CBC ices "Battle of the Blades" in budget cuts

[pat c]

I'm not sure if CBC had a mandate to keep a certain number of both scripted vs. non-scripted programming for prime-time.

BOTB had a decent season ratings-wise overall, but I think it's season average fell below Dragon's Den, Republic of Doyle, Rick Mercer and Arctic Air

Dragon's Den is the highest rated I think. I know a lot of people who watch it as well as Rick Mercer and Arctic Air. The Republic of Doyle otoh.........(shrug)

[Andora]

I got the feeling last year just didn't take like the previous two. I think one of the draws was the heavily Canadian cast previously. Last year seemed more 50-50 Canadian and American/International.

I will really miss BOTB. I loved watching it week to week, attending when I could. But with everything going on at the CBC, and a guess at how expensive BOTB was to produce, I'm not surprised.

[professordeb]

I got the feeling last year just didn't take like the previous two. I think one of the draws was the heavily Canadian cast previously. Last year seemed more 50-50 Canadian and American/International.

I will really miss BOTB. I loved watching it week to week, attending when I could. But with everything going on at the CBC, and a guess at how expensive BOTB was to produce, I'm not surprised.

Now I find this kinda funny suggesting that because there were more Canadians in the cast that it wasn't as well received/watched. Since it's a Canadian show that is shown on a Canadian channel and watched mainly by Canadians, why wouldn't you want more Canadians competing? I think, perhaps, that the hockey players weren't as well known and to some degree, neither were the figure skaters -- at least in John Q Public's eye.

Me, I missed Shae Lynn and the show just wasn't the same without her.

Oh yeah, maybe something to do with who was doing the judges -- I got totally turned off by them having JR. Bad enough with Sandra but him -- he often got on my last nerve and twisted it to no end.

[steph28]

I will really miss this show.... Professordeb, I also missed Shae-Lynn great deal this fall. This show perfectly matches her, and it wasn't the same without her. Hope CBC will consider to bring it back soon!

[The Accordion]

Now I find this kinda funny suggesting that because there were more Canadians in the cast that it wasn't as well received/watched. Since it's a Canadian show that is shown on a Canadian channel and watched mainly by Canadians, why wouldn't you want more Canadians competing?

I think Andora was saying the opposite - that the previous casts were more Canadian and thus garnered more interest than last year's cast.

[4rkidz]

I think its too bad.. I love CBC programs, I watch their news.. enjoy their Canadian focused shows.. I'm afraid this is just the beginning of reducing funding for 'national' type things.. Arts will be next and Culture.. even though CTV will hopefully look at picking up BOB - it will not be as good as CBC - just look at the Olympics..

[shopper]

Such a shame. Loved watching it and there is so little figure skating on now other than amateur competitions

[professordeb]

I think Andora was saying the opposite - that the previous casts were more Canadian and thus garnered more interest than last year's cast.

Now that I have reread it, I can see what you mean. Facepalm!

[Andora]

Now that I have reread it, I can see what you mean. Facepalm!

I definitely meant the lack of Canadian skaters was the issue, not too many of them. Not that international skaters or hockey players are any less talented or enjoyable, (obviously not when considering how terrific Katia and Kyoko were in season 2) but the first two seasons had this real "made in Canada" kind of feel, right from the top with the Bryan Adams theme to Rom MacLean as cohost. Not so much the third season.

I think its too bad.. I love CBC programs, I watch their news.. enjoy their Canadian focused shows.. I'm afraid this is just the beginning of reducing funding for 'national' type things.. Arts will be next and Culture.. even though CTV will hopefully look at picking up BOB - it will not be as good as CBC - just look at the Olympics..

CBC is a fantastic station that has been losing step for years. I must have missed how fantastic their coverage of the 2006 and 2008 Olympics were. Except I didn't, because they really started to go downhill by then.

I do think that the show wouldn't be the same if another station picked it up.

[sequins]

^Agree. While CBC did the best they could with the Olympics and while CTV was cheesy at times. CTV had so much more to offer when it came to the Olympics. Wall to wall coverage like never before, everyone was watching and they did a great job IMO. Now BOTB on CTV would be a whole other story.

Which leads me to another question I heard CBC just had a bid rejected to cover the 2014 Olympics and CTV is not interested and with the budget cuts how could CBC possibly hope to aquire the rights? Just wondering I'm getting a bit worried we may have to depend on NBC.

[manhn]

CTV's coverage of the Olympics was AWESOME. However, I think an argument could be made that CBC would have given a similar effort for the 2010 Games. Let's see what CTV does for 2014 when the Games are not in Canada. Because outside of the 2010 Games, CBC still showcases Olympic sports better than CTV. I mean, this year's Canadians was a HOOOOGE step back from what we were accustomed to at CBC for the past several years.

I thought CTV had the 2012 and 2014 Games. 2016 and beyond are up in the air. I do recall the IOC not liking any of the bids for the Canadian rights to those Games. I think Yahoo! was interested or something. There was a thread about, I think.

[SpeedySucks]

CTV's coverage of the Olympics was AWESOME. However, I think an argument could be made that CBC would have given a similar effort for the 2010 Games. Let's see what CTV does for 2014 when the Games are not in Canada. Because outside of the 2010 Games, CBC still showcases Olympic sports better than CTV. I mean, this year's Canadians was a HOOOOGE step back from what we were accustomed to at CBC for the past several years.

I thought CTV had the 2012 and 2014 Games. 2016 and beyond are up in the air. I do recall the IOC not liking any of the bids for the Canadian rights to those Games. I think Yahoo! was interested or something. There was a thread about, I think.

The broadcast consortium (including CTV, TSN, and SportsNet) has the rights to 2012. There is currently no TV deal in place for 2014-2016. CTV and CBC have made two joint offers to the IOC, both of which have been rejected. The last offer was for about $70 million, which is a little more than half of what CTV paid for 2010-2012. CTV and CBC have offered one price if NHL players are in Sochi and a lesser price if they aren't, which the IOC isn't buying either. The IOC has threatened to have no TV broadcaster in Canada if CTV and CBC don't increase their offer.

[sequins]

The broadcast consortium (including CTV, TSN, and SportsNet) has the rights to 2012. There is currently no TV deal in place for 2014-2016. CTV and CBC have made two joint offers to the IOC, both of which have been rejected. The last offer was for about $70 million, which is a little more than half of what CTV paid for 2010-2012. CTV and CBC have offered one price if NHL players are in Sochi and a lesser price if they aren't, which the IOC isn't buying either. The IOC has threatened to have no TV broadcaster in Canada if CTV and CBC don't increase their offer.

That'll be great. We've always had such great coverage but I can't say I blame the IOC here.

[Rock2]

CBC's core strengths are in sports and news so they will probably stick to that as their revenue drivers...although I'm hearing they may lose NHL hockey altogether to CTV/TSN when the NHL renewal comes up since they can't afford what are expected to be hefty renewal rights fees.

I'm guessing that for BOTB the profit and loss statement probably didn't look too good with ad revenues dropping so perhaps it was in danger of being an unprofitable show.

To the comment of "why is Can gov't funding reality programming", I don't think that's the point. CBC loses a kajillion dollars a year which the government absorbs. For the coming cycle the gov't probably said "here's a P&L we approve of which includes $X for production"; based on that P&L the CBC would lay out a sched and allocate production dollars to projects. The focus on reality programming just becomes a by-product of the approved financial plan...it's not necessarily a stated objective by the gov't.

[HSGP21]

It is a shame BOTB is cut the same year Worlds are in Canada...would have been a nice chance to build some enthusiasm for ice skating

[star_gazer11]

According to this article, Fall lineup withstands cuts:

New programs include: the crime drama Cracked; Over the Rainbow, a talent-competition search for the new Dorothy in a stage production of The Wizard of Oz; and a period drama, Titanic: Blood and Steel, from the production company behind Camelot and The Tudors.

CBC-TV's strategy is to stay the course - for now. Time will tell if audiences are suffering from Titanic overload. Over the Rainbow will play to a similar audience that followed Battle of the Blades, and which watches competition programs like Canada's Got Talent, The Voice and even Smash.

So BotB may have had another season, if there wasn't another upcoming reality show on cbc?

[The Accordion]

Similar audience?
I know a ton of hockey fans who watched BOTB who will definitely NOT tune in to a musical theatre reality competition!
Sheesh!

[professordeb]

First we said good-bye to SYTYCD Canada, now BOTB for some stupid contest to find "Dorothy" UGH!!!

[overedge]

First we said good-bye to SYTYCD Canada, now BOTB for some stupid contest to find "Dorothy" UGH!!!

And it's not even an original idea - it's been done in the UK already. I say if some producer wants to get publicity for his restaging of The Wizard of Oz, and get his casting done as well, he can do it on some other network and not on our publicly-subsidized one

BOTB's basic idea may not have been original either, but at least bringing the hockey players into it made it more Canadian. I agree with The Accordion - viewers who watched BOTB because of the hockey players are NOT going to watch something about musical theatre.

[Jenny]

The very idea that the BOTB audience will migrate en masse to some show about the Wizard of Oz is laughable.