admin Posted June 7, 2008 Posted June 7, 2008 I'm sure most have seen this already, but there is a petition circulating to preserve our unofficial national anthem. Sign This Petition!!! http://www.petitiononline.com/CBCDunt/petition-sign.html Canada's 'second national anthem' silenced after nearly 40 year run Bal Brach, Canwest News Service Published: Thursday, June 05, 2008 The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's iconic Hockey Night in Canada theme song, known for decades as Canada's "second national anthem," will no longer be used in hockey broadcasts, according to the song's composer. The decision to can the symbolic song has Canadians at home and abroad, including soldiers serving in Afghanistan, confused and angered. "It's like removing the Canadian anthem. Most of us grew up on that song," Master Cpl. Tommy Moreau said between games Thursday at the regulation-sized road hockey rink at Kandahar Airfield's boardwalk. "Why would they want to change it?" said Lieut. Adam Lambert of Oakville, Ont. "Are you serious? I started my military career as a musician and we frequently performed it - it's a real crowd pleaser," added fellow player John. The Winnipeg soldier didn't want to give his full name because of the nature of his duties in Afghanistan, but felt so strongly about the TV network's decision that he wanted to add his two-bits. "I'd be very disappointed if they got rid of it," said Sgt. Scott Milne, another player in the approximately 14-team Kandahar Airfield Hockey League. After 14 years of hearing countless stories of how the song has affected the lives of Canadians, the man in charge of the copyrights to the tune, says even he's hopeful the CBC will have a change of heart and renew their licensing agreement. "There's a lot more at stake here than just business," said John R. Ciccone, who works on behalf of the theme song composer Dolores Claman. "This is Canadian history - Canadian heritage." The tune is one of the longest running theme songs in broadcast history and slated to celebrate its 40th anniversary next year. "This is a very sad day, especially for Dolores. it's quite difficult," Ciccone added. "Dolores keeps saying, 'what about the fans?' It's a big big motivation to try and keep things going (with the CBC)." Thursday night's Stanley Cup final game six was the last time "dunt- da-dunt- da-dunt," was played because CBC decided to move in a "new direction," according to Ciccone. He said the CBC advised Claman that it is not prepared to enter into a new license agreement with respect to the use of the song. Calls to CBC were not immediately returned Wednesday. "I am saddened by the decision of the CBC to drop the Hockey Night in Canada Theme after our lengthy history together," said Claman in a statement Wednesday. "I nevertheless respect its right to move in a new direction," she said. The composition was written by Claman in 1968. The current license agreement expired at the end of the 2007-2008 NHL playoffs. Ciccone said the CBC has been offered a new license on terms that are virtually identical to those that have existed for the past decade, but the broadcaster has decided not to renew. "We kept making suggestions and ideas on how to keep things going. We're offering virtually the same licence that they've been dealing with the last several years. As a gesture of goodwill we had no increase in fees," he said. Ciccone said he has received thousands of requests from all over the world to use the song, whether it be for a class project or wedding. He said many Canadians abroad, even those that aren't hockey fans, have requested the ringtone because they feel home sick. "There's a wonderful symbiotic relationship between the theme and the TV show... It's one of those really rare moments of magic where everything works together well." Ciccone said there were other CBC Hockey Night in Canada theme songs before the classic "dunt- da-dunt- da-dunt," tune but none lasted 40 years. "People are very attached to it. It's a very personal thing to people. It gives them a sense of unity, Canadiana, nostalgia. There's just a lot of really, really deep personal stuff in there." It costs the CBC $500 to use the theme for each game broadcast of Hockey Night in Canada. In 2004, Claman sued the CBC alleging the public broadcaster repeatedly used the distinctive theme song in broadcasts not covered under her licence agreement and refused requests to negotiate additional fees. Ciccone said the resolution of the ongoing litigation is not a precondition of the new proposed licence agreement. The theme song was originally commissioned by the MacLaren advertising agency in Toronto, according to the website hockeytheme.com. The agency was looking for a powerful commercial jingle suitable for hockey. It soon became used as the theme song for the CBC hockey broadcasts and has been running ever since. With files from Doug Schmidt in Kandahar CNS 6/05/08 11:50:53 Quote
Weedy1 Posted June 7, 2008 Posted June 7, 2008 I know I'll miss it about as much as Front Page Challenge and Pierre Burton. Quote
Hawgstoppah Posted June 7, 2008 Posted June 7, 2008 Well. I'll miss it. Every time we get a couple guys together for some shinny, someone's whistling or humming it... sad... Quote
cheeler Posted June 7, 2008 Posted June 7, 2008 I am sure we can find someone to fire whose salary would cover the cost. Quote
Wanny Posted June 7, 2008 Posted June 7, 2008 Two big losses for CBC this year, CFL and now this. I hope it is not to late for them to get the song back. Quote
hydropsyche Posted June 7, 2008 Posted June 7, 2008 "This is a very sad day, especially for Dolores. it's quite difficult," Ciccone added. "Dolores keeps saying, 'what about the fans?' It's a big big motivation to try and keep things going (with the CBC)." At $500 a pop every time they played it, I'd be sad too. If you're going to be pissed at anyone, get pissed at Ciccone, not the publicly (you and me) funded CBC. Quote
bigbowtrout Posted June 8, 2008 Posted June 8, 2008 Maybe Sportsnet will swoop in and buy it. CBC said they made her a 6 figure offer. maybe they should have made a 7 figure offer its only tax payer money anyway. Quote
SanJuanWorm Posted June 8, 2008 Posted June 8, 2008 Lets hope they don't nickelback to make an anthem. Man I wish they'd go away. Quote
Weedy1 Posted June 8, 2008 Posted June 8, 2008 Here are three different versions for all you die hards. Download them fast, you never know when the anthem police will seize them. Starting in 2000 Late 90s Early 90s Anybody have any older ones? Quote
bigbowtrout Posted June 9, 2008 Posted June 9, 2008 Looks like CTV picked it up http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2008...ng.html?ref=rss http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...?hub=TopStories Quote
1DryFly Posted June 9, 2008 Posted June 9, 2008 Here are three different versions for all you die hards. Download them fast, you never know when the anthem police will seize them. Starting in 2000 Late 90s Early 90s Anybody have any older ones? Yea...And now the SONG will be played on TSN! How retarded is that!! CBC has made a mistake!!! Quote
markl Posted June 10, 2008 Posted June 10, 2008 Yea...And now the SONG will be played on TSN! How retarded is that!! CBC has made a mistake!!! What?!?! CBC made a mistake I'm shocked. Yes, CBC 'wisely' thought they were negotiating in a vacuum for an asset they built with our hard earned money. Surely it was totally unforeseeable that CTV (owning TSN) would have wanted to pick it up, given the 'very secretive' move by TSN to lock up a 6 year deal with the NHL to carry a significant number of NHL games, particularly with at least 1 Canadian team for each of their Wednesday night games. Absolutely shocking. Don't get me wrong, it's not the end of the world for HNIC, but it was a dumb move and the rights to the song should have been negotiated and locked up with the rights holder a long time ago so as not to get in this predicament. Enough said. So how about them Azzurri? Cheers, Mark Quote
EvilWeevil Posted June 10, 2008 Posted June 10, 2008 iI can't believe that lil geek peirre mcguire is going to be doing his lame monster performers thing behind the hockey night in canada song it is just wrong !!! oh man that bugs me Quote
wongrs Posted June 11, 2008 Posted June 11, 2008 http://www.thecomedynetwork.ca/shows/showd...s.aspx?sid=3351 colbert report parody. check part 2 of 4 for 06/10/08 @ the 3:32 mark. amusing. Quote
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