For anyone who’s a hockey fan, the Hockey Night in Canada theme song that precedes every Saturday night telecast on CBC is an inherent part of our culture and arguably our second national anthem.
Written in 1968 by Delores Claman, it’s an iconic tune that most Canadian could recognize within seconds, and it’s easily one of the most popular ringtone downloads.
So, it’s a bit of a puzzler that the CBC has decided to walk away from “our song” after declining to renew the $20,000/year licensing rights – the day after the sublime Detroit Red Wings won the Stanley Cup. It’s probably some bean counter trying to save our national broadcaster a few bucks while forgetting that Hockey Night in Canada is, by far, the CBC’s most lucrative property. That’s saying something given the, um, commercial mediocrity of many CBC shows.
With the theme song in peril, it’s encouraging to see that people are trying to use the Web to save it.
GiveMeaning, which helps people raises money for all kinds of great charitable causes, is now running a campaign to raise $20,000 – the licensing cost for one year. While it would be an impressive accomplishment if $20,000 was raised, the fact this campaign exists gives you everything you need to know about how some people feel about the theme song.
For more, check out the Toronto Star in which writer Chris Zelkowich suggests the CBC’s move stems from a $2.5-million lawsuit that Claman launched against the CBC four years ago that apparently has to do with ringtone royalties. You can download the ringtone here or here.
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Let’s Save the Hockey Night in Canada Theme Song
Update: CTV has acquired the Hockey Night in Canada theme song. The song will now be heard during TSN’s NHL broadcasts and during the 2010 Olympic broadcasts.
For anyone who’s a hockey fan, the Hockey Night in Canada theme song that precedes every Saturday night telecast on CBC is an inherent part of our culture and arguably our second national anthem.
Written in 1968 by Delores Claman, it’s an iconic tune that most Canadian could recognize within seconds, and it’s easily one of the most popular ringtone downloads.
So, it’s a bit of a puzzler that the CBC has decided to walk away from “our song” after declining to renew the $20,000/year licensing rights – the day after the sublime Detroit Red Wings won the Stanley Cup. It’s probably some bean counter trying to save our national broadcaster a few bucks while forgetting that Hockey Night in Canada is, by far, the CBC’s most lucrative property. That’s saying something given the, um, commercial mediocrity of many CBC shows.
With the theme song in peril, it’s encouraging to see that people are trying to use the Web to save it.
GiveMeaning, which helps people raises money for all kinds of great charitable causes, is now running a campaign to raise $20,000 – the licensing cost for one year. While it would be an impressive accomplishment if $20,000 was raised, the fact this campaign exists gives you everything you need to know about how some people feel about the theme song.
For more, check out the Toronto Star in which writer Chris Zelkowich suggests the CBC’s move stems from a $2.5-million lawsuit that Claman launched against the CBC four years ago that apparently has to do with ringtone royalties. You can download the ringtone here or here.
Technorati Tags: CBC, Hockey Night in Canada