What’s The “Big” Deal? CBC’s Saturday Night Confusion: Viewers Can’t Differentiate Hockey and Astrophysics

To tweet this release: http://bit.ly/X0t2NE

Toronto, ON (October 12, 2012) –In an effort to help confused viewers everywhere, CTV responded today to CBC’srequest to cease all promotion and publicity for its broadcast plans for BIG BANG NIGHT IN CANADA. The timely,two-hour programming block featuring episodes of Canada’s most-watchedtelevision program, THE BIG BANG THEORY, begins tomorrow Saturday, Oct. 13 at 8 p.m. ETon CTV.

In a strongly worded legal directive, the CBC has accusedCTV’s branding of being “confusing” to viewers with respect to their trademarkfor “Hockey Night In Canada.” “We take this matter very seriously,” the lettersaid.

Apparently, reasonable viewers could consider encore hockeybroadcasts “confusing” with the widely popular comedy series about foursocially awkward scientists and their friends.

So, out of deep respect for the millions of viewers thatCBC has alleged are “confused”, and in the spirit of the Lady Byng trophy, CTVtoday pledged that it will heed the request and rebrand its Saturday nightprogramming as BIG BANG NIGHT ONCTV.

Hopefully, the move will prevent further “reducing theesteem” of CBC’s programming.

However, CTV will be forced to ramp up its promotionalcampaign for BIG BANG NIGHT ON CTV,tripling its on-air promotional resources to re-launch the block and preventany supposed and unintentional “confusion.” A new on-air promo for the Saturdaynight block was launched last night during THE BIG BANG THEORY, themost-watched 30 minutes on Canadian television.

Additionally, Bell Media has undertaken a review of itsoperations to ensure no additional potential “confusion” with CBC programming.Although similarities were found, Bell Media confirms it has no issue with CBC imitating its specialty channel ESPNClassic with the airing of classic hockey games on Saturday nights, as long asCBC is not concerned that viewers may interpret that Gretzky, Gilmour, andLemieux have come out of retirement.

Bazinga.

AboutCTV

CTV is Canada’s largest private broadcaster. Featuring a wide range ofquality news, sports, information, and entertainment programming, CTV isCanada’s most-watched television network. CTV is a division of Bell Media,Canada’s premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radioand digital. Bell Media is owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada’s largestcommunications company. More information about CTV can be found on thenetwork’s website at ctv.ca.

– CTV –

Formore information, please contact:

Jim Quan, CTV and CTV Two, 416.384.5311 or jim.quan@bellmedia.ca