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Olympic Skating Test Events May Be Cancelled


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Skate events pose Olympic problem

Vancouver could lose international events before 2010 Games if deal not reached

Jeff Lee, Vancouver Sun

Published: Monday, July 02, 2007

GUATEMALA CITY - A proposal by the International Skating Union to hold three major competitions in Vancouver in advance of the 2010 Winter Games is in jeopardy because of a dispute between the ISU and the city's games organizing committee and its television rights holder, CTV.

Octavio Cinquanta, the president of the ISU and also a powerful member of the International Olympic Committee's executive board, told The Vancouver Sun he is considering cancelling an offer to bring the three events to Vancouver in 2008-2009 because he has been unable to sign a $16-million, four-year broadcast contract with CTV.

The three events, world championships in figure skating and long-track speed-skating and a World Cup event in short-track speed-skating, are supposed to be used by the Vancouver organizing committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games (Vanoc) as tests to make sure their venues are ready for the Winter Games.

But Cinquanta, who is also on the IOC's Vancouver Coordination Commission and was one of Vancouver's biggest supporters in its bid, said if he can't persuade CTV to pay for a package of up to 50 world events during the next four years, or at a minimum have Vanoc underwrite part of the cost of the three championships, he will have no choice but to pull them.

He said he even offered a similar deal to CBC, the outgoing Olympic broadcast rights holder, without success. Two years ago, CTV outbid CBC for the rights to the 2010 Winter and 2012 Summer Games with a $161.7 million offer.

"If I do not find a TV company interested in taking this signal, then you have the prospect in Canada that you will not see these events. I cannot impose on CTV or CBC to take these signals," Cinquanta said.

Cinquanta, who expressed considerable frustration during an interview with The Vancouver Sun, said the deal is the same one that the ISU has offered to the past five hosts of the Winter Games, and all except the Canadians have accepted.

"I am very much surprised. You have to tell me something. Were the other organizing committees crazy when we offered this deal to them and they took it? Ever since I have been president in 1994, we offered this to the host cities and they took it. But the Canadians are saying no, they can't afford it.

"If they do not, there will be no televised events in Canada. If the Canadians do not want to see these kind of competitions, then we will go to Asia, Europe and North America and not Canada."

But Vanoc CEO John Furlong expressed optimism that a deal of some sort will be worked out before fall. He said it was a complicated issue because Vanoc has no responsibility for providing broadcasts, but wants to have the prestige of holding the international events when testing the readiness of its facilities.

"We're in discussion with the ISU about test events, and I believe we are headed towards a solution that will see those test events happen in Vancouver and the financial considerations around those events will get reconciled," he said.

CTV president Rick Brace said in a telephone interview Monday that the ISU proposal was too expensive for his network. He said he wanted to broadcast the three Vancouver events, but not the rest, and would consider a deal if Cinquanta was willing to unhook them from the package.

"From the terms and conditions the ISU was offering, we couldn't make it work. From a financial point of view it was too expensive" Brace said. "I am not hopeful of anything. It's clearly up to Octavio to separate the test events from the rest of the package."

Brace said viewership for figure skating has been declining in recent years and CTV couldn't justify the expense of producing the broadcasts without guaranteed advertising revenues.

Furlong said Vanoc could use national championships to test its facilities, but prefers the ISU events. However, it can't be at an additional cost to the committee.

"The problem is this is a three-party situation and our only objective is to have good test events [so] that we can test that our systems are properly prepared for the games. That's our No. 1 objective. We need to be able to do these test events without having to take on an excessive amount of extra financial risk."

But Cinquanta said he offered to sweeten the deal, in which CTV would have exclusive advertising rights in return for producing the international broadcasts for the three championships. The ISU would pay all prize monies and contribute $250,000 to the Canadian sports federations involved, and Vanoc would keep ticket revenues.

In return, CTV would have broadcast access to a suite of about 50 events, starting with a number of races in 2007-2008. Most of those are elsewhere in the world. But so far, he said, the answer has been no.

"I kept offering. I offered that we would put up the prize money, and we would donate about $250,000 to the sports federations. I told the CTV they could keep the advertising," he said. "All we wanted them to do was to pay for the television production, and that was for only one of the four years. The other years they would get the signal from the other countries that host the other events."

The issue also arose during a closed-door briefing Vanoc gave to the IOC's executive board on its progress in organizing the games. Cinquanta complained to the board about the impasse, but IOC president Jacques Rogge quickly sidestepped the issue, saying Rene Fasel, the chairman of the Vancouver Coordination Commission, would try to resolve it between Vanoc, the ISU and CTV.

"This is not an IOC matter," IOC representative Giselle Davies said later.

jefflee@png.canwest.com

Jeff Lee, The Sun's 2010 Olympics reporter, is in Guatemala for the IOC's 119th session. He'll be reporting throughout the week on the selection of the successor to Vancouver's Games.

© Vancouver Sun

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Skate events pose Olympic problem

Vancouver could lose international events before 2010 Games if deal not reached

Jeff Lee, Vancouver Sun

Published: Monday, July 02, 2007

GUATEMALA CITY - A proposal by the International Skating Union to hold three major competitions in Vancouver in advance of the 2010 Winter Games is in jeopardy because of a dispute between the ISU and the city's games organizing committee and its television rights holder, CTV.

Octavio Cinquanta, the president of the ISU and also a powerful member of the International Olympic Committee's executive board, told The Vancouver Sun he is considering cancelling an offer to bring the three events to Vancouver in 2008-2009 because he has been unable to sign a $16-million, four-year broadcast contract with CTV.

The three events, world championships in figure skating and long-track speed-skating and a World Cup event in short-track speed-skating, are supposed to be used by the Vancouver organizing committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games (Vanoc) as tests to make sure their venues are ready for the Winter Games.

But Cinquanta, who is also on the IOC's Vancouver Coordination Commission and was one of Vancouver's biggest supporters in its bid, said if he can't persuade CTV to pay for a package of up to 50 world events during the next four years, or at a minimum have Vanoc underwrite part of the cost of the three championships, he will have no choice but to pull them.

He said he even offered a similar deal to CBC, the outgoing Olympic broadcast rights holder, without success. Two years ago, CTV outbid CBC for the rights to the 2010 Winter and 2012 Summer Games with a $161.7 million offer.

"If I do not find a TV company interested in taking this signal, then you have the prospect in Canada that you will not see these events. I cannot impose on CTV or CBC to take these signals," Cinquanta said.

Cinquanta, who expressed considerable frustration during an interview with The Vancouver Sun, said the deal is the same one that the ISU has offered to the past five hosts of the Winter Games, and all except the Canadians have accepted.

"I am very much surprised. You have to tell me something. Were the other organizing committees crazy when we offered this deal to them and they took it? Ever since I have been president in 1994, we offered this to the host cities and they took it. But the Canadians are saying no, they can't afford it.

"If they do not, there will be no televised events in Canada. If the Canadians do not want to see these kind of competitions, then we will go to Asia, Europe and North America and not Canada."

But Vanoc CEO John Furlong expressed optimism that a deal of some sort will be worked out before fall. He said it was a complicated issue because Vanoc has no responsibility for providing broadcasts, but wants to have the prestige of holding the international events when testing the readiness of its facilities.

"We're in discussion with the ISU about test events, and I believe we are headed towards a solution that will see those test events happen in Vancouver and the financial considerations around those events will get reconciled," he said.

CTV president Rick Brace said in a telephone interview Monday that the ISU proposal was too expensive for his network. He said he wanted to broadcast the three Vancouver events, but not the rest, and would consider a deal if Cinquanta was willing to unhook them from the package.

"From the terms and conditions the ISU was offering, we couldn't make it work. From a financial point of view it was too expensive" Brace said. "I am not hopeful of anything. It's clearly up to Octavio to separate the test events from the rest of the package."

Brace said viewership for figure skating has been declining in recent years and CTV couldn't justify the expense of producing the broadcasts without guaranteed advertising revenues.

Furlong said Vanoc could use national championships to test its facilities, but prefers the ISU events. However, it can't be at an additional cost to the committee.

"The problem is this is a three-party situation and our only objective is to have good test events [so] that we can test that our systems are properly prepared for the games. That's our No. 1 objective. We need to be able to do these test events without having to take on an excessive amount of extra financial risk."

But Cinquanta said he offered to sweeten the deal, in which CTV would have exclusive advertising rights in return for producing the international broadcasts for the three championships. The ISU would pay all prize monies and contribute $250,000 to the Canadian sports federations involved, and Vanoc would keep ticket revenues.

In return, CTV would have broadcast access to a suite of about 50 events, starting with a number of races in 2007-2008. Most of those are elsewhere in the world. But so far, he said, the answer has been no.

"I kept offering. I offered that we would put up the prize money, and we would donate about $250,000 to the sports federations. I told the CTV they could keep the advertising," he said. "All we wanted them to do was to pay for the television production, and that was for only one of the four years. The other years they would get the signal from the other countries that host the other events."

The issue also arose during a closed-door briefing Vanoc gave to the IOC's executive board on its progress in organizing the games. Cinquanta complained to the board about the impasse, but IOC president Jacques Rogge quickly sidestepped the issue, saying Rene Fasel, the chairman of the Vancouver Coordination Commission, would try to resolve it between Vanoc, the ISU and CTV.

"This is not an IOC matter," IOC representative Giselle Davies said later.

jefflee@png.canwest.com

Jeff Lee, The Sun's 2010 Olympics reporter, is in Guatemala for the IOC's 119th session. He'll be reporting throughout the week on the selection of the successor to Vancouver's Games.

© Vancouver Sun

I am very disapointed in CTV's position then. They promised during their mandate of the 2010 and 2012 that they would increased coverage of amateur sports by 50% and you would think with the success of long trackers in Torino this would be a non-issue.

Having siad that ISU is having problems getting an U.S broadcaster as well. The package with ABC has expired and Los Angeles may lose the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships because of no TV.

Maybe ISU is asking too much, but I wish CTV/Rogers would live up to its promise!

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I bet some people in Canada are saying now, "Give the Olympic coverage back to the CBC!!" :rolleyes:

What now? If that were to occur in part, my city could end up having to pick up the pieces, starting with that long-track speed skating event.

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^ the ISU asked CBC too when CTV said no, they rejected as well. $16 million is a bit pricey.

ISU is really paying the huge price as well. Both Canadian and American Networks are refusing to pay high TV Rights anymore due to

(1) The Salt Lake City Judging Scandal

(2) Declining Ratings

So I can understand why both CTV and The Mothercorp is refusing to fork over the money to the ISU. At the end of the day, however I really hope that CTV/Rogers does sign the contract with the ISU so it shows their Olympic intentions are credible. CTV could aways air the major championships in Figure Skating and Long & Short Track Speed Skating, while TSN and Rogers Sportsnet could air the ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix and the Long Track and Short Track World Cups.

CTV/TSN blew it last year when it did not contest CBC for the Alpine Skiing rights and we know he well the Canadian Ski Team performed last winter.

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ISU is really paying the huge price as well. Both Canadian and American Networks are refusing to pay high TV Rights anymore due to

(1) The Salt Lake City Judging Scandal

(2) Declining Ratings

So I can understand why both CTV and The Mothercorp is refusing to fork over the money to the ISU. At the end of the day, however I really hope that CTV/Rogers does sign the contract with the ISU so it shows their Olympic intentions are credible. CTV could aways air the major championships in Figure Skating and Long & Short Track Speed Skating, while TSN and Rogers Sportsnet could air the ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix and the Long Track and Short Track World Cups.

CTV/TSN blew it last year when it did not contest CBC for the Alpine Skiing rights and we know he well the Canadian Ski Team performed last winter.

I don't think the SLC Judging Scandal affected TV ratings. If anything, more people probably tuned in. Remember, the night Harding andf Kerrigan skated? That stands as one of the top 3 EVER highest watched nights in US television history!!

Declining Ratings? Maybe a little. But as we head for Vancouver, I think North American figure skating viewing numbers will either hold steady or rise a little -- knowing that Americans and Canadians will field strong teams for Feb 2010.

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  • 3 weeks later...
^ the ISU asked CBC too when CTV said no, they rejected as well. $16 million is a bit pricey.

Bit pricey, huh? :huh: Then, what is this?

Link: CBC: CBC Sports Signs 4-Year Pact With Skate Canada

rochette-joannie-cp-070119.jpg

This article mentions covering by the CBC:

- alpine skiing and curling

- freestyle skiing and snowboarding

But, what troubles me is how much was this package cost in the end? This article didn't mention it and that ISU issue is still in the air. Not good, considering that the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics is in CANADA! Hello?

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Bit pricey, huh? :huh: Then, what is this?

Link: CBC: CBC Sports Signs 4-Year Pact With Skate Canada

rochette-joannie-cp-070119.jpg

This article mentions covering by the CBC:

- alpine skiing and curling

- freestyle skiing and snowboarding

But, what troubles me is how much was this package cost in the end? This article didn't mention it and that ISU issue is still in the air. Not good, considering that the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics is in CANADA! Hello?

Check this article by Rob Brodie from Sun Media . Neither network (CTV and CBC) not willing to bid for ISU rights due to unreasonably high demands by ISU President Ottavio Cinquanta.

Cinquanta is still adamant that networks in both Canada and US should pay high TV rights, but he needs to get his finger out off ass and realize that Figure Skating image is not very good due to the judging scandal from Salt Lake that is resulting in lower ratings and less advertising revenues for the networks.. The ISU currently is without TV rights holder in both Canada and the USA for Figure Skating Speeding (Long track and short track).

On the other hand, I question CTV's commitment to broadcasting the games. You would think this would be a no brainer, broadcasting world cups, world championships and pre-Olympic events leading up to 2010. During their press release when they won the Canadian Broadcasting Olympic TV rights for 2010 and 2012, part of their mandate is:

3. Extensive Commitment to Amateur Sports

- Our partnership currently produces twice as many hours of amateur sports programming than anyone else.

- Commitment to grow these hours by an additional 50 per cent.

- Commitment to spend on Canadian Amateur Sports Federations over and above the other rights payments set out in the bid.

They decided to walk away from a long term TV contract with Skate Canada and now don't want the TV rights for ISU events. Some commitment? However, I can understand why they don't want to associate themselves of someone who is corrupted like Cinquatta who literally tried to put dust the scandal underneath the rug in Salt Lake.

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It looks like:

1. Cinquanta and the ISU misread, rightly or wrongly, CTV's appetite for Figure Skating events.

2. Obviously, figure skating coverage on Canadian TV does NOT draw the same numbers it does in the US. Of course, Canada has a smaller population, and they are more attuned to hockey games than FS.

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So, how do we know, by Canada giving him this kind of answer, there could be schemes to put the Canadian Grand Prix "on ice?" In other words, have the likes of Italy to replace it in the regular Grand Prix schedule? Or, if you guys haven't read the current 2007-2008 season, the Grand Prix final is in a "non-Grand Prix" nation for the first time, compliments of Torino.

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So, how do we know, by Canada giving him this kind of answer, there could be schemes to put the Canadian Grand Prix "on ice?" In other words, have the likes of Italy to replace it in the regular Grand Prix schedule? Or, if you guys haven't read the current 2007-2008 season, the Grand Prix final is in a "non-Grand Prix" nation for the first time, compliments of Torino.

What's strange though is, how come the UK isn't part of the Grand Prix 'nations'? I mean, once in a while there will be some British FS champs, and of course, FS first made its appearance on the Olympic slate in 1908 in London. Strange too, that London, the world capital that it is, hasn't hosted a World Figure Skating Championships in the last 30 years or so. Seems like the Figure Skating tradition in England is dying out.

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What's strange though is, how come the UK isn't part of the Grand Prix 'nations'? I mean, once in a while there will be some British FS champs, and of course, FS first made its appearance on the Olympic slate in 1908 in London. Strange too, that London, the world capital that it is, hasn't hosted a World Figure Skating Championships in the last 30 years or so. Seems like the Figure Skating tradition in England is dying out.

Guess the Brits have fallen "a lot" since 1984. Still, since the ISU president is Italian, it would be interesting on how the Canadian response to his request will go down with him. Unless, anyone know about what happened to Brisbane 2000?

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