CBC: Killing Canadian Hockey?

[clear observer]

Alot of work went into Bob's second instalment of "HABit Forming"...please show your apprecation and have a read.

habsrus.com/hf2.htm

Excellent work Bob...and thank you very much!


CO

[Andrew]

Great article Bob.  As a longtime BC resident I share in your frustration.  Their is no escape of the pro-Toronto media, be it in the CBC, Globe and Mail, TSN, Headline Sports.  Headline sports really annoys me when they lead off with the Leafs segment, then go to the Raptors segment, before resuming with the rest of the hockey highlights.  And when I say segment, I'm not talking just highlights.  There's are always plenty of inciteful post game analysis, interviews, and press conference 'highlights':

"Well yknow, I thought we had good intensity out there tonight, and uh.. yknow they played a great game too, but fortunately we got some good bounces and were able to put the puck in the net.  But uh.. yknow, were not going to get too excited about this one, cause we've got a tough stretch coming up.  We've just go to stick to our game plan and focus on the little things, and take it one game at a time."

Like most Habs fans outside of Montreal, I've learned to live with it, and be content with my game of the week on the French CBC.

You do make a good point about the lack of exposure hurting Canadian teams.  I can't say that I know any Senators fans here on the West coast.  I'm not sure I'd have endured as a Habs fan without the French channel - and the local bar with the satellite.  It was unfortunate to see the Grizzlys leave.  The sad thing was that their situation was such that had they sold out every game, for the upcoming season, they'd still lose money.  Due to the lack of a big television contract, they weren't financially viable.

[Doc Holliday]

Great work Bob,

I think a huge part of the problem resides in the fact that the HABS do get National coverage every Saturday on the French counterpart of CBC.  All language asides, I could be wrong, but I think the HABS are the team that gets the most National coverage.  Cuting Leafs game to show more HABS game would be seen as an outrage, especially for teams like Calgary and Ottawa that struggle to get half a dozen game in there.

Not sure where the solution is...

[Cranky]

Great article Bob.

I live in Toronto also and from reading the papers and watching tv, you get the feeling that the entire country revolvs around Toronto. For sports fans it actually revolves around the ACC.  

Tha CBS argument is that they will air what has the most chance of selling beer or pretzels. AND, it did not help that the Hab's have stunk up the air in the last three years.

Unfortunatly, unless the Hab's revert to their '70's form, this is now reality...........grim reality

[GNick]

For sure, we need another Danny Gallivan. That would boost our viewing audience. Cole is brutal on Habs telecast

[clear observer]

Also, let's not go and give them (CBC) credit where "Soire Du Hockey" is concerned. The broadcast of THAT show "nationally" is mandated by the CRTC, not the executives within the network. I'm certain that it would not be otherwise. When in fact it wasn't, AAANNND the Habs were kings in the 70's and well into the '80's, I recall, quite vividly, having to resort to "listening" to Habs games on the radio (CBLFT French) here in South Eastern Ontario. Having said that, I doubt very much that in the event the Habs, or any other Canadian team rises to the "elite status", CBC National coverage would change.

And I also agree, that their policies have indeed affected recognition and fan support nationally at every level. Retail outlets (Sears, K-Mart, Walmart), major food chains (McDonald's, Burger King) always lean to the "Leafs" in their marketing strategies, if not exclusively. This has little to do with "winning" and everything to do with exposure. My son, who is five, asked me at our local mall just before Christmas, "Dad, why don't they (Sears) sell Montreal Canadiens pyjamas here...why only Toronto Maple Leafs ones?" I replied, "'cause they sold all the Montreal Canadiens ones, son".

Bad daddy.


CO

[Ryan]

Alright, well someone has to be the Devil's advocate here.
Now keep in mind that I'm 22 and have only known Leaf games to be telecast on CBC with the odd Habs game.

Broadcasting is all about money, and the money comes from advertisers who are only attracted by high ratings.  Let's face it, Leafs=Ratings.  Maybe not in every Canadian city, but right in the center of the universe (T.O.) where it really counts they are numero uno.  A national broadcaster simply cannot alienate their largest market, it just would not be good business.

Do you think CBC really cares about Habs, Flames, Oilers, Canucks, and Senators fans?  Hell no!  To be fair they don't give a rats a$$ about Leaf fans either, they just happen to be the ones giving the highest ratings at the time.  The CBC is a cheap prostitute with no loyalty that would lift her skirt for any passing Joe with a buck.

If the population of Vancouver suddenly sprung to 5 million overnight and all of them were slaves to the Nucks, we'd be watching them every Saturday no matter how much they stunk.

Now I realize we're mad as Habs fans about not seeing more of our boys on national telecasts, and we have good reason.  I could argue there are as many Hab fans coast to coast to coast as there are Leaf fans, so we're the most pissed about getting screwed over.  Now the other Canadian franchises can complain, but they really don't expect their team to get national coverage because the numbers would just be too low.  The CBC isn't that dumb, they've also come to the conclusion that Leafs still draw higher than the Habs.  When/If the opposite becomes true, don't worry, it'll be Habs Night In Canada.

So we can whine and complain all we want, but they're not doing anything that any one of us wouldn't do in the same position.  It's nice to say the Canadian teams should get equal coverage, but that's just not ever gonna happen, and it would be very poor business on behalf of the CBC.

Ok, enough of the Devil's advocate.

I'm sick of seeing the bloody Maple Laughs, show some damn Habs!!!

[habmeister]

I love being the antagonist as some of you may know so i'll take the other side of this.  The maple leafs are a much, much better team than the habs and therefore deserve more coverage.  If cujo signs with anybody other than the leafs, the leafs will go down the tubes, quinn will get fired and meanwhile the habs with "thibideau" in the nets will start getting more coverage.

i don't agree with the habs getting screwed, but i do agree that ottawa, calgary and edmonton are being shafted.  but then again out west here there are three teams playing at about the same time every saturday, so its difficult to show more than one team.  that is why they have the regional coverage.

is it any more difficult for a canucks fan to watch vancouver in quebec than it is for me to watch the habs.  i think we all know the answer to that one.

on a final note, i speak very little to no french, but when i have the choice i choose to watch the french channel during the game and english during the intermissions.

my ex-roommate who is also english was the same.  so there you have it.

[The New Guy]

The simple fact of the matter is that CBC wants money, and rating make money and the rating comes from Southern Ontario, where the largest section of Anglophone hockey fans live.

It sucks, but here's how to deal with it.

Stick it to HNIC.  If they want to air our games they're going to have to give us equal time with the make-beleafs.  It's that simple.  If they refuse to give us our fair share of games and insist on continuing to show only the Habs games where they play Toronto or Toronto isn't playing, then pull the plug.  Sell our games (for less if nesscessary) to one of the secondary sports channels.  If the CBC doesn't like it, laugh at them.  Run all our games IN COMPETITION against HNIC and see exactly how they react to making less profit.  Because trust me, they will.

The trick is to make sure that our contract with the secondary station is short term (one or two seasons).  By that time HNIC may be more willing to add more of our games.

By that time we'll be winning the Stanley Cup anyways... (-:

Later

[dd]

I didn't read the intial piece, but its apparent to me that as long as Labatt's does HNIC and Molson still have an interest in the Habs, then the Habs will suffer in English Canada's TV markets.The solution is for CTV to go head to head with CBC, but Bell owns it and they have been rumoured to want a stake in the Leafs too.Toronto is where the money is.

[Bobs_HABit]

Thanks for the kind words and replys, guys. I'll just respond to a couple of the issues that you brought up.

Advertisers:
Watch HNIC, the same advertisers are on all the time. Candian Tire as an example is on during any game not just Toronto games. They pay for the rights to advertise during HNIC not during Leaf games. In my article I mentioned maybe reducing Leaf broadcasts from 27 to 21. Do you really think that Canadian Tire would pull their ads because of that? I doubt it.

Ratings:
HNIC is a religion. Come Saturday in most households the game is on. At the same time, how many fans know who is playing? You would be surprised how few know or care. Sure Leaf games draw more viewers but it's not as if a Montreal or Ottawa game would draw Millions less. How many house party's have we all been do on a Saturday where the TV is on the game? Also, if a CBC exec ever said to me he was worried about ratings I'd slap him. First of all, WE all pay for the CBC and secondly, they put crap on that doesn't even draw a fly for most of the other hours of the week.

Showing the BEST team:
To those who said that they're showing the Leafs because they are currently the better team, I'm sorry but you're way off on that one. As Spiro said, going back to the 70's and 80's the Leaf games were the National broadcasts with Hab games being regional if on at all. And this thought that the Leafs have been such a great team recently is baloney. It was only 4 and 5 seasons ago where they had 68 and 69 points respectively. Toronto could go 0-82 and still have all the broadcasts the next season. If being the better team meant anything to CBC, Ottawa would have at least a couple of broadcasts.

Other points:
Again most of my argument is that if CBC is going to pay for the rights to the Canadian team's games on Saturdays don't they owe it those teams to show their games. Like I said if you don't want to feel sorry for Montreal then at least feel sorry for Ottawa. I don't know what their numbers are but I bet you they make about 4 HNIC broadcasts this season (3 against Toronto and one on Hockey Day in Canada) and no other Canadian broadcaster can show their games. That's not right. At the very least with 6 Canadian teams, CBC should allow TSN or Sportsnet to complement their coverage.

Some of you aren't mad now but what do you think will happen if all 6 Canadian teams ever make the playoffs? They'll show all the Leaf games, then fit other teams in as it's convenient. Wouldn't it be great for the Habs to make the playoffs this season but none of their games to be on English TV? Of course, I'll be ok with my center ice package so you're all invited over.

[Mike_Anton]

Great opinion column Bob.  You described my feelings to the letter.  I a few thoughts on this.  I do wonder if the Molson/Labatt rivalry has something to do with the lack of coverage.  I remember up to the early 90's here in Southern Ontario, CHEX TV used to carry some Hab games.  Then they stopped.  I called the station manager about 6 years ago to find out why they stopped carrying Hab games that is when they were being seen in Quebec by the CBC English.  Her reply was that a few viewers from the rural areas of Peterborough complained because they wanted to see the Leaf games and since they didn't have cable they couldn't get CBLT Toronto.  For this, they stopped carrying Hab games.  She added there is a Habs fan club in the Peterborough area who were trying to change it back but nothing was done.  

I have also heard the view from TV officials that because the Hab games are broadcast in French, the viewership is split when the English games were on.  As far as I can tell, it had little to do with ratings because at times the Habs numbers were just as good or better than the Leafs.  The Leafs are doing better because of their winning seasons the past 4 years now.  

From the contacts of I have made, people I have spoken to in my area, I believe there are many Hab fans outside of Quebec and a lot of them are here in Oshawa/Whitby.  The Habs have lost some of their identity to because they have no TV English announcer and because there are few games in English, the Habs are losing out on getting new fans since the young ones see the Leafs all the time.  As far as merchandising goes, sure you see Leafs everywhere here since we are close to Toronto but you can find a lot of Habs stuff too so all is not lost.  I think its been up to the 30 something dads to educate their kids on the Habs.  That's how we have to get new converts.

Though I am not a fan of publically funded broadcasting, the CBC does has have an obligation to promote Canadiana and that's why they should be featuring all Canadian teams regardless of ratings.  

In the end, it's really up to us.  A letter writing campaign to the CBC is the only way to get their attention.  If Coronation Street Fans have influence then why can't we get what we want.  A better product on the ice as well will help and I think GM Savard has the team on the right track.