Fan wonders what future will hold for those just getting into game
In 2008, CBC started a program specifically for this East Indian called Hockey Night in Canada’s Punjabi-language broadcast.
On Oct. 19 the channel was supposed to air its third season of the show on regular Saturday nights, but it was cancelled.
CBC spokesperson Chris Ball said by email, “This season we are unable to secure a sponsor for this section of Hockey Night In Canada, and are unable to offset the production cost for this initiative on our own.”
“However, if we are able to secure a sponsor we will bring it back.”
Twenty-three year old, Vinnie Muchalla is a Mount Royal Cougar hockey player and a regular to Punjabi hockey nights due to his Indian descent.
“I was really shocked to hear about the cancellation. If anything I thought the popularity of it was only growing, especially now with an Indian hockey player playing for Vancouver (center Manny Malhotra),” said Muchalla.
While Muchalla says that he will make do because he is bilingual, he’s concerned for people like his grandparents who were just starting to get the hang of hockey and what it had to offer.
“In the end the cancelation of this programming is going to affect the people who just moved here and had one form of TV that they could understand and now they don’t,” said Muchalla.
Chris Ball from CBC said, “Broadcasting games in Punjabi was a great experience that the entire Hockey Night in Canada team was very proud of.”
“Each broadcast was another opportunity for us to all celebrate two of Canada’s strengths, our cultural diversity and our shared passion for hockey and we will continue to be open to opportunities in the future to do broadcasts in additional languages, if there is interest and we’re able to finance it.”
kglowa@cjournal.ca