CBC cuts CONCACAF Champions League
Earlier today the CBC announced that coverage of CONCACAF Champions League soccer will be drastically reduced next year due to the current financial crisis that is gripping Mother Corp. Whether this means a reduction in the amount of coverage or a complete cancellation of their coverage is hard to tell from the story.
As a soccer fan, it’s disappointing that the biggest club competition on the continent is going to get even less coverage nationally, especially with the interest in the new competition on the rise due to the great Impact run this year. But when put in the context that 800 people are losing their jobs, well…
Some of those people are the crew who produce another sports related program on CBC Radio, The Inside Track, one of the few national radio shows that featured in depth coverage of sport beyond the scores. In recent years, the program has aired some great soccer features, including a feature profile with David Edgar just prior to the 2007 U20 World Cup.
The CBC dropping the CCL is news, but what's hidden in there is the news that the CCL lost money for the CBC. They were basically piggybacking off other broadcasters when possible with the broadcast crew watching from Toronto, managed to put out a solid if under-financed product in the inaugural Canadian season where Montreal went on a cinderella run, and lost money.
That's more worrying than just having coverage slashed.