REGINA – The lockout at the CBC has taken the Canada Games off the CBC airwaves, so Regina’s cable co-op Access Communications and APTN are pitching in to show the closing ceremonies this weekend, along with help from CTV and SCN.
"The Council is thrilled by the support Access7 has offered for the closing celebration,” said president and CEO for the Canada Games Council, Sue Hyland of the cable channel. “Throughout the Games they have done an incredible amount of work to broadcast entire games to their viewers across the province, and now, at the eleventh hour, for them to offer up their resources to host the closing ceremonies broadcast is absolutely wonderful. As a Community Partner of the Games, they recognize how important broadcasting this national event is to their community and the entire country- especially the families of our 2,600 athletes. We salute them in their efforts."
"We appreciate the co-operation we’ve received from the CBC during the Games and it’s unfortunate they are on strike,” added Gursh Madhur, manager of community programming for Access7 (and host of the closing ceremony broadcast). “When the opportunity arose to be a part of the closing ceremonies we realized that only we had the flexibility to be able to jump in and turn this around quickly and professionally. We’ve spearheaded the organization of a team of both Access7 staff and other community resources to make this happen – and we were able to offer our resources at no charge to both the host society and the Canada Games Council."
The 90-minute coverage of the closing ceremonies will air on the community channel in Regina and Access’ other Saskatchewan regions such as Yorkton and Estevan on August 20, 2005 at 5:30 p.m. ET, 3:30 in Saskatchewan.
APTN will carry the broadcast across the country and its regularly scheduled Saturday matinee will broadcast at 3 p.m. ET to accommodate the special 90-minute, commercial-free sports presentation.
“We are pleased to be able to distribute the Canada Games closing ceremonies from Regina live,” says APTN CEO, Jean LaRose. “As a national broadcaster, we are always looking for opportunities to bring our viewers programming that reflects the diversity of this country from coast to coast to coast. We look forward to working closely with Saskatchewan¹s Access Communications, CTV and SCN to provide a show that will celebrate all of our talented athletes,” he added.
The closing ceremonies will recognize the accomplishments of the athletes and artists who participated in the games. Featuring a Medicine Wheel theme, the participants will be treated to a taste of Aboriginal cultural influences. The 2005 Games will present the torch to the upcoming Whitehorse 2007 Canada Winter Games Host Society, who will share entertainment reflecting the unique spirit of the North. Spectators will also enjoy performances by the Halcyon Choir, the Regina Lions Band, Theresa Sokyrka and Our Lady Peace just to name a few.
With APTN’s strong presence in the north, the network is also in talks with the Canada Games committee to broadcast from the Whitehorse Winter Games in 2007, with an emphasis on Aboriginal languages. APTN’s unique perspective on northern life, culture and athletics will bring a different dimension to the coverage of these games, says the company.
