Canadian Amateur Sports Network

TORONTO/MONTREAL, January 30, 2008 – The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) today unveiled details of its application for groundbreaking English and French amateur sport television networks, which would be a first in Canada if approved. The proposed Canadian Amateur Sports Network (CASN) and le Réseau du sport amateur canadien (RSAC) would provide much-needed exposure and funding for both Olympic and non-Olympic sports.

“The opportunity here is to provide a service that fills a programming niche that exists today,” says CASN/RSAC chair and International Olympic Committee member Richard Pound. “Between Olympic Games it is as if there are no Canadian athletes. Our networks will bring more sports and more young Canadians to the attention of Canadians.”

“The Canadian Olympic Committee has long recognized the need for dramatically increased television coverage of Canadian amateur sport on a consistent and regular basis,” said COC Chief Executive Officer Chris Rudge. “These networks would finally bring our athletes into the spotlight and also motivate young people everywhere in Canada to get up out of their seats and engage in sport and a healthy lifestyle."

The applications were formally submitted by the COC and its partners to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) in early December. The proposed national digital television networks would each focus solely on Canadian amateur sport 24 hours a day, seven days a week, allowing Canadians to watch amateur athletes compete in regional, national and international events in both Olympic and non-Olympic sports.

The applications ask for mandated distribution of the networks on the basic digital service of all Cable and DTH Satellite carriers, and a mandated wholesale subscription rate of 60 cents per household per month (in geographic areas that are consistent with its broadcast language).

The proposed networks would contribute more than $100 million to amateur sport over the first seven years of operation and would continue to contribute sustainable funding to the sport community after that period.

The COC is hopeful that public hearings on the applications will take place in the near future and a CRTC decision will be rendered as soon as possible after the hearings.

Full details surrounding the CASN/RSAC applications can be found at the newly-launched website www.casn-rsac.ca.

The Canadian Olympic Committee is a national, private, not-for-profit organization committed to sport excellence. It is responsible for all aspects of Canada’s involvement in the Olympic movement, including Canada’s participation in the Olympic and Pan American Games and a wide variety of programs that promote the Olympic Movement in Canada through cultural and educational means. For more information, see the COC website: www.olympic.ca.

For further information, contact:

Steve Keogh
Manager, Communications
Canadian Olympic Committee
Phone: (416) 324-4146
Cell: (416) 806-3949
Email: skeogh@olympic.ca

Sylvie Bigras
Gestionnaire, Communications
Comité olympique canadien
Cell.: (613) 298-1625
Courriel : sbigras@olympic.ca

The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), working with a group of partners, applied to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) on December 3, 2007, for two television licenses for specialty sports television networks dedicated to Canadian high performance sport. The applications are for an English language license and a French language license: Canadian Amateur Sports Network (CASN) and Réseau du sport amateur canadien (RSAC).

Three comprehensive CASN/RSAC surveys in the marketplace present a compelling argument in support of the need for these networks. A cross-Canada survey conducted by TNS Canadian Facts of more than 1,200 respondents in August 2007 found that Canadians want more amateur sports television programming and are willing to support an added cable fee if it provided funding to amateur sport.

Research within the television industry also showed a lack of coverage for most amateur sports with only a small number of sports, particularly hockey and curling, receiving most of the coverage. Results also suggest that no other activity cuts across ethnic, cultural, regional, social, and economic barriers as effectively as amateur sport. However, Canadian athletes compete in virtual obscurity as hundreds of events go un-televised each year.

The CASN/RSAC mission is to broadcast amateur sports exclusively. Among other goals, the aim of the networks will be to generate substantial funds that will aid the amateur sport community and help deliver television coverage.

The applications to the CRTC are for mandated distribution of the networks on the basic digital service of all Cable and DTH Satellite carriers. A mandated wholesale subscription rate of 60 cents per household per month has been requested for each television network in geographic areas that are consistent with its broadcast language. The English television network would be offered in Quebec at no charge and the French television network would be offered outside of Quebec at no charge.

Each network will provide more than 2,900 hours of original programming each year, focusing primarily on underserved amateur sports, including Paralympic, non-Olympic, university and college, and minority and aboriginal sports. Apart from competitions, CASN/RSAC will produce feature, documentary and magazine programs to encourage Canadians to participate in sports for recreation and fitness.

Over its initial seven-year license period, CASN/RSAC will spend more than $115 million on production expenses directly from its operating budget and will pay all television production costs. Amateur sport organizations currently often pay such costs in order to get airtime.

The proposed networks would contribute more than $100 million to amateur sport over the first seven years of operation and would continue to contribute sustainable funding to the sport community after that period.

These funds will help support Canadian multi-sport organizations, sport federations and associations, and host committees for competitions and events. It is intended to help generate broadcast programming, offset travel expenses for athletes and teams, defray venue overheads, and subsidize the cost of providing broadcast facilities at events for both Olympic and non-Olympic sports.

CASN/RSAC will also provide airtime at no cost to incumbent networks. Those networks will then control associated advertising, providing an incentive for them to boost their investment in amateur sport while benefiting from more available programming airtime and advertising revenue.

CASN/RSAC will allocate up to one-third of the available advertising inventory for the use of the participating amateur sport organization at no charge. Over the term of the licenses, it is estimated that CASN will generate $51.6 million and RSAC $12.9 million for participating Canadian amateur sports.

The COC and CASN/RSAC have assembled a strong team of experts and professionals to support the networks, including the Chair, Richard Pound, International Olympic Committee member, Vancouver 2010 Board member, Canadian Olympic Committee Executive Committee member and former Chair of the World Anti-Doping Agency. This team will provide the necessary operational and financial capability to launch the networks. The COC will be an ongoing participant in the operation of the licenses and a shareholder of the enterprise.

CASN/RSAC and the COC will work together with national sport federations and associations, government agencies, relevant non-government organizations (NGOs), and corporate Canada to create a long-term investment in the televised coverage and national exposure of Canadian amateur sport.

Two advisory panels will be established to advise CASN/RSAC on appropriate programming content on an ongoing basis. Both panels will reflect membership from across Canada. Each, in turn, will provide input to CASN/RSAC as to how the networks can best represent their respective constituencies.

The Athlete Broadcast Advisory Panel will consist of Canadian high performance athletes while the Executive Broadcast Advisory Panel will consist of senior members of corporate Canada.