Ding dong the queen is dead

Tremendous news from the Curling Coverage front, as TSN claims major curling rights through 2013!

With TSN HD on the Star Choice package, I will be salivating with all of the coverage to be had starting in two years... the return of the morning draws!!! Huzzah!!

Curling sweeps away CBC Public broadcaster frozen out in new TV deal

By BILL GRAVELAND

CALGARY (CP) - After 40 years of curling coverage CBC is being left out in the cold after a new six-year television deal announced Thursday between the Canadian Curling Association and TSN.

The deal beginning in 2008, when the current contract with CBC expires, will run through 2013-'14 and give TSN exclusive broadcast and multimedia rights to all CCA events, including the Tim Hortons Brier, the Scotties Tournament of Hearts and the Ford World curling championships. In a revamped deal last season, CBC handed off the round-robin games to TSN but retained the semifinals and finals. That isn't the case now since CBC wasn't even invited into the negotiations.

"We received a perfunctory call this morning which was definitely after the fact-after the agreement had been done," said CBC spokeswoman Ruth-Ellen Soles in an interview with the Canadian Press.
"We've always been in constant contact with the CCA and for the first time ever there was no tender process which means there was no opportunity for us to counter-bid."

The CBC had signed an exclusive four-year deal with the CCA in July, 2004 but carried just one draw a day on the national network and a second draw on its little known Country Canada digital channel. After outrage from curling fans the CCA attempted to walk away from the deal last summer citing problems with the network's coverage.

But a revamped deal last fall allowed CBC to retain the curling television rights, but sub-licensed a portion of those to TSN. That saw the two networks share coverage of Canada's top curling events.

That will not be the case beginning in 2008. TSN will do all the games and on a bright note for curling fans all three draws will be shown on the network.

"Unprecedented coverage and the return of morning draws will be embraced by our fans and viewers across the country and around the world," Dave Parkes, the CEO of the Canadian Curling Association, said in a release. "This agreement and a strengthened relationship with TSN ensures a positive, exciting and long-term future for our sport."

TSN president Phil King said the timing of the new deal is a good one for his network, especially with the next Winter Olympics being held in Canada.

"This deal further establishes curling as a cornerstone of the network's programming leading up to the 2010 Olympic Games and beyond," said King.

The agreement does provide some comfort for sponsors of the major events, who were inundated with angry phone calls, letters and e-mails after curling coverage changed in 2005.

"Scott Paper is excited by the return of morning broadcasts and the stability this new television agreement will provide," said John McClelland, corporate vice-president of Scott Paper Ltd., which sponsors the Canadian women's curling championship.

The announcement caught six-time Canadian champion Colleen Jones by surprise. Jones, who also has two world curling titles, hadn't heard the news in Raleigh, N.C., where she is covering the Stanley Cup final for CBC TV.

"TSN has done a phenomenal job with curling however the reality is you always want your product on a main network. It was just golden the way it had been with TSN and CBC on the weekends," said Jones.

"The Brier draws well over a million people and the question will those people all watch it on TSN?"

The TSN news release says "the opportunity also exists to carry select matches on CTV."

"I do like the longevity of the deal but it was a perfect marriage where CBC and TSN shared coverage. That was about as perfect as you can have," Jones added.

TSN has confirmed that its curling broadcast team of Vic Rauter, Linda Moore and Ray Turnbull will continue to call the action for all of the network's curling coverage.

The new deal includes a comprehensive suite of multimedia rights, including broadband, mobile, video-on-demand, interactive television, podcasts and even rights for radio broadcasts.

The Thistle is history

Sad to hear about all of the history going up in flames at the venerable Thistle Curling Club over the weekend. It sickens me that some troubled person thinks torching a public building will bring them power and glory.

It was a unique place to play, and, although I'd always struggled with the ice conditions there, I enjoyed the vibe that the building had.

I feel sorriest for the neighbourhood kids who have lost a place to grow with the game... and the life members who valued the club as more than a place to throw rocks.

Anytime we lose a club - to fire, indifference or lack of funding - it's a knee to the groin of our game.