CBC unveils broadcast coverage of Sochi 2014 Olympic Games
Come February 2014, you will not be hearing CTV’s familiar Vancouver 2010 ‘I Believe’ theme as Canada’s television coverage of the Olympic Games will be returning to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation until at least Rio de Janeiro 2016.
CBC has unveiled its broadcast team for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. The public broadcaster has partnered with Bell Media’s TSN, TSN2, TSN Radio, Sportsnet and Sportsnet One in an attempt to meet the expectations Canadians have built from the wall-to-wall coverage offered by CTV and Rogers for the Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 Games.
While CBC has previously partnered with TSN’s main channel to deliver expanded Olympic coverage, the multiple partners involved for Sochi 2014 is unprecedented.
Further programming details and scheduling information will be made available closer to the start of Sochi 2014.
During last year’s London 2012 Summer Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that the Canadian Olympic television rights would be returning to CBC after CTV decided not to submit a bid. CTV defeated the CBC to take hold of the rights to broadcast Vancouver 2010 and London 2012.
With the upcoming Sochi Games, Diana Swain of CBC’s The National will pair up with CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada’s David Amber to host Olympic Morning followed by Scott Russell who will host Olympic Daytime every day throughout the Games. Ron MacLean will host Olympic Primetime in the evenings while Andi Petrillo from CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada will work with CBC News Montreal’s Andrew Chang to host Olympic Overnight in Pacific Primetime.
Together, CBC’s Olympic team will lead viewers through the events and storylines playing out each day. In addition, the Opening Ceremony on Friday, February 7 will be co-hosted by MacLean and The National’s Peter Mansbridge from Fisht Olympic Stadium in Sochi.
Brian Williams, who is likely a familiar face to Canadians having covered the Olympics for Canada since 1984, retired shortly after his role as London 2012 Primetime host for CTV. He was fired from CBC in 2006 shortly after announcing his intention to move to rival CTV to head the network’s coverage of Vancouver and London.
CBC will broadcast live from a studio at the International Broadcast Centre in Sochi. During the Torino 2006 Winter Games, as a cost saving measure due to government cutback, the network decided to broadcast its Olympic coverage from its Toronto headquarters.
With the recent major funding cuts by the Harper Conservative government, it remains to be seen whether the public broadcaster will be able to match the quality of coverage offered by CTV. While the CBC has won similar awards during its heyday, CTV won the IOC’s top worldwide broadcaster awards for its excellent quality coverage of both the 2010 and 2012 Games.
CTV Vancouver 2010 Opening Sequence
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CTV London 2012 Opening Sequence
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CBC Athens 2004 Opening Sequence
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CBC Sochi 2014 Games Coverage Promo
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Studio Broadcast Team (International Broadcast Centre)
• David Amber – co-host, Olympic Morning
• Andrew Chang – co-host, Olympic Overnight
• Ron MacLean – host, Olympic Primetime
• Andi Petrillo – co-host, Olympic Overnight
• Scott Russell – host, Olympic Daytime
• Diana Swain – co-host, Olympic Morning
Sport Specialists
Alpine
• Kerrin Lee-Gartner – analyst
• Scott Oake – commentator
Curling
• Mike Harris – analyst
• Joan McCusker – analyst
• Bruce Rainnie – commentator
Figure Skating
• Kurt Browning – analyst
• Brenda Irving – commentator
• Carol Lane – analyst
Freestyle
• Jeff Bean – analyst
• Jennifer Heil – analyst, moguls
• Mitch Peacock – commentator
Ice Hockey
• Jennifer Botterill – analyst, women’s
• Cassie Campbell-Pascall – analyst, men’s and women’s
• Don Cherry – analyst, men’s
• Elliotte Friedman – reporter, men’s
• Glenn Healy – analyst, men’s
• Kelly Hrudey – analyst, men’s
• Jim Hughson – commentator, men’s
• Mark Lee – commentator, men’s and women’s
• Ron MacLean – host
• Craig Simpson – analyst, men’s
Nordic
• Rob Keith – analyst, ski jumping
• Karin Larsen – commentator, cross country and Nordic combined
• Jack Sasseville – analyst, cross country and Nordic combined
• Beckie Scott – analyst, cross country and biathlon
Sliding
• Jeff Christie – analyst, luge
• Mark Connolly – commentator
• Helen Upperton – analyst, bobsleigh and skeleton
Snowboard
• Craig McMorris, analyst
• Rob Snoek, commentator
Speed Skating
• Steve Armitage – commentator
• Kristina Groves – analyst, long track speed skating
• Andi Petrillo – co-host, Olympic Overnight
Special Studio Analysts
• Jennifer Heil – Two-time Olympian, two-time Olympic medalist in freestyle mogul skiing
• Clara Hughes – Six-time Olympian, six-time Olympic medalist
• Rosie MacLennan – Two-time Olympian, 2012 Olympic gold medalist in trampoline
• Kelly VanderBeek – 2006 Olympian in alpine skiing
• Adam van Koeverden – Three-time Olympian, four-time Olympic medalist in kayak
Reporters
• Carly Agro – reporter, Mountain Cluster
• Doug Gelevan – reporter, Mountain Cluster
• Colleen Jones – reporter, Coastal Cluster
• Sonali Karnick – reporter, Coastal Cluster
CBC News and CBC Radio
• Peter Armstrong – reporter, radio and reporter, CBC News Network/The National
• Adrienne Arsenault – reporter, The National
• Nahlah Ayed – reporter, The National
• David Common – host/reporter, radio and reporter, CBC News Network/The National
• Matt Galloway – host, Morning Olympic Report
• Jian Ghomeshi – host, Q
• Ian Hanomansing – host, CBC News Network
• Heather Hiscox – host, CBC News Network
• Peter Mansbridge – chief anchor, The National
• Nick Purdon – reporter, radio and reporter, CBC News Network/The National
• Scott Regehr – host, Afternoon Olympic Report and reporter, CBC News Network
Image: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
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