How was CBC's coverage in the 80s?

[danderson400]

They would split the country and MacLean would say this game is being seen in Ottawa-to the west and Montreal is being seen from Montreal to the east.

I had access to a C-Band dish 25 years ago and the 2 CBC channels that were in the clear in the US were CBC-North and CBC-Montreal. The Montreal station had weird commercials from a leather store called Dimitri.

I remember that too. Pretty sure during the 91 playoffs, i remember MacLean would say that the Flames-OIlers series was National expect for BC which would see Kings/Canucks. CBUT had some weird ads then too. And i remember watching Habs games and seeing snow tire commercials with the announcement that sales end on December.

 

[frisco]

I don't know about the hockey as much, but the curling coverage couldn't be beat.

My Best-Carey

 

[Uncle Rotter]

I don't know about the hockey as much, but the curling coverage couldn't be beat.

My Best-Carey

SCTV was the greatest.

 

[danderson400]

Interesting. It never felt to me that cbc reduced their playoff load. I thought their load the same as usual.

I thought there was a void because cbc could never air all the games, and in the 90s, I think tsn was only able to show non Canadian first round action.

Over the years, TSN just seemed like it was able to fill the void more and more. What was interesting to me was when tsn started getting Canadian team assignments in the first round. I think that started happening a decade ago, and it actually took some time to get used to, as cbc plus Canadian playoff hockey was joined at the hip since I can remember.

TSN helped CBC in one case when, because of a commitment to the 8 p.m. EDT premiere of the film Apollo 13 they couldn't show a playoff game(Ottawa?) so TSN aired the game, but using CBC's announcers.

 

[Big Phil]

I liked their coverage back then. Maybe because no one did it better than them at the time perhaps? Different time, I suppose.

 

[Uncle Rotter]

TSN helped CBC in one case when, because of a commitment to the 8 p.m. EDT premiere of the film Apollo 13 they couldn't show a playoff game(Ottawa?) so TSN aired the game, but using CBC's announcers.

I remember back in the 1980s some playoff games being shown on the Parliamentary channel when there was a scheduling conflict.

 

[danderson400]

I wonder if that was done to accommodate The National? Or was it due to overlapping games?

 

[danderson400]

I remember back in the 1980s some playoff games being shown on the Parliamentary channel when there was a scheduling conflict.

Which playoff games do you remember that were shown on the Parliamentary channel?

 

[VanIslander]

CBC had great broadcasters in the 1980s, the best in the industry, as there were not many private broadcasters sucking away talent.

Plus, overlooked, was the TIME the broadcasters had to talk before face offs. Nowadays the NHL rules demand quick faceoffs to speed up the game. But back then a third period one-goal lead/deficit or overtime play would have plenty of buildup, with camera work detail of benches and coaches giving you a real sense of the moment!

Nowadays CBC is much less griping, with lesser broadcasters, more commercials, less time to discuss situations and see line change prep. It's now: zip zip zip highlight play. Zip zip zip highlight play. It doesn't even feel like one is at a game anymore. Watching broadcasts is just following the puck awaiting the next highlight.

Enjoy an old great game (a regular season tilt, so you can watch it without knowing the final score beforehand). Enjoy!


Bob Cole at his play-by-play best. Harry Neale has plenty of time for his quality commentary.

 

[Uncle Rotter]

Which playoff games do you remember that were shown on the Parliamentary channel?

Montreal-Hartford, game 7, 1986.
The Windsor Star - Google News Archive Search

 

[The Panther]

Bob Cole at his play-by-play best. Harry Neale has plenty of time for his quality commentary.

That's a really good game. Some NHL hockey at its finest.

The 1st goal, by Messier, is poetry in motion:

 

[danderson400]

I remember this acronym but for the life of me I can’t remember why.

I don’t remember any games getting pre-empted for The National. I do remember them doing a quick newsbrief during OT, or between games if the first game ended, then going to whatever. They had a national game, a “local” game, and that was it. You always saw the national one unless you were in the “local” area.

I also vaguely remember games being on Camwest (now Global).

I'm sure i remember staying up late and watching a Flames-Oilers playoff game and it was Jim Robson and John Davidson doing the call. At first i thought it was CBC, but the graphics said "Stanley Cup 88" rather than the HNIC graphics i was used to then. And there wasn't a Molson product label on the graphics either.

 

[danderson400]

Does anybody remember the night in 88(think it was) that a province wide blackout in Quebec wreaked havoc with a Bruins-Habs game? CBC threw their coverage to the Devils-Capitals game, where Chris Cuthbert was by himself with maybe 1(or 2?) cameras? That was so surreal.

 

[danderson400]

I think Dick did just about everything, over the years.

Both tv and radio.

He was colour commentator for many years, with Danny Gallivan doing play-by-play. I also remember Dick doing play-by-play some, although I don't remember the years....must've been during the '80s. He was the 3rd man. He was studio host for Montreal games on HNIC. And then he was kind of the grand old man of HNIC.

Dick always called play-by-play on radio for Habs games that weren't on HNIC. That was even when he acted as both the colour commentator and studio host for HNIC telecasts from Montreal.