In what can only be described as a major blunder by CBC, rival network CTV has signed with a deal with the owner of the now-famous theme of Hockey Night in Canada and will use it on hockey broadcasts for TSN starting next season. Curtis Rush and Precious Yutangco of the Toronto Star write that CTV gained the rights for the song known as “Canada’s Second National Anthem” at 4 p.m. today.
CBC had used the theme to open its hockey broadcasts for 40 years, but got into a dispute with owner Dolores Claman and on Friday, declared that negotiations over the use were over, but today, tried to get an arbitrator to negotiate a settlement.
However, Brodie Fenlon and Peter Cheney of the Toronto Globe and Mail write that CTV has now purchased the song outright ensuring that CBC will never use it again.
A CTV press release states that the theme will also be used during its coverage of hockey during the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games.
For its part, CBC Sports says it’s disappointed, but not surprised that the song was shopped elsewhere.
For us in the States, it would be as if NBC Sports somehow purchased the familiar Monday Night Football theme for use on Sunday Night Football. This is a big story in Canada and again shows the ineptitude of CBC Sports in a major negotiation.
