[Tsawwassen]

Originally Posted by The Original FFIV

If they didn't have to pay MacLean, Cherry and Cole the big salaries then they wouldn't be cash strapped. I'm sure poaching Jim Hughson from Sportsnet wasn't cheap either.

Surprised you guys are pro CBC. Anyone else find it unfair that Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa all get their games televised on Sat night but only one western game is televised? So if I live in the lower mainland I have to buy Centre Ice to watch the Flames because cbc plays God and determines which western team is worthy enough to be televised? This smells bad.

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

You've over simplified your argument. Population (and the subsequent fan base) of each market is a key factor. The other key factor is the time the games are on. Ottawa out east, while being a similar size market to both Calgary and Edmonton, has the advantage of their games starting at 7pm eastern. It's a little bit of luck of the draw, but a 7pm start time will likely keep more of that markets viewers around until the end of the game, and potentially into the post game coverage (if time) and the start of the western game. Unfortunately out west, with just that 1 hour later start, they will lose the more casual viewer later into the broadcast as the night wears on (people go to bed or head out to do other things) and even will lose the hard core fans to other activities if their team is being blown out.

Not too many folks will find after hours appealing enough to keep watching until the bitter end. So it's not a conspiracy against Western teams, its simply a factor of the time zones and amount of the prime time window that can be occupied. A much stronger business case can be made to give "Ottawa special treatment" given when their game starts and the appeal of the programing that follows their game (game 2 of the double headers vs. after hours).

Montreal and Toronto get all their games televised on Saturday nights, Ottawa doesn't. The Senators have 8 games in the afternoon, 5 on SNET and 3 on CBC. Where out west are you talking about? The Jets games on HNIC start at 6:00 or 9:00 and at different times for the afternoon games. The Oilers and Jets 8:00 pm MT start doesn't make the casual viewer go away the later it gets. The Canucks have the 7:00 pm start. I agree with the blowout factor, fans of all sorts will tune out.