Until now, I’ve talked about American broadcasting entities (CBS, ABC, and NBC) with regards to my interest in broadcasting.

Though I may be an American, I have an interest in and a great amount of respect for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

The CBC’s news department was created in January, 1941 during the public broadcaster’s days strictly on the radio. When the CBC had expanded into television in 1952, it’s news department followed it’s network parent into the up and coming form of broadcasting.

Canada has been late to the game with regards to television. The United States had invented television in the 1920’s, a few experimental television stations had signed on in the late 1920’s, more experimental stations had signed on during the 1930’s and early 1940’s, these experimental stations had been granted full-fledged commercial status and new commercial stations had signed on almost immediately after WWII in the mid-late 1940’s, by the late 1950’s; television had become fully established and well accepted by the American people of the time; and by the 1960’s, television had become a social norm in American culture.

Canada, meanwhile; didn’t see it’s first television stations and network until 1952 when the CRTC had finally opened itself up to giving out television licenses following WWII; the CBC had jumped on the bandwagon of Canada’s newly established television allocation immediately; many independent television stations had signed on like hotcakes throughout the remainder of the 1950’s, and by 1961; a new private network that would become the CBC’s arch rival-CTV had commenced operations. Stations such as Canadian Marconi’s CFCF-TV had signed on in 1961 and had joined the brand-new television network just as both the television station and the network as a whole were commencing operations.

Though I don’t care about Hockey, the NHL had quickly settled comfortably being broadcasted by the way of CBC’s new medium with the inauguration of their new television network in 1952. Their coverage of NHL events, called ‘Hockey Night In Canada’; had begun on CNR Radio in 1931, then had moved over to the predecessor to the CBC-the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission (CRBC) in 1933, had later moved over to the newly created CBC Radio in 1936. The last time that the CBC had ever broadcasted an NHL event audibly over their radio network was in 1976. From 1952-1976, the CBC had broadcasted NHL events simultaneously on both the radio and on television.

With the CBC having lost many of it’s rights to televise sporting events in recent years, including the NHL after 70 some odd years to the Rogers Corporation’s cable channels; the state-owned & operated broadcasting entity, in 2015; has decided to nearly abolish their sports department altogether with the exception of strictly bidding on the Canadian television rights to future Olympic Games (Winter & Summer) and the Commonwealth Games. In other words, only sporting events that matter culturally to the Canadian people and represent Canada as a whole entire nation; will the CBC pursue televising from this point forward.

The habit of the television rights to sporting events increasing incessantly as time goes on has finally reached Canada. Although the CBC had paid a record amount for their outgoing rights to the NHL in the mid-2000’s at the cost of general primetime and cultural programming and even eating away some allocated funds for their news department.

CNR, by the way; stood for Canadian National Railways Radio Division and is the CBC’s earliest ancestor. CNR Radio was later taken over by the Canadian government to become the CRBC, and finally; the CBC. The government takeover by the Canadian government had occurred in 1933.

It personally matters to me as to why Peter Mansbridge and his family had immigrated to Canada from England when he was 3 years old, which one of Wendy Mesley’s ancestors had immigrated to Canada from England, which one of Don Newman’s ancestors had immigrated to Canada from England, which one of Knowlton Nash’s ancestors had immigrated to Canada from England, which one of Linden MacIntyre’s ancestors had immigrated to Canada from Scotland, which one of Keith Boag’s ancestors had immigrated to Canada from Scotland, which one of Neil MacDonald’s ancestors had immigrated to England from Scotland; and which one of Adrienne Arsenault’s ancestors had immigrated to Canada from France.

Wendy Mesley, at one time; had worked at CFRB-AM, and at another time; had worked as a reporter at CFCF-TV. Below is a photo from her days at CFRB-AM.

Wendy Mesley as of 1993:

https://twitter.com/cbc_archives/status/547435787042979840

Peter Mansbridge reporting from Vietnam during the late 1960’s and early 1970’s:

Peter Mansbridge as of the 1980’s:

Peter Mansbridge at the Great Wall of China in 1976:

Adrienne Arsenault reporting on the death of Knowlton Nash in 2014:

Videos about the passing of Knowlton Nash:

I totally respect Knowlton Nash’s wish for wanting the cremated remains of his body stored in a film canister. I personally do not think that is odd.