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Habs Fans Don't Need Cbc


PMAC

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Hey Guys, recently the Gazette published an article by Stu Cowan the sports editor who was arguing that the lack of English Habs coverage on the CBC was no big deal because most Habs fans in Quebec are bilingual or get French coverage. He sent me this response, so I was wondering if my letter was published and if anyone saw it. My letter is below his reply.

Mr. MacLeod: Thank you for taking the time to e-mail me. With your

permission, I'd like to consider your e-mail for publication as a Letter to

the Sports Editor in Sunday's Gazette. Please let me know of that is OK with

you. If so, I will need to know your home town to include with your name.

Stu Cowan

Gazette Sports Editor

scowan@thegazette.canwest.com

514-987-2475

> ----------

From: Paul Macleod

Sent: Sunday, March 19, 2006 7:59 AM

To: scowan@thegazette.canwest.com

Subject: Canadiens Fans dont need CBC

Dear Mr. Cowan:

The premise of your recent article is almost as asinine as the CBC policy that prompted it. What makes you think that the only Habs fans that matter are the bilingual ones living in Montreal? There are a lot of unilingual Anglophones in the Atlantic provinces and the rest of Canada that bleed Bleu, Blanc et Rouge just

as much as people in La Belle Province.

As one who grew up in the '70's watching the Canadiens on HNIC with my family, I think it is a travesty that our national broadcaster has become so centered on Toronto. Since when should a public broadcaster, subsidized with Canadian tax dollars, make decisions predicated solely on ratings?

Regards,

Paul MacLeod

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Hey Guys, recently the Gazette published an article by Stu Cowan the sports editor who was arguing that the lack of English Habs coverage on the CBC was no big deal because most Habs fans in Quebec are bilingual or get French coverage. He sent me this response, so I was wondering if my letter was published and if anyone saw it. My letter is below his reply.

Mr. MacLeod: Thank you for taking the time to e-mail me. With your

permission, I'd like to consider your e-mail for publication as a Letter to

the Sports Editor in Sunday's Gazette. Please let me know of that is OK with

you. If so, I will need to know your home town to include with your name.

Stu Cowan

Gazette Sports Editor

scowan@thegazette.canwest.com

514-987-2475

> ----------

From: Paul Macleod

Sent: Sunday, March 19, 2006 7:59 AM

To: scowan@thegazette.canwest.com

Subject: Canadiens Fans dont need CBC

Dear Mr. Cowan:

The premise of your recent article is almost as asinine as the CBC policy that prompted it. What makes you think that the only Habs fans that matter are the bilingual ones living in Montreal? There are a lot of unilingual Anglophones in the Atlantic provinces and the rest of Canada that bleed Bleu, Blanc et Rouge just

as much as people in La Belle Province.

As one who grew up in the '70's watching the Canadiens on HNIC with my family, I think it is a travesty that our national broadcaster has become so centered on Toronto. Since when should a public broadcaster, subsidized with Canadian tax dollars, make decisions predicated solely on ratings?

Regards,

Paul MacLeod

I like your response. But I would like to add that even in Quebec habs games are not played on Radio Canada (French CBC), but on RDS. So, unless we have cable we can't see it.

I too am sick of seeing the Leafs on CBC. I think they should rotate the broadcast between the 3 eastern teams, or they should broadcast differently in Quebec and Ontario.

BUT, I am in no way surprised at the CBC's Toronto-centric tendencies. They are based in Toronto, and they all seem to think that Toronto is Canada. And when they delve out to the Hinterlands of Canada (a.k.a. the rest of Canada) they make it seem like they are doing a good deed.

CBC should really be OBC or TBC.

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I don't think it was wise to post people's private information on a public forum. That is where spambots pick up email addresses.

It is not private information. It is posted at the bottom of every column he writes for the Gazette.

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Quite simply the CBC only cares about ratings. They figured, and its probably true based upon statistics, that they can get there best ratings by broadcasting Leaf games. ITs as simple as that.

But come playoffs, hopefully with Toronto being gone, CBC ratings will stay high, and they'll be shown that other teams can generate high ratings.

But you know what. I betcha wiht the Leafers gone, ratings dip a little bit.

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the thing is, i bet CBC anchors its playoffs coverage with the Senators rather than the Habs. As a matter of cup potential that might make sense, but I think the Habs would be better for ratings...

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Back in the 70's and 80's it was more Montreal on CBC.

Toronto got the coverage because they became a strong team in the late 90's and recently.

The big reason is obvious. $$$ for the poor CBC. They'll take it and we habs fans suffer.

It'll be interesting to see if Montreal gets more coverage soon.

After all, the tide is truly turning and this is the territory where Leaf fans won't wish to admit or discuss.

It's our time now. Let's see if the CBC can figure that out! :hlogo: :king:

Edited by ATHLÉTIQUE.CANADIEN
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Have there been any Habs games on HNIC this year that didn't involve them against the Leafs? I think there was like 1 (maybe 2?).

I like watching Hockey Night in Canada, as the production is better than other hockey shows. But I hate watching the Leafs every week. They're not even that good.

It reminds me of the coverage and attention the L.A. Lakers get in the USA, when they aren't even that good and not even the best team in their city.

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The only time that I've seen the Habs on HNIC was against the Pens,(and that was only on Montreals CBC) and on Hockey Day in Canada when they played the Sens.

:hlogo:

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I did not see your article in the Gazette although I will look for you tomorrow.

I have expressed my feelings on this subject before, the CBC is funded by tax dollars they televise shows such as corner gas and other Canadian broadcasting because they HAVE TO. The CBC should show a better cross section of hockey in this nation, and I think things will change if the Leafs continue to struggle.

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I did not see your article in the Gazette although I will look for you tomorrow.

I have expressed my feelings on this subject before, the CBC is funded by tax dollars they televise shows such as corner gas and other Canadian broadcasting because they HAVE TO. The CBC should show a better cross section of hockey in this nation, and I think things will change if the Leafs continue to struggle.

Umm not to nit pick, but Corner Gas is on CTV not CBC.

Bar

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Have there been any Habs games on HNIC this year that didn't involve them against the Leafs? I think there was like 1 (maybe 2?).

I like watching Hockey Night in Canada, as the production is better than other hockey shows. But I hate watching the Leafs every week. They're not even that good.

It reminds me of the coverage and attention the L.A. Lakers get in the USA, when they aren't even that good and not even the best team in their city.

Yeah there have been a few games on CBC. Montreal has played a couple of afternoon games this year, as well as the thrashing they took against Vancouver in the double header a few months ago

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Yeah there have been a few games on CBC. Montreal has played a couple of afternoon games this year, as well as the thrashing they took against Vancouver in the double header a few months ago
If the Leafs had of been playing at the same time in the afternoon CBC would have shown them. The Vancouver game was the late one
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I have long ago realized that Toronto is the centre of the universe.

All people who live there or aspire to do so are better than the rest us. They are smarter, better looking, more affluent, way cooler and better in the sack.

It makes me wonder why they don't just pick up and take their precious hockey team back to the mother world. They can call it "Leaf World" and leave the rest of us the hell off it.

As for the CBC they can go with them, so we won't have to pay for that crummy Crown Corporation any more.

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PMAC just for your guide, that letter was published, I read it on the Train after our two game thrashing of the Leafs!

Cool, thanks :hlogo: :hockey: :hlogo:

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I was going to tell you today that I noticed another one of ypur letters to Stu Cowan. Looks like you beat me to it. :)

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Same here. Forget the Leafs. They are the weak link in Canadian hockey. (every team except the leafs are going to make it into the playoffs)

.

Don't count your chickens yet. Edmonton and Vancouver are only 2 and 3 points up on San Jose (making a huge push right now) and Los Angeles. Still lots of hockey to be played

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I have to wonder if the problem might not be fixed in the coming years with the advent of interactive and by-demand TV. I don't think it's far beyond the realm now to see the time when the CBC broadcasts three games at the 7:00 timeslot on Saturday nights, and it is up to the fans watching to determine which they will enjoy. Sure, the Toronto game will have the big broadcasters, the most cameras and the bigger glitz, but by pressing a button on yer remote, I can see the possibility of Habs (or Sens) fans being able to watch their game and not have to deal with the Centre of the Universe anymore. Of course such a service would cost more, but if it means not having to watch Toronto, I can see a large number of fans choosing this option.

Alternate to that, of course, would be a seperate audio feed being supplied by RDS and for that channel to be subsidized during habs games by the CBC (SRC) across Canada. A simple press on the remote gives you the English pbp rather than having to listen to Pedneault bitch constantly about every tiny thing Koivu does that could be conceived as incorrect because his name is not Koivue and then praise Mike Pressbox Ribeiro as the second coming of the Rocket, which seems to be his fervent wish.

Oh, did I let my bitterness through? My bad.

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Actually, the thing I hate the most from the French braodcasts is that they seem to tune down the microphones that are (I guess) near the game surface and in the stands; instead, they emphasize on the commentators. The result is that the same game that seems lifeless and is extremely boring on RDS is actually quite entertaining if you switch it to, for example, CBC. On the English broadcast, you can really hear and feel the crowd, as well as the hits, the shoots, and pretty much everything exciting from the game.

It's been like that for years...

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Actually, the thing I hate the most from the French braodcasts is that they seem to tune down the microphones that are (I guess) near the game surface and in the stands; instead, they emphasize on the commentators. The result is that the same game that seems lifeless and is extremely boring on RDS is actually quite entertaining if you switch it to, for example, CBC. On the English broadcast, you can really hear and feel the crowd, as well as the hits, the shoots, and pretty much everything exciting from the game.

It's been like that for years...

THats a good point. The RDS almost has a taped/rerun type of feel to it. Like somebody did a bad copying job. The CBC really brings the live event through. You can hear the yells, skate strides, banging of the glass, and my personal favorite puck off the posts. Hearing one of them gets my adrenaline pumping. Kinda puts the French broadcasts to shame

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