They may have pulled out all the stops trying to keep the iconic theme song on Hockey Night in Canada, but the CBC has official lost out on the tune to CTV.
In a press release issued just minutes ago, TSN and RDS announced that they had “saved” the 40-year-old theme song, and have a home for it during the 2010 Vancouver Olympic hockey coverage alongside its traditional hockey coverage this upcoming fall season.
According to the release, a deal was made in principle last Friday when CBC announced they could not reach a deal with Copyright Music & Viuals, the company representing original song writer Delores Claman. Due diligence was completed earlier today.
“The song has a long and storied history in Canadian sports and has become ingrained in the hearts and minds of hockey fans across the country,” said Rick Brace, President, Revenue, Business Planning and Sports, CTV Inc. “It is an iconic tune, embraced by Canadians everywhere, and we felt it was imperative to save it. We know we will be in hockey forever, so there’s no doubt this acquisition will create value for us.”
Earlier today CBC had announced the hiring of renowned sports and entertainment lawyer Gord Kirke as a mediator in a last attempt to salvage the song on the network.
The CBC has also announced a nationwide contest to search for the next big jingle. Perhaps they should try Mark Burnett’s new reality show, Jingles.
This deal is the latest in the ongoing competition between CBC and CTV when it comes to Canadian hockey coverage.
Thoughts? amber@tvguide.ca
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