CFL on CTV is a presentation of Canadian Football League football airing on the CTV Television Network produced by Bell Media's The Sports Network.[1] It was previously a standalone independently produced program on CTV from 1961 to 1986. CTV dropped coverage of the CFL after the 1986 season; and this coverage was replaced by TSN and the newly created Canadian Football Network.
| CFL on CTV | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Starring | The CFL on CTV game commentators |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Production | |
| Running time | 360 minutes+ |
| Original release | |
| Network | CTV (1961–1986, 2024–present) |
History
edit1961–1986
editIn February 1961, CFTO-TV, outbid the CBC for the rights to the CFL's Eastern Conference regular season and playoff games.[2] The station was allowed to broadcast only in Toronto and could only air Ottawa Rough Riders and Montreal Alouettes games, as the Toronto Argonauts and Hamilton Tiger-Cats were blacked out in that market. CFTO-TV's owner, John W. H. Bassett applied to the Board of Broadcast Governors for permission to set up a temporary network to broadcast the games in other markets, while another broadcaster, Spence Caldwell, set out to form a permanent network.[3] On April 22, 1961, the BBG rejected Bassett's application and gave Caldwell permission to start the county's first private television network. Caldwell reached an agreement with Bassett to broadcast the games on his new network, which launched as the CTV Television Network on October 1, 1961.[4][5] After losing the CFL, the CBC acquired the rights to the National Football League and aired their games against the CFL on CTV.[6]
In 1962, CTV purchased the rights to the Grey Cup.[7] The BBG proposed that all stations in the country be required to carry CTV's feed of the game, however the CBC objected because the Corporation did not want to broadcast the game with CTV's sponsors.[8] The BBG eventually ordered the CBC to carry CTV's broadcast of the game and threatened network president Alphonse Ouimet with jail time if the network refused to comply.[9]
On March 15, 1963, the CBC and CTV reached an agreement that saw the two networks split coverage of the Canadian Football League. The CBC had first rights to Saturday games and CTV had first rights to games played on any other day of the week. If two games were scheduled for the same time, the other network had the right to air the game not picked up by their competitor and if a network had to cancel a broadcast, the other network could air the game. Both networks would spilt playoff coverage and the Grey Cup would be aired on both the CBC and CTV.[10] The two sides continued this arrangement until the end of the 1972 season, when the CBC outbid CTV for the rights to the CFL. The CBC still allowed CTV to cover some games and the two networks had a near even split of regular season games and both aired the Grey Cup.[11][12]
In 1980, brewery Carling O'Keefe, outbid the CBC and CTV for the broadcast rights to the Canadian Football League. Carling O'Keefe sold the rights to the CBC and CTV.[13] The brewery won the rights again in 1983.[14]
After the 1986 season, the CFL and CTV were unable to reach an agreement on broadcasting rights and the league chose to form an independent network, the Canadian Football Network, to broadcast games not aired on CBC or TSN.[15]
2024–present
editIn June 2024, Bell Media announced that CTV would air on digital terrestrial television a late-season package of TSN-produced CFL coverage beginning in the 2024 season. CTV will air Saturday 3 p.m. ET games beginning September 7, share in coverage of the playoffs (CTV broadcasting the earlier time zone East Division playoff games), and simulcast the 111th Grey Cup with TSN.[1]
Commentators
editEastern broadcasts
edit- Johnny Esaw, play-by-play (1961–1973)[16][17]
- Annis Stukus, colour commentator (1961–1967)[16]
- Joe Spence, host/reporter (1967–1972)
- Bill Bewley, colour commentator (1968–1970)[18]
- Pat Marsden, host/reporter (1968–1973), play-by-play (1974–1986)[17]
- Dick Shatto, colour commentator (1970–1973)[19][17]
- Wally Gabler, colour commentator (1974)[17]
- Bill Stephenson, host/reporter (1974–1986)
- Mike Wadsworth, colour commentator (1975–1981)[20][21]
- Leif Pettersen, colour commentator (1982–1986)[21]
Western broadcasts
edit- Brad Keene, play-by-play (1962–1966)[22]
- Jack Wells, play-by-play/colour commentator (1962, 1967)[22][23]
- Al Shaver, play-by-play/colour commentator (1962)[22]
- Stewart MaePherson, colour commentator (1963)[24]
- Frank Anderson, colour commentator (1963–1964)[24]
- Vic Chapman, colour commentator (1965–1966)
- Al McCann, play-by-play (1967–1972),[23][25] host/reporter (1970–1986)
- Ken Newans, play-by-play (1967–1972),[23][25] host/reporter (1971–1972)
- Gene Filipski, colour commentator (1967–1970)[23]
- Reg Whitehouse, colour commentator (1967)
- Bob Gillingham, host/reporter (1967–1968)
- Johnny Bright, colour commentator (1970)[19]
- John Wells, play-by-play (1971–1975)[26][27]
- Hal Ledyard, colour commentator (1971)[26]
- Bernie Pascal, play-by-play (1972),[25] host/reporter (1974–1975)
- Fred Fleming, colour commentator (1972–1977)[25][28]
- Peter Young, play-by-play (1976–1979)[27]
- Frank Rigney, colour commentator (1978–1986)[28]
- Dale Isaac, play-by-play (1980–1986)[29]
- Jack Gotta, colour commentator (1984)[30]
References
edit- ^ a b "Star-Studded New Series, Returning Hits, and Live Events to Anchor CTV's 2024/25 Schedule". bellmedia.ca. Bell Media. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
- ^ "Loss of television rights disappoints CBC officials". The Leader-Post. February 22, 1961. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ "CBC Without Big Four League, Playoff Coverage". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. April 15, 1961. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ Hanright, Don (April 22, 1961). "Private TV Network Gets Approval". The Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ Braithwaite, Dennis (October 2, 1961). "Filmed Accolades Put Private TV Network on the Air". The Globe and Mail. p. 4.
- ^ "Channel Hopping". The Windsor Star. December 26, 1970. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ "CTV Purchases Rights To Grey Cup Telecast". The Montreal Gazette. May 31, 1962. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ "Grey Cup TV for all proposed". The Leader-Post. August 20, 1962. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ Lynch, Charles (November 8, 1962). "CBC Loses Battle". The Calgary Herald. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ "Rival Networks In Agreement On Football Broadcast Plans". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. March 15, 1963. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ "CBC will telecast CFL games". The Calgary Herald. December 1, 1972. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ "...Sports...And More Sports". The Montreal Gazette. September 8, 1973. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ Powers, Ned (October 24, 1980). "Will brewery provide fair coverage?". The Phoenix. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ "CFL signs sweet deal". The Calgary Herald. October 15, 1983. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ "CFL, CTV to part company". The Phoenix. March 2, 1987. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ a b "Kinsella's Corner: For Want Of $15,000, Horse Escaped Barn". Ottawa Citizen. February 20, 1961. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ a b c d Walker, Hal (June 17, 1974). "World of Spot". The Calgary Herald. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ "Channel hopping". The Montreal Gazette. June 26, 1971. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ a b "Football Stars Join Network". The Calgary Herald. July 17, 1970. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ "Sports in Brief: Hunsperger sent to jail". Edmonton Journal. March 29, 1975. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ a b Wood, Larry (April 26, 1982). "Sports". The Calgary Herald. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ a b c Hunter, Gorde (November 6, 1962). "One Man's Opinion". The Calgary Herald. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Gridirons and Two-Irons". The Leader-Post. June 23, 1967. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ a b Hunter, Gorde (July 20, 1963). "No title". The Calgary Herald. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ a b c d Powers, Ned (July 21, 1972). "$750,000 tab on Russia-Canada series". The Phoenix. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ a b "No title". The Windsor Star. June 24, 1971. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ a b "Speculation on Grey Cup Confrontation Running High". The Val d'Or Star. September 15, 1976. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ a b "Sunday focus on Belafonte". The Phoenix. February 3, 1978. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ Powers, Ned (July 4, 1980). "Heavy sports week upcoming". The Phoenix. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ "Gotta reported hired to coach Saskatchewan". The Saturday Windsor Star. December 13, 1984. Retrieved 26 August 2024.