TORONTO – Stompin’ Tom Connors’ self-produced concert special has found a home after all, on CTV, after the CBC had turned it down.
The Canadian legend hired his own producers to shoot and edit a concert he played last year in Hamilton, in answer to repeated requests over the years from the public broadcaster for a musical special. When it was delivered to the Corp., the CBC turned it down, saying it’s moving away from musical and variety programming and stressing it did not commission the special.
Tom was stompin’ mad, and told the CBC to “shove it.”
Now, the one-hour concert special, Stompin’ Tom in Live Concert, will premier, fittingly, on Canada Day at 8 p.m. ET on CTV (and will air in high definition on CTV HD East and HD West).
After 40 years in the biz, it’s the singer-songwriter’s first ever primetime concert special, featuring live performance, behind-the-scenes footage, and an interview with the man ranked, ironically, number 13 overall in CBC’s The Greatest Canadian poll in 2004.
“I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Canada Day than to watch a Canadian icon perform music inspired by his country,” said Susanne Boyce, CTV President of Programming and Chair of the Media Group.
The concert was produced by Pillar Media Inc. in association with Connors’ tour promoter, Rocklands Entertainment Inc.
