Why does the CBC HNIC schedule have 26 Laffs games on it? Is this a typo or something?

Question

Well, technically they have two 7 PM EST games listed most days, but the Laffs games will usually shown nationally, with the exception of the Ottawa/Quebec regions at times.

Which brings me to my question, "Why do we tax-payers in Western Canada (Flames, Oilers, and Canucks fans) have to watch the f--king Laffs 26 times in one year?" What I'm trying to say is the Laffs clearly lick balls. They haven't even come close to a cup in 40 years. Yet CBC insists on shoving their crap down Canada's throat year after year.

Personally, I'd say both the other teams in the East are better than and also much more intriguing than the Laffs. The Sens are one of the best offensive teams in the NHL (finalists last year), while the Habs were serious contenders last year until the flu killed them. Carey Price would've been fun to watch this year, but thank you CBC, no chance of that happening now.

In conclusion, I want to say that CBC runs on federal tax money and all teams should be shown equally.

OK, Mario Lemieux, when were they close? Last time I checked they hadn't even gone to the final the last 4 decades.

Also, don't tell me this crap about 14 cups. No one was around to see them, and there were only 5 other teams to compete with. You had a 17% chance to win the cup every year. Also, there was no player movement, so it was easy to keep a team together. If the Oilers dynasty had played back then, they would've easily reeled off at least 12-15 cups in their dynasty, with Gretz, Mess, Kurri, Coffey, Fuhr around for at least 20 years. So, in reality, 14 cups in 100 years isn't that impressive at all, considering NONE of them have come in the post-expansion NHL.

288- Yes, absolutely CBC runs on 100% federal tax money. It's not a privately owned organization, but rather government funded. And as you know, the trademark characteristic of the government is to hire idiot, over paid people (Don Cherry). You saw that for yourself last week, when the most watched CFL game of the year was on CBC, but got delayed by a thunderstorm. CBC cut to a movie, but when the game resumed, they never went back to it. So all the people watching missed the end of it and were stuck watching a gay movie, waiting for the game to resume. Another idiot move by an idiot Toronto- based corporation.

Puckdat- Isn't it funny how the Teacher's Pension Union mentality is rubbing off on the Laffs fans? They, too, care about nothing else but the bottom line. The Laffs management has been corrupt and suffering from a constant internal power struggle since the days of Harold Ballard, but their ownership (old teachers) can't be bothered to try to fix it, because they couldn't care less about winning a Cup. All they care about is the bottom line and raking in big dough every year, which they do thanks to idiot Laff fans paying through their noses for a losing product.

Anyways, looks like CBC is the same way. Just keep the suits and the bigshot corporations happy and screw all the rest. Well, I'm glad you agree with this mentality. Now you can go watch the Laffs management backdoor JFJ like they love to do while the team s--ts all over the ice. But they will make a lot of money, that's for sure. Hope you enjoy filling up their pockets, Puckdat.

288- Yes, the commercials are all paid for by the major companies who advertise on CBC, and then there is also the companies like LaBatt Blue, who sponser certain aspects of HNIC like the pregame show, and Moores, who provides all the clothing. But at the end of the day, the government writes the cheques to all the CBC employees, and collect all the revenue generated from the programming.
It's just like any other business, except for the fact that the government runs it with tax dollars, instead of a private owner or ownership group running it with their own money. HNIC makes money, no doubt, but they need to at least be reasonably fair with showing all the Canadian teams. For example, they could maybe show Leafs games 50% of Saturdays, and then split the Habs and Sens the other 50%. But right now its basically Leafs on the first half of the double header EVERY Saturday.

ss98- I know what you mean. Just listen to the great Don Cherry himself insult French people. He's the one who can't speak English...seriously. Unfortunately, Toronto people can't see anything outside of their own city and their own best interests. You might say they're Americans.

Answer 1

Great freaking point. I live here in the west and I get to watch 10 Oilers games at most during playoffs!! It is so unfair. We even bought the channel that oilers games are on in Edmonton and they are blacked out here. It is a crappy system. It is because the East has all the people down there and the majority says they want Toronto because 5 million people are in Toronto. Even in general the East gets more advantages than the west like voting, the elections are already over by the time Alberta and BC's votes are counted. There was an Eskimo-Rider game on CBC and the connection went faulty so they switched to a movie while they were trying to out the game on the air, then they got the game running and CBC decides to stay with the movie because the ratings were higher. Great freakin point my man.

Answer 2

Why don't you write to Harper or your local MP about it? I don't think that the CBC runs on federal tax money. I highly doubt that the government will pay George Strombolopolous (or however you spell his name) six figures to do The Hour. You have to remember that advertisers also pay for CBC's expenses, and, like other networks, that's the bulk of the station's revenue.

Actually, Munny, Toronto's population is 2.5 million.

Crap, it's 3.2 mil now? I don't know what PuckDat's opinion is on this, but no wonder this city blows: it's overpopulated. I won't argue with you that Toronto has a lot of idiots, including the useless high school teachers' Pension (if they let ME graduate high school, then they really are idiots lol). Thank whatever god you believe in that you don't have to deal with them personally as I do every single frakking day. Every where I go, people are always thinking about themselves and themselves only; won't even stop to help someone.

And I still seriously doubt that the CBC runs on 100% government money. That can't be. Again, where does all the money go to from commercials? A commercial slot for HNIC Leafs game has to be in the high five figures at least. Think of this analogy: tons of people watch the Super Bowl and companies would pay $2 mil for a 30-second spot. Can you imagine the amount of people watching HNIC? Just to keep the numbers simple, assuming that all of Toronto and the GTA watches HNIC, that's 7 million people alone (according to PuckDat). Now, think about who else watches the Leafs from across Canada. It might shock you, but there are other Leafs fans who are not living in Toronto. Let's say there's another million of them. And add on the other non-Torontonian Canadians who just wants to catch a hockey game at a bar. Let's say that's another million. Tons of other factors, and that's only 9 million people watching a single program every Saturday night for five months. And that's just the regular season. You don't think that a company would want a 30-second spot to promote their product? Or to "sponsor" a period of play? I would be very surprised that CBC wouldn't take in bids for a spot. I'm not saying that the CBC doesn't run off government money, but this alone makes me very doubtful that it's 100% of the money.

Answer 3

I hate the Make Beliefs being on all the time but bottom line is ratings and that's why they are shown so much. You do not have to watch Laffs games at all. No one is forcing you to turn on your TV. Just watch the Western doubleheader game.

Anyway, pretty much every freakin' Canuck game is on TV so good enough for me. I ignore HNIC. It's totally irrelevant in this day of PVRs and a zillion satellite and digital channels.

Stop whining and buy the NHL Centre Ice package or stick with TSN and Sportsnet or get NHL Network for some extra games there, too. I seem to manage OK living in Vancouver avoiding the Laffs. Don't know why you make such a big deal about it. It's not like the '80s when we had no choice at all with the Pal Hal Laffs stuffed down our throats and no options on the dial.

P.S. Are you old man David Pratt in disguise from the TEAM 1040?

P.P.S. Puck Dat--love the new logo of Doug Favell even if you are a donuthead Make Belief fan.

Answer 4

Because the Leafs have the largest fan base in Canada. Most Leafs' fans are concentrated in the Golden Horseshoe, the area surrounding Greater Toronto which runs from Peterborough to Hamilton.

About 9-million people live in this area. That's more than the population of Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan combined, hence, more viewers for hte Leafs.

Answer 5

CBC is the Maple Leaf network. Just listen to the homer announcers. The western teams still get their late games and (for me anyway) Sportsnet is the Ottawa Senator's station.
As for the tax dollar issue, don't even get me started. It sickens me that I pay Don Cherry's salary.

In regards to Carey Price, I am almost positive he won't be with the Habs this season anyway.

What really gets me is how it seems every second Saturday is the Leafs/Habs. Enough already.

Answer 6

CBC earns more than 30% of all it's money from HNIC. And the Leafs draw better ratings by far than any other team which in turn leads to higher revenues from selling commercials. The network is not strictly run on tax dollars and it wouldn't run at all if not for HNIC. And you will find Leaf fans from coast to coast in greater number than Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver combined so now that you've spurted your silver tongued rant and been sufficiently set right perhaps you should go check on your cows.

Toronto's current population is 3.2 million (those population signs outside of cities are always 10 years out of date) and if you include York, Peel and Durham regions there are another 3.5 million people in the Greater Toronto Area or just under 7 million people.

Answer 7

I'm from Montreal, we have enough fans here to watch a damn Habs game, why we get to see TO games is beyond me and it's so friggen nervewrecking. Lucky I have cable so I see all my games.

as for the person who said Quebecers are foreigners who don't speak english, read a little, educate yourself, many of us do speak english!! There aren't only french people living in Quebec...ignorant people annoy me more than TO games

Answer 8

if you want your team on, you gotta hope they play better this season and get more attention next season. the leafs pretty much own cbc and theres not much you can do about it. its kinda like all the pittsburgh games on versus. thats all they talk about it crosby when there is plenty of young talents on every team.

Answer 9

I've asked this before as well.

It is so obvious.

Toronto gets total HDTV coverage every Saturday, the other teams get rare HDTV coverage, and often aren't on HNIC at all.

Answer 10

If you don't want to watch the Leafs, why not turn the channel?
You could do this in much less time than it took you to write your complaint.
Or buy a satelite dish, or get cable tv, or ...