''CFL on CTV'' was a presentation of

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

football aired on the

CTV Television Network The CTV Television Network, commonly known as CTV, is a Canadian English-language terrestrial television network. Launched in 1961 and acquired by BCE Inc. in 2000, CTV is Canada's largest privately owned television network and is now a divis ...

from

1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wors ...

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal ente ...

. CTV dropped coverage of the CFL after the 1986 season. CTV's coverage was replaced by

TSN TSN may refer to: Science and technology * Translin, DNA binding protein involved in microRNA function * Taxonomic serial number, a stable and unique taxonomic serial number issued by the Integrated Taxonomic Information System * The Science Netwo ...

and the newly created

Canadian Football Network The Canadian Football Network (CFN) was the official television syndication service of the Canadian Football League from 1987 to 1990. History Background CFN broadcasts mainly aired on stations via the Atlantic Satellite Network and future G ...

History

Background

In February

1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba ( Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 ...

John Bassett John White Hughes Bassett, (August 25, 1915 – April 27, 1998) was a Canadian media proprietor. Born in Ottawa, Ontario, he was the son of John Bassett (1886–1958), publisher of the ''Montreal Gazette'', and Marion Avery (née Wright). ...

, Chairman of

CFTO-TV CFTO-DT (channel 9) is a television station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, serving as the flagship station of the CTV Television Network. It is owned and operated by network parent Bell Media alongside Barrie-based CTV 2 outlet CKVR-DT, channel 3 ( ...

, outbid the CBC for the Eastern Conference regular season and playoff television rights, and a first refusal for the

Grey Cup The Grey Cup (french: Coupe Grey) is both the championship game of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the trophy awarded to the victorious team playing in the namesake championship of professional Canadian football. The game is contested be ...

, with an offer of $375,000 a season for two years.

Affiliation agreements

Meanwhile,

Spence Caldwell Spencer Wood Caldwell (1909 – December 10, 1983) was a Canadians, Canadian broadcasting pioneer and the founder of CTV. Amongst his notable achievements are as Management, manager of the Dominion Network, S.W. Caldwell Ltd. (a TV and radio ...

, was trying to persuade new private stations to sign affiliation agreements with him so that he could form a network. Bassett initially refused, but when several stations had given Caldwell signed letters of intent to become affiliates and Bassett failed to get a temporary network licence from the

Board of Broadcast Governors The Board of Broadcast Governors (BBG) was an arms-length Government of Canada agency. It was created in 1958 by amending the ''Broadcast Act'' to regulate television and radio broadcasting, originally taking over that function from the CBC. ...

, he agreed to join the new network. Caldwell went to the BBG and was granted his network licence, which gave Bassett access to a network on which to broadcast his CFL games.

Grey Cup coverage

From 1962 until 1986, CBC and CTV simulcast the Grey Cup. In 1962, 1965, 1967, 1968 and 1970, CTV commentators were used for the dual network telecast. In 1963, 1964, 1966 and 1969 CBC announcers were provided. From 1971 until 1986, the two networks fully pooled their commentary teams for the game, with one crew calling the first half, and the other crew calling the second half. After the 1986 season, CTV dropped its coverage of the CFL and the Grey Cup. Although the CFL has not returned to CTV since, TSN has held exclusive broadcasting rights to the CFL since 2007. As TSN is now owned by

Bell Media Bell Media Inc. ( French: ) is a Canadian company formed by the amalgamation of several companies. Establishment (2011–13) On December 9, 2011, the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan announced the sale of its majority stake in Maple Leaf Sports ...

which is also the parent company of CTV, CTV heavily promotes TSN's CFL coverage.

Commentators

Johnny Esaw Johnny Esaw, Order of Canada, CM (June 11, 1925 – April 6, 2013) was a Canadians, Canadian of Assyrian people, Assyrian descent, a sports broadcaster and television network executive. He was a pioneer of sports broadcasting in Canada, best kn ...

- Play-By-Play (1962–1973), Host (1974–1986) *

Pat Marsden Patrick Francis Marsden (November 8, 1936 – April 27, 2006) was a Canadian sportscaster and voice of the Canadian Football League play-by-play coverage in the 1970s and 1980s. He also worked as host for the historic 1972 Canada-Soviet Union ho ...

- Sideline Reporter/Host (1968–1973), Play-By-Play (1974–1986) * Al McCann - Play-By-Play/Host/Reporter (1963–1986) * Dale Isaac - Play-By-Play *

Don Chevrier Don Chevrier (December 29, 1937 – December 17, 2007) was a television and radio sports announcer. He was born in Toronto, Ontario. Biography Early life and career He began his broadcasting career at CJCA in Edmonton, Alberta at the age of ...

- Play-By-Play (1981–1986) *

Gene Filipski Eugene C. Filipski (June 14, 1931 – August 23, 1994) was an American football halfback who played two seasons with the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the seventh round of the 1953 NFL ...

- Colour Commentator/Host (1967–1968) *

Bill Bewley Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...

- Colour Commentator (1968) *

Dick Shatto Richard Darrell Shatto (February 5, 1933 – February 4, 2003) was a professional Canadian football player for the Canadian Football League Toronto Argonauts. Shatto also served as the Argonauts general manager after his playing days with the cl ...

- Colour Commentator (1970–1973) *

Wally Gabler Wallace F. Gabler III (born June 9, 1944) is a retired professional American football player. He was the starting quarterback for the 1965 Michigan Wolverines football team and played seven seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as the st ...

- Colour Commentator (1974) *

Mike Wadsworth Michael A. Wadsworth (June 4, 1943 - April 28, 2004) was an all-star Canadian Football League defensive lineman, and later lawyer, QC, Canadian Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland, business executive, and television sports analyst. Wadsworth ...

- Colour Commentator (1975–1981) *

Frank Rigney Frank Rigney (April 9, 1936 – June 29, 2010) was an offensive tackle for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League. College Rigney played college ball with another Blue Bomber great, quarterback Ken Ploen at the University of ...

- Colour Commentator (1978–1986) *

Bernie Pascall Bernie may refer to: Places in the United States * Bernie, Missouri, a city * Griffithsville, West Virginia, also called Bernie People * Bernie (given name) ** Bernie Sanders, United States senator and 2016 and 2020 Democratic presidential candi ...

- Colour, Host, Reporter (1969-1980) *

Leif Pettersen Leif Pettersen (December 23, 1950 – July 30, 2008) was a receiver who played eight seasons in the Canadian Football League for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He was born in Toronto, Ontario. After playing college ...

- Colour Commentator (1982–1986) *

Annis Stukus Annis Paul Stukus (October 25, 1914 – May 20, 2006) was a Canadian football player, coach and general manager, and ice hockey general manager. Stukus was born in Toronto. He played for the Toronto Argonauts from 1935 to 1941, leading the te ...

- Colour Commentator (1965) *

Jack Gotta Jack "Jocko" Gotta (November 14, 1929 – June 29, 2013) was an American-born Canadian professional football player, coach, and general manager. Gotta played Tight End at Oregon State in 1952 and Hamilton Air Force Base from 1954-1956. He sig ...

- Colour Commentator (1984) *

Tom McKee Thomas M. McKee (born March 13, 1941) is an American politician and farmer who served as a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives for the 78th district from 1997 to 2017. Career McKee, a tobacco farmer and resident of Cynthiana, Kentu ...

- Host (1975–1986) * Bill Stephenson - Sideline Reporter (1972–1986) * Terry Lynne Meyer - Sideline Reporter *

Dan Matheson Dan Matheson is a Canadian journalist and news anchor who formerly anchored the news during primetime hours on CTV News Channel, starting from September 2001. On November 17, 2015, his employment with CTV/Bell Media was terminated, along with scor ...

- Host *Joe Spence - Colour Commentator * Jack Wells - Play-By-Play * John Wells - Play-By-Play * Bob Gillingham - Sideline Reporter

References

{{CFL on CTV Sports telecast series CTV Television Network original programming Canadian Football League on television 1962 Canadian television series debuts 1986 Canadian television series endings CTV Sports 1960s Canadian sports television series 1970s Canadian sports television series 1980s Canadian sports television series