麻豆传媒映画

With less than 50 days until the start of the Rio Summer Olympic Games, the world turns its attention to the amateur athletes who will compete for their countries.

In Canada, the Games will be broadcast on the CBC with the sonorous-voiced and deeply knowledgeable host, Scott Russell, a veteran of 12 summer and winter Olympics. No. 13 will be in Rio de Janeiro, held in a city with environmental contamination and health concerns and a country with deep political unease and upheaval. He called this a 鈥溾�� but said the Olympics will be ready to launch on Aug. 5. 听

Covering amateur sport is a rich and rewarding beat, and one that is generally overlooked in print and broadcast media outside the Olympics. The CBC is carving out this niche, and Russell pointed to one reason the CBC shifted its focus to differentiate itself: 鈥淲e don鈥檛 do professional sport anymore, that is the other guys,鈥� he said.

He said schools play an enourmous role in developing healthy citizens and life-long athletes 鈥� athlete being the key word. Canada needs more "sportsmen and sportswomen."

He spoke with the Courier from downtown 麻豆传媒映画on June 16.

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Scott Russell on the chances increased government funding to the CBC could allow for more amateur sports coverage鈥�

Boy, that is a great hope, isn鈥檛 it? As a department within CBC, we have always had to eat what we kill. For a long time, when we were producing Hockey Night In Canada, we were generating a certain amount of revenue for the CBC, and the current model is we have to be sustainable within our department. In other words, we have to at least break even. We鈥檙e not in a situation where we can operate at a deficit 鈥� that is just not how our company works right now. But we are well managed at CBC Sports and our focus on amateur high-performance Olympic sport, carving out our niche, is really important for us to brand ourselves in order to fill that void that had existed for some time in the Canadian broadcast landscape.
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On missing the Harry Jerome International Track Classic, held last weekend鈥�

I wish I could be there because of Doug Clement and Diane Clement 鈥� I鈥檝e known them for a long time. It is , it is a 麻豆传媒映画tradition, it鈥檚 a Canadian tradition and I really wish I could be at the Harry Jerome because many of our top track and field athletes will be there. It鈥檚 a great gathering of Canadian talent, some good American talent there as well. I would love to be there and I love the fact that Doug and Diane are so passionate about the Harry Jerome.
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On what more this country can do to support amateur sport鈥�

It is a really big question. There was a great column two days ago in the Globe and Mail by Lawrence Martin, and it pointed out that . I think that is true. We gather as Canadians through sport, we celebrate as Canadians through sport. Who does not remember Sidney Crosby scoring the golden goal at the 麻豆传媒映画Olympics?

For 30 years at CBC, when we signed off, they played O Canada and the last image in the montage when we went off the air at two in the morning or whenever it was, the last image was of a guy named Greg Joy in Montreal to win a silver medal. And that was the way we signed off the air. So there is this belief 鈥� I believe 鈥� sport is central to the Canadian narrative. That it is a building block of our folklore and the thing that we celebrate as Canadians.

There has to be an understanding on the part of Canadians but also the government of Canada that these people are important to the story of our nation. So, I think there has to be greater support. I don鈥檛 think it can only be from Own The Podium, selecting certain sports that are going to win medals to receive the funding.
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On feeling some personal responsibility to influence amateur sport in Canada鈥�

Absolutely I do [feel this]. We host a program called Sports Day in Canada and we are in alliance with Participation and RBC and it is a national celebration of sport. We know in Canada that children have a particular affinity for hockey, I don鈥檛 believe it鈥檚 growing as much as it once was. People and younger children are playing more soccer, and are certainly watching more basketball and watching more baseball because of the exploits of the Raptors and Blue Jays.
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On childhood inactivity and obesity鈥�

There is a national health crisis of inactivity amongst our children, there has to be a greater understanding that sport is central to Canadian life. One of the things that I have long been a proponent of is that sport has to become a part of our core curriculum of our schools 鈥� even more so. We need to have children getting back into physical education classes and they need to take part in extra-curricular activities, namely sport.

Children don鈥檛 get enough physical activity as part of their daily routine. We know that childhood inactivity and obesity is growing and it will lead eventually to a national health crisis. I do think it鈥檚 a responsibility that sport 鈥� competitive sport 鈥� should be a part of our lives.

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On the pressure put on youth to specialize and become a one-sport athlete鈥�

I do think about this, and the reason I say that is because of . His name is Damian Warner, he is a decathlete. He could have played basketball, he could have specialized in any number of sports but he鈥檚 become an athlete and tried a number of sports. I think that is what we need to grow. Instead of hockey players, or soccer players we need to grow athletes 鈥� children who are athletically minded who will try a variety of sports. I think in the end, the best of the best will find their way into a specialized sport. You have to become a sportsman or a sportswoman.
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On reasons television viewer are missing out by not watching amateur sport鈥�

I think they don鈥檛 understand the things they are capable of. What we generally on television, we are unfortunately unable to get that close to the field of play, very few of us are along the sidelines, beside the track or by the swimming pool to see how fast they go, how high they jump, how powerful they are.

For those of us who witnessed Christine Sinclair鈥檚 performance against the United States at the Olympics in London in a losing effort, where she scored three goals and Canada still lost the game, I have never seen or was not aware that an athlete could be that committed to the task at hand. Her eyes were as big as frying pans. I think that is what people don鈥檛 understand: the commitment and the passion that these people have for what they do. For no greater end than to become a champion because the payoff is not huge.
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On an athlete who gives a good interview鈥�

Oh, there are so many! I do always look forward to interviewing Adam van Koeverden who is a kayaker who is . I love to interview him because I鈥檓 not quite sure what he is going to say but whatever he does say will be considered and will be about passion.
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