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CBC Announces It’s Officially Back in the Olympics Business

During the 2012 Olympics, the International Olympics Committee awarded the rights to the 2014 and 2016 Olympics to CBC after the Canadian Olympic Broadcasting Consortium consisting of CTV, RDS, TSN and Sportsnet had aired the 2010 and 2012 Games, ending a long streak by CBC dating back to 1996.

CBC had yet to officially announce its plans for the 2014 Olympics in Sochi asides from a random promo during Hockey Night in Canada, but today, the network gave its one year kickoff to its coverage today.

CBC says it has formed its own consortium to air the Olympics in Canada. Sportsnet says it will carry some 200 hours from Sochi. TSN along with its French partner, RDS, says it will also air a portion of the Olympics.

Details of which network will air which sports will be worked out and we’ll also hear about talent for the Games as well. I’m sure Ron MacLean who was primetime host for Beijing will have a major role. Not sure if Brian Williams who worked CBC’s Olympics until 2006 will return to Canada’s public broadcaster to host, but we’ll see. You can rest assured that Hockey Night in Canada voice Jim Hughson will call hockey for CBC.

CBC has also launched its official Olympics website.

Here’s CBC’s press release.

SOCHI IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK AND THE ROAD TO THE OLYMPICS STARTS HERE: CBC/RADIO-CANADA IS CANADA’S OLYMPIC NETWORK

As Canada’s Official Olympic Broadcaster for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, CBC/Radio-Canada brings the Olympic Games home to Canadians like never before

Today marks the official one-year countdown to the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, and CBC/Radio-Canada is thrilled to bring the Olympic Games home to Canadians. As Canada’s Official Broadcaster, CBC/Radio-Canada brings Canadians cross-platform coverage of the top news and stories in the year leading up to Sochi 2014, running from February 7 – 23, 2014. With exclusive license arrangements, TSN, RDS, and Sportsnet will also present coverage of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. Stay tuned – more platform distribution announcements to come.

“We’re incredibly proud to be the official home of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games,” said Kirstine Stewart, Executive Vice-President, English Services, CBC. “As we count down to Sochi 2014, we are committed to sharing the inspirational stories of our athletes, while providing Canadians with a robust Olympic Games experience, across all platforms.”

Louis Lalande, Executive Vice-President, Radio-Canada, added: “The Olympic Games have been part of Radio-Canada’s DNA for over fifty years. It is with great anticipation that we prepare for Sochi 2014. We aim to offer viewers from coast to coast a distinct coverage that will allow them to live and breathe with our athletes on this most prestigious stage.”

CBC/Radio-Canada is the place to be as we count down to the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. With coverage across all platforms – including TV, radio, online, and mobile – Canadians can connect with the biggest stories and the latest content whenever and wherever they want it. Through world-class storytelling and the best performance coverage available, CBC/Radio-Canada will introduce viewers to Canadian athletes poised to take on the world in 2014. Canadians can engage with CBC/Radio-Canada leading up to and throughout the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games online in English at CBC.ca/Olympics and in French at Radio-Canada.ca/Olympiques, as well as on Twitter in English at @cbcolympics (#cbcolympics), and in French at @RC_Sports (#RColympiques).

The countdown to the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi was in full-swing this week on CBC, with extensive programming on all platforms. Throughout the week, viewers have enjoyed extensive coverage, with stories from Sochi and beyond, as well as a look at Canada’s Olympians as they prepare for the Games.

And here’s CBC’s Olympic promo. Sounds like its venerable Olympic theme will be back after a six year absence.

There you have it.

Canadian Olympic Broadcasting Consortium Programming For Day 16 of the 2012 Olympics

The final day of the Olympics usually includes the men’s marathon, the gold medal final of men’s basketball and volleyball, and a few final events to close out the Games. CTV, TSN, Rogers Sportsnet and OLN will air a two hour special hosted by Brian Williams through the best of the London Games.

Then at 4 p.m. ET, the Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium will wrap up its experience as Canada’s Olympic Networks with the Closing Ceremony to be aired and streamed across the country live.

We have what will distributed across the Consortium for the last time as CBC takes over the Olympics in 2014.

Day 16 Highlights: Sunday, August 12 – Gold Medal Games in Men’s Basketball and Volleyball; Canadian Wrestlers Hit the Mat for the Podium; LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES CLOSING CEREMONY Caps Off the Games

DAY 16 – SCHEDULED SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

OLYMPIC MORNING/ LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 4 a.m. – 12 noon ET

• Basketball: Men’s Bronze Medal Game – Argentina and Russia square off on the hardcourt for bronze (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Basketball: Men’s Gold Medal Game – Kobe Bryant and LeBron James lead the U.S. against Spain for gold (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Athletics: Men’s Marathon – Canada’s Reid Coolsaet, Eric Gillis, and Dylan Wykes trek through London in this final athletics event (TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Cycling: Men’s Mountain Bike Cross Country – Canada’s Geoff Kabush and Max Plaxton race for a spot on the podium; France looks for its fourth straight Olympic title (TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Wrestling: Men’s Freestyle 66kg and 96kg– Haislan Garcia (66kg) and Khetag Pliev (96kg) compete for Canada and look for a spot in the afternoon’s medal rounds (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Volleyball: Men’s Bronze Medal Game – It’s Bulgaria vs. Italy for the bronze (Sportsnet, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC DAYTIME / LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 12 – 2 p.m. ET

• Volleyball: Men’s Gold Medal Game – Russia and Brazil face off for Olympic glory (TSN, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Rhythmic Gymnastics: Women’s Group All-Around Final – Italy, winner of the past three World Championships, looks to upset Russia, three-time consecutive Olympic champions. (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

Airing 2 – 4 p.m. ET
OLYMPIC FAREWELL: Brian Williams takes Canadians through the best of London 2012. Along with encores of key Canadian performances and interviews, the show looks back at the inspiring stories and outstanding achievements that captivated the nation, including the Canadian women’s soccer team, Usain Bolt, and Missy Franklin. During the two-hour show, Lisa LaFlamme fronts a piece on women in sport, highlighting the courageous women competing for countries with female athletes for the first time in Olympic history. The feature also looks at the remarkable performances of Gabby Douglas in gymnastics, Missy Franklin in the pool, and Jessica Ennis on the track. Stephen Brunt also returns with his last essay of the Games, examining how London 2012 has redefined Great Britain through the golden performances of Team GB during last week’s ‘Super Saturday’. (CTV, TSN, Sportsnet, OLN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

Airing 4 – 7 p.m. ET
LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES CLOSING CEREMONY: Hosted by James Duthie and Jennifer Hedger, this spectacle caps off the 17 days of London 2012 and celebrates the athletes that made these Games possible. Dubbed “a mashed-up symphony” of British music by artistic director Kim Gavin, the LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES CLOSING CEREMONY is set to include some of Great Britain’s top musical acts including Muse, Ed Sheeran, George Michael, the Spice Girls, The Who, Annie Lennox and more. The show will also celebrate Rio, host of the 2016 Games, with a Brazilian-themed performance. (CTV, RDS, TSN, Sportsnet, V, OLN, OMNI. 2, ATN, CTVOlympics.ca and RDSolympiques.ca)

And coming up, NBC’s announcement on its Closing Ceremony coverage.

Candian Olympic Broadcasting Consortium Programming For Day 15 of the 2012 Olympics

Here’s the programming schedule for the Canadian rightsholders for the 2012 Olympics.

Day 15 Highlights: Saturday, August 11 – Catharine Pendrel Pedals for the Podium; Canadians in Medal Contention in Canoe/Kayak; Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake Lead the Pack on the Track in the Men’s 4x100m Relay; Gold Medal Games in Men’s Soccer, Women

DAY 15 – SCHEDULED SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

OLYMPIC MORNING/ LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 4 a.m. – 12 noon ET

• Canoe/Kayak: Mixed – Eton Dorney hosts four final events, including men’s kayak single (K1) 200m with Canada’s Mark de Jonge, men’s kayak double (K2) 200m with Canada’s Hugues Fournel and Ryan Cochrane, men’s canoe single (C1) 200m, and women’s kayak single (K1) 200m. (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Mountain Bike Cross Country: Women’s Final – 2011 World Champion Catharine Pendrel competes against fellow Canadian Emily Batty and rival mountain biker Julie Bresset from France (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Soccer: Men’s Gold Medal Game – Mexico and Brazil battle it out for gold in this highly-anticipated match-up (CTV, RDS, OMNI. 1, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Taekwondo: Men’s +80kg – Currently seeded second in this Olympic tournament, Canada’s François Coulombe-Fortier looks to advance to the afternoon’s medal rounds (TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Volleyball: Women’s Bronze Medal Game – South Korea faces off against Japan in a fight for bronze (Sportsnet, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC DAYTIME / LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 12 – 6 p.m. ET

• Athletics – A total of seven medal events take place in the afternoon including the women’s 20km race walk final featuring Canada’s Rachel Seaman (OLN, V), the men’s 5000m final featuring Canada’s Cameron Levins, plus the men’s 4x100m final with Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake leading Jamaica* against the United States* and Canada* in a final baton sprint down the track. (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Diving: Men’s 10m Platform Final – Canada’s Riley McCormick* and Eric Sehn* compete against the world’s best divers including defending Olympic champion Matthew Mitcham* of Australia, reigning World Champion Qiu Bo* of China, and British medal hopeful Tom Daley* (TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Volleyball: Women’s Gold Medal Game – It’s a gold medal showdown between Brazil and the United States (TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Basketball: Women’s Bronze and Gold Medal Games – Australia takes on Russia for bronze followed by the United States vs. France for gold in these hardcourt finals (Sportsnet, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC PRIME TIME
Airing 7 – 11 p.m. ET/CT/MT/PT

• CTV: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV host Brian Williams gives a complete rundown of Day 15 highlights and results. With a focus on Canadian performances, the four hour show looks at Catharine Pendrel in mountain bike, Mark de Jonge, Hugues Fournel and Ryan Cochrane in canoe/kayak, Riley McCormick* and Eric Sehn* in men’s 10m platform diving and more. OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV also recaps the athletics events of the day – including another highly-anticipated race featuring Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake in the men’s 4x100m relay – and the men’s soccer final. (CTV, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• TSN: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON TSN host Darren Dutchyshen takes sports fans through four hours of Day 15 highlights including recaps of the women’s volleyball gold medal game between Brazil and the United States, the men’s soccer final featuring Brazil vs. Mexico and men’s taekwondo +80kg with Canada’s François Coulombe-Fortier. (TSN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Sportsnet: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON SPORTSNET with host Brad Fay recaps Canadian mountain biker Catharine Pendrel’s quest for a medal in the women’s cross-country. Pendrel is also featured in The Experts, where she proves to bobsledders Helen Upperton and Shelley-Ann Brown just how hard her sport really is. Plus, Sportsnet looks back at the incredible journey of the Canadian women’s soccer team. (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS

• Host Chantal Machabée presents the highlights from Day 15 of London 2012 competition.(RDS, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR V

• Host Jean Pagé examines the day’s top highlights.(V, RDSolympiques.ca)

All programming is subject to change; visit the Bell Viewers’ Guide on CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca and on the CTV Olympics London 2012 and RDS olympiques pour Londres 2012 Apps for up-to-the minute schedules and listings.

*Pending qualification

That’s it.

Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium Programming For Day 14 of the 2012 Olympics

Just three more days of the Olympics and there are quite a few finals in various sports like BMX cycling, Taekwondo, wrestling, and track & field.

There are semifinals in men’s basketball and the men take on the 10 meter diving platform.

Take a look at what the networks of the Canadian Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium have in store for the second and last Friday of the Olympics.

Day 14 Highlights: Friday, August 10 – Canada’s Karine Sergerie and Sébastien Michaud Spar in Taekwondo; Canada’s Synchronized Swimming Team Looks to Blow the Competition Out of the Water

DAY 14 – SCHEDULED SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

OLYMPIC MORNING/ LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 4 a.m. – 12 noon ET

• Canoe/Kayak: Mixed – Eton Dorney hosts qualifying heats and semifinals for four events, all featuring Canadians: men’s kayak single 200m (Mark de Jonge), men’s canoe single 200m (Jason McCoombs), women’s kayak single 200m (Émilie Fournel) and men’s kayak double 200m (Hugues Fournel and Ryan Cochrane). (CTV, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• BMX: Men’s and Women’s Semifinals and Final – Tory Nyhaug* is flying high for Canada against reigning World Champion Sam Willoughby* in this fast-paced sport making its second appearance at an Olympic Games (CTV, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Taekwondo: Women’s 67kg and Men’s 80kg – Canadians Karine Sergerie, who brought home silver at the Beijing 2008 Games, and Sébastien Michaud, bronze medallist at the 2007 and 2009 World Championships, look to advance to the afternoon’s medal rounds (TSN, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Wrestling: Men’s 55kg and 74kg – Canada’s David Tremblay and Matt Gentry hit the mat for a spot in the afternoon’s bronze and gold medal matches (TSN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Synchronized Swimming: Women’s Team Free Routine – Canada is poised to swim back onto the podium for the first time since Sydney 2000 with its innovative routines; Russia’s Anastasia Davydova holds her breath in search of a record-setting fifth Olympic gold medal in synchronized swimming. (Sportsnet, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC DAYTIME / LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 12 – 6 p.m. ET

• Basketball: Men’s – Spain takes on Russia followed by Argentina vs. USA in these highly-anticipated hardcourt semifinal showdowns (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Athletics – In addition to the first round of women’s 4x400m relay and men’s 4x100m relay, six medal events take place including: men’s pole vault, women’s hammer throw, women’s 5000m, women’s 4x100m relay, women’s 1500m, and men’s 4x400m relay. (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Soccer: Men’s Bronze Medal Match – South Korea faces off against Japan in a fight for bronze (Sportsnet, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Diving: Men’s 10m Platform – Canadians Riley McCormick and Eric Sehn compete in the preliminary round against Great Britain’s young diving star Tom Daley and 2011 World Champion Qui Bo of China (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC PRIME TIME
Airing 7 – 11 p.m. ET/CT/MT/PT

• CTV: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV host Brian Williams gives a complete rundown of Day 14 highlights and results with a focus on Canadian performances. The four-hour show recaps the athletics events of the day, BMX cycling and Tory Nyhaug*’s performance, taekwondo with looks at Karine Sergerie and Sébastien Michaud’s results, diving, canoe/kayak, and marathon swimming. (CTV, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• TSN: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON TSN host Darren Dutchyshen takes sports fans through four hours of Day 14 highlights including recaps of men’s volleyball semifinals, Canada’s underwater performance in synchronized swimming, and men’s water polo semifinal #2(TSN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Sportsnet: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON SPORTSNET with host Brad Fay reviews the men’s basketball semifinals with coverage of powerhouse Argentina taking on the favoured United States, as well as Spain vs. Russia. Canadians Karine Sergerie and Sébastien Michaud look to fight their way to the podium in taekwondo, while Adam van Koeverden teaches kayaking in another edition of The Experts. (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS

• Host Chantal Machabée presents the highlights from Day 14 of London 2012 competition. (RDS, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR V

• Host Jean Pagé examines the day’s top highlights. (V, RDSolympiques.ca)

All programming is subject to change; visit the Bell Viewers’ Guide on CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca and on the CTV Olympics London 2012 and RDS olympiques pour Londres 2012 Apps for up-to-the minute schedules and listings.

*Pending qualification

NBCUniversal’s programming is next.

Canadian Olympic Broadcasting Consortium Programming for Day 13 of the 2012 Olympics

As the Olympics now count down to their final days, some of the big events and sports are holding their medal rounds. Canada will be playing for the bronze medal in women’s soccer against France on Thursday. Track & Field has several gold medal finals including the men’s 200 meters featuring Yohan Blake and multiple gold medal winner Usain Bolt. Canada also has medal hopefuls in women’s wrestling and diving.

Check out the programming on the Canadian Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium for Day 13 of the Games of the XXX Summer Olympiad. It’s all listed below.

Day 13 Highlights: Thursday, August 9 – Canada’s Women’s Soccer Team Battles for Bronze; World’s Fastest Man Usain Bolt Attempts 200m Final; Bronze Medallists Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion Take Another Plunge for the Podium

DAY 13 – SCHEDULED SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

OLYMPIC MORNING/ LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 4 a.m. – 12 noon ET

• Soccer: Women’s Bronze Medal Match – Christine Sinclair and Melissa Tancredi lead Canada in a battle for bronze against France (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Canoe/Kayak: Mixed – Eton Dorney hosts four medal events including men’s canoe double 1000m final, men’s kayak four 1000m final, women’s kayak single 500m final and women’s kayak double 500m final (TSN, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca
• Athletics – The morning includes the first round of the men’s 4x400m relay, women’s high jump qualification and three events from men’s decathlon: 110m hurdles, discus throw and pole vault (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Cycling BMX: Men’s Quarterfinals – Canada’s Tory Nyhaug competes in his first Olympic Games (Sportsnet, RDS2, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Wrestling: Women’s Freestyle Wrestling – Canada’s Tonya Verbeek (55kg) – the Beijing 2008 bronze medallist and Athens 2004 silver medallist – and Leah Callahan (72kg) look to advance to the afternoon’s gold medal finals (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC DAYTIME / LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 12 – 6 p.m. ET

• Athletics – In addition to the women’s 800m semifinals featuring Canada’s Jessica Smith, five medal events take place including:
  • Men’s 200m Final – Canada’s Jared Connaughton* and Aaron Brown* look to hit the track alongside Jamaica’s Usain Bolt* and Yohan Blake* (CTV, RDS, ATN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Women’s Javelin Final – Vancouver’s Elizabeth Gleadle will be the first Canadian woman to compete in the javelin at an Olympic Games since 1988 (CTV, RDS, ATN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Men’s Decathlon 1500m Final – Canada’s Damian Warner competes (CTV, RDS, ATN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Men’s 800m Final (CTV, RDS, ATN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Men’s Triple Jump Final (CTV, RDS, ATN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Soccer: Women’s Gold Medal Match – The United States is up against the Japanese squad that beat them in last year’s World Cup final (TSN, OMNI.1, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Diving: Women’s 10m Platform – Canada’s Meaghan Benfeito* and Roseline Filion*, who captured bronze in the women’s 10m synchronized diving last week, fly solo against the best divers in the world including the defending Olympic champion Chen Ruolin* of China (Sportsnet, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC PRIME TIME
Airing 7 – 11 p.m. ET/CT/MT/PT

• CTV: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV host Brian Williams gives a complete rundown of Day 13 highlights and results with a focus on Canadian performances. The four-hour show recaps the women’s soccer bronze and gold medal match-ups, athletics events including the highly anticipated men’s 200m final with Usain Bolt* and Yohan Blake*, as well as the women’s 10m platform results featuring Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion. (CTV, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• TSN: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON TSN host Darren Dutchyshen takes sports fans through four hours of Day 13 highlights and recaps including the women’s basketball semifinals and the women’s water polo gold medal game (TSN2, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Sportsnet: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON SPORTSNET with host Brad Fay providesviewers with highlights from Day 13’s premier events, including Usain Bolt’s attempt to defend his title in the men’s 200m final. A full review of the highly anticipated women’s gold medal soccer match between USA and Japan will also be presented, as well as coverage from the women’s 10m platform final as Canadians Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion look for their second medal of the Games.

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS

• Host Chantal Machabée presents the highlights from Day 13 of London 2012 competition. (RDS, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR V

• Host Jean Pagé examines the day’s top highlights. (V, RDSolympiques.ca)

All programming is subject to change; visit the Bell Viewers’ Guide on CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca and on the CTV Olympics London 2012 and RDS olympiques pour Londres 2012 Apps for up-to-the minute schedules and listings.

*Pending qualification

NBCUniversal’s Olympic programming is coming up.

Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium Programming for Day 12 of the 2012 Olympics

For Day 12 of the 2012 Olympics, the networks comprising the Canadian Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium will focus on the canoe/kayak venue, the rowing venue, the track & field venue and the equestrian venue.

So much more will be seen throughout the day on the consortium and you can check out what’s on below.

Day 12 Highlights: Wednesday, August 8 – Adam van Koeverden and Mark Oldershaw Go for Gold; Carol Huynh Defends Her Olympic Title; Canada’s Aaron Brown and Jared Connaughton Battle on the Track with Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake in the 200m Semifinal

DAY 12 – SCHEDULED SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

OLYMPIC MORNING/ LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 4 a.m. – 12 noon ET

• Canoe/Kayak Sprint:
  • Men’s K-1 1000m – Three-time Olympic medallist Adam van Koeverden goes for gold (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Men’s C-1 1000m – Third-generation Olympian Mark Oldershaw battles for his first medal at Eton Dorney (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Athletics: Men’s Decathlon – Three events kick off in the morning with 100m, long jump, and shot put followed by high jump and 400m in the afternoon (TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Equestrian: Individual Jumping – Ian Millar who is making his 10th Olympic Games appearance and Beijing 2008 Olympic gold medallist Eric Lamaze have the podium in sight (TSN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC DAYTIME / LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 12 – 6 p.m. ET

• Athletics – Four medal events take place including the women’s long jump, women’s 400m hurdles, the women’s 200m and the men’s 110m hurdles. Plus, Jamaica’s Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake compete in the 200m semifinals alongside Canada’s Jared Connaughton and Aaron Brown (CTV, RDS, ATN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Beach Volleyball: Women’s – It’s suspense on the sand in this gold medal match-up (TSN, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Wrestling: Women’s Freestyle 48kg – Canada’s Carol Huynh looks to defend her Olympic title following her gold medal performance in Beijing (Sportsnet, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Diving: Women’s 10m Platform – Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion, who captured bronze in the women’s 10m synchronized diving last week, compete in this preliminary round (OLN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC PRIME TIME
Airing 7 – 11 p.m. ET/CT/MT/PT

• CTV: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV host Brian Williams gives a complete rundown of Day 12 highlights and results with a focus on Canadian performances. The four-hour show recaps the canoe/kayak sprint final results from earlier in the day with a look at Mark Oldershaw and Adam van Koeverden, who is also featured in The Experts segment alongside DAILY PLANET host Dan Riskin. OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV also recaps the performances of Beijing 2008 gold medallist Carol Huynh in women’s freestyle wrestling and Eric Lamaze and Ian Millar in the individual jumping final, as well as athletics results. (CTV, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• TSN: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON TSN host Darren Dutchyshen takes sports fans through four hours of Day 12 highlights and recaps, including the men’s basketball quarter-final game featuring Australia taking on the USA’s Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant, as well as the women’s beach volleyball gold medal match-up. (TSN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Sportsnet: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON SPORTSNET with host Brad Fay takes a look at Canada’s medal chances from Day 12, including Adam van Koeverden in the men’s K-1 1000m final and Mark Oldershaw in the men’s C-1 1000m final. Sportsnet also has full coverage of Carol Huynh’s attempt to defend her Olympic Games title in women’s freestyle wrestling, including a look at her special relationship with her hometown of Hazelton, BC in Difference Makers with Rick Hansen. All this, plus recaps of the quarter-final action in men’s volleyball, basketball and water polo. (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS

• Host Chantal Machabée presents the highlights from Day 12 of London 2012 competition. (RDS, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR V

• Host Jean Pagé examines the day’s top highlights. (V, RDSolympiques.ca)

All programming is subject to change; visit the Bell Viewers’ Guide on CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca and on the CTV Olympics London 2012 and RDS olympiques pour Londres 2012 Apps for up-to-the minute schedules and listings.

NBCUniversal’s Olympic programming is next.

Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium Programming For Day 11 of the 2012 Olympics

Ok, Canada has several medal hopefuls including in the men’s triathlon which takes place early Tuesday morning. Canada’s women’s basketball team has the daunting task of taking on Team USA in the quarterfinals. And you have plenty of Canadians taking part in the track & field venue tomorrow especially in the women’s 100 meter hurdles.

Here’s the schedule of the combined Bell/Rogers partnership that comprises the Canadian Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium.

Day 11 Highlights: Tuesday, August 7 – Simon Whitfield Races for a Third Olympic Medal; Canada Battles the United States in Women’s Basketball; Tara Whitten Pushes for Another Podium Finish

DAY 11 – SCHEDULED SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

OLYMPIC MORNING/ LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 4 a.m. – 12 noon ET

• Triathlon: Men’s – Canada’s Opening Ceremony Flag Bearer Simon Whitfield pursues his third Olympic medal alongside fellow Canadians Kyle Jones and Brent McMahon as well as Great Britain’s Brownlee brothers, Alistair and Jonathan (CTV, TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Athletics: Men’s 200m Round 1 – The world’s fastest man Usain Bolt and fellow countryman Yohan Blake are back on the track; Jared Connaughton, Aaron Brown, and Tremaine Harris compete for Canada (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Basketball: Women’s – Canada looks to break the #1-ranked United States’ 38-game winning streak for a spot in the semifinals (TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Synchronized Swimming: Women’s Duet – Canada’s Marie-Pier Boudreau Gagnon and Élise Marcotte, who placed fourth at the 2011 World Championships, pursue a place on the podium (Sportsnet, RDS CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Canoe/Kayak Sprint: Women’s K-1 500m – Émilie Fournel – sister of fellow London 2012 Olympian Hugues Fournel who is competing in the men’s K-2 200m and 1000m – looks to advance to the semifinal (Sportsnet, RDS2, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC DAYTIME / LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 12 – 6 p.m. ET

• Beach Volleyball: Women’s Semifinals – Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings take on China’s Xue Chen and Zhang Xi in a quest for their third consecutive Olympic gold medal while fellow Americans Jennifer Kessy and April Ross square off against Brazil’s Juliana Silva and Larissa Franca (CTV, TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Athletics:
  • Four medal events take place including the men’s 1500m, men’s high jump, men’s discus, and the 100m hurdles, with Canada’s Jessica Zelinka, Phylicia George, and Nikkita Holder looking to compete pending the semifinal results (CTV, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Track Cycling: Mixed
  • Three medal events including the men’s keirin, women’s sprint, and women’s omnium featuring 2011 World Champion Tara Whitten, who won a bronze in women’s team pursuit on Saturday (TSN, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Soccer: Men’s
  • South Korea battles Brazil in this semifinal match-up (TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Mexico takes on Japan in this semifinal match-up (Sportsnet, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Diving: Men’s 3m Springboard Final – Pending qualification in the morning’s semifinal, Alexandre Despatie and François Imbeau-Dulac plunge for the podium (Sportsnet, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC PRIME TIME
Airing 7 – 11 p.m. ET/CT/MT/PT

• CTV: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV host Brian Williams gives a complete rundown of Day 11 highlights and results with a focus on Canadian performances. The four-hour show reviews the women’s 100m hurdles semifinals and finals with a focus on Jessica Zelinka, Phylicia George, and Nikkita Holder, and features a Superbodies segment on a hurdler’s body with Dr. Greg Wells. The show also recaps Tara Whitten’s results in the second day of omnium competition, Simon Whitfield’s performance in men’s triathlon, and how Marie-Pier Boudreau Gagnon and Élise Marcotte’s fared in synchronized swimming. OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV also recaps the quarterfinal game between Canada and powerhouse United States in women’s basketball and other key events from the day (CTV, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• TSN: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON TSN host Darren Dutchyshen takes sports fans through four hours of Day 11 highlights, including recaps of men’s triathlon with a focus on Simon Whitfield, men’s 3m springboard final and Alexandre Despatie’s performance, Canada’s results in synchronized swimming, plus the women’s basketball quarterfinal match-up between Canada and the United States. The show also includes extended looks at men’s and women’s beach volleyball semifinals. (TSN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Sportsnet: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON SPORTSNET, hosted by Brad Fay, takes viewers to Olympic Stadium for a review of the men’s 200m heats, Usain Bolt’s second event of the Games and the 100m hurdles final where Canada may add more hardware to the country’s medal count. At the pool, Alexandre Despatie puts a shaky summer behind him in the 3m springboard diving finals. Capping off OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON SPORTSNET are special features including Difference Makers with Rick Hansen featuring Simon Whitfield; Superbodies with Dr. Greg Wells, who takes a look at the physically taxing triathlon; and The Experts showcasing women’s hockey Olympic Games gold medallists Tessa Bonhomme and Jennifer Botterill attempting synchronized swimming. (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS

• Host Chantal Machabée presents the highlights from Day 11 of London 2012 competition. (RDS, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR V

• Host Jean Pagé examines the day’s top highlights. (V, RDSolympiques.ca)

All programming is subject to change.

And that does it.

Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium Programming for Day 9 of the 2012 Olympics

For Day 9 of the 2012 Olympics, the Canadian Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium will air tennis, cycling, track & field, women’s basketball, equestrian and plenty of other events.

Here’s what will be seen in Canada on the Broadcast Consortium.

Day 9 Highlights: Sunday, August 5 World’s Fastest Man to be Crowned; Jennifer Abel and Émilie Heymans Plunge for the Podium; Gold Medal Showdown Between Roger Federer and Andy Murray

DAY 9 – SCHEDULED SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

OLYMPIC MORNING/ LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 4 a.m. – 12 noon ET

• Tennis: Men’s Singles Final – It’s a 2012 Wimbledon final rematch as Roger Federer, the world’s top-ranked player, and Great Britain’s Andy Murray battle it out for Olympic glory (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Track Cycling: Men’s Omnium – With Day 1 complete, Watson Lake, Yukon-native Zach Bell competes in the remaining omnium events for a spot on the podium (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Basketball: Women’s – After knocking out Brazil on Friday to clinch a quarterfinal spot, Canada squares off against Australia in its last preliminary round match-up; in another match-up, China faces off against the United States’ powerhouse squad (Sportsnet, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Equestrian: Mixed Team Jumping – Canada’s Jill Henselwood, Eric Lamaze and Ian Millar – in his 10th Olympic Games setting an all-time Olympic record – continue their quest to the podium (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC DAYTIME / LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 12 – 6 p.m. ET

• Athletics:
  • Men’s 100m Final – All eyes are on Jamaica’s Usain Bolt* and Yohan Blake* as Bolt defends his title of world’s fastest man in one of the most highly-anticipated races of the Games (CTV, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Men’s 400m Semifinal – South Africa’s Oscar Pistorius – the first ever amputee runner in an Olympic Games – continues his historic pursuit for a spot in Monday’s final (CTV, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Men’s 1500m Semifinal: Canadian Nathan Brannen competes after finishing fifth in his qualifying heat (CTV, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Women’s 400m Final – Canada’s Jenna Martin* takes her spot on the track in this race for the podium (CTV, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Diving: Women’s 3m Springboard Final – After a bronze medal finish in the synchronized event last week, Canadian divers Jennifer Abel and Émilie Heymans look to add to their London 2012 medal count (TSN, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC PRIME TIME
Airing 7 – 11 p.m. ET/CT/MT/PT

• CTV:OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV host Brian Williams guides Canadians through four hours of Day 9 highlights, including a recap of the highly-anticipated showdown between Jamaica’s Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake in the men’s100m final. Additional recaps include the women’s 3m springboard final featuring newly minted bronze medallists Jennifer Abel and Émilie Heymans, Canada’s match-up against Australia in women’s basketball, as well as men’s boxing, synchronized swimming, equestrian, and cycling. (CTV, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• TSN: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON TSN host Darren Dutchyshen takes fans through Sunday’s recaps and highlights, including the men’s tennis final with Andy Murray and Roger Federer, men’s and women’s boxing, beach volleyball and equestrian, and a review of the world’s fastest man in the men’s100m final during an athletics round up. The four-hour show also features three-time Olympic medallist Karen Cockburn showing CFL great Milt Stegall how to tackle the trampoline in The Experts. (TSN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Sportsnet: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON SPORTSNET with host Brad Fay features a full review of one of the most anticipated events of the London 2012 Games – the men’s 100m final featuring Usain Bolt and his fellow countryman and biggest threat, Yohan Blake. Plus, Sportsnet heads to the pool where divers Jennifer Abel and Émilie Heymans looked to add to their bronze medal in the 3m springboard final. (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS

• Host Chantal Machabée presents the highlights from Day 9 of London 2012 competition. (RDS, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR V

• Host Jean Pagé examines the day’s top highlights. (V, RDSolympiques.ca)

All programming is subject to change; visit the Bell Viewers’ Guide on CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca and on the CTV Olympics London 2012 and RDS olympiques pour Londres 2012 Apps for up-to-the minute schedules and listings.

*Pending qualification

And I’ll have a feature later on.

Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium Programming for Day 8 of the 2012 Olympics

It’s Super Saturday at the Olympics. Usain Bolt will be on the track for the men’s 100 meters to determine the World’s Fastest Man.

Canada has several medal hopefuls tomorrow in Triathlon, Trampoline, Mixed Doubles, Badminton and other events.

We have the listing of events on CTV, TSN, Sportsnet, RDS and V for Saturday.

Day 8 Highlights: It’s Super Saturday at London 2012 as Canada’s Alexandra Bruce and Michelle Li Look for Badminton Bronze; Usain Bolt Steps On to the Track;Canadian Swimmers Go for Gold;Michael Phelps Competes in his Final Olympic Event

DAY 8 – SCHEDULED SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

OLYMPIC MORNING/ LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 4 a.m. – 12 noon ET

• Athletics: Men’s 100m – Canada’s Justyn Warner takes a start position at the track along with the world’s fastest man Usain Bolt and fellow Jamaican Yohan Blake in Round 1 qualifying (CTV, Sportsnet, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Triathlon: Women’s – Canadian Paula Findlay looks to swim, bike and run past her competition for a podium finish (CTV, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Trampoline: Women’s – Three-time Olympic medallist Karen Cockburn and 2011 world silver medallist Rosie MacLennan go for gold (CTV, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Equestrian: Mixed Jumping – Jill Henselwood, Eric Lamaze and Ian Millar – in his 10th Olympic Games setting an all-time Olympic record – compete for Canada (OLN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Badminton: Women’s Doubles – In an event that is still reeling from a scandal that saw eight players ejected from the tournament, Canadians Alexandra Bruce and Michelle Li square off against Russia in a fight for the bronze medal (Sportsnet, ATN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Basketball: Men’s – Led by LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Durant, the United States’ undefeated squad take on Lithuania (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Cycling: Women’s Team Pursuit – Tara Whitten leads Canada’s team in this new event on the Olympic program (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC DAYTIME / LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 12 – 6 p.m. ET

• Soccer: Men’s – The battle on the pitch continues as Brazil vs. Honduras and Great Britain vs. Korea face off in these quarter-final round match-ups (TSN, RDS, OMNI.1, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Athletics:
  • Heptathlon: Women’s – Canada’s Jessica Zelinka faces Great Britain’s Jessica Ennis – along with reigning world champion Tatyana Chernova – in the final heptathlon events (CTV, Sportsnet, V, ATN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Men’s 400m – Oscar Pistorius makes his historic debut as the first amputee runner in an Olympic Games (CTV, Sportsnet, V, ATN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Swimming:
  • Women’s 50m Freestyle Final – Canada’s top female sprinter Victoria Poon* dashes for gold against 2011 World Champion Therese Alshammar* of Sweden and defending Olympic champion Britta Steffen* of Germany (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Men’s 1,500m Freestyle Final – After placing third overall in qualifying, Ryan Cochrane aims for a podium finish in the event that net him a bronze medal at Beijing 2008 (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Men’s 4x100m Medley Relay Final – Charles Francis, Scott Dickens, Joe Bartoch, and newly minted bronze medallist Brent Hayden represent Canada against the competition including the United States’ Michael Phelps who is competing in his last Olympic event. (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC PRIME TIME
Airing 7 – 11 p.m. ET/CT/MT/PT

• CTV: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV host Brian Williams gives Canadians a complete rundown of results from the jam packed Day 8. The four-hour show includes highlights and recaps of athletics, swimming, trampoline, tennis, equestrian, cycling, and diving events from earlier in the day. OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV also includes a review of key Canadian performances including Dylan Armstrong, Jessica Zelinka, Ryan Cochrane, the men’s 4x100m medley relay team, Karen Cockburn, the mixed jumping team, Paula Findlay, and more. (CTV, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• TSN: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON TSN host Darren Dutchyshen takes fans through four hours of recaps and highlights, including women’s triathlon and a look at Paula Findlay’s performance, men’s doubles tennis, beach volleyball, the results of Zach Bell and Tara Whitten in cycling and an athletics wrap up featuring Jessica Zelinka, Usain Bolt, Oscar Pistorius, and more. (TSN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Sportsnet: On OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON SPORTSNET, host Brad Fay reviews Canada’s many medal opportunities from Day 8, including Ryan Cochrane in the men’s 1,500m freestyle, Karen Cockburn in the women’s individual trampoline, Canada’s women’s team pursuit in cycling, and Paula Findlay in the women’s triathlon. Sportsnet also has a full recap of the women’s singles final in tennis and an emotional Difference Makers with Rick Hansen segment on trampoline gymnast Rosie MacLennan’s relationship with her grandfather. All this, plus a look at Usain Bolt’s first day back on the track for the first round of the men’s 100m. (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS

• Host Chantal Machabée presents the highlights from Day 8 of London 2012 competition. (RDS, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR V

• Host Jean Pagé examines the day’s top highlights. (V, RDSolympiques.ca)

All programming is subject to change; visit the Bell Viewers’ Guide on CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca and on the CTV Olympics London 2012 and RDS olympiques pour Londres 2012 Apps for up-to-the minute schedules and listings.

*Pending qualification

That will do it.

Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium Programming For Day 7 of the 2012 Olympics

Now to the Canadian Olympic programming on CTV, Sportsnet, TSN, RDS, V and the entire consortium that make up this allegiance that will end on August 12 as CBC takes over the Olympics once again in 2014.

Here’s the programming on the networks of the consortium.

Day 7 Highlights: Friday, August 3 Canada’s Women’s Soccer Team Battles Great Britain in the Quarter-finals; Dylan Armstrong Pushes for the Podium; Jessica Zelinka Hits the Track

DAY 7 – SCHEDULED SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

OLYMPIC MORNING/ LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 4 a.m. – 12 noon ET

• Athletics:
  • Men’s Shot Put – It’s a heavy haul for Canadian Dylan Armstrong who missed a bronze medal in Beijing 2008 by just one centimetre. He and fellow Canadian competitor Justin Rodhe go up against defending Olympic champion Tomasz Majewski of Poland in the qualifying round (CTV, Sportsnet, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Women’s Heptathlon – It’s Jessica vs. Jessica, as Canada’s Jessica Zelinka faces Great Britain’s Jessica Ennis – along with reigning world champion Tatyana Chernova – in the first three heptathlon events: hurdles, high jump, and shot put. (CTV, Sportsnet, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Swimming: Men’s 1,500m Freestyle Heats – Ryan Cochrane looks to swim past qualifying in the event that net him a bronze medal at Beijing 2008 (CTV, TSN, RDS2, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Rowing: Men’s Pair Final – Beijing 2008 silver medallists Dave Calder and Scott Frandsen hit the water for Canada as they paddle for gold against the seemingly unstoppable New Zealand men’s pair team of Eric Murray and Hamish Bond (CTV, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Trampoline: Men’s – Canada’s Jason Burnett – who holds the world record for degree of difficulty in trampoline and a silver medal from Beijing 2008 – looks to outshine defending Olympic champion and 2011 World Champion Lu Chunlong of China (CTV, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Basketball: Women’s – Canada and Brazil face off on the hardcourt (Sportsnet, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Diving: Women’s 3m Springboard – Canada’s first medallists of London 2012 Émilie Heymans and Jennifer Abel compete in this preliminary round (OLN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC DAYTIME / LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 12 – 6 p.m. ET

• Athletics:
  • Men’s Shot Put Final – Canadian Dylan Armstrong looks to go the distance for a spot on the podium in the shot put final (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Soccer: Women’s – Christine Sinclair and Melissa Tancredi lead Canada against home crowd favourites Great Britain in this quarter-final match-up (TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Swimming:
  • Men’s 50m Breaststroke – With the nation proudly cheering him on, Brent Hayden* swims for another podium finish after his gutsy bronze medal performance in Day 5’s 100m freestyle final (Sportsnet, RDS, OMNI.2, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Men’s 100m Butterfly – Defending Olympic gold medallist Michael Phelps* battles Serbia’s Milorad Cavic, who he beat by just 0.01 seconds at Beijing 2008 (Sportsnet, RDS, OMNI.2, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Women’s 200m Backstroke – Competing in her first Olympic Games, Sinead Russell* of Burlington, ON looks to take on American phenom Missy Franklin* (Sportsnet, RDS, OMNI.2, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC PRIME TIME
Airing 7 – 11 p.m. ET/CT/MT/PT

• CTV: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV host Brian Williams gives Canadians a complete rundown of Day 7 highlights and results, including recaps of women’s soccer, women’s basketball, swimming, athletics, and trampoline. The review of Jason Burnett’s performance in trampoline includes a Difference Makers with Rick Hansen segment on the aerial acrobat. The show also primes Canadians for an exciting weekend of athletics events and includes a Superbodies feature on the beach volleyball with Dr. Greg Wells. (CTV, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• TSN: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON TSN host Darren Dutchyshen takes sports fans through Day 7 highlights, including recaps of the men’s and women’s tennis semifinals along with an extended look at the Canadian women’s soccer team’s quarter-final performance against Great Britain (TSN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Sportsnet: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON SPORTSNET with host Brad Fay is the go-to destination for highlights and results from Day 7, including a full review of the Canadian women’s soccer team’s quarterfinal match versus host Great Britain. Plus, a recap of Dylan Armstrong quest for gold in the men’s shot put final. (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS 

• Host Chantal Machabée presents the highlights from Day 7 of London 2012 competition. (RDS, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR V

• Host Jean Pagé examines the day’s top highlights. (V, RDSolympiques.ca)

All programming is subject to change; visit the Bell Viewers’ Guide on CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca and on the CTV Olympics London 2012 and RDS olympiques pour Londres 2012 Apps for up-to-the minute schedules and listings.

*Pending qualification

And I hope to do some linkage for you later.

2012 Canadian Olympic TV Ratings Up From 2008

This from the Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium, we find through the first 3 days of Olympic competition, the ratings in Canada are way up in primetime for this year. As compared to the 2008 Beijing Olympics on CBC, the London Games are averaging 2.1 million viewers for the 22 daily hours of coverage on the various networks. In primetime, CTV/Sportsnet/TSN and RDS/V are seeing an average of 2.8 million viewers.

For CTV alone, the viewership in primetime is 1.9 million viewers which is 45% higher than CBC’s coverage in Beijing. Overall, the Broadcast Media Consortium is tracking 74% better than Beijing. So CBC has some catching up to do if it wants to match or surpass these numbers when it airs the Olympics in Rio in 2016.

Here’s the press release.

London 2012 Grows 74% Over Beijing 2008: Average Audience of 2.1 Million Canadians Watch Days 1-3

More than four in five Canadians have tuned in, reaching 83% of population
Swimming is most-watched sport so far with Reach of 13 million
CTVOlympics.ca and RDSolympiques.ca sites and apps average 14 million page views and 1.5 million video views each day of competition

London, England (August 1, 2012) – After the first three days of events (July 28 – 30), audiences for Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium’s coverage of London 2012 are averaging 2.1 million viewers overall throughout its 22 hours of daily coverage, and 2.8 million in prime time alone. The daily average is up a massive 74%* compared to the same period for Beijing 2008. On CTV alone, the Consortium’s tape-delayed prime time coverage of London 2012 (1.9 million) is tracking 45% higher than CBC’s live/taped prime time coverage of Beijing 2008 (1.3 million) for the same time period. From the start of the 2012 Games to date, an incredible 28 million Canadians – or 83.4% of the population – has watched some coverage on Consortium channels.

The popularity of London 2012 is crossing all age and gender lines. Females make up 52% of the A18+ audience, Games-to-date, while the broadcast has reached 85% of all Men 18+, 84% of all Women 18+, and 78% of all younger viewers aged 2-17.

Audiences for swimming events have dominated Consortium coverage so far, comprising the Top 5 most-watched events, including the most-watched event yet in Canada, swimming: men and women semifinals and finals on July 29 which averaged 2.2 million viewers. Overall, swimming events have reached a total of more than 13 million viewers over the past three days on Consortium networks. Additionally, on July 29 nearly 4.5 million Canadians watched some part of the synchronized diving final as Canada claimed its first medal – a bronze for Émilie Heymans and Jennifer Abel.

“We are very pleased with the results of our coverage thus far,” said Adam Ashton, President, Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium. “With all Consortium platforms showing growth over the first few days of the Games, we are confident that, with many marquee events and top medal contenders still to come, we will continue to achieve new standards for a Summer Games. Congratulations to all of our Canadian athletes as they continue to perform on the world stage – we couldn’t be more proud to deliver their stories and achievements to audiences at home.”

Average audiences on Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium for Days 1 – 3 of London 2012 include:

July 28-30

OLYMPIC MORNING / LONDRES 2012 À RDS
(4 a.m. – 12 noon ET)
1.23 million

OLYMPIC DAYTIME / LONDRES 2012 À RDS
(12 – 6 p.m. ET)
2.74 million

OLYMPIC PRIME TIME / AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS (7 – 11 p.m. ET)
2.8 million

CTV NATIONAL NEWS is also averaging 1.5 million viewers from the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games to date, more than tripling the average of CBC NATIONAL (PART 1) (466,000) and up 31% compared to its summer average.**

Additional Highlights for Days 1-3:

• Weightlifting: Men’s 56kg is the most-watched event so far on CTV garnering 2 million viewers on July 29
• Beach Volleyball: Men – Canada vs. Great Britain has been the most popular event on TSN, with 664,000 viewers on July 28
• Weightlifting: Women’s 53kg is the most-watched event on Sportsnet, garnering 554,000 viewers on July 29
• V delivered 412,000 viewers for the Beach Volleyball: Men – Canada vs. Great Britain game on July 28
• RDS saw 385,000 tune in to the Beach Volleyball: Women – Great Britain vs. Canada game on July 29

By the end of Day 3, CTVOlympics.ca and RDSolympiques.ca sites and apps saw nearly 6 million visits, delivering a combined 41.7 million page views, pacing 11% higher than Vancouver 2010 with most marquee events still ahead. With a total of 4.5 million video views, more than 184,000 hours of video has been consumed on classic web alone (desktop and laptop). The Ultimate Fan experience – which invites fans to earn points and enter to win prizes – has resulted in 32% more time spent on the site by those visitors compared to users who are not playing the game. While sites within Bell Media usually receive 12% of their traffic from mobile sites, 62% of page views on Consortium digital platforms during London 2012 have come via a mobile device.

Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium is fully engaged with fans. With almost 40,000 interactions on social networks*** facilitated by the Social Team and 425,000**** clicks into the live chats, the Consortium is right there with fans throughout every televised and streamed event during these Olympic Games.

That will do it.

Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium Programming For Day 6 of the 2012 Olympics

Look at what Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Consortium has in store for you on Thursday.

Day 6 Highlights: Thursday, August 2 Canada’s Women’s Eights Team Pulls for a Podium Finish; Dominique Pegg Gives Her All-Around Best; Thrilling Swimming Showdowns Continue

DAY 6 – SCHEDULED SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

OLYMPIC MORNING/ LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 4 a.m. – 12 noon ET

• Rowing: Women’s Eights Final – Canada is pulling for the podium led by coxswain Lesley Thompson-Willie who is poised to set several records with a medal performance. (CTV, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Judo: Women’s 78kg – Diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at 17, Canada’s Amy Cotton is a fighter in more ways than one as she battles the competition on the world stage (CTV, RDS CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Canoe/Kayak: Men’s C2 – Three-time Olympic gold medallists and twin brothers Pavol and Peter Hochschorner of Slovakia look to continue their golden record (TSN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Track Cycling: Men’s Team Sprint – Chris Hoy, who won three gold medals in the velodrome at Beijing 2008, helms Great Britain against France, Germany, and Australia (Sportsnet, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Equestrian: Team Dressage – Sometimes described as ballet for horses, this fascinating competition tests a rider and horse’s ability to display control and supreme elegance (OLN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC DAYTIME / LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 12 – 6 p.m. ET

• Gymnastics – Artistic: Women’s Individual All-Around Final – Fresh off helping Canada land its top team finish ever, Sarnia, ON-native Dominique Pegg gives her all-around best (CTV, RDS, ATN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Beach Volleyball: Women’s – It’s bump, set, spike as Brazil takes on Australia and Great Britain squares off against Russia in these preliminary round match-ups (TSN, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Swimming:
  • Women’s 200m Breaststroke Final – No Canadian female has won a medal in swimming since Atlanta 1996 – this dry spell could end if Canada’s Martha McCabe* has her way (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Women’s 100m Freestyle Final – Another Canadian female swims for national pride as Julia Wilkinson* aims for a podium-worthy performance (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Men’s 200m Backstroke Final – Canada’s Tobias Oriwol* has a chance to swim for gold against 2011 World Champion Ryan Lochte* (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Men’s 200m Individual Medley Final – After competing in the 200m backstroke final Ryan Lochte* then takes on Michael Phelps* in another head-to-head battle (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC PRIME TIME
Airing 7 – 11 p.m. ET/CT/MT/PT

• CTV: Brian Williams hosts OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV leading Canadians through the best of Day 6. The four-hour show recaps the women’s individual all-around final and examines the mechanics of a gymnast’s body in a Superbodies segment on the balance beam with Dr. Greg Wells. Rowing Prime Time Studio Analyst Marnie McBean joins Williams in studio for a review of Canada’s performance in the women’s eights final. Viewers can also watch a profile on three-time gold medallist Chris Hoy during a recap of the day’s track cycling: team sprint competition, along with an entertaining Difference Makers with Rick Hansen on shot putter Dylan Armstrong and his beloved coach Dr. Anatoliy Bondarchuk, who won gold in the hammer throw at Munich 1972. (CTV, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• TSN: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON TSN host Darren Dutchyshen takes sports fans through Day 6 highlights, including recaps of canoe/kayak, men’s boxing, men’s basketball, men’s volleyball and a look at how Canada’s women’s eights team fared in the final earlier in the day. (TSN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Sportsnet: On OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON SPORTSNET, host Brad Fay reviews the women’s eights final as the Canadian team battles for rowing gold. The popular Superbodies feature returns to OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON SPORTSNET with a look at the toll rowing takes on the body. Plus, full beach volleyball and tennis coverage from Day 6. (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS

• Host Chantal Machabée presents the highlights from Day 6 of London 2012 competition. (RDS, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR V

• Host Jean Pagé examines the day’s top highlights. (V, RDSolympiques.ca)

All programming is subject to change; visit the Bell Viewers’ Guide on CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca and on the CTV Olympics London 2012 and RDS olympiques pour Londres 2012 Apps for up-to-the minute schedules and listings.

*Pending qualification

One more Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium press release.

Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium Programming for Day 5 of the 2012 Olympics

Let’s provide the updates for Canada and the US for Day 5 of the 2012 Games. Canada has some medal hopes on the diving board, in the pool and on the water.

CTV, TSN, Sportsnet, RDS, V and the rest of the Olympic Broadcast Consortium will be on top of all things Canadian on Day 5 of the Games of the XXX Olympiad.

We have the schedule for Tuesday.

Day 5 Highlights: Wednesday, August 1 – Brent Hayden’s Big Night in the Pool; Alexandre Despatie Steps up to the Platform; Canada’s Men’s Eights Team Looks for Back-to-Back Gold

DAY 5 – SCHEDULED SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

OLYMPIC MORNING/ LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 4 a.m. – 12 noon ET

• Rowing: Men’s Eights – Beijing 2008 gold medallists Malcolm Howard, Andrew Byrnes, and coxswain Brian Price lead Team Canada in a quest to become back-to-back Olympic champions (CTV, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Basketball: Women’s – Canada hits the hardcourt for a match-up against France (CTV, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Diving: Men’s 3m Synchronized Platform – Quebecois superstar Alexandre Despatie and Regina’s Reuben Ross dive for gold against strong competition from China, Russia and the United States. (CTV, RDS, ATN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Gymnastics – Artistic: Men’s – Japanese sensation Kohei Uchimura is expected to dominate the field in the final (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Road Cycling: Women’s Individual Time Trial – Clara Hughes returns to the track on a quest to become Canada’s most decorated Olympian (Sportsnet, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Road Cycling: Men’s Individual Time Trial – Ryder Hesjedal has a podium-finish in sight; reigning Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins competes for a seventh medal to become cycling’s most decorated Olympian (Sportsnet, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC DAYTIME / LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 12 – 6 p.m. ET

• Swimming:
• Men’s 200m Breaststroke – Canadian medal hopeful Scott Dickens* battles Japanese swimming force Kosuke Kitajima*, the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympic gold medallist (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Men’s 100m Freestyle – 2011 world silver medallist Brent Hayden* swims in one the biggest races of his career against world record holder Cesar Cielo* of Brazil and 2011 World Champion James Magnussen* of Australia (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Women’s 200m Butterfly – Quebec’s Audrey Lacroix* takes on world record holder Liu Zige* of China (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Women’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay – Team Canada*, featuring Barbara Jardin, Samantha Cheverton, Brittany MacLean and Amanda Reason, hit the pool to outlast the competition from the United States*, Australia* and China* (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

• Weightlifting: Men’s 77kg – In this highly anticipated showdown, weightlifting powerhouse China takes on South Korea (TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC PRIME TIME
Airing 7 – 11 p.m. ET/CT/MT/PT

• CTV: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV host Brian Williams gives Canadians a complete rundown of Day 5 highlights and results. During the recap of Brent Hayden’s big night in the pool, Dr. Greg Wells joins Williams in studio to examine the inner workings of a swimmer’s body in Superbodies. Rowing Prime Time Studio Analyst Marnie McBean also joins Williams in studio to review the men’s eights final. Additional recaps include looks at men’s gymnastics, track cycling, men’s 3m synchronized platform, and women’s basketball results. (CTV, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• TSN:OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON TSN host Darren Dutchyshen takes sports fans through Day 5 highlights, including extended looks at women’s judo, soccer, women’s volleyball, and track cycling competitions from earlier in the day. Dutchyshen also recaps Brent Hayden’s swimming results and Team Canada’s performance in the men’s eights final including a profile on coxswain Brian Price (TSN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Sportsnet: On Day 5, OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON SPORTSNET, hosted by Brad Fay, reviews swimmer Brent Hayden’s attempt to pick up a medal for Canada in the 100m freestyle final. Plus, in the latest Superbodies feature, Dr. Greg Wells examines the impact of weightlifting on the human body. The show also looks at Canadian judoka Kelita Zupancic’s story of finding strength through friendships in Japan following last year’s tragic tsunami in Difference Makers with Rick Hansen. (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS

• Host Chantal Machabée presents the highlights from Day 5 of London 2012 competition. (RDS, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR V

• Host Jean Pagé examines the day’s top highlights. (V, RDSolympiques.ca)

All programming is subject to change; visit the Bell Viewers’ Guide on CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca and on the CTV Olympics London 2012 and RDS olympiques pour Londres 2012 Apps for up-to-the minute schedules and listings.

*Pending qualification

Next will be the Day 5 schedule for the networks of NBCUniversal. Keep it here.

Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium Programming for Day 4 of the 2012 Olympics

Let’s post the programming schedule for the Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium for Day 4 of the Games of the XXX Summer Olympiad in London.

Day 4 Highlights: Tuesday, July 31 – Canada Set to Make History in Women’s Artistic Gymnastics; Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion Take Flight in Diving; Brent Hayden is Canada’s Best Bet in the Pool

DAY 4 – SCHEDULED SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

OLYMPIC MORNING/ LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 4 a.m. – 12 noon ET

• Rowing: Women’s Lightweight Double Sculls – Canadian duo Patricia Obee and Lindsay Jennerich – the 2011 world silver medallists – look to punch their ticket to the final (CTV, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Rowing: Men’s Lightweight Double Sculls – Canada’s Morgan Jarvis and Doug Vandor look to channel their recent fourth place finish at the 2012 Lucerne World Cup into a spot in the final (CTV, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Equestrian: Eventing – New Zealand’s Mark Todd – the most decorated individual eventer in Olympic history – competes in his seventh Games; Canadian contenders include Peter Barry, Rebecca Howard, Michele Mueller, and Jessica Pheonix (OLN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Diving: Women’s 10m Synchronized Platform – Fresh off a silver medal performance at the 2012 World Cup, Canada’s Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion – best friends and synchro partners – are poised for the podium (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Weightlifting: Women’s 63kg – Canada’s Christine Girard aims to lift her way to glory past 2011 World Champion Svetlana Tsarukaeva of Russia, Kazakhstan’s Maya Maneza and China’s Ouxyan Xiaofang (TSN, ATN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Soccer: Women’s – Canada squares off against Sweden in this must-win match for Canada led by captain Christine Sinclair (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC DAYTIME / LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 12 – 6 p.m. ET

• Gymnastics – Artistic: Women’s – For the first time in Olympic history, Canada has qualified a team in the women’s artistic gymnastics team final. Team Canada goes for a best ever finish in the company of long standing gymnastics powerhouses Russia, United States, and Romania (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Soccer: Women’s – Back-to-back coverage of women’s soccer match-ups featuring United States vs. North Korea from Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester and Great Britain vs. Brazil from Wembley Stadium (TSN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Basketball: Men’s – Day 4’s hardcourt showdown features France vs. Argentina (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Swimming:

• Men’s 100m Freestyle – 2011 world silver medallist Brent Hayden* of Canada goes stroke-for-stroke against world record holder Cesar Cielo* of Brazil and 2011 World Champion James Magnussen* of Australia (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Women’s 200m Freestyle Final – Italy’s Federica Pellegrini* and the United States’ teenaged wunderkind Missy Franklin* continue their duel in the pool (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Men’s 200m Butterfly Final – Michael Phelps* competes in his signature event against Takeshi Matsuda of Japan and Wu Peng of China (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Men’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay – France* and China* chase the United States* – the 2011 World Champions and world record holders – in this thrilling quest for gold (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC PRIME TIME
Airing 7 – 11 p.m. ET/CT/MT/PT

• CTV: Brian Williams hosts OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV with a rundown of Day 4 highlights and results, including a focus on how Team Canada fared in the women’s artistic gymnastics final. The four-hour show also reviews the Canada vs. Sweden match-up in women’s soccer as well as Christine Girard’s performance in weightlifting, including a Superbodies segment on the sport with Dr. Greg Wells. Along with a review of Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion’s performance, OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV recaps the day’s rowing events with Rowing Prime Time Studio Analyst Marnie McBean. (CTV, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• TSN:OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON TSN host Darren Dutchyshen takes sports fans through Day 4 highlights, including extended looks at women’s soccer, men’s water polo and beach volleyball competitions from earlier in the day. (TSN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Sportsnet: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON SPORTSNET, hosted by Brad Fay, will recap women’s diving as Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion perform in the synchronized 10m platform. Also, how tough it is to be a table tennis expert? The Toronto Blue Jays’ J.P. Arencibia and Brett Lawrie give the fast-paced sport a try in the special Consortium feature The Experts. Plus, Fay looks back at Michael Phelps attempt to make history with an opportunity to win two more medals at London 2012 in the men’s 200m butterfly and the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay. (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS

• Host Chantal Machabée presents the highlights from Day 4 of London 2012 competition. (RDS, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR V

• Host Jean Pagé examines the day’s top highlights. (V, RDSolympiques.ca)

All programming is subject to change; visit the Bell Viewers’ Guide on CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca and on the CTV Olympics London 2012 and RDS olympiques pour Londres 2012 Apps for up-to-the minute schedules and listings.

*Pending qualification

That’s it.

Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium Programming For Day 3 of 2012 Olympics

Now let’s move to the Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium’s programming schedule for Monday. Lots of stuff on CTV, Sportsnet, TSN, RDS, V and others.

Day 3 Highlights: Monday, July 30 Canada Takes on Great Britain in Women’s Basketball; British Diving Phenom Tom Daley Set to Make a Splash; USA’s Ryan Lochte Goes for More Gold

DAY 3 – SCHEDULED SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

OLYMPIC MORNING/ LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 4 a.m. – 12 p.m. ET

• Rowing: Men’s Eights – Led by Beijing 2008 gold medallists Malcolm Howard, Andrew Byrnes and coxswain Brian Price, Canada’s men’s eights team vies for a spot in the final after a disappointing qualifying heat performance (CTV, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Weightlifting: Women’s 58kg – Canada’s Annie Moniqui competes in a tight field, where wins can be separated by a single kilo, alongside 2011 World Champion Nastassia Novikava of Belarus and China’s Li Xueying and Deng Wei (TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Diving: Men’s 10m Synchronized Platform – Britain holds its breath as phenom Tom Daley and partner Peter Waterfield trade twist and tucks against 2011 World Champions Qui Bo and Huo Liang of China and Patrick Hausding and Sascha Klein of Germany (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC DAYTIME / LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. ET

• Basketball: Women’s – Canada and Great Britain battle on the hard-court in this preliminary round match-up (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Beach Volleyball: Men’s – Great Britain and Brazil hit the sand in this preliminary round match-up (TSN, V, ATN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Gymnastics – Artistic: Men’s – Superstar Kohei Uchumura looks to lead Japan to the top of the podium, taking on USA and veteran Jonathan Horton, Germany and two-time World all-around silver medallist Philipp Boy, and Great Britain’s Louis Smith and Daniel Purvis. (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Swimming:o Men’s 200m Freestyle – 2011 World Champion Ryan Lochte* goes for his second gold medal against world record holder Paul Biedermann* of Germany and Beijing 2008 silver medallist Park Tae-Hwan* of Korea. (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

 

• Men’s 200m Butterfly – David Sharpe* makes his Olympic debut as the first swimmer from Atlantic Canada to qualify for the Games since 1984; world record holder Michael Phelps* competes in his signature event against Takeshi Matsuda* of Japan and Wu Peng of China. (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Women’s 100m Breaststroke – Canadians Jillian Tyler* and Tera Van Beilen* take on a field of veteran swimmers including Rebecca Soni* who finished second at Beijing 2008 in this event to defending Olympic champion Leisel of Australia. (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC PRIME TIME
Airing 7 p.m. – 11 p.m. ET/CT/MT/PT

• CTV: Brian Williams hosts OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV with a rundown of Day 3 highlights and results, including looks at swimming, men’s gymnastics and women’s basketball: Canada vs. Great Britain. The show starts with a look at the men’s 10m synchronized platform competition, including a feature on British phenom Tom Daley and a Superbodies segment with Dr. Greg Wells. Rowing Prime Time Studio Analyst Marnie McBean gives a recap of Canada’s men’s eights, men’s pair, and men’s four results. Viewers can also watch the debut of Consortium features, including The Experts w here Toronto Blue Jays’ Brett Lawrie and J.P. Arencibia take on table tennis, and Difference Makers with Rick Hansen with swimmer Brent Hayden (CTV, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• TSN: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON TSN host Darren Dutchyshen takes sports fans through Day 3 highlights, including extended looks at beach volleyball, men’s boxing, and swimming competitions from earlier in the day. Dutchyshen also brings fans highlights from women’s weightlifting with a focus on Canada’s Annie Moniqui. (TSN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Sportsnet: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON SPORTSNET, hosted by Brad Fay, features extensive coverage from tennis, judo, women’s volleyball and fencing. Sportsnet also updates viewers on the Day 3 action from the pool and rowing. (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS

• Host Chantal Machabée presents the highlights from the third day of London 2012 competition (RDS, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR V

• Host Jean Pagé examines the day’s daily highlights (V, RDSolympiques.ca)

All programming is subject to change; visit the Bell Viewers’ Guide on CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca and on the CTV Olympics London 2012 and RDS olympiques pour Londres 2012 Apps for up-to-the minute schedules and listings.

*Pending qualification

That’s it.

Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Consortium Programming for Day 2 of the 2012 Olympics

Canadians will have plenty of action to watch on Sunday. Clara Hughes is back in the Summer Olympics cycling for the first time since 2000. In women’s diving, the Maple Leaf has two medal chances.

Take a look at what the Olympic Broadcast Consortium has in store for Canadians on Sunday.

Day 2 Highlights: Sunday, July 29 – Clara Hughes Looks for Gold and Glory; Émilie Heymans and Jennifer Abel Aim for the Podium; Americans Phelps and Lochte Tag-Team in the Men’s 4×100

DAY 2 – SCHEDULED SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

OLYMPIC MORNING/ LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 4 a.m. – 12 p.m. ET

• Road Cycling: Women’s – Clara Hughes makes her return to Olympic cycling for the first time since Sydney 2000 in her attempt to become Canada’s single most decorated Olympian (CTV, TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Diving: Women’s – Reigning World Cup silver medallists Émilie Heymans and Jennifer Abel of Québec look to topple the competition and make it to the podium (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Basketball: Men’s – NBA’s Kobe Bryant and LeBron James lead Team USA on their quest for gold in their opening game against France (CTV, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca).
• Gymnastics – Artistic: Women’s – Team USA stars Jordyn Wieber and Gabby Douglas make their debut against a re-invigorated Russian squad and the powerhouse team from China (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

 

• Rowing: Heats –

• Women’s Lightweight Double Sculls – Canadian duo Patricia Obee and Lindsay Jennerich – the 2011 World silver medallists – go up against Australia, Great Britain, and Greece (CTV, TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Men’s Lightweight Double Sculls – Winnipeg’s Morgan Jarvis and Quebec’s Doug Vandor have the podium in sight after a strong showing at this year’s Lucerne World Cup (CTV, TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Women’s Eights – Canadian coxswain Lesley Thompson-Willie is poised to set several records with a medal performance in this expected USA vs. Canada showdown (CTV, TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC DAYTIME / LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. ET

• Swimming:

• Women’s 400m Freestyle – 2011 World Junior Champion Brittany MacLean* of Canada goes stroke-for-stroke against world record holder Federica Pellegrini* of Italy and British medal hopeful Rebecca Adlington* (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Men’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay – Pending a medal earned in Day 1 competition, Michael Phelps* could tie the all-time Olympic medal record of 18 as Team USA looks to conquer Team Australia and its rising star James Magnussen* in this promising thriller (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC PRIME TIME
Airing 7 p.m. – 11 p.m. ET/CT/MT/PT

• CTV: Brian Williams hosts OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV with a complete rundown of Day 2 highlights and results. During a focus on rowing, Williams is joined in studio by Rowing Prime Time Studio Analyst Marnie McBean and Dr. Greg Wells, who tees up a Superbodies segment on Canada’s women’s eights team. The four-hour show also includes features on cyclist Clara Hughes, divers Émilie Heymans and Jennifer Abel, swimmers Missy Franklin and Michael Phelps, and Brittany Rogers in a Difference Makers with Rick Hansen segment (CTV, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• TSN: Host Darren Dutchyshen takes sports fans through Day 2 during OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON TSN, including extended looks at men’s boxing, beach volleyball and weightlifting. Dutchyshen also brings fans highlights from women’s road cycling with a focus on Clara Hughes. (TSN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Sportsnet: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON SPORTSNET, hosted by Brad Fay, features the U.S. men’s basketball team as they begin their highly-anticipated quest for gold against France. Sportsnet also goes Upclose with American swimmer Ryan Lochte – Michael Phelps’s biggest rival – while Canadian divers Émilie Heymans and Jennifer Abel look to hit the podium in the women’s synchronized three-metre springboard event. (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS

• Host Chantal Machabée presents the highlights from the second day of London 2012 competition (RDS, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR V

• Host Jean Pagé examines the day’s daily highlights (V, RDSolympiques.ca)

All programming is subject to change; visit the Bell Viewers’ Guide on CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca and on the CTV Olympics London 2012 and RDS olympiques pour Londres 2012 Apps for up-to-the minute schedules and listings.

*Pending qualification earlier in the day

That is all.

Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium Programming For Day 1 of the 2012 Olympics

Let’s take a look at what Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Consortium of CTV, TSN, Sportsnet, RDS and V will show on Day 1 of the 2012 Olympic Games. Kind of surreal that after all of the hype, the Games are finally here. CTV will have Rowing, Swimming, Wome’s Basketball and Women’s Soccer.

TSN will carry Men’s Road Cycling and show tennis at night. Sportsnet will take the Men’s Gymnastics Team competition.

Lots of live action and plenty of highlights shown in primetime on the networks that comprise the Canadian Olympic Broadcat Consortium. This will be the last year for this unique partnership as Sportsnet has announced it won’t be part of the 2014/2016 Games, and the home of the next set of Games is up in the air.

Here is the press release.

Day 1 Highlights: Saturday, July 28 – Canadian Cyclist Ryder Hesjedal Rides for Gold; American Swimmers Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte

DAY 1 – SCHEDULED SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

OLYMPIC MORNING/ LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 4 a.m. – 12 p.m. ET

• Rowing: Men’s Eights, Men’s Pair – Canada’s men’s eights team, reigning Olympic champions, and the men’s pair team hit the water to secure their spots in the next round (CTV, OLN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Cycling Road: Men’s – Ryder Hesjedal, who became the first Canadian to ever win the prestigious Giro D’Italia earlier this year, chases gold along the streets of London (TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Gymnastics: Men’s – Follow Japan’s three-time World all-around champion Kohei Uchimura as he demonstrates his jaw-dropping athleticism to the crowd (Sportsnet, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Women’s Basketball – Canada and Russia face off in this preliminary game in hopes of advancing to the next round and meeting their next competitor on the hard court (CTV, V CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Women’s Soccer – It’s Canada vs. Republic of South Africa on the pitch as each team goes after a win in this qualifying round group match (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC DAYTIME / LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. ET

• Swimming:
• Men’s 400m Individual Medley – Americans Michael Phelps* and Ryan Lochte* face off in their first of two showdowns (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Men’s 400m Freestyle – Canadian Ryan Cochrane* dives in head first for a chance to step onto the podium (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Women’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay – Team Canada’s Samantha Cheverton*, Heather MacLean*, Victoria Poon*, Julia Wilkinson* go for gold in the pool; American teenager Missy Franklin* competes in her first of seven possible medal events (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC PRIME TIME
Airing 7 p.m. – 11 p.m. ET/CT/MT/PT

• CTV: Along with taking Canadians through the best of Day 1 events – including swimming, gymnastics, rowing, and cycling – OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV host Brian Williams is joined in studio by Rowing Prime Time Studio Analyst Marnie McBean and also gives viewers an in-depth look at cyclist Ryder Hesjedal. (CTV, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• TSN: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON TSN host Darren Dutchyshen kicks off four hours of highlights including a look at tennis superstars Roger Federer and Serena Williams, Canadian swimming sensation Ryan Cochrane, American swimmers Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte, as well as beach volleyball, women’s weightlifting, men’s cycling and more (TSN2, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Sportsnet: Day 1 of OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON SPORTSNET coverage features a look at Canada’s women’s soccer team following its match against the Republic of South Africa. Sportsnet also heads to the pool as Michael Phelps’ chase for Olympic Games history begins, while Canada’s men’s eights hit the water for the first day of rowing heats. (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS:

• Host Chantal Machabée reviews the top highlights from the first day of competition from London 2012 (RDS, RDSOlympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR V

• Host Jean Pagé examines the day’s highlights (V, RDSolympiques.ca)

All programming is subject to change; visit the Bell Viewers’ Guide on CTVOlympics.ca and RDSolympiques.ca for up-to-the minute schedules and listings.

*Pending qualification earlier in the day

There you have it.

Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Consortium Teams Up For More Than 5,500 Hours of Coverage

Canadians watching CTV, TSN, Rogers Sportsnet, OLN, RDS, V, et. al., a.k.a. the Canadian Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium plans to go all out for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. More than 5,500 hours will be made available in the Great White North. Well, it won’t be white in the summer, but plenty of action will be seen on the 9 networks that make up the Consortium.

This was used to success in 2010 during the Vancouver Winter Olympics. It will be used once again for the last time in 2012. After this year, Rogers drops out of the Olympics business and if the IOC approves, CBC will return to airing the Olympic Games as a partner to CTV for 2014/2016, but we’re not there yet.

Overall, more than 2,000 hours will be aired on TV through the four English language networks (CTV, TSN, Sportsnet and OLN), two French networks (RDS and V) and three multi-language networks.

In addition, more than 3,500 hours will be streamed online including the TV coverage plus events that won’t be aired on television.

Here’s the CTV press release.

Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium To Deliver More Than 5,500 Hours of Olympic Games Coverage for London 2012

More choice than ever before with largest four screen experience on television, computer, smart phone, and tablet platforms
CTV’s Brian Williams and RDS’ Chantal Machabée helm Prime Time broadcasts live from London

Toronto, ON (June 1, 2012) – Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium has announced its commitment to delivering Canadians the best Summer Games experience ever. The Consortium is bringing viewers more than 5,500 hours of coverage – the equivalent of more than 229 days of content or close to two thirds of a year – during the 17 days of London 2012, more than any other Games. The Consortium’s plan includes 2,000+ hours of television coverage in 11 different languages and 3,500+ hours of digital coverage. Additionally, the Consortium has confirmed the schedules for its conventional and dedicated sport channels which range between 15 – 22 hours of coverage per day. This plan ensures Canadians have as many options as possible to watch their favourite events.

A breakdown of hours and schedules is below.

HOURS OF COVERAGE FOR LONDON 2012

Television

In total, more than 2,000 hours will be broadcast on Consortium television stations:

• English coverage on CTV, TSN, Sportsnet, and OLN – 1,114 hours
• French coverage on RDS and V – 704 hours
• Multi-lingual coverage on OMNI.1, OMNI.2, and ATN – 223 hours

• Languages include Bangla, Cantonese, Hindi, Italian, Mandarin, Portuguese, Punjabi, Tamil, and Urdu

Digital

More than 3,500 hours of coverage will be available online and on mobile devices at CTVOlympics.ca and RDSolympiques.ca:

• Live streaming of coverage from CTV, RDS, TSN, Sportsnet, and V – 1,431 hours
• Live streaming of events from various Olympic venues – 2,100 hours

“We are committed to bringing Canadians a robust Olympic Games experience, whether on television or digital platforms,” said Adam Ashton, President, Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium. “With 26 sports, plus a sizeable time difference and so many people on the go during the Summer, it is important to provide Canadians with a choice on how, when, and where they want to consume London 2012 content.”

In addition, 10 Rogers Radio stations will provide listeners with Olympic Games coverage, including the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, a daily hour-long highlights show, and updates three times an hour everyday during the Games. The 10 stations are: 1310News (Ottawa), 680News (Toronto), News1130 (Vancouver), 660News (Calgary), 570News (Kitchener, Ont.), News95.7 (Halifax), News 88.9 (Saint John, N.B.), News91.9 (Moncton), Sportsnet 590 The FAN (Toronto), and Sportsnet 960 The FAN (Calgary). The national hour of Prime Time Sports with Bob McCown(6 – 7 p.m. ET) airing on Sportsnet 590 The FAN, Sportsnet 960 The FAN and 19 other radio stations across the country, will also be dedicated to London 2012.

That’s it.

Bringing Out The Thursday Linkage

Here to provide some links for you today. Looks like I’ll be out on Friday so posting may be scarce, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.

In the meantime, I have some links for you now.

This week, CBSSports.com Deputy Managing Editor Craig Stanke passed away at the age of 56. He joined the site as a deputy editor when it was known as SportslineUSA.com. During his time, he helped to attract a number of writers and build CBSSports.com’s stable to a point where it challenges the best sports news websites. Stanke worked at a number of newspapers including the Los Angeles Times, the Palm Beach Post among others.

We have a number of links.

First, CBSSports.com’s Mark Swanson writes Stanke’s obituary.

Scott Miller, CBS Sports’ Senior Baseball Columnist mourns Stanke’s passing.

CBS Sports’ national columnist Gregg Doyel says Stanke continued to teach him even after his death.

Stanke’s good friend, T.J. Simers at the Los Angeles Times, the man who hired Stanke for his first job, says he can’t believe his friend is gone.

To other stories now.

Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com notes that no matter how much the Big 12 expands, the TV payout money will remain the same. And Dodd tells us that the league’s TV deal with ESPN and Fox will be announced any day now.

Brian Steinberg at Advertising Age reports that CBS is 50% sold for Super Bowl XLVII and could reach 80% soon.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today says despite CBS/Showtime dropping Warren Sapp from Inside the NFL this season, NFL Network has signed the controversial snitch for another year.

Reid Cherner at USA Today writes that many feel last night’s NBA Draft Lottery on ESPN was fixed in New Orleans’ favor.

Patrick Burns of Deadspin notes that almost a quarter of all of SportsCenter’s editions last week was devoted to the Miami Heat.

Richard Deitsch from Sports Illustrated has his monthly Media Power List.

Mike Reynolds at Multichannel News says the 2012 NHL postseason has had the most viewers in ten years.

Steve Lepore of Puck The Media has the viewership of all of the completed 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs to date.

Steve tweets the overnight ratings for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final were down significantly from last year.

And Steve has a story on the overnights at Puck The Media.

Tim Nudd of Adweek reviews the NHL’s newest Stanley Cup spot. It’s a winner, but still doesn’t hold up to last year’s “No Words” promo.

Michael Bradley at the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center writes that newspapers are dropping the printed word for digital content.

Eric Goldschein of SportsGrid has the video of Chicago White Sox announcer Hawk Harrelson going nuts.

In the Sherman Report, Ed Sherman talks about Hawk’s homerism and his love of all things White Sox.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell says talk about concussions may affect youth football participation.

Mike Florio at Pro Football Talk writes that the Miami Dolphins were the first pick of NFL Films for this year’s Hard Knocks and if you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn.

Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union tells us that Sunday’s motorsports races finished in a ratings dead heat.

Ken McMillan of the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record writes that the Anaheim Angels Radio Network is now being nationally syndicated.

Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog notes that a colleague, Tarik El-Bashir, is leaving the paper to join Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic.

At the Miami Herald, David J. Neal says NFL Films won’t have a problem finding story lines for Hard Knocks with the Miami Dolphins.

Mel Bracht of The Oklahoman talks with ESPN softball analyst Michele Smith about the Women’s College World Series which starts today.

Daniel Dorfman at Chicago Side Sports talks with unabashed White Sox homer Hawk Harrelson.

Brent Schrotenboer of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that San Diego State stands to get more TV money when it enters the Big East than from the Mountain West.

The Toronto Star’s Cathal Kelly rips CBC’s online attempt at satire of last night’s Stanley Cup Final Game 1.

To the Canadian Sports Media Blog which notes that Sportsnet has signed a deal to remain the home of the NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football package which even includes NBC’s Thanksgiving Night game.

Sports Media Watch notes that ESPN received a good overnight number for Game 2 of the Celtics-Heat NBA Eastern Conference Finals.

I Am A GM notes that 10 NBA players are crying conspiracy over last night’s Draft Lottery.

At Awful Announcing, the Brothers Yoder list their favorite NBA announcers.

And that’s going to do it.

Some Back To Work Tuesday Linkage

Back to work for many of you after the Memorial Day holiday. Because of my crazy schedule, I didn’t get to enjoy it, but you don’t care about that. Let’s do links.

John Ourand of Sports Business Journal reports that Cox Communications has dropped the New Orleans Hornets allowing Fox Sports to swoop up the rights.

Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News takes a look at the US TV coverage of the French Open.

Georg Szalai of the Hollywood Reporter writes that UK’s Channel 4 plans extensive coverage of the 2012 London Paralympics which will be held two weeks after the Summer Olympics.

Tim Nudd of Adweek reviews the latest WatchESPN spot.

Alex Weprin of TVNewser reports that HBO’s Real Sports host Bryant Gumbel will co-host Live with Kelly next week.

Evan Weiner at Examiner.com explains how NBC’s huge rights fee effectively ended Qatar’s bid for the 2020 Olympics.

Ed Sherman from The Sherman Report interviews legendary sportswriter Frank Deford.

Ed writes that USA Today’s Sports section is changing its reporting strategy.

Media Rantz remembers the Marv Albert arrest 15 years later. Disclosure: I’m quoted in this very well-researched article.

Will Brinson at CBSSports.com writes that Showtime/NFL Films has quietly dumped Warren Sapp from “Inside the NFL”, however, he remains on NFL Network.

Evan Sporer of SportsGrid has the great video of a soldier home from Afghanistan surprising his daughters at Sunday’s Minnesota Twins game. It has nothing to do with sports media. I’m just a huge sucker for reunion videos.

Chadd Scott at ChuckOliver.net explores how TV money has led to the “Wal-Martization” of college football.

Joe Lucia at Awful Announcing notes that former ESPN college football crackpot Craig James is running below “Undecided” in the Texas U.S. Senate Republican primary. Always a good place to be when trying to run a successful campaign.

Bob’s Blitz says former Miami sports radio talker Sid Rosenberg has a new gig.

The New York Post’s Phil Mushnick actually heaps praise this morning. And he does it to Hall of Fame hockey voice Mike Emrick.

Ken Schott from the Schenectady Gazette says Time Warner Cable will air some local high school lacrosse playoff games.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union notes that the NBA Draft Lottery will air from New York’s Times Square for the first time ever.

Ken McMillan at the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record writes that apparently NFL Network will no longer air CFL games.

Ken adds that there’s no New York City radio home of the 2012 Olympics as of yet.

Ken provides the Compass Media college football schedule for the 2012 season.

And Ken has the Sports USA college football schedule as well.

Tom Jones from the Tampa Bay Times looks back at the weekend that was in sports television.

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes that embattled South Florida sports radio talk show Sid Rosenberg is about to start a new gig.

David Barron from the Houston Chronicle says a local sports radio station is about to acquire a rival FM station.

Jerry Garcia from the San Antonio Express-News says TNT’s Shaquille O’Neal spent some time talking to a local TV station and defending his co-hort Charles Barkley.

Roy Bragg of the Express-News says the Chuckster was glad to meet the peeps in San Antonio on Monday.

Paul M. Banks at Chicago Sports Media Watch has some linkage of his own to provide.

Scott D. Pierce at the Salt Lake Tribune talks with Utah Jazz TV voice Craig Bolerjack.

Dusty Saunders of the Denver Post looks at the mtn.: The Final Days.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News notes that a hockey primer from 1993 still holds true today.

Steve Ladurantaye from the Toronto Globe and Mail writes that Rogers and TSN are smelling blood and plan to bid for CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada package.

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Globe and Mail says Rogers Sportsnet has snatched IndyCar rights away from TSN.

The Canadian Sports Media blog looks at the silly PR hockey wars being conducted by Rogers Sportsnet and TSN.

Sports Media Watch gives us the overnight ratings for the Indianapolis 500 on ABC.

Steve Lepore at SB Nation’s Puck The Media predicts the ratings for this year’s Stanley Cup Final.

Joe Favorito says things are looking good at NBC Sports.

Jordan Golson at MacRumors talks with ESPN’s NASCAR pit reporter Dave Burns about using an iPad for his reports.

That’s going to do it for now.

Some Long Overdue Linkage

Due to crazy personal schedules on Tuesday and Wednesday, I wasn’t able to update the site as much as I would like. I apologize to you as I’ve been trying to keep you apprised of the latest sports media news. A few housekeeping notes, first I did some Sports Media Thoughts earlier this morning and you read them here.

Matt Yoder at Awful Announcing was kind to ask me on his podcast and we recorded it on Wednesday while I was on the road so the phone quality isn’t great (damn you, AT&T 3G). You can listen to what Matt and I discussed at the Awful Announcing site.

And lastly, Keith Thibault and I recorded our latest Sports Media Weekly podcast this week and our guest is Ken Schott from the Schenectady Gazette and the subject is college hockey coverage.

Now to our links.

Michael Smith & John Ourand from Sports Business Journal look at the possibility of ESPN and Fox Sports teaming up once again, this time to control the media rights to the Big 12 Conference. The two companies combined for the Pac-12 last year in an attempt to keep NBC Sports out of college sports and it appears the two are back at work again on the Big 12 rights.

Sports Illustrated’s Jon Wertheim makes a very good point on the perceived conflict of interests of ESPN’s tennis announcers and the players to which they’re connected, case in point, Mary Jo Fernandez seen sitting with Roger Federer’s wife during the BNP Paribas Open last week on ABC.

Andrew McCalvy at MLB.com writes that Milwaukee Brewers Hall of Fame voice Bob Uecker will be honored with a statue outside Miller Park. Congrats to Uke on a well deserved honor. We all remember his character, Harry Doyle from the “Major League” movies and his great quote, “Juuuuust a bit outside.” Classic.

Interesting study from the Media Behavior Institute which shows a great majority still watch the NCAA Tournament on TV, but online numbers comprise a large chunk.

Ben Grossman at Broadcasting & Cable reports that Major League Baseball is looking at placing postseason games on MLB Network to boost its subscriber numbers.

Mike Reynolds at Multichannel News writes that MLB Network will produce a pregame show for Fox Saturday Baseball.

Tom Comi of Channel Guide Magazine would like a halt to the Tim Tebow media circus.

Mike Miller at NBC’s College Basketball Talk notes that the NCAA Tournament ratings on CBS/Turner are just about even with last year.

Eric Goldschein of SportsGrid has video of ESPN’s Mike Tirico losing it during last night’s Lakers-Mavericks game.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell says Wheaties may be dying a very slow and painful death.

Ronnie Ramos in the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center says coaches and players are learning the proper use of Twitter.

Greg Wyshynski of Puck Daddy notes that Rogers Sportsnet picked up on a popular internet meme and used it in an on-screen graphic.

To Fishbowl NY where Jerry Barmash talks with Kenny Albert.

Newsday’s Neil Best writes that NBC Sports Network set a ratings record for hockey in NYC.

Neil notes that ESPN has a new head man-in-charge.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union writes that CBS/Turner will bring in two coaches as guest analysts for the NCAA Tournament.

Pete says ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball crew will be busy in the first week of the MLB season.

Keith Groller at the Allentown (PA) Morning Call says Lehigh left an impression on CBS during the NCAA Tournament.

Matt Brooks of the Washington Post’s Early Lead has your viewing guide for tonight’s Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has links to some of the best columns from the late Furman Bisher.

Some of Bisher’s friends pay tribute to the man.

The AJC has a gallery of pictures showing Bisher throughout his career.

Mel Bracht of the Oklahoman looks at HBO Real Sports’ update on the 2001 plane crash that hit the Oklahoma State basketball program extremely hard.

Mel says local viewers chose Fox Sports Oklahoma over ESPN for two Oklahoma City Thunder games last week.

David Jablonski of the Dayton (OH) Daily News says a local man leads the millions of entries in ESPN’s Bracketology contest.

John Kiesewetter at the Cincinnati Enquirer is not a fan of NCAA Tournament scheduling.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes that the radio analyst for Bucks games has been off the air since last month.

Bob says former Brewers voice Matt Vasgersian will host the MLB Network-produced MLB on Fox pregame show.

Tom Ginnetti of the Chicago Sun-Times remembers pioneering sportswriter Lacy J. Banks who died Wednesday.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News has video of Bob Costas pontificating on the Saints suspensions.

The Toronto Globe and Mail’s Bruce Dowbiggin writes about the media fighting over staged NHL fights.

The Toronto Sports Media blog explores the local newspapers imploring the Maple Leafs to apologize to their fans for missing the playoffs.

Sports Media Watching notes that ratings on NBA TV are up.

Media Rantz says ESPN got fooled by a fake Adam Schefter Twitter account during Tim Tebow coverage last night.

We have a picture of that fake Adam Schefter tweet. “Adarn Schefter”?

Ben Koo of Awful Announcing explores the Gus Johnson departure from CBS and how it may leave him without his signature event for a long time to come.

The Convoluted Mind of a Single Man site looks at the innovations John Madden brought to NFL broadcasting.

Dave Kohl at the Broadcast Booth says league-owned networks are making big strides in production and programming.

And that will finish our links for today.

Some Long Overdue Sports Media Thoughts

Due to a very hectic schedule, I have not been writing as much as I would like, but with so many sports media stories occurring, I have to give you some of the thoughts that have come to mind. I want to provide them before they become outdated. As usual, they come in bullet form.

• Let’s start with NASCAR and Fox’s coverage of the Daytona 500 in particular. Due to a rainout on Sunday, NASCAR officials decided to postpone the race for the first time in history and move the event into primetime on Monday. By making the race into a primetime event, Fox’s crew showed that not only was it ready, but it shined for most of the broadcast. Yes, there were a lot of wrecks and a two hour delay caused by Juan Pablo Montoya crashing into a jet-fueled blow drying truck might have hurt the ratings a tad, but Fox did a very good job in reporting on the incident, plus keeping viewers updated on the condition of Montoya and the driver of the truck.

  Throughout the night, replays of crashes and key moments of the race were clear. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the moment of impact of Montoya hitting the truck, but we did see flames from the fireball.

  And Fox filled time admirably with driver interviews and getting NASCAR President Mike Helton to talk about the delay. In addition, Fox pit reporters had fun with driver Brad Keselowski who tweeted a picture of Montoya’s accident from inside his car and continued to tweet during the delay, picking up 200,000 followers in the process.

  The coverage was rewarded with what Fox claims was a record viewership for The Great American Race on the network. Imagine the ratings without the two hour delay.

• Monday’s coverage of the NHL Trade Deadline was well covered throughout North America. The two competing Canadian sports networks, Rogers Sportsnet and TSN waged all day battles and based on what I saw online, I give the edge to Sportsnet. Thanks to Yahoo’s Puck Daddy, there was an online stream of Sportsnet’s coverage available for viewers in both Canada and the U.S. TSN’s TradeCentre was simulcast on NHL Network in the U.S. throughout the day then streamed online at NHL.com from noon ET.

  In the past, it was TSN that had all the angles covered, but on Monday, it appeared to be playing catch up to Sportsnet. When trading began to get hot and heavy as the deadline approached, Sportsnet not only broke news, but got the players on the phone immediately to get their reaction. In the case of Brian Rolston going from the New York Islanders to the Bruins, Sportsnet actually broke the news to him.

  Both networks tried some gimmicks, Sportsnet utilizing former General Managers to get their input on the mindset of making a trade. That made for some fascinating TV. TSN used the stunning Alyonka Larionov as a social media reporter to read tweets. That didn’t go over too well, but TSN isn’t utilizing her in the right way.

  Overall, NHL Trade Deadline was well covered, but there’s no need to start coverage at 8 a.m. ET. I give Sportsnet an A minus for its coverage. TSN gets a B minus.

• This leads us to the what I am calling the Death of Hockey Coverage on ESPN. It didn’t go unnoticed that ESPN failed to cover the NHL Trade Deadline on SportsCenter. Ben Koo at Awful Announcing was surprised not seeing a single mention, not even one sentence. Ty Duffy at the Big Lead was not. Neither am I.

  But then came the announcement that ESPN was shuffling the NCAA Frozen Four, the Division I Hockey Championship from ESPNU/ESPN2/ESPN as in the past few years to ESPNU/ESPN2 this year. And as Puck The Media’s Steve Lepore points out, that ESPNU will carry all but one game of its NCAA Hockey Tournament schedule.

  Hockey aficionados know all too well about the incredible shrinking coverage on ESPN. Since giving the NHL the boot in 2005, highlights have gone from being an integral part of SportsCenter to a bit player, if that.

  I went to ESPN last year to take part in a mini-focus group and talk with their producers. While there are many hockey fans in Bristol on the on-air and production staffs, I find it sad that the network continues to treat the sport as a bastard stepchild. And while the producers can tell me that giving hockey more time is constantly debated internally, the result has always been the same, two or three minutes of NHL highlights on SportsCenter, no regular season college hockey games on any of the ESPN platforms nor much coverage of the sport on .com.

  It’s as if in ESPN’s eyes, the sport just doesn’t exist. But as we know, if it’s not on an ESPN platform, the sport is hardly recognized by the Alleged Worldwide Leader.

• This also transitions to our next bullet, the NHL’s current cable home, NBC Sports Network. Last week, Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand wrote a story on the slow start and low ratings for NBC Sports Network since it relaunched in January from being Versus. While some of its programming has been critically acclaimed, ratings are lower than when the channel was under its previous name. And while that development is disturbing, remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint and certainly, the first two months under its new name does not a track record make.

  Expect those numbers to go up as NBC Sports attempts to stock NBCSN with more inventory. Certainly, this summer’s London Olympics and preceding U.S. Olympic Trials will help. And if NBC is able to get a piece of the Big East, NASCAR and/or MLB contracts this year, then the network will be in good shape. I don’t think Comcast and the NBC Sports brass are going to make rash, panicked decisions based on the results thus far. ESPN wasn’t a ratings success out of the gate either back in 1979 and it took a while for it to become successful and turn a profit. There might some tweaks here and there throughout this process, but overall, I do expect a lot of growth from NBC Sports Network down the line.

• And finally, with the NFL making its decision on Tuesday to move the 2012 regular season opening game back a day, it avoids the same situation from four years ago when the league kept its season opener on the same night as John McCain’s acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention. In 2008, the NFL pushed back the opener to 7 p.m. ET only to get a significant drop in the ratings. This year by moving the game from Thursday, September 6 to the night before, it prevents a conflict with President Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention and the NFL can own the coverage without taking a ratings hit.

  It works for all sides.

And that will conclude a very long thoughts column. I had to get these off my chest and now I can move onto other items for you..

Our Tuesday Links

Let’s provide some links now.

John Ourand and John Lombardo of Sports Business Journal write that local NBA TV ratings are up thus far.

Eric Fisher of SBJ writes that sports arenas have an issue with providing more bandwidth as fans demand wifi access.

Paul White at USA Today says the newly-renamed Miami Marlins are ready for their reality TV closeup.

Mike McCarthy at USA Today says Los Angeles Lakers radio voice John Ireland was busted by Jay Leno’s Show of Hacks for putting on makeup during a game.

Michael O’Connell at the Hollywood Reporter says thanks to the Daytona 500, Fox won Monday night’s ratings over strong network competition.

John Eggerton from Broadcasting & Cable reports on a sports fan lobbying group that’s asking the FCC to end the NFL’s archaic blackout policy.

Toni Fitzgerald from Media Life Magazine says despite lower ratings from last year, the NBA is pleased with the numbers for the All-Star Game.

Mihir Bose of the London (UK) Evening Standard looks at the upcoming bidding for the English Premier League TV rights by talking with an ESPN Europe executive. It’s expected that incumbents Sky Sports and ESPN will have to fend off a heated bid by Al-Jazeera.

Dan Fogarty of SportsGrid says Dan Patrick almost got into a heated exchange with David Letterman last night.

Sports Video Group says ESPNsoccernet has launched a new mobile app.

At Her Campus, Annie Wang talks with a close friend of Jeremy Lin’s on he views Linsanity in Communist China.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times says reviews the upcoming ESPN documentary on the 20th anniversary of Magic Johnson’s announcement that he was HIV positive.

Newsday’s Neil Best notes that today ends a long streak for Jeremy Lin.

Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union says a local radio station will air a handful of Red Sox exhibition games.

Pete says this year’s MAAC Tournament will be online except for the finals.

Ken McMillan at the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record says the NBA’s pay per view League Pass package is free for this week.

Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman notes that Oklahoma City was the 2nd highest rated local market for the NBA All-Star Game.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says rain delay coverage of the Daytona 500 on Sunday scored well in Suds City.

And Bob says Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver is given good odds to win this season’s Dancing with the Stars competition.

Jay Posner of the San Diego Union-Tribune says Fox Sports San Diego has tapped a news anchor to become its first-ever Padres studio host.

Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times talks with ESPN college football analyst Ed Cunningham about winning the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.

Bruce Dowbiggin at the Toronto Globe and Mail says Twitter scooped TV in breaking NHL trades yesterday.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog kept track of which Canadian networks RDS, Rogers Sportsnet or TSN broke the trades yesterday.

Ben Koo at Awful Announcing says ESPN ignored the NHL Trade Deadline yesterday.

Ty Duffy at The Big Lead explains why ESPN chose to ignore the deadline.

Steve Lepore at Puck The Media declares Rogers Sportsnet the winner in NHL Trade Deadline Day coverage.

In Tennis Space, former player Mark Petchey tells how he became a TV analyst.

Barry Petchesky of Deadspin gets an internal ESPN e-mail about Twitter.

Sports Media Watch looks at the Daytona 500′s ratings.

And that’s going to do it for now.

Unleashing Some Friday Megalinks

Ok, let’s get this done. Lots of linkage from yesterday and today. I need to catch up. Let’s go.

Check out your Weekend Viewing Picks for the sports and entertainment programming for Saturday and Sunday.

National

Mike McCarthy of USA Today wonders if there’s a glass ceiling for women in sports television.

Former Comcast SportsNet New England anchor Jackie Pepper has her take about being a woman in sports television.

Back to USA Today, Michael Hiestand looks at the casting call for the new Broadway play focusing on the Magic Johnson-Larry Bird rivalry and friendship, produced by the same people who did Lombardi on Broadway.

Hiestand writes that Fox Sports will be using some of its own talent for its UFC debut next week.

Paul Thomasch of Reuters talks with CBS head honcho Les Moonves about the network’s SEC deal.

Emma Bazilian at Adweek notes that DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket promotion over the summer paid off in droves in the third quarter of this year.

Phil Swann of TV Predictions has his take on DirecTV’s subscriber spike.

The talk of the sports blogosphere the last couple of days has been the Deadspin story by A.J. Daulerio on a former ESPN executive who’s filed a lawsuit against an employee denying several displays of odd behavior including masturbating in Erin Andrews’ presence.

Congratulations to former ESPN reporter Amy K. Nelson who leaves the Alleged Worldwide Leader for SBNation. Deadspin has that story as well.

Aaron Kuniloff and David Mildenberg from Bloomberg Businessweek co-author a story on ESPN’s Longhorn Network and its ramifications on college sports.

Rick Horrow and Karla Swatek of Businessweek talk about the alternatives to the NBA and how the league’s TV partners have lost money airing the games.

Rick Chandler of NBC’s Off the Bench explains how an ESPN.com story mushroomed into the Occupy Tebow movement.

At ESPN Front Row, network spokesman Mike Soltys notes that the Alleged Worldwide Leader has new policy on employees writing books, something that got Bruce Feldman into trouble earlier this year.

Jason Dachman from Sports Video Group looks at a new MSG Network mobile app that brings live high school sports to your cell phone.

Ariel Sandler at the Business Insider Sports Page has video of two Canadian news anchors going crazy when their sports anchor is named the winner of a $2.5 million lottery on live TV.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell reviews the results of having two In-N-Out Burgers shipped frozen across country.

Sports Media Watch says TNT’s replacement programming for the NBA’s canceled games on what would have been Opening Night of the season failed miserably in the ratings.

Joe Favorito wonders if the Bellator Fighting Championships can co-exist with UFC in Mixed Martial Arts.

Ben Koo of Awful Announcing says Brent Musburger got the job done in his cameo on an ABC sitcom.

Dave Kohl at The Broadcast Booth says it’s the subject matter, not the personalities that drive ratings for sports radio stations.

SportsbyBrooks notes that ESPN Radio hack Colin Cowherd sat with the beautiful people at last week’s Stanford-USC game.

Marisa Ingemi of In Lax We Trust reports that the National Lacrosse League has a deal in place with CBS Sports Network to air games in 2012-13.

East and Mid-Atlantic

Chad Finn from the Boston Globe speaks with former ESPN MMA Live host Jon Anik who will work straight for UFC now.

The Worcester Telegram & Gazette’s Bill Doyle talks with Comcast SportsNet New England Celtics analyst Tommy Heinsohn who’s cooling his heels during the NBA lockout.

Newsday’s Neil Best notes that WFAN’s Boomer & Carton show has really taken off in the ratings.

Neil has more with Boomer and Carton that he could not provide in his feature story.

Scott Shifrel and Bill Hutchinson of the New York Daily News write that former ESPN executive Keith Clinkscales is claiming that he is the victim of a smear campaign.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Post wonders where’s the outrage on the Detroit Lions for what he feels was mocking Tim Tebow’s religion.

Justin Terranova of the Post has five questions for Cleveland Browns franchise assassin and ESPN analyst Eric Mangini. No, I’m not bitter about his tenure as Browns coach.

Justin previews MLB Network’s special on the 1986 Postseason.

Pete Dougherty in the Albany Times Union hears from SEC on CBS analyst Gary Danielson on LSU-Alabama.

Keith Groller of the Allentown (PA) Morning Call also has quotes from Danielson regarding this year’s Game of the Century.

In Press Box, Dave Hughes from DCRTV.com has the latest in Baltimore-DC sports media news.

In the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog, Dan Steinberg looks at a failed lobbyist’s efforts to get DC NFL team owner Dan Snyder to change the brand name.

And Dan has Joe Theismann’s thoughts on the whole John Beck/Rex Grossman QB controversy in Washington.

Monica Hesse of the Post says some of the items from the now-defunct ESPN Zone in DC are being sold at auction.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner finds out ESPN’s plans for this weekend’s Breeders’ Cup.

South

Sean Cartell of SEC.com has Verne Lundquist’s thoughts on LSU-Alabama.

Brian Reynolds in the Tuscaloosa News says ESPN is giving LSU-Alabama the Super Bowl treatment.

David Barron from the Houston Chronicle says both CBS and ESPN are pulling out all of the stops for LSU-Alabama.

Midwest

John Kiesewetter in the Cincinnati Enquirer notes that former Bengals QB Carson Palmer will be profiled on Sunday’s edition of The NFL Today.

Michael Zuidema of the Grand Rapids (MI) Press says ratings for the World Series were good, but the games showed that instant replay was greatly needed.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel notes that former Brewers radio voice Corey Provus now has a new gig with the Twins.

Ed Sherman in Crain’s Chicago Business has his winners and losers in sports business and media.

Ted Gruber in Chicago Now feels ESPN gets a big fail in covering Mixed Martial Arts.

Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune says Corey Provus takes over for former Minnesota Twins voice John Gordon who retired this year.

Paul Christian in the Rochester (MN) Post-Bulletin talks about Provus’ hiring by the Twins.

Dan Caesar from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch feels the national media undersold Albert Pujols’ achievement in Game 3 of the World Series.

West

Jeff Call of the Deseret (UT) News says ESPN’s partnership with BYU has been beneficial for both parties.

John Maffei in the North County Times notes how CBS obtained LSU-Alabama for primetime.

Jim Carlisle of the Ventura County Star says it’s rare to get a #1 vs. #2 matchup in the regular season.

Jim says Brad Nessler is ready for primetime when Thursday Night Football begins next week.

Jim has his weekend viewing picks.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News says we’re in a Golden Age of sports documentaries.

Tom has more in his blog.

Canada

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail says Hazel Mae is officially back with Rogers Sportsnet.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog which broke the news of Hazel’s return discusses what her duties will be.

That’s going to do it for the megalinks today.

BREAKING: Hazel Mae Leaves MLB Network For Rogers Sportsnet

This news is going to make some fanboys sad. According to the Canadian Sports Media Blog, Hazel Mae is leaving MLB Network to go back home to Canada and work for her former employer, Rogers Sportsnet.

[blackbirdpie url="https://twitter.com/#!/CdnSportsMedia/status/115839075755376640"]

We don’t have another source on this, but we’re attempting to find out more. Hazel joined MLB Network for its launch in 2009 where she was the original host of Quick Pitch. This year, she had been hosting The Rundown Live with Matt Yallof and had a role on Intentional Talk Live.

Before MLB Network, she came to the United States as a host of NESN’s SportsDesk. Hazel was a favorite subject of the Boston Herald’s Inside Track gossip page. And in Canada, Hazel was an anchor on Rogers Sportsnet for its morning sports update.

No word on what her new role on Rogers Sportsnet would be. It’s known that many of her fans stateside will be sad to see her leave.

UPDATE, 2:55 p.m.: Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated who also works at MLB Network tweeted the following which is pretty much confirmation that Hazel is gone.

[blackbirdpie url="https://twitter.com/#!/SI_JonHeyman/status/115836387588194304"]

UPDATE, 3:40 p.m.: I asked MLB Network to officially confirm Hazel’s departure, however, I received a “No comment” from a spokesperson. Let us suffice to say that from the sources that I’m hearing on this story, it’s safe to say that Hazel is headed back to Canada.

Let’s Do Some Monday Links

Time for some links. I expect press releases galore today announcing NFL ratings news so before they come fast and furious, I’ll do some linkage.

USA Today’s Michael Hiestand says the NFL and its TV partners handled their 9/11 tributes yesterday as best as they could.

Scott Woolley at Forbes.com writes that cable operators are ready to fight ESPN over its huge rights deal for Monday Night Football.

David Lieberman of Deadline says the battle lines are drawn between cable operators and ESPN.

In the Hollywood Reporter, Lindsay Powers reports that the NFL saw its best season opening primetime ratings in 15 years.

Michael Malone of Broadcasting & Cable notes that NBC’s Universal Sports is going to be a cable-only channel starting in 2012. Universal is on several NBC owned-and-operated local digital channels and will be removed starting in January.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News says Universal Sports has begun an ad campaign asking cable and satellite distributors to pick it up in time for the 2012 Olympics.

Anthony Crupi at Adweek asks if the flashy Maryland football uniforms were a nightmare or a brilliant marketing scheme for athletic apparel manufacturer, Under Armour.

Anthony says Dunkin’ Donuts will be sponsoring ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown this season.

Toni Fitzgerald from Media Life Magazine writes that the NFL regular season opener last Thursday really scored for NBC.

Kat Stoeffel of the New York Observer notes that former Boston Globe curmudgeon Charlie Pierce is joining Bill Simmons’ Grantland. Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch points out that it comes after Pierce lambasted Simmons last December.

Dan Fogarty of SportsGrid has the video of NASCAR driver Tony Stewart being a dick to Associated Press reporter Jenna Fryer.

Deadspin has video of Fox Sports’ Chris Myers ordering a stiff drink on the air.

TMZ says former ESPN SportsCenter anchor Josh Elliot could replace Good Morning America co-host George Stephanopoulos.

ESPN’s Front Row PR blog profiles the man who literally drives the bus for Monday Night Football.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Post believes everything in the world is bad.

Ron Musselman of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that the Temple-Penn State game will be on ESPN this Saturday.

David Zurawik of the Baltimore Sun has fun with the CBS NFL Today analysts picking Pittsburgh before yestserday’s game with the Ravens.

Leigh Pressley of the Charlotte Observer says a local man will be seen on Golf Channel’s Big Break reality show this month.

Paul Woody of the Richmond (VA) Times-Dispatch profiles ESPN NASCAR pit reporter Jamie Little.

Paul also talks with ESPN’s NASCAR pit studio stage manager who is from Virginia.

Gary Smits of the Florida Times-Union says ESPN College GameDay comes back to Tallahassee this Saturday after a 10 year absence.

Tom Jones of the St. Petersburg Times reviews the weekend in sports television and radio.

Mike Baldwin of the Daily Oklahoman writes that Oklahoma University is in a mini-slump when College GameDay goes to one of its games.

Ed Sherman of Crain’s Chicago Business is amazed at the local TV ratings for the Bears season opener.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes that Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers will be seen on Golf Channel this week as part of an NFL-themed program.

Dusty Saunders of the Denver Post talks with ESPN NFL analyst Trent Dilfer who will be working tonight’s Oakland-Broncos game.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News has your sports calendar for this week.

Bruce Dowbiggin from the Toronto Globe and Mail notes that one local talk show host was on the warpath last week.

Susan Krashinsky of the Globe and Mail explores the potential new partnership between Canadian TV rivals CTV and CBC for the 2014/16 Olympics.

Jamie Sturgeon of the National Post writes about Rogers’ decision to pull out of Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Consortium.

Dusan Belic of IntoMobile says the NFL has launched a new Android tablet app.

Ben Koo of Awful Announcing explains why ESPN’s GamePlan college football pay per view package has been rendered obsolete and worthless by ESPN.

Matt Clapp at AA has the stirring video of America’s Unofficial Anthem Singer, Jim Cornelison, helping to kick off the NFL season before yesterday’s Atlanta Falcons-Chicago Bears game.

Joe Favorito says even in its worst times, hockey finds a way to heal the sport and its players.

Dug out as many links as I could today. That’s it for now. More press release posts as they come in.

Some Sunday Linkage

I wasn’t able to link yesterday due to some personal commitments. I’ll be doing some today.

Mike McCarthy of USA Today says ESPN yanked teams with anti-Semitic names from its fantasy football leagues.

Daniel Riley of GQ speaks with the best baseball announcer of all-time, Vin Scully about his greatest calls.

John Eggerton of Broadcasting & Cable notes that the American Cable Association is blasting ESPN for its huge rights contract for Monday Night Football.

Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News writes that NBC and Universal Sports have begun to air coverage of the Rugby World Cup.

Mike writes that YES Network is coming in to air Fox NFL Sunday for Fox in New York for one week only.

Eric Deggans from the St. Petersburg Times writes in the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center that fans will be footing the bill for the NFL’s recent megadeal with ESPN.

Brandon Costa at Sports Video Group says NFL Films will have a nationwide tribute to 9/11 before all games today.

Dan Fogarty at SportsGrid notes that TNT’s Charles Barkley wasn’t quite himself doing an interview on ESPN yesterday.

Timothy Burke of SportsGrid has the audio of Yankees broadcaster John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman using a cell phone to broadcast a game last week.

Former CNN correspondent Kelly Wallace, now of iVillage, speaks with NBC Sunday Night Football sideline reporter Michele Tafoya about balancing motherhood with her job.

Rob Neyer at SBNation wonders if MASN handled Orioles analyst Mike Flanagan’s death properly.

Ian R. Rapoport of the Boston Herald has a look at the NFL Films documentary on Patriots coach Bill Belichick.

Newsday’s Neil Best talks with some of New York’s sports figures who remember 9/11.

Claire Atkinson of the New York Post reports that some cable providers are unhappy over ESPN’s megadeal for Monday Night Football and may fight back.

Ken Schott from the Schenectady Gazette says the local CBS affiliate will be throwing Monday’s U.S. Open men’s final to another station.

John Brennan of the Bergen (NJ) Record writes that several NHL promos for the league’s TV partners are being shot in Newark, NJ.

Keith Groller of the Allentown (PA) Morning Call says a rainout prevented a local minor league baseball announcer from making a signature call.

Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner talks with NBC/Versus’ programming chief about its new lineup.

Mike Madden of the Washington City Paper says DC NFL team Daniel Snyder has dropped his SLAPP lawsuit against the publication. If you’re wondering what a SLAPP lawsuit is, go here.

Lauren Bailey of the Charlotte Observer profiles an Emmy-award producer who has helped to shape the way ESPN does its features.

Tom Jones at the St. Petersburg Times has your NFL Viewing Guide for this season.

Norm Sanders of the Belleville (IL) News-Democrat remembers a local man who worked behind the scenes for both CBS and Fox Sports.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes that the NFL Films documentary on Patriots coach Bill Belichick lifts the curtain on some of his mysterious persona.

Dan Caesar in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Cardinals’ ratings are down compared to last year.

Dr. Michael Chung writes in the Kansas City Star that based on its TV ratings, baseball might be in trouble.

Jason Franchuk of the Provo (UT) Daily Herald compares how the Longhorn Network shapes up against BYUtv.

Marcus Vanderberg of Fishbowl LA says Kings on-air personality Heidi Androl won’t be returning to her duties with Fox Sports West this season.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog notes that CTV and CBC will team up for the Canada’s Olympic Broadcasting Consortium’s bid for the 2014/16 Games. Rather shocking. That would be like NBC and CBS teaming up for a joint Olympic bid here.

And the CSM writes that former Hockey Night in Canada insider Scott Morrison has joined his on-air partner Jeff Marek at Rogers Sportsnet. In fact, Morrison now becomes Marek’s boss.

Sports Media Watch looks at the ratings for the NFL regular season opener on NBC.

SMW says ESPN’s college football Labor Day game did not do well in the ratings.

Steve Lepore of Puck The Media says the New Jersey Devils have chosen the man to replace Mike Emrick as lead play-by-play voice.

And that is going to be it. The Sunday NFL pregame quotage is in so I’ll be posting that in the next hour.

Handing Out Some Labor Day Sports Media Links

A nice day here in Southern New England and I’m at home watching some good sports action as we have afternoon MLB games, the U.S. Open, a little CFL and some college football later. A good sports day for the Labor Day holiday. Before I do the links, let’s go into one of the stranger nights on sports television on Sunday.

Last night, ESPN got stuck with two weather delays for two events, in college football at the Marshall at West Virginia game and at NASCAR in Atlanta. ESPN handled both situations as best as it could, first updating viewers on lighting approaching Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, WV. As players were hustled off the field before 6 p.m., ESPN threw to its studio with Ryan Burr and Robert Smith who deftly filled the time with highlights and comments.

Then as the NASCAR window approached, Burr threw it to Atlanta and the NASCAR Countdown crew led by Nicole Briscoe. The prerace program went as scheduled for the half-hour and at 7 p.m. when the race coverage was supposed to begin, ESPN updated viewers on the rain from Tropical Storm Lee that hit Atlanta and was wreaking havoc. However, ESPN said that it was hoped that the race would begin “within the hour.”

It was during this time ESPN kept switching back and forth between Atlanta and the ESPN studios in Bristol, CT to fill time. Then at 8:50 p.m., ESPN went back to Morgantown for the game. While ESPN did not inform viewers publicly, it was learned via Twitter that the game would be switched to ESPNU if NASCAR started and we also learned via Twitter that NASCAR was hoping to get the race started at 10:30 p.m.

ESPN was balancing between the two venues hoping that it would not have to bump one event for the other. And at 9:05 p.m., ESPN got another jolt when authorities pulled Marshall and West Virginia for another lightning delay. Ryan Burr and Robert Smith were back to quickly throw things back to Atlanta where Nicole Briscoe relayed to viewers of the 10:30 p.m. start time and it was when we began seeing shots of the track dryers going around the Atlanta Speedway circuit.

During the delay, ESPN went back to Morgantown for an update on the weather from its announcing team, Joe Tessitore, Rod Gilmore and sideline reporter Quint Kessenich. It was during this update that ESPN showed a lightning strike at 6:02 p.m. that looked like it struck the stadium. Kessenich reported that the strike hit the stadium and a fan in the upper deck and from the screengrab, it certainly looks like it did. However, scuttlebutt was surfacing that there were no independent news on the strike.

And later, West Virginia State Police denied that no fan had been hit and the lightning strike was close to the stadium, but did not hit it. In addition, West Virginia University Media Relations published its own statement on the story.  So where did Kessenich get his information and as Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand correctly asked, why didn’t ESPN issue a correction on the story? ESPN certainly had plenty of chances to correct it.

At 10 p.m., ESPN had Robert Flores and Stuart Scott start SportsCenter early. It went right to Atlanta where NASCAR race caller Allen Bestwick interviewed NASCAR President Mike Helton who announced that with the rains from Tropical Storm Lee, it was impossible to restart the race Sunday and as rains would continue into Monday, the race would be rescheduled to 11 a.m. Tuesday.

A quick toss back to SportsCenter and then, at 10:24, ESPN thew it back to Morgantown where it was announced the game was going to be called with West Virginia leading Marshall 34-13. Again, the lightning strike from 6:02 p.m. was shown. After 11 p.m., the strike was not referenced and the report of the fan was not raised again. So why didn’t ESPN retract or correct it? No word from the network on this. However, it’s a situation where a story is front of them and they didn’t get it right. And there was no correction. ESPN has to do a better job.

And as I watched the 2 p.m. SportsCenter on ESPNews, the network has chosen to ignore its erroneous report on the lightning strike rather than issue a correction.

Now to the links.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News says despite being dropped by Verizon FiOS, Tennis Channel is talking with the cable provider to return to the lineup.

The Associated Press reports that Missouri is the next Big 12 school to announce its own digital network joining Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas State.

Glenn Davis at SportsGrid has the video of Rafael Nadal cramping up during his U.S. Open press briefing yesterday.

Dan Fogarty of SportsGrid wonders why a mascot is being taken off the court on a stretcher during the EuroBasket Championships.

Timothy Burke at his Mocksession site shows an unfortunate ESPN crowd cutaway during yesterday’s Marshall-West Virginia game.

Joe Favorito asks smaller universities if it’s worth the payday to go to a large FCS school and get beaten up on the football field.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times explores the dispute between Tennis Channel and cable providers Cablevision and Verizon FiOS.

Tom Jones of the St. Petersburg Times has praise for NBC’s Notre Dame coverage and ESPN’s College GameDay.

David Barron from the Houston Chronicle speculates on the future of the Longhorn Network if Texas goes to the Pac-12.

Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman liked Gus Johnson and Charles Davis’ work on the Tulsa-Oklahoma game, but Kevin Frazier and Marcus Allen, not so much.

Dusty Saunders at the Denver Post says Colorado fans will have to scramble to find Saturday’s game against Cal.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News has the sports calendar for this week.

Raju Mudhar of the Toronto Star says NFL gamers are gearing up for the season.

Bruce Dowbiggin from the Toronto Globe and Mail wonders if the public really needed to know the details of Wade Belak’s suicide.

The Paranoid Puck reports that former Dallas Stars coach Marc Crawford will be joining TSN and former MSG host Christine Simpson returns to Canada to work for Rogers Sportsnet.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog has some Labour Day thoughts.

Matt Yoder at Awful Announcing has some typos both on TV and online.

Sports Media Watch says Nielsen will be tracking fewer TV households this year.

Steve Lepore at Puck The Media notes that Versus will be airing some NHL preseason games for the first time.

And that will do it for today.

The Recovering After Irene Links

Yesterday at 8:30 a.m., I lost power at my house and as of this post, I still don’t have it. The northern part of my town has power, but I live in the southern part and there’s nothing. That’s not good. And RI did not get hit that hard by Irene so I don’t know how we could lose power for so long. Anyway, it appears that my office never lost electricity as the clocks appear to be on time so I’m blogging from work. Hopefully, I won’t be without power for that long.

Here are your links.

Michael Smith of the Sports Business Journal writes that UPS and MillerCoors are looking to become very aggressive sponsors of college sports.

Eric Fisher of SBJ says a new site has launched to cover digital fan marketing.

Terry Lefton of SBJ speaks with a sports marketer who believes stadium naming rights work.

Mimi Turner of the Hollywood Reporter says the BBC will air every hour of every single event at the 2012 London Olympics. That’s quite ambitious.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News says with Hurricane Irene out of the way, New York can focus on the U.S. Open for the next two weeks.

Mike says Tennis Channel will reach 50 million homes for the Open.

ESPN Ombudsman Kelly McBride from the Poynter Institute says there’s nothing wrong with ESPN airing the Little League World Series to which I ask her, are you crazy?

Eric Deggans of the St. Petersburg Times writing for the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center says reporting on suicides and speculating why they happen as in the case of former Baltimore Orioles pitcher and broadcaster Mike Flanagan demonstrate the need for due diligence by news organizations.

Marcus Vanderberg of SportsNewser says a short two days after Vin Scully announced his return to the Dodgers, so did Spanish voice Jaime Jarrin.

Dan Fogarty of SportsGrid notes that Houston Texan RB Arian Foster is not a fan of ESPN Radio’s Colin Cowhack. Really, who is?

Zombie Journalism has a problem with ESPN’s social networking policy that bans its reporters from breaking news on Twitter.

TMZ reports that wrestler Ric Flair is contemplating a lawsuit against Captain Blowhard-led Grantland.com for a long article on him that was published last week.

The New York Times’ Richard Sandomir speaks with Fox Sports’ Joe Buck about his ailing voice.

The New York Post’s Phil Mushnick decides that he’s a man of the people, which probably couldn’t be further from the truth.

Jim Williams from the Washington Examiner talks with CBS college football host Tim Brando about his radio show being aired on CBS Sports Network.

Tom Jones at the St. Petersburg Times looks at the weekend in sports television including a poor local broadcast of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers preseason games.

Sean Pendergast in the Houston Press says the Longhorn Network doesn’t have enough content to be successful.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says ESPN’s Chris Spielman picks Wisconsin to win the Big Ten title.

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Dan Caesar writes that Missouri’s new football analyst has a football background, but also one in intelligence. As in CIA. Yup.

Dusty Saunders of the Denver Post is amazed at the media controversy swirling around Broncos third-string quarterback Tim Tebow.

Andrew Malcolm from the Los Angeles Times says ESPN has warned golf analyst Paul Azinger over his tweet criticizing President Obama.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News speaks with Olympic swimmer Janet Evans who turned 40 on Sunday. Wow.

Tom writes about Dodgers Spanish broadcaster Jaime Jarrin’s return for next year.

Tom also has your sports calendar for this week.

Raju Mudhar of the Toronto Star says the lockout doesn’t seem to be effecting the NBA.

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail advises us not to look for Rogers Sportsnet to wrest the CFL rights away from TSN in the next bidding.

The Toronto Sports Media Blog says the Maple Leafs are close to hiring a new announcer.

Sox & Dawgs has a look at the UConn Radio Network for the 2011-12 season.

Mike Shields at DigiDay notes that ESPN’s College GameDay will really sink its teeth into social networking this season.

Ryan Yoder of Awful Announcing is critical of the ESPN Ombudsman for letting ESPN off the hook for airing the Little League World Series.

Joe Favorito feels the World Fire and Police Games taking place in New York are brand and activation opportunities for potential sponsors.

And lastly, here’s a video I made last night driving down the main road of my town showing how dark it was. Definitely no fun without power.

That’s all. Back later.

Bringing You Some Friday Megalink Love

Ok, seeing some good stories on this Friday and it appears that I’m staying in the office today so I can give you a full set and not have to leave for another site. Let’s git ‘er done!

We start as always with the Weekend Viewing Picks which are getting busier with each passing weekend as we get closer to football. And in September, you’ll have College Football Viewing Picks and the NFL Viewing Picks to go along with the weekend picks so you can expect to see those every Friday from September through the end of both football seasons.

Let’s do the linkage.

National

Michael Hiestand and Mike McCarthy of USA Today debate whether networks really need to use ex-jocks to be analysts.

R. Thomas Umstead of Multichannel News reports that HBO PPV will air the Manny Pacquaio-Juan Manuel Marquez fight with replays of the 24/7 documentary series airing on CNN. Interesting.

Mike Reynolds from Multichannel says Comcast is going after DirecTV for what it says is a deceptive ad campaign by the satellite provider for offering “free” NFL games.

Toni Fitzgerald of Media Life Magazine looks at how Kraft used its Macaroni & Cheese brand to help warm up football fans tailgating in cold weather cities.

Jason Fry in the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center gives some tips on starting up a digital sports journalism program.

At NFL.com, Adam Rank gives his top six favorite features from NFL Films as founder Ed Sabol goes into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend.

Glenn Davis of SportsGrid is giddy over Stephen Colbert taking over MLB’s Twitter account for all day today.

Cam Martin of SportsNewser has the latest New Era Red Sox-Yankees ad featuring notorious Yankees fan Alec Baldwin and Red Sox fan John Krasinski. This ad called “One Hitter” is the best of the series thus far.

Karen Hogan of Sports Video Group says NASCAR.com is expanding its online RaceView program from Sprint Cup only to three Nationwide Series races.

Sports Media Watch notes that the ratings for the MLS All-Star Game on ESPN2 went up slightly from last year.

Joe Favorito talks about motorsports trying to tap into the New York market.

Barry Janoff of The Big Lead notes that Pepsi is returning to advertise in the Super Bowl by using the winner of Fox’s X Factor contest into NBC’s broadcast.

Brady Green at Awful Announcing reports a story that we’ve been following closely here, that Versus may make a big commitment to college hockey.

AA also introduces its Fan Forum where you get a voice on the blog.

In Sports TV Jobs, ESPN’s Clay Matvick talks about what it takes to be a play-by-play announcer.

Kristi Dosh, the SportsBizMiss, notes how big a business college sports is in the Business of College Sports.

Law professor Roger Groves writes in Forbes that the Pac-12 deal while lucrative, may end up costing college sports in the long run.

East and Mid-Atlantic

To the Lewiston (ME) Sun Journal and Randy Whitehouse who writes that the Maine Sports Network has carved a niche for itself by broadcasting local high school sports and talk shows to a hungry audience.

Chad Finn of the Boston Globe talks about the rebranding of Versus to fit the NBC Sports Group.

At Boston Sports Media Watch, Ryan Hadfield has some local media musings.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times writes about the ailing NFL Films team of Ed and Steve Sabol who are holding on to see Ed finally make it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Newsday’s Neil Best says the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry hasn’t lost any of its luster to ESPN or Fox.

Neil says MSG Network has finalized a deal with Spero Dedes for him to call New York Knicks games on radio.

The New York Post’s Phil Mushnick is filled with hatred for the entire world today.

Marc Berman at the Post says MSG is overlooking a recent DWI arrest in hiring Dedes.

Justin Terranova in the Post has five questions for CBS/TNT golf analyst Ian Baker-Finch.

In the Albany Times Union, Pete Dougherty would like YES to stop airing a certain smoking cessation ad.

Pete says NFL Network has confirmed talks with Time Warner Cable to possibly get carriage for this season.

Pete talks with player agent J.R. Rickert about having to squash inaccurate media reports about his clients.

Ken Schott at the Schenectady Gazette says NFL Network will have up to six live preseason on its air this month.

Laura Nachman says a Philly sports reporter is teaming up on a new book on the hapless 1972 Phillies.

In Press Box, Dave Hughes notes that Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic has hired a new Capitals insider for TV and online appearances.

At the Washington Examiner, Jim Williams says the rebrand from Versus to NBC Sports Network is more than just a name change.

South

David Barron at the Houston Chronicle talks Texans with NFL Network’s Michael Lombardi.

Mel Bracht of the Daily Oklahoman notes that Cox has released its local high school football schedule.

Mel says Tulsa native Bob Carpenter may be looking for a new gig after MASN did not pick up his option to call Washington Nationals games.

Midwest

Josh Weir in the Canton (OH) Repository profiles NFL Films founder Ed Sabol as he enters the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend.

Josh writes that Ed’s relationship with the late NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle changed the fate of the league and NFL Films.

Josh says Ed’s hiring of the late John Facenda as the voice of NFL Films added a mystique to the NFL.

Josh says Ed’s successor at NFL Films, his son Steve, has been ailing almost as much as Ed has.

And Josh writes that before Ed was a filmmaker, he was a very good swimmer at Ohio State.

Over to the Akron Beacon Journal, Jason Lloyd goes behind the scenes with CBS Sports as it airs this weekend’s coverage of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer says a former Bengals radio pregame host is returning to his position this season.

John has a little more on the story in his blog.

John says Fox Sports Ohio picks up an additional Cincinnati Reds game later this month.

Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press says ESPN will make next month’s Michigan-Notre Dame game into a big primetime affair.

Michael Zuidema of the Grand Rapids (MI) Press says Versus will air a documentary on MLB’s first openly gay player next week.

Bob Wolfley at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes that the Green Bay Packers’ weekend scrimmage will be picked up on TV both locally and nationally.

Paul Christian of the Rochester Post-Bulletin says eight years after its creation, NFL Network finally gets picked up by Charter Communications.

In the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Dan Caesar writes the NFL Network-Charter agreement was a compromise on where the channel would be placed.

Dan says the St. Louis Cardinals were kicked off Fox’s national MLB schedule to give the Pittsburgh Pirates a rare spotlight.

West

John Maffei in the North County Times says the NFL’s TV partners are hopeful viewers will watch preseason football.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News says Ed Sabol is worthy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Tom wonders if Ed was actually a candidate to succeed the late Pete Rozelle as NFL Commish.

Ed looks at the sports media’s connection to this year’s class of 2011 for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Tom says ESPN has invented a quarterback rating statistic and wants everyone to know about it.

Canada

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail talks about a new reality series in which a former CFL’er is trying to make Canada’s bobsledding team.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog looks at CBC and Rogers Sportsnet teaming up to air two tennis tournaments this month.

And the Canadian Sports Media Blog lists the Gemini Award nominees in the sports categories. The Geminis are Canada’s version of the Emmys.

That will conclude the links today.