Scott Moore's departure renews questions about the CBC's ability to remain a serious player in Canada's sports entertainment industry.
The news of Moore's dramatic jump to Rogers Media Inc. - confirmed Wednesday - to work with long-time friend Keith Pelley caught many in the industry by surprise. Moore was hired four years ago as the vice-president of CBC Sports and Revenue to put the network division back on its feet. He leaves with the NHL contract expiring in 2014, and the 2014 and 2016 Olympic Games rights to be awarded next year.
As president of broadcasting, Moore is to oversee television outlets Sportsnet, CityTV and OMNI, and the company's radio properties (including the flagship sports station in Toronto, the Fan 590). Pelley left CTV Inc. in August to become president of Rogers Media.
"It was very tough leaving the CBC," Moore told Usual Suspects on Wednesday. "I believe strongly in the public broadcaster. I really loved the place - even the immunization shots I took to go to India for the Commonwealth Games. I like to think we put sports on a better trajectory and left it better than before. But the opportunity to work for an iconic broadcaster like Rogers and with Keith Pelley was too good to turn down."
If Moore is being hired with a mandate to take on ratings-leader TSN, money should not be a problem. Sportsnet reported nearly $41-million in profits last year.
"If I bring anything, I think it's sense of leadership," he said. "I bring long history of personal relationships at various networks, I know a lot of people in the business. Keith and I are a good fit, we have the right energy and drive to make it work."
The Pelley/Moore saga shows if there's a new style in Canadian sports television, it is the peripatetic. Where once executives were branded for life with a network affiliation, those borders no longer exist today.
Since 2003, Pelley has moved from the presidency of TSN, to the same post with the CFL's Toronto Argonauts, to president of the Olympic Broadcast Consortium, to his new post at Rogers. In the same period, Moore has gone from producer at TSN, to program director at Sportsnet, to independent producer, to the CBC and now to a new gig at Rogers.
Compare that with departing Rogers president Tony Viner, who served loyally since 1982. It would seem there is nowhere higher to rise in Canada than the Rogers Communications Inc. empire with its tentacles into most every TV, wired device or media platform.
Could Moore lure CBC talent to Rogers? Say, a certain intermission performer?
"Don Cherry is an icon on CBC, and I would hope to see him finish his career on CBC," he said pointedly. "That's wild speculation."
As for leaving the CBC in the lurch on negotiations for the Olympic TV rights, Moore says he leaves behind a strong team of people at the CBC "who know more about these things than me." As for any conflicts: "As soon as I knew I was going to be making this change I recused myself from the process."
And what of the NHL broadcast rights? TSN, for one, is expected to bid heavily against the CBC.
"There is no urgency there," Moore said. "They have a great team in place, and they'll find another leader to take them forward. CBC has survived the loss of many people in the past, and it will survive my personal involvement."
Moore says that while he and Pelley had talked in the past about working together somewhere, the deal only came together about 10 days ago. On his plans for Rogers, Moore is vague, saying that until he starts work on Dec. 6, he can't discuss specifics - such as who will replace the departing Doug Beeforth as president of Sportsnet.
"Keith couldn't share much with a competitor until now," Moore said. "We've had social chats. All he said was, 'I want to make all the properties winners.' "
Who knows? Pelley/Moore may stay put for a while. But with technology changing at warp speed, don't count on them letting any moss grow under their feet.