“We just need to be more confident”: CBC Sports’ Moore

When he was named executive director of CBC Sports last month, former Rogers Sportsnet head of production Scott Moore knew the action would be thick and furious. The following is an edited transcript of the interview Canadian Communications Reports contributor Norma Reveler conducted with Moore shortly after he took up his new role, and in which he muses about programming wins and losses, the impact of new technology, and more.RELATED LINKS CBC Sports, Part 1: New blood brings new hopesCBC Sports, Part 2: “Aggressive and innovative” the way forwardCBC keeps weekend hockey for another six years CCR: How are you settling into your new job?Moore: Not bad. The first week was a little mind blowing; there was a lot of information. But the second week, there is just slightly less. I'm hoping by maybe week five, I'll take a holiday. (Laughs).CCR: You were quoted in the media release announcing your appointment as wanting to take CBC Sports to the next level. What does that mean?Moore: I guess what I meant by that is simply that the business changes so quickly that the standard in 1990s was to review your work every season and get better every year. But we have to get better every day. We have to more aggressive, more innovative and to use new technology and we have re-establish ourselves as the leader in sports production in Canada, not only in reality but in perception.CCR: What are you looking to do with new technology?Moore: That's a pretty broad question and I guess it really depends on what technologies develop over the next while. Obviously, the key technology that we want to capitalize on is expanding our HD offering in sports - that's the biggest technological breakthrough in the last 20 years and it has made sports the driver in that technology. CBC will have its second HD production mobile unit up-and-running by the end of this month so that will help us capitalize on that technology more. And from there you have rollouts of more HD mini-cameras. That has been slower to get to market than other parts of HD. So HD would be priority one in new technology. Then, continuing our tradition of using new camera technology. We tried something on Hockey Night in Canada over the weekend called the stealth cam, which is a camera that is mounted under the clock and can rise and up and lower while it's on the air so that it can come down and get a different angle.CCR: So it's an aerial view?Moore: It's an aerial center ice view, which has been used before. But this was slightly different in that it can raise and lower during and after play, so it gives you a slightly different angle. It was good; I'm not sure it was great. And we will continue to experiment with things like that in the future. CCR: What about TV to mobile devices?Moore: Absolutely, we have to be a way more aggressive in that space...We did a terrific job, I think, on that with the Torino Olympics. CCR: Do you have plans for Beijing 2008 in terms of the wireless platform?Moore: I'm just getting into that file. I know our staff is already well along the way in taking what we did in Torino and building on it. I haven't reviewed the file yet myself so I can't really say. But based on the success that they had in Torino, I have every confidence we will be as strong, if not better, in Beijing.CCR: Is it a big deal that you don't have 2010 or 2012 (Olympics)?Moore: Rights come and go. The CBC has been a leader in Olympic broadcast coverage in the world historically. CTV/TSN/Sportsnet will do an excellent job in 2010. We wish that those rights negotiations had turned out differently, but they didn't. But we'll most definitely be in the bidding when those rights come up again for the 2014 Games.CCR: Now CBC has lost a lot of rights - curling and the CFL from 2008 - and TSN does quite well with men's junior hockey, for example. How do you fight against networks who have acquired such big sporting properties?Moore: The message I'm trying to get out to the marketplace in a strong way is that you're going to win some, you're going to lose some, but we are most definitely open for business and will continue to be aggressive in bidding for rights that make sense for us. Hopefully, we'll win more than we lose. ...We will be in every rights negotiation that makes sense for us. We are actually in negotiations with the NHL to extend our NHL rights deal and there's nothing more important to CBC Sports than Hockey Night in Canada. It is not only important to us as a network but I think it's important that it's a cultural institution in Canada. CCR: When do the NHL rights come due?Moore: We have a contract through the end of this season and through the entire season next year, which would be the 2007-08 season, including playoffs and NHL awards in June. It's our hope that we'll be able to renegotiate an extension to that deal. We have been in discussions with the NHL for some time, and we hope that we're able to conclude them. CCR: Do you have a timeframe for that?Moore: I guess the timeframe is that we want to have done before our rights run out at the end of next season. Optimistically, we'd like to have something done before that but you can't predict how these negotiations go. CCR: On the amateur front, what kind of plans do you have?Moore: It has been put to me as a priority for us to target and strategize what our amateur sport involvement should be. CBC has a great history of supporting amateur sport in Canada. I'm confident that will continue, but we need to make sure that our programming drive and our production dollars are targeted in the most effective way. That's a file that I'm just really starting on with our group. As I said I think we've done a terrific job in the past. Amateur sport in this country doesn't get the support, I think it deserves from the broadcast community and sponsors. I that while we may not be the broadcaster for 2010 that the Vancouver Olympics will help drive interest in both summer and winter amateur sports. One of the reasons I took this position is that I'm a big believer in amateur sport. In this position, I think I can make a difference to amateur sport in this country.CCR: Will you continue with CBC's Saturday amateur sport programming?Moore: That is certainly our plan in the near future and I would hope that not only will we continue it, but that we will improve on it and as I say target it perhaps more effectively.CCR: Now that you have the FIFA rights, what kind of things are you planning for soccer?Moore: Again having just taken over, I haven't seen the entire file. But the FIFA deal is a great deal for CBC and I'm a huge believer in soccer. I was involved with the 1994 World Cup when I was at TSN and Sportsnet was very involved with soccer coverage. It is going to be ratings winner for us, and I think it's going to be a huge success generally at CBC. Our goal - this is a goal that I've given to our production teams - is that we should be producing the best ever soccer coverage this summer for the Under-20 World Cup, which will be a great event. As I say I haven't gotten totally into that file yet, but my direction is that we should be innovative, new and exciting. As we begin to solidify those plans and go forward, I hope that you see those words used to describe our coverage once it starts. CCR: A channel like The Score is going for the younger demo with programming like WWE. As a general interest broadcaster, what is the CBC's niche in terms of sports?Moore: Our niche is perhaps a little broader than that. Our niche is to be relevant to as many Canadians as we can possibly be without being bland. I think we want as many Canadian sports fans to feel passionate about CBC Sports coverage as possible. Everybody is out there trying to get a younger demo. I think that's important but without ignoring the fact in the business of demographics, the 25-plus demo is the largest demo out there. And we don't want to forsake that demo to chase a younger demo that frankly is tougher to catch on television. An aggressive online strategy, which is something we are developing, might be more effective in capturing that demo. CCR: Are there any rights aside from hockey that the CBC at this time is looking to acquire over the next five years?Moore: Sure, we have targeted a number of properties that we want to go after. We are in negotiation in a number of them. One of our goals when I took over the position was being more aggressive in going after new rights, and there are properties out there that I think are worthwhile. We're in negotiating with one right at the moment. But I prefer not to talk about it specifically. But in general, I'd reiterate what I said earlier and that is that we will be in every rights negotiation that makes sense for us. CCR: There is some pressure from the private networks claiming that the CBC should be out of professional sports, like hockey, because they are commercially viable right now. What is your response?Moore: I think it's important that over-the-air networks be involved in sports. It's a huge part of the broadcast industry and CBC has historically had a part in sports. Other broadcasters have not done nearly as much in sports. CTV doesn't really do that much in sports, because they put it almost all on TSN. Global does mostly American sports . I think it's a key part of what CBC should do. A great example of what we've done in professional sports and making it relevant to all Canadians is Hockey Day in Canada. I think in a short period of time, it has become a real institution in this country, and it reflects CBC's commitment to the sport in this country, not just the NHL. I think the fact that some people say we should be out of sports just because they are commercially viable is a bit of an odd argument. Why shouldn't we be involved in properties that can make the public broadcaster money; it helps support other things that are more mandate driven. ...HNIC can help drive viewers to Rick Mercer to This Hour has 22 Minutes. I think it's important that the public broadcaster have that sort of platform to be able to promote off.CCR: Anything else you want to add?Moore: Yes, I would add that another reason for CBC to be involved in sports in a big way is that I think historically we've made a great contribution to the sports broadcasting world in general by providing great training and by providing people who have gone onto success in the private sector, particularly on-air people. You look at people like John Wells, Brian Williams, Chris Cuthbert, Gord Miller and the list could go on and on for people who have learned their craft at the CBC. We take great pride in that. We hate to lose people to the private sector but I think it's a source of pride that we've produced as many stars - both in front of and behind the camera - as we have. CCR: Is losing talent a problem, maybe they are going to the private networks because they have the NBA, PGA, some big sports properties?Moore: I don't think it's a problem. I think it happens in all networks in North America and beyond. You see talent changing networks down in the States quite often. It happens up here from time to time. Someone I'm proud of putting up at Sportsnet - Darren Dreger - moved over to TSN just last year. It happens but I think we can take pride - and that's the CBC, I can't personally take pride in it because I wasn't here - that we've developed great broadcasters over the year and they continue to contribute to the broadcast history in Canada.CCR: Do you have any personal goals to accomplish while at the CBC? Moore: Yes, I have a number of them. I think perhaps the biggest personal goal is for the industry in general to recognize the excellent of CBC Sports...I believe having just been here a week that we have an unbelievable staff, unbelievable producers and on-air people and I think we just need to be more confident.

“We just need to be more confident”: CBC Sports’ Moore

Broadcast | April 10, 2007

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