The network outlines programming plans for its daily coverage of the Olympic Winter Games
The start of the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 is just over four months away and CBC/Radio-Canada is fine-tuning its plans for the comprehensive coverage it will provide to Canadians from February 9–25, 2018. Today, CBC announced the names of the hosts who will guide Canadian viewers through the English-language broadcast and live-streaming coverage of the Games, as well as details of the day parts during which the hosts will appear live from the Republic of Korea.
Scott Russell will be part of CBC’s Olympic Games coverage for the fourteenth time in his career as host of Olympic Games Primetime, the nightly broadcast airing live from 7 p.m. – 2 a.m. ET (4–11 p.m. PT). Returning to CBC’s Olympic Games broadcasts for the third time is Andi Petrillo, who will co-host Olympic Games Morning from 6 a.m.–12 p.m. ET (3–9 a.m. PT) each day throughout the Games alongside two-time Olympic Games silver medallist Alexandre Despatie, who joins CBC’s English-language broadcast team for the first time. Russell and Petrillo were both recognized with the Canadian Screen Awards for ‘Best Sports Host’ in 2017 and 2016, respectively.
Joining CBC’s Olympic Games coverage for the first time as hosts, Craig McMorris and Kelly VanderBeek will helm Olympic Games Overnight from 2–6 a.m. ET (11 p.m.–3 a.m. PT). McMorris, a former member of Canada’s national snowboard team, has been part of CBC’s coverage of the last two Olympic Games as an analyst and is part of CBC Sports’ snowboard broadcasts on ROAD TO THE OLYMPIC GAMES. VanderBeek, an Olympian and Alpine World Cup medallist, returns for a fifth Olympic Games as a broadcaster. She provided insightful reports for CBC’s digital platforms during coverage of Rio 2016 and appeared as a studio analyst with the network’s Sochi 2014 broadcasts and is also a regular contributor to CBC Sports’ ROAD TO THE OLYMPIC GAMES.
Russell, Petrillo and Despatie will host Olympic Games Primetime and Olympic Games Morning live from CBC’s English-language studio at the International Broadcast Centre in the PyeongChang Mountain Cluster. Olympic Games Overnight will offer a different perspective with hosts VanderBeek and McMorris broadcasting live from the heart of the action in the nearby Bokwang Snow Park, home to the Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard events.
The Olympic Winter Games will take place in Korean Standard Time, which will be 14 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. As a result, Olympic Games Primetime will feature live sports coverage as the day begins in Pyeongchang. Olympic Games Overnight will continue to follow the live competition day from the Republic of Korea, all building to the evening events and finals which make up the heart of Olympic Games Morning.
Olympic Games Primetime is the show of record for Canadian performances and “must see” content weaving gold medal moments from the morning hours in PyeongChang into the live events unfolding as the day begins. Olympic Games Overnight is geared toward passionate sports fans, presenting continuous coverage of live sport for those who stay up late or wake up early to follow the sports they love live, as they happen. Olympic Games Morning is designed to quickly bring viewers up-to-date on the events that have taken place overnight to set Canadian fans up for the big events and finals happening live as the competition day wraps up in Pyeongchang.
CBC/Radio-Canada will broadcast the Olympic Games live from studios on-location in the Republic of Korea to ensure authentic, first-hand coverage of the stories as they take place. For PyeongChang 2018, the network’s studios borrow from the host country’s influences and bring marble and wood accents into the design for a clean presentation model. A notable design element incorporated into the sets is an athlete showcase wall that brings state-of-the-art 3D graphic technology into the studio space. The 3D design will be incorporated into several aspects of CBC’s English-language studio broadcasts to enhance and improve the audience experience.
More details of CBC’s English-language broadcast and programming plans will be released closer to the start of the Games. In the meantime, visit the CBC Media Centre for host biographies and images.
- 30 -
About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. We are Canada’s trusted source of news, information and Canadian entertainment. Deeply rooted in communities all across the country, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We also provide international news and information from a uniquely Canadian perspective. In 2017, CBC/Radio-Canada will at the heart of the celebrations and conversations with special 2017-themed multiplatform programming and events across Canada.
For more information, contact:
Simon Bassett, CBC
simon.bassett@cbc.ca
416-205-8533 (t); 416-988-1590 (m)
