The world will be watching the beautiful game this summer and to provide Canadians with unprecedented coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, CBC has enlisted the best soccer hosts and analysts along with a number of internationally renowned journalists to bring fans all the drama on and off of the pitch.
CBC’s coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ begins on Friday, June 11 at 8 a.m. ET, with the Opening Ceremony from the newly-reconstructed Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg. Gemini Award-winner Scott Russell will host the afternoon and prime time CBC broadcasts as well as the Final, while MLS on CBC’s Mitch Peacock will host the morning edition of 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Today. Both programs will feature live coverage of the events as they unfold in South Africa.
CBC has assembled an all-star studio team - Nigel Reed, Jason De Vos, Bob Lenarduzzi, and John Collins - to provide fans with in-depth analysis of all of the action.
Known as the voice of MLS on CBC, Nigel Reed brings more than 20 years of experience covering the world’s game, most notably a five-year stint from 1999 to 2004 where he was a host and producer of the BBC’s English Premier League broadcasts. Former Canadian national team captain Jason De Vos took part in 11 FIFA World Cup™ qualification matches and was named a tournament all-star at both the 2000 and 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup tournaments. He most recently suited up for Ipswich Town in 2008.
Bob Lenarduzzi is a Canadian Soccer Hall of Famer and member of the 1986 Canadian FIFA World Cup™ and 1984 Olympic Summer Games teams. His long career included 47 games with the Canadian national team and he coached the squad from 1993 to 1997. Former midfielder John Collins will round out the studio team. In a 19-year career, Collins played for Hibernian, Celtic, Monaco, Everton and Fulham. He represented Scotland in Euro ‘96 and in the 1998 FIFA World Cup™, scoring in the opening game of that tournament with a penalty kick against Brazil.
Reporting on the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ from South Africa will be CBC Sports’ Brenda Irving and CBC News journalist and internationally acclaimed author Kim Brunhuber. Irving and Brunhuber will keep fans updated throughout each broadcast on all of the latest news from the tournament. CBC Sports newcomer Saphia Khambalia will serve as host of Pulse of the Nation, an interactive feature at CBCSports.ca/fifaworldcup and within CBC’s television broadcasts that will keep viewers up to date as Canadians engage with the FIFA World Cup™ experience online, including the latest FIFA World Cup™ buzz from the worlds of Facebook and Twitter, viewer comments, shared photos and videos and more.
In addition to this all-star broadcast team, CBCSports.ca/fifaworldcup will provide complete coverage with a distinguished list of international soccer experts including CBCSports.ca’s John Molinaro; Cape Town SuperSport commentator Mark Gleason; Asian World Soccer Magazine correspondent Michael Church; South American soccer writer and BBC broadcaster Tim Vickery; Madrid-based guardian.co.uk soccer columnist and commentator Sid Lowe, and Paddy Agnew, Rome correspondent for the Irish Times.
CBC’s coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ is lead by executive producer Trevor Pilling, a veteran of countless major event productions for CBC Sports. His career includes seven Gemini Award nominations, winning for Best Live Sporting Event for the 2008 Olympic Games, where he served as executive producer.
Complete coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ begins June 11 on CBC Television, bold and CBCSports.ca. Viewers can visit CBCSports.ca/fifaworldcup for the latest news, exclusive video features, blogs, complete broadcast schedules and more.
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. The Corporation is a leader in reaching Canadians on new platforms and delivers a comprehensive range of radio, television, Internet, and satellite-based services. Deeply rooted in the regions, CBC/Radio-Canada is the only domestic broadcaster to offer diverse regional and cultural perspectives in English, French and eight Aboriginal languages.
