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Play by Play: Joe Beninati
Color: Darren Eliot
Reporter: Bob Harwood

NESN, Bruins Set Ratings Records For Saturday Night’s Game

BOSTON, MA – NESN, New England’s most watched sports network, earned a 3.9 HH rating in the Boston DMA for Saturday’s Bruins – Hurricanes game, the network’s highest rated Bruins season opening broadcast in 25 years of covering the team. NESN’s 3.9 rating was also the highest average household rating recorded in the Boston DMA during the game’s 7:00 PM to10:00 PM window, besting all other broadcast and cable networks.

“Bruins fans have picked up right where they left off after a record setting 2008-2009 season,” said Sean McGrail, NESN President and CEO. “We are delighted to start the season with another strong rating, demonstrating that Bruins fans are excited that hockey is back in season here in Boston.”

NESN’s Bruins pre-game show WB Mason Bruins Faceoff LIVE also reached a major benchmark on Saturday. The season-opening edition generated a 1.1 HH rating in Boston and was seen in 28,000 homes, more than any Bruins pre-game show during the 2008-2009 season.

The network’s previous high rating for a season opening broadcast came on January 23, 1995 when the network earned a 3.8 rating for its first broadcast of that lockout shortened season.

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TONIGHT: Watch Us Disrespect Our Betters!

We’re appearing on Kurtenblog Radio tonight on The Team 1040 in Vancouver.  Listen LIVE at The Team 1040’s Website.  We’re on at abou 11-11:30 PM ET.  The show takes place from 10PM-1AM ET.  The show also takes place in medieval England.  One of those things is a lie.

Anywho, join us, won’t you?

Pens Home Opener Sets Ratings Record

From the Penguins Website:

Friday night’s telecast of the Pittsburgh Penguins season opening 2009-10 game versus the New York Rangers registered a 10.5 average HH rating on FSN Pittsburgh, according to Nielsen Media Research.  The telecast, viewed by more than 120,500 households in the Pittsburgh DMA, set a new record rating as the highest ever for a Penguins season opening game telecast on the

“Friday night defied ordinary on FSN,” said Ted Black, Senior VP/General Manager, FSN Pittsburgh.  “Our ability to showcase the Stanley Cup banner raising ceremony and Coach Bylsma’s team pregame talk was a truly unique opportunity for fans and they proved that by the record number who tuned in for the opening season game on FSN Pittsburgh.”

The previous high mark of 7.1 for a Penguins season opening game rating was set at the start of the 2005-06 season, Sidney Crosby’s first as a Penguin.

FSN Pittsburgh led all FSN regional sports networks in NHL game ratings the past two seasons.

Coyotes Home Opener to Be Televised

From the Coyotes Website:

GLENDALE, ARIZONA — Phoenix Coyotes President and Chief Operating Officer Douglas Moss announced today that the Coyotes’ 2009-10 Home Opener versus the Columbus Blue Jackets will be televised live on AZ-TV at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10.

“We’d like to thank AZ-TV for agreeing to broadcast this year’s Home Opener,” said Moss. “There has been tremendous anticipation for our first home game of the season, which will feature the first-ever WhiteOut at Jobing.com Arena. When the game was not on the original broadcast slate due to a previous scheduling commitment on FOX Sports Arizona, we explored alternatives so that our fans would still be able to watch the game live on television, and both AZ-TV and FOX Sports Arizona were extremely supportive in working with us to find a way to bring this game to our fans.”

Cox Cable subscribers and over-the-air viewers will be able to view the game in High Definition. All other providers will air the game in Standard Definition.

“AZ-TV is pleased to be televising the 2009-2010 Home Opener for the Phoenix Coyotes,” said AZ-TV General Manager Jeff Burnton. “The upcoming WhiteOut is a tremendous opportunity for the viewers in Arizona to experience the excitement that is Coyotes hockey.”

The Coyotes’ television broadcasting team of play-by-play announcer Dave Strader, color analyst Tyson Nash and host/reporter Todd Walsh will bring Coyotes fans all the action. In addition to the AZTV broadcast, the game will also air throughout Arizona and in New Mexico on tape delay at 10:45 p.m. Saturday on FOX Sports Arizona.

The Coyotes are holding a “Welcome Back WhiteOut” during the Home Opener to celebrate the beginning of the 2009-10 season. All fans in attendance at the game will receive a “Welcome Back WhiteOut” t-shirt and white pom-poms, courtesy of Jobing.com.

First Pair Eliminated From Battle of the Blades

Marie-France Dubreuil and Stéphane Richer are the first pair to be saved in the BATTLE OF THE BLADES figure skating competition, joining the six remaining pairs for a chance to win $100,000 for the charity of their choice. Kristina Lenko and Bob Probert were the first eliminated, as the results were revealed during tonight’s broadcast.

The two pairs with the fewest votes in the first week of BATTLE OF THE BLADES were Dubreuil and Richer, who skated to Queen’s We Will Rock You and, Lenko and Probert, who performed their routine to Steppenwolf’s Born to Be Wild. Both pairs performed again before the panel of judges, Sandra Bezic, Dick Button and guest judge Kelly Hrudey, for a final chance to remain in the show. All three praised tonight’s performances and were impressed with both pairs’ improvement from Sunday’s skate. For their efforts, Lenko and Probert’s Canadian charity, Wounded Warriors, will receive a $25,000 donation.

The seven pairs returning to compete on October 11 are: Shae-Lynn Bourne and Claude Lemieux, Isabelle Brasseur and Glenn Anderson, Marie-France Dubreuil and Stéphane Richer, Jodeyne Higgins and Ken Daneyko, Christine Hough-Sweeney and Tie Domi, Jamie Salé and Craig Simpson, Barbara Underhill and Ron Duguay.

Viewers can learn more about the competitors at www.cbc.ca/battle, the official online portal for the series and the source for everything about BATTLE OF THE BLADES. In addition to competition recap videos and behind-the-scene photos, the site offers viewers the opportunity to become fans of their favourite pair and track each participant’s activity as they strive to be the final pair remaining at the end of the series.

BATTLE OF THE BLADES is the brainchild of Kevin Albrecht with development by Sandra Bezic. BATTLE OF THE BLADES executive producers are John Brunton, Barbara Bowlby and Kevin Albrecht. It is produced by Insight Productions in association with CBC Television.

Battle of the Blades Outdraws NHL Programming on CBC

From the CBC themselves:

More than 1.95 million viewers tuned in to the entire 90-minute first episode of BATTLE OF THE BLADES (the second highest debut for a homegrown series since CBC Television’s Little Mosque on the Prairie).  Viewership peaked at 2.482 million. The seven week 14-part series continues tonight with the live skate-off results show at 8 p.m. on CBC Television.

“I’m very proud that CBC is being watched by so many Canadians, BATTLE OF THE BLADESis yet another big hit in what is turning out to be a stellar fall lineup,” said Kirstine Stewart, General Manager, CBC English Services.”We knew that the combination of two iconic Canadian sports was an irresistible premise for a reality television show. We’re thrilled that audiences agree and watched in such large numbers.”

Sunday evening began with CBC Television’s family drama HEARTLAND drawing 1.06 million, the highest audience in the show’s three season history.

BATTLE OF THE BLADES wasn’t the only CBC program with viewers glued to their televisions. According to preliminary overnight data, Game One of the first Saturday night broadcast of the regular season on CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA featuring the Maple Leafs/Capitals, Canadiens/Sabres and Senators/Rangers match-ups drew an average audience of 1.740 million. Game Two between the Flames and Oilers reached an average audience of 1.153 million. Pre-game show Scotiabank Hockey Tonight welcomed 628,000 viewers to the broadcast.

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