CBC Sports Hall of Fame adds 4 members
'Unique and lasting' contributions to sports broadcasting
Four Canadian broadcasting legends are headed to the CBC Sports Hall of Fame.
CBC Sports executive director Scott Moore confirmed Monday that Terry Leibel, Alan Clark, Don E. Brown and Fred Sgambati will be inducted at a ceremony to be held Nov. 18.
"We're pleased to welcome these four newest members to the CBC Sports Hall of Fame," Moore stated. "Each made a unique and lasting contribution to CBC and to the sports broadcasting industry and we're thrilled to honour each of them this year."
Leibel was one of the first women to anchor a network sports program, notably CBC Sports Weekend, and the first female co-anchor of Olympic coverage at the Atlanta Games in 1996. Seven years later, she became the first woman to win a Gemini Award for sports broadcasting.
Clark piloted CBC Radio Sports and CBC-TV Sports through many a tricky negotiation, including the landmark "Five Games Deal" in which the network secured the Canadian rights to the Olympics from 2000 through 2008. A resourceful and innovative executive, he introduced Saturday doubleheaders on Hockey Night In Canada and was instrumental in the creation of Hockey Day In Canada.
Brown was a director and executive producer of impactful sports programming on CBC, putting his stamp on such events as the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, the 1994 Commonwealth Games from Victoria, the 1999 Pan-American Games in Winnipeg and numerous Olympic broadcasts. He also oversaw CBC Montreal and CBC Vancouver as executive producer.
Sgambati, who passed away in 1979, was a popular voice of Canadian university football and the CFL. Canadian Interuniversity Sport still presents an annual media award in his name. Sgambati also covered historic sports events like the 1972 Summit Series and the Canada Cup.
The previous inductees into the CBC Sports Hall of Fame are Ernie Afaganis, Gordon Craig, Maggie Davis, Tom Fisk, Foster Hewitt, Danny Gallivan, Geoff Gowan, Dick Irvin, Joan Mead, Howie Meeker, Bob Moir, George Retzlaff, Ted Reynolds, Jim Thompson, Fred Walker and Don Wittman.