Figure Skating Rightsholder Question

I have a question for those who know anything about figure skating rightsholders for this year.

Did ABC lose their rights to NBC to host all figure skating events, like Skate America or did ABC simply not want to continue to cover the events? Last weekend, NBC had coverage of Skate America, which is normally covered annually on ABC. Does this mean NBC is covering the US Nationals too?

I would like to know if they were outbid, or simply did not want to cover it anymore.

Also, CBC in Canada just started covering Skate Canada, which was for the last number of years broadcasted on CTV. I know that CBC has anew partnership with Skate Canada for broadcasting events, but what I really want to know is whether CTV just decided they weren't interested in covering it anymore, or if CBC made a major bid to take it over.

And don't anyone call me a pansy for following figure skating :

 

I'd call you a Nancy Boy but that wouldn't be accurate. And Nancy Girl just doesn't have the same ring to it...

I'm guessing NBC picked skating up in the States because it is now The Olympic Channel down here.

 

Thanks Fenian, that just made my day like you wouldn't believe.

Armchair and Milehigh, I appreciate the responses to my question,

Now any Canadian SJ'ers or figure skating followers know about the Canadian skating broadcast situation.

 

I'm actually at Skate Canada right now. But I don't care. I've just been thrilled to death (put to sleep) by the "Folk-Country Dance" original dance (rather have a colonoscopy, must admit) ;-)

Here's something that might clear it up, though. Googled CBC, rights and "Skate Canada"

http://blog.canoe.ca/remotecontrol/2007/07/25/cbc_ends_ctv_s_skating_run

 

Do you get danger pay for covering that crap?

Scott Moore used to be at CTV sports during their figure skating heyday.

 

You know, I really enjoy the fancy skaters (except for the ice prancers).

What they do athletically is astonishing. Think about a hockey player who's gassed after a 45-second shift. A skater will do 4 1/2 minutes at pretty good clip, and pause to go up in the air and spin around 4 times within a half-second.

Never mind those who do the exact same thing at the same time, completely in synch, even though one's a foot shorter than the other and weighs 50 pounds less.

The people around the sport, especially some of the "embedded" who cover it, well, that's another story.

 

Ball,
I was being half facetious.

I do appreciate their athleticism. Someone I know coaches figure skaters out in Mississauga/Oakville--she also does (did, anyway) the PA work at Skate Canada and the Salt Lake Olympics. From some of her stories, figure skating parents are worse than hockey parents---if that's possible.

I've had lunch a couple of times with her and Debbie Wilkes.

 

See, that's a perfect example. Coach figure skaters + do PR.

Everyone in that sport dips into every pie. It's like one big happy family.

The sport, esp. at the up-and-coming level, is an absolute shark tank.
But it's good for a lot of gossip. I heard a ton of really old dirt this weekend that everyone there already knew, of course. But it was new to me, and it was good stuff.
And it really speaks to the Enquirer girl in me just dying to come out.

 

ballscribe, I am so jealous of you being at Skate Canada.

Halifax hosted it a few years ago, and it was virtually sold out. It was a great experience and I have so many pictures from the event. Got to meet and hang out with a lot of world class skaters.

ball, since you were there during the original dance, what did you think of Virtue and Moir? There is a lot of buzz about them.

 

JR,
You don't know pain until you've covered the compulsory ice dance.