S. networks often would show the mens and ladies portions of a given event and skip the pairs and dance since they really didn't have anyone to speak of in either event most of the time.

It looks like this year, we are going to get approximately 6 hours of coverage per grand prix event in the US. 2 hours on ABC for men's & womens LP, 2 hours on ESPN for all short programs, and 2 hours on Lifetime for pairs and dance LP.

I find this coverage more than adequate.
 

rain

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 29, 2003
coverage

"It looks like this year, we are going to get approximately 6 hours of coverage per grand prix event in the US. 2 hours on ABC for men's & womens LP, 2 hours on ESPN for all short programs, and 2 hours on Lifetime for pairs and dance LP.

I find this coverage more than adequate."


That is pretty good coverage - except I don't get ESPN or Lifetime - only the main ABC station. Which means the coverage basically sucks. I hate it when networks divide the coverage between various channels they own, in spite of the fact that many may not recieve all of said channels.
 
Top