An Unanswered Question About The Television Deal

So the curling television deal has been signed. However who is paying for the production costs. No one wants to say - not the CCA, not TSN nor CBC.

Why are production costs important? Because your money is paying for curling coverage.
In the former TSN/CCA deal, the CCA paid close to $750,000 to TSN for production - that's right folks - this isn't big sorts time America! In effect the CCA bought the air time from TSN.

This is a trend in television sports even in the USA. Yes some professional sports and amateur sports get big time television rights money (NFL, MLB, NCAA) but arena football for instance doesn't get NBC money - NBC picks up the costs and hopes ot recoups in advertising revenue.

Here in Canada lots of amateur sports pay TSN - if they didn't nobody (except maybe the CBC) would show the national women's CIAU volleyball championships from Red Deer, Alberta.

So here we had the CCA touting a CBC deal last year as a win situation because CBC was picking up the prodiction costs and saving the CCA tons of dough that could get used for things like grass roots curling development.

WELL THAT DIDNT LAST LONG
Sure enough, the CBC claimed expenses from the CCA towards the end of 2004's Season of Champions - for the Worlds and for expenses incurred for not being able to broadcast in the CBC's major hubs.

The money the CCA was supposed to have saved went to defray these costs.

WHOSE MONEY IS IT?
This is your money paid for by your membership fees as well as some tax dollars.
While we all cheer about the new television deal (welcome back Vic!) let's remember to examine how our money is spent.