Rocket:

Congratulations to CTV, TSN and RDS for saving the HNIC Theme song!

CBC tried to lowball the song’s creator and in doing, screwed up another set of negotiations on the product that makes the most money for the network. The HNIC product continues to be tarnished by the likes of Bob Cole, Harry Neale and buffoon P.J. Stock. CBC is becoming increasingly irrelevant, especially in their once-proud sports programming department. Many now look forward to the day when the ~$1.5 billion subsidy is removed from the CBC, putting all networks on an equal footing.

Toronto, ON – CTV Inc., together with Copyright Music & Visuals, today announced that CTV Inc. has acquired all rights to ‘The Hockey Theme’ in perpetuity, preserving the song’s legacy and ensuring it will be heard on national television for years to come. ‘The Hockey Theme’ song will now live on CTV Inc. properties TSN, RDS and across Canada on CTV during coverage of the upcoming Vancouver 2010 Olympics as outlined below.
The deal between CTV and Copyright Music & Visuals was agreed to in principle after the CBC publicly announced last Friday at 5 p.m. ET that a deal could not be reached with the rights holders. Due diligence was completed earlier today.

The song, which was created by Vancouver’s Dolores Claman in 1968, will now be used in NHL broadcasts on TSN and RDS beginning this Fall. In addition, CTV will utilize the song as part of its hockey coverage during the upcoming Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

“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.”

The announcement complements TSN’s new six-year multi-platform NHL deal, featuring more coverage of Canadian teams than ever before with at least one Canadian team in every game. Earlier this year, RDS extended its exclusive rights agreement with the Montreal Canadiens through the 2011-12 season.