Some things you just know are going to happen. Between France’s 0-0 snoozer with Romania and the Netherlands’ 3-0 blistering of the undermanned Italians in the European Soccer Championship came the news that you will now hear the Hockey Night in Canada theme, Canada’s second national anthem, on all NHL games and Olympic hockey games televised on TSN from now on.
From TSN’s standpoint that’s not a surprise. Even if you had just a little, tiny, squirrel brain, you could have said to yourself, “If those morons at CBC actually do dump the theme, we’ll pay what we need to pay in order to get the rights.”
In fact, in our Friday blog entitled, “CBC to drop Canada’s “second national anthem” along with Bob Cole. Sad,” we wrote the following: “At first, I lamented CBC’s decision to dump the theme and then I thought, “Well if TSN has a collective brain bigger than a walnut, those folks will start sending cheques to the composer, Dolores Claman, and start using the theme themselves.” TSN’s broadcast crew is already better than CBC’s, they might just as well take the theme music — the best there is and, without argument, Canada’s second national anthem.
Yesterday, the news story arrived…
TORONTO (CP) — CTV has acquired the rights to the song that’s been CBC’s “Hockey Night in Canada” theme for the past 40 years.
CTV and Copyright Music and Visuals, the company that controls use of the classic song composed by Dolores Claman, announced Monday afternoon that CTV acquired all rights to the song in perpetuity.
The network says it will use the song on NHL broadcasts on TSN, RDS and during the broadcaster’s coverage of the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.
CTV says it made an agreement in principle Friday with Copyright Music and Visuals after CBC announced a contest to find a new theme song.
The contest announcement followed months of negotiations that failed to result in a new licensing agreement between CBC and the agent.
CBC lost the rights to the tune because it made a giant error in judgment that will now haunt it forever.
The press release read as follows:
“The song has a long and storied history in Canadian sports and has become ingrained in the hearts and minds of hockey fans across the country. It is an iconic tune, embraced by Canadians everywhere, and we felt it was imperative to save it. We know we will be in hockey forever, so there’s no doubt this acquisition will create value for us,” said Rick Brace, President, Revenue, Business Planning and Sports, CTV Inc. “It’s an honour and a privilege to own such a cherished piece of Canadiana.
“I am very moved by how so many Canadians have taken the hockey theme to heart. We are so pleased the song has found a new home,” said Claman. “Throughout our negotiations, CTV displayed a tremendous amount of respect for my family and the song. ‘The Hockey Theme’ means so much to Canadians, and we know it’s in good hands with CTV.”
Poor old CBC. They actually hired sports lawyer Gord Kirke on Monday morning to negotiate a new deal. By 3 p.m. on Monday, they’d lost the song forever.
Obviously, the people who run the CBC do not have brains as big as walnuts. Or squirrels.
However, we must ask: “…and that’s the kind of leadership that our $975 million a year worth of tax money is buying?”
Sorry. Now, I really have to wonder who has the tiny, little brain.