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View Full Version : CBC Cutting Back on Sports Coverage: Soccer



bdiddy
03-26-2009, 03:05 PM
Hey Guys;

I was just reading through the globe and came across this article. It doesn't specifically mention TFC, but mentions about cost cutting of popular sports such as soccer.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090326.wcbclayoff0326/BNStory/National/home

My Only thoughts with that would most likely be that of TFC.

MONTREAL — The cash-strapped CBC is cutting back its sports coverage and reducing the number of episodes for marquee TV shows including Little Mosque on the Prairie and Being Erica.
The public broadcaster made the announcement this afternoon, a day after revealing plans to eliminate 800 jobs to cope with a $171-million deficit.

It plans to reduce or eliminate coverage of popular sporting events including international figure skating, skiing, swimming and soccer.
There are also plans to scale back spending on children's programming and cut 80 positions from CBC News.

Jobs will also be cut from flagship programs the Fifth Estate and Marketplace.

Out Front, The Inside Track and In the Key of Charles are among radio programs that will be cancelled.

BuSaPuNk
03-26-2009, 03:09 PM
Sounds like our games are going to be going to GolTV.

flatpicker
03-26-2009, 03:10 PM
I mentioned this in the news forum.

they are cutting back on the CONCACAF Champions League coverage (not that there is anything to cut back from!)

ginkster88
03-26-2009, 03:17 PM
They should just cut Little Mosque, Being Erica, Heartland and their entire television series lineup. It is ALL SHIT, terribly written, terribly acted, terribly produced. Canadian content doesn't have to be shit, but the CBC has a knack for ensuring that it is.

C.Ronaldo
03-26-2009, 03:44 PM
tfc will not grow unless it is on a public broad casted channel.

Gol TV is just a short term, until TFC picks up in viewership

other wise, it will always stay small time

rocker
03-26-2009, 03:48 PM
this is too bad. Showing TFC's run through the next Champions League would have been awesome!
They showed every game of the Limp Act's run and subsequent flameout.

Public broadcasters serve a purpose of showing good stuff that the private broadcasters won't because the audience isn't big enough for them. You ain't gonna see CONCACAF Champions League on TSN or Sportsnet, that's for sure. Let's hope if TFC makes that run, they can put it on their GolTV.

Dirk Diggler
03-26-2009, 05:29 PM
I don't think they'll be cutting back on TFC league games considering how they already mostly cover home games only. Their equipment is in Toronto most of the time anyways (for HNIC and such) so logistics isn't a problem.

Dalmond
03-26-2009, 05:41 PM
Hopefully with the Jays gone from CBC they will be able to do real HD for TFC games this year.

Azerban
03-26-2009, 05:45 PM
*defunds something to the point that its utter shit*
*points to it being shit as a reason to privatize it*
*is a conservative*

jloome
03-26-2009, 06:08 PM
*defunds something to the point that its utter shit*
*points to it being shit as a reason to privatize it*
*is a conservative*

Actually, both the Liberals and conservatives are guilty of this, although CBC politics allow it.

CBC receives about $1.1 billion to run a national, international and radio-based news network. That ranks just 23rd per capita among public broadcasters in developed nations.

Of course, the lack of a modern mandate, a la the BBC, makes them an easy target for ideological automatons.

(And before anyone mentions the PBS model, it gets gobs more money than CBC, it's just piped through the "Corporation for Public Broadcasting.")

Ossington Mental Youth
03-26-2009, 08:51 PM
too bad, id love for whitecaps, impact and tfc games to get more coverage, noone to blame but the cbc on that one.
they do certainly waste a lot of money on bloody awful shows (im not a fan of little mosque but it has been sold to alot of countries and people love it, but people also loved full house...)

nfitz
03-26-2009, 10:49 PM
They should just cut Little Mosque, Being Erica, Heartland and their entire television series lineup. It is ALL SHIT, terribly written, terribly acted, terribly produced. Canadian content doesn't have to be shit, but the CBC has a knack for ensuring that it is.And they all get better ratings than Toronto FC - do you really want to carry this to the logical conclusion?

I actually quite enjoy Being Erica - it's quite intelligent, and very well done.

ThunderTundra
03-26-2009, 10:56 PM
While I hate the soccer cuts, I am more disappointed with the other cuts, especially to CBC radio 1 and 2.

I read today that CBC is among the least funded (per capita) public broadcasters in the world. they receive 1/8 the relative funding of BBC and in the study it stated CBC as provided better quality programming especially on the radio side.

This is a bad bad day for Canada in my opinion

rocker
03-26-2009, 11:16 PM
sadly, if we leave it to the private broadcasters we just get hockey... and more hockey... and more hockey.. and maybe some curling thrown in (I still don't "get" the whole curling support... but oh well). TSN actually used to show soccer in the 80s when they were a smaller time organization and needed something. Now they just grab the stuff that already sells, and they consolidate that interest.
They'd rather show poker than grow the game of soccer, cuz poker is cheap ass filler.

CBC probably wasn't making much if anything showing CONCACAF Montreal games, but I bet a lot of fans appreciated it and maybe some newbies came onboard.

Waggy
03-26-2009, 11:54 PM
I understand CBC dumping their sports stuff (like they had a chance, when they got outbid for the CFL I thought it was game over. Then they got outbid for the HNIC song). What I don't understand is why TFC isn't offering free licensing to City TV or CTV just to get the product out there. Not as a long term thing (the free part), but just to make sure their games are available, live, in Toronto. With somewhat decent production. You can't tell me City TV is showing anything worth watching on Sat afternoons, its a win win for everyone. Then once theres a following, they can wait for TSN to show up, tail between legs, begging to get in.

VPjr
03-27-2009, 01:02 AM
I don't know this for sure (I'm going to try to get a hold of Nigel Reed tomorrow to see what he knows) but my guess is that the cuts are not going to affect CBC's coverage of TFC home games and it will not likely affect CBC's coverage of the Voyageurs Cup matches. If CBC does back out of the six V's Cup matches, you can be sure GolTV will pick up the slack.

CBC will definitely stop broadcasting Concacaf CL games (which means less work for Nigel and Jason).

I don't see this announcement affecting their FIFA commitments....those properties will, by and large, make money so they'd be crazy to back out of that deal.

I have no doubt at all that, where fiscally feasible, GOLtv will try to pick up the slack.

Ossington Mental Youth
03-27-2009, 01:32 AM
which is a good thing, im all for CBC but in the end the support isnt there from the general public as a result Goltv has the potential and capabilities to make a fantastic canadian soccer channel

Oldtimer
03-27-2009, 07:27 AM
I'm hoping that GOL will pick up the CCL games (at least where TFC is involved).

scooter
03-27-2009, 07:28 AM
yes everyone across the country should turn off cbc completely and tune into goltv then maybe these folks will get the picture
oh and goltv should hire nigel and jason

arbogast
03-27-2009, 08:28 AM
I mentioned this in the news forum.

they are cutting back on the CONCACAF Champions League coverage (not that there is anything to cut back from!)


Yeah of all the events for a National broadacaster to back out of, it's the Canada Cup. Makes tonnes of sense:rolleyes:

Parkdale
03-27-2009, 08:34 AM
unfortunate. I really liked what the CBC did in the past, and expected them to ramp up their soccer coverage this season.

fetajr
03-27-2009, 08:42 AM
they would do alot better with around the clock reruns of GAGs and Mr. Bean ...with news at 6pm and 11pm...hockey and soccer...i hope they don't mean they'll be cutting back their World Cup 2010 telecast..i was planning to watch most games at work with a usb hd atsc tuner on my pc

Stencils
03-27-2009, 08:42 AM
unfortunate. I really liked what the CBC did in the past, and expected them to ramp up their soccer coverage this season.

Agreed, although I loved the call of the Kansas game on GOLtv.

The Inside Track is a big loss. I'm a huge CBC Radio listener and The Inside Track was a great spotlight for Canadian athletes that might not otherwise get the time of day, and a lot of them were soccer players.

greatwhitenorf
03-27-2009, 09:44 AM
Funding cuts are paybacks for CBC's criticism of the Harper government. And Rick Mercer makes Harper feel 'uncomfortable'.

mr k
03-27-2009, 12:08 PM
from today's Star media column



Toronto Raptors and Toronto FC? Untouched.
World Cup soccer? Untouched
Existing deals with the Raptors and TFC will protect them for now, though considering the low ratings those two produce it's doubtful they'll be around after the contracts expire.

http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/609147

nfitz
03-27-2009, 12:18 PM
Funding cuts are paybacks for CBC's criticism of the Harper government. And Rick Mercer makes Harper feel 'uncomfortable'.Given that the opion poll that came out last year showed overwhelming support for continued or increased funding of CBC, I'd think that letting them have to do major cuts rather than provide temporary emergency funding will only only hurt Harper at the polls. Really bizarre decision really - seems to be one of those cut-off-your-nose decisions, like there quite small cuts to the arts just before the last election, that played so badly in Quebec.

J .
03-29-2009, 05:58 AM
They should cut back on their shit-coms instead of their sports coverage, especially soccer.

mighty_torontofc_2008
03-29-2009, 09:41 PM
yes everyone across the country should turn off cbc completely and tune into goltv then maybe these folks will get the picture
oh and goltv should hire nigel and jason


Never really watched the CBC except for TFC games... if i want News i turn to CNN.....Sitcoms any US channel,,,dramas.ie stephen harper talking,
even us tv wins there, so not watching cbc should be easier now:drinking:

Canary Canuck
03-30-2009, 12:07 AM
These cuts are typical of CBC. As much as it's politically incorrect to say, CBC needs to cut a ton of dead weight in the form of staff. It's a bloated, inefficient organization with overstaffed departments everywhere preserved by entrenched cultures of entitlement and hiring practices based on seniority over results. CBC is like the rich kid at school who feels slighted because his daddy won't raise his hefty allowance while the rest of us get a job and earn it.

Don't kid yourselves. The CBC doesn't need more money. They need a kick up the backside and a shake up. Making shows even more inefficient by producing fewer is not the answer.

rocker
03-30-2009, 11:10 AM
It's a bloated, inefficient organization with overstaffed departments everywhere preserved by entrenched cultures of entitlement and hiring practices based on seniority over results.

can you please provide evidence for this assertion? such as independent studies.

thanks

Blizzard
03-30-2009, 02:50 PM
They should cut back on their shit-coms instead of their sports coverage, especially soccer.

The sitcoms get higher ratings! Much, much higher ratings.

Juanito
03-30-2009, 10:19 PM
And they all get better ratings than Toronto FC - do you really want to carry this to the logical conclusion?

I actually quite enjoy Being Erica - it's quite intelligent, and very well done.

Being Erica, Marketplace, The Rick Mercer Report, The Hour, and Dr. Who are quality shows on the CBC ... don't knock them till you try it.

Little Mosqaue is utter bollocks. An insult to my intelligence.

nfitz
03-30-2009, 10:24 PM
Being Erica, Marketplace, The Rick Mercer Report, The Hour, and Dr. Who are quality shows on the CBC ... don't knock them till you try it.The Hour is superb!

Doctor Who has already gone to Space. They aired the last special 2 weeks ago, and the next one is supposed to air in June (in April on BBC).

Juanito
03-30-2009, 10:28 PM
The Hour is superb!

Doctor Who has already gone to Space. They aired the last special 2 weeks ago, and the next one is supposed to air in June (in April on BBC).

Well ... another show bites the dust at the CBC. Doesn't affect us too much.

Juanito
03-30-2009, 10:32 PM
I don't have proof, this is JUST A HUNCH ...

but I think that CBC executives, like TSN executives do not want "fringe" sports like soccer to succeed because HOCKEY IS KING in their universe.

I don't think they are willing to give soccer a real chance unless it makes them money right away. They would prefer to protect their NHL interests.

johnmolinaro
03-31-2009, 08:07 AM
I don't have proof, this is JUST A HUNCH ...

but I think that CBC executives, like TSN executives do not want "fringe" sports like soccer to succeed because HOCKEY IS KING in their universe.

I don't think they are willing to give soccer a real chance unless it makes them money right away. They would prefer to protect their NHL interests.

Well, I can't speak for TSN, but I can tell you that we do want soccer to succeed - we wouldn't have secured the rights to Toronto FC and all of the FIFA properties until 2014 if we wanted to see soccer fail.

Hockey is and always will be king in the cbc universe, as you pointed out. But that doesn't mean there isn't a place for soccer on the cbc and we are trying to make a go of it.

John

fergiejr
03-31-2009, 09:59 AM
The Columbus game was on Dishnet PPV on Saturday live. GolTV played a delayed replay of the game.

I guess this only helps if you have Dishnet, but it was there.