Canadas second national anthem gone

Can it be true? Canada’s second national anthem is no more? What will be the new theme?

In case you missed it, CBC has decided not to renew the rights to the song that has played every Saturday night for, I don’t know, a billion years!

CBC had apparently let them know that they would’nt be renewing the rights to the song with amount to what they said was “$500 per broadcast.”

I know CBC is in the pits when it comes to sports and they’ve all but remortgaged the home fort to ensure they have the Olympics this year, but where does it end. TSN has slowly picked away at our so called beloved national broadcaster and has now become a joke across the country.

Bob Cole from what I hear will no longer be doing the playoff broadcasts for the CBC next year. Is the writing on the wall? Will CBC be making a drastic attempt at reinventing itself to salvage whats left of their sports department? Or is it they cant afford $500 per episode? It is possible.

Should the CBC pack it in and stop trying to compete in the real world where the pockets are much deeper? Canadian taxpayers fund the CBC to the tune of billions of dollars per year. Are these billions better spent on things like health care, infrastructure and the environment?

All I know is that as a hockey fan who spent many nights in front of the TV waiting to hear the “dun dun dun dun dun……da da da da da daaaaaaaaaaaaaaa” will have to look forward to another song, maybe a complete re branding of the CBC Hockey Night in Canada. They have been debuting different hosts on the show like PJ Starks (I think) and local guys like Jeff Marek more. (Jeff was also on Sirius channels doing the HNIC show during the year as well…hes a great radio guy!)

All anyone can see is CBC’s HNIC is in trouble. Ratings are down, revenues are down and it seems like a very old and tired product that needs some refreshing and modernization. TSN’s hockey programs are the best in our area as far as Im concerned and if CBC wants to get back into it, they need to change how things are done. As much of a traditionalist that I am, as a business person something needs to be done with them or pull the plug.

The theme will always live on with me though…its downloaded as a ring tone. In case I feel a bit of nostalgia hit me.