"Back To Work Protocol" For CMG Workers Announced

[Joseph_Gallant]

The Canadian Media Guild website has published an article outlining plans for members to return to work following the end of the CBC lockout.

Note that most CMG workers will be returning to work next Tuesday (October 11th), the day after the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend ends.

The article admits that some union members will be asked to return to work this week to "put equipment in working order and to schedule shifts". The article also reports (and here's the good news for Canadians) that "some people will return to work to put 'Hockey Night In Canada' to air on Saturday evening (October 8th)". Fans in Ottawa will get the Sens/Buffalo Sabres game, the rest of the network will get the Montreal/Toronto contest, and everyone will get the Vancouver/Edmnonton match-up as the "late" (10:05 P.M. EDT) game.

I personally expected that the first priority would be to get CBC News back on the air ASAP (before the end of the week), then "HNIC", then the rest of the network after the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend.

It appears that "HNIC" will be the first CBC Television program to "get back to normal", then perhaps CBC News after the Holiday weekend, and everything else not long after that.

 

[OldAkronite]

Hockey - Driving Force To End CBC Lockout

> I personally expected that the first priority would be to
> get CBC News back on the air ASAP (before the end of the
> week), then "HNIC", then the rest of the network after the
> Canadian Thanksgiving weekend.

How much do you know about Canada, Joseph?

I posted a Globe and Mail article about this on the Canadian radio board.

<a target="_blank" href=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20051006.wcbc1006/BNStory/Entertainment/>http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20051006.wcbc1006/BNStory/Entertainment/</a>

Quoting the relevant part of the article:

Lise Lareau, CMG president, is quoted by the Globe and Mail:

"The hockey was clearly a priority of the CBC's (and) a major factor in bringing these talks to the end.”

Apparently, they negotiated separately to get HNIC on the air ASAP. A side effect of this is that the CBC will also be able to air its (Canadian) Thanksgiving Day CFL doubleheader on Monday afternoon.

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>

 

[Joe_Capitano]

Re: Hockey - Driving Force To End CBC Lockout

> LISE LAREAU: "The hockey was clearly a priority of the CBC's (and) a
> major factor in bringing these talks to the end.”

Dead on. It's worth noting that HNIC is seen by most viewers in the USA as part of the NHL Center Ice subscription package, so Rabinowich and his elves would look like even bigger hosers if all they could offer was a lockout-style telecast with announcerless coverage and no Don Cherry.

As to the CFL, the AmericaOne folks can breathe easier as well. No need for them to bring in people to cover the host broadcaster's bum.

...and the CBC can shut off the transmitter again at night after Thanksgiving (Monday there).

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

Re: Hockey - Driving Force To End CBC Lockout

From what I've read, TSN got it's best-ever ratings for it's regionalized coverage of the NHL opening night this past Wednesday (October 5th), so that may bode well for CBC's "HNIC" premiere.